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Showing posts with the label Community Empowerment

Korea’s Self-Support Enterprises: From Welfare to Social Innovation

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A few years ago, a self-sufficiency enterprise provided services for a client struggling with hoarding disorder.(Photo by Milly)    Among the many social economy organizations in South Korea, there is one type of enterprise that stands out — the Self-Support Enterprise .   The word “ jahwal ” ( 자활 ) in Korean means “to live independently by one’s own efforts.” A self-support enterprise is a business jointly operated by people who are low-income earners or recipients of the National Basic Livelihood Security Program , working together to overcome poverty and achieve self-reliance.   Unlike most social enterprises that pursue social value while generating profits, self-support enterprises exist for a deeper purpose: they help people move from being beneficiaries of welfare to becoming active contributors to their communities.   In short, they transform people from “those who receive help” into “those who give help.”   The Beginning of Self-Supp...