5. The problem
With an estimated population of 2,50000 spread in 15 Union
Councils, Murree is one of the seven tehsils of district
Rawalipindi.
Bestowed with immense natural beauty and being a matchless
tourist destination, Murree attracts millions of hearts and minds
every year. Each and every eye witnesses the charming queen
of hills with tranquil breathe, but their souls seldom realise the
dilemma faced by the dwellers.
With the exception of some villages, the community of Muree is
faced with staggering abject poverty and a sizeable part of
the population lives below poverty line. One of the indicators of
this social disparity is the overwhelming existence of beggars in
the marketplaces of Murree. This does not only depict the harsh
reality of social inequality but also brings negative effects on
tourism in this beautiful hill station. Just imagine a welcoming
and friendly Murree with no beggars at all!
6. Vision, Mission and Objectives
Vision: A prosperous, healthy and egalitarian
Murree triumphant over fear and symbolising hope.
Mission: To eliminate poverty, social injustice and
suffering while engaging the local communities in
healthy economic and social activities with an
everlasting positive impact on the environment.
Objectives:
To evolve social enterprises engaging the most
vulnerable and disadvantaged groups
To introduce small scale investments commensurate
with the skills and abilities of the most deserving
individuals/groups
To impart new skills with an objective of engaging the
beneficiaries as potential entrepreneurs
7. The theory of change
The disadvantaged, down-trodden and have-nots
become part of the mainstream society while
making dignified earning and bringing value to
the economy, society and the environment. The
small scale activities of social entrepreneurship
have the power to transform our society from an
uneven and disjoined society to an egalitarian
society where human life becomes invaluable.
In out country, begging is now a profession which
needs to be discouraged so through corrective
measures and engaging the potential beggars in
positive economic and social activities.
8. Solution
Motivate the beggars to be the change agents
and form an informal group to begin with.
Assess their current capacities and potentials of
acquiring skills with little cost or no cost
Agree on ideas for small scale enterprises, skill
based investments and need based skills
Hold meetings with the hotel owners and shop
keepers
Initiate small scale ventures while engaging
individuals according to their capacities, skills and
motivations.
9.
10. Potential enterprises
Making small
paper bags for
local shops,
medical stores
News paper
stands.
Selling bouquets,
Boutique stands for
a group of females
11. Modus operandi
Form an association of the individuals
concerned (20).
Assess their skill levels and potentials
Assign two of the group members with the role
of planning, coordination, reporting etc
Develop a mechanism of daily interaction
amongst all the members
12. Social impact
This project will bring a ray of hope for the
poorest of the poor.
This will also bring a positive sign of social
equality
The project can be scaled up to other areas
and the model can be replicated in rest of the
country.
This will also mobilize the government machinery
to come forward to support
The visitors to Murree will be thrilled to see a
beggar free Murree!!
14. Financial sustainability
No. of people to be engaed Unit cost Total
1 Bouqet 4 2000 8000
2 Paper bag 8 15000 120000
3 Stand boutique 4 10000 40000
4 News paper stand 4 8000 32000
20 200000
15. Investment: 200000
Projected sales revenue: 750000
Costs: 250000
Profit: 300000
Payback period: 6 months
ROI: 150%
Sustainability: entrepreneurs self-motivation
Engage government and public leaders
Engage local entrepreneurs
