SoCCs or Social Capital Credits is a virtual system of exchange for social good that combines the best practices of carbon credits, MPesa, and eBay. This breakthrough concept is currently being tested in pilot sites in India, Ghana and Costa Rica. It aims to empower communities to improve their own lives, while leveraging the multiplier effect of each development dollar.

1. Help a Woman Rise!
Founded in 1999
Now in New York, Tokyo, Australia & Singapore

2. Our story
Prof. Swaminathan’s vision of Empowerment
Pro-poor, Pro-women, Pro-environment

3. Our Work
MICRO CREDIT INITIATIVE
over 200 micro credit banks

4. DIGITAL BRIDGE INITIATIVE
40 Village Knowledge Centers supported
3500 computers sent to India & the Philippines

5. EDUCATION INITIATIVE WITH ANK
India, Bangladesh, Nepal, the Philippines

6. CITY INITIATIVE WITH ARPANA
Community Empowerment workshops;
Revolving loans for ultra-poor housing

7. A transformative community currency for social good
People EARN SoCCs points by actions
that benefit their neighborhood.
They spend SoCCs thus earned for
education, healthcare and other ways
to improve their lives
SoCCs make the invisible work of women visible and rewarded

8. The SoCC Market
(An eBay like digital trading platform)
- A simple, free, open and transparent framework for
accounting, validation, and trading;
- Electronic wallets using ordinary mobile phones.
- Will combine best practices of many existing
systems for use of people at the bottom of the
pyramid, and others too

9. act as a catalyst for development without reliance on money.
Income
Social Capital
Education
Health
Shelter
Food
Water
Waste Management
POVERTY
Social
Capital
Income
Income

11. The SoCC Market: Earning SC
PLANT 10 TREES IN THE
neighborhood
Reward: SC 50
By October 15
COLLECT 10 LBS
GARBAGE ON MAIN
STREET
Reward: SC 20
Always

12. The SoCC Market: Redeeming SC
VEGETABLE VENDOR HEALTH CLINIC ELECTRICITY BILL
Accept 50% SC Check-up: SC 5 Accept 50% SC

13. SoCCs at Work
Pilots underway
 Kumasi, Ghana, with Earth Institute,
Columbia U
 Chennai with M.S. Swaminathan
Foundation
 Kotputli, India with Oxigen
 Dharavi, Mumbai with URBZ
 Curritabat, Costa Rica with Govt
Pilots in planning stages
 Vaigai River Restoration Project,
Madurai, with Dhan Foundation
 Cha project in Old Chinatown,
Kolkota, with INTACH
 Anganwadi project in Goa
 Kisumu, Kenya with Earth Institute,
Columbia U

14. Kumasi, Ghana
• Partners: Millennium Cities
Initiatives
(Earth Institute, Columbia
Univ.)
• Location:
Bantama Market, Kumasi
• Size: 320 women/families
• Start-date: November
2013
• Duration: 8 months
• Cost: Borne by MCI
Abenaa Boateng, the MCI Regional Coordinator, who is running
The pilots, here explains the concept to the market women

16. Pudukottai, Tamil Nadu, India
 Partners:
M.S.Swaminathan
Research Found.
 Goal: Desilting of
wells, doubling crop
yields
 Size: 200 families
 Start-date: 2014

17. MSSRF Self Help Groups in Action

18. Kotputli, Rajasthan
 CSR Partner: Oxigen
 Location:
Kotputli Town
(Rajasthan, India)
 Size: 50 people
 Start: May 2014
 Duration: 6 months
 Cost: Oxigen covering
program costs

19. Kotputli Pilot

20. Dharavi, Mumbai
 Partners: URBZ
 Location:
Dharavi, Mumbai,
India
 Goal: To improve
hygiene
 Size: 60 families
 Start-date: Jan 2014

22. Dharavimarket.com

23. URBZ: User Generated Cities

24. • Partners:
Curritabat, Costa Rica
• Curritiabat City
Government
• Size: 5,000 families
• Start-date: July,
2014
• Duration: 1 year

25. Jeenal Sawla at Curridabat

26. Vaigai River Restoration Project
• Partners:
• Earth Celebrations
• Dhan Foundation
• Location: Tamil
Nadu
• Size: 10,000 people
• Start-date
• Oct 2, 2014

27. Meetings with Dhan Foundation

28. Chinatown, Kolkota

30. Visit to Cha Project w AI Tokyo members

31. Slum Children’s Soccor Training and
Educational Society

34. What partners get from SoCCs?
• Local NGOs and Community Groups
Get SoCC accounting and trading platform +
Community-to-community learning and
trading
• International Aid Agencies
Multiple-fold return on Investment; user data
• Governments
Reduced service delivery costs, transparency
• Corporations
SoCCs for CSR programs; potential customers

35. “It is just amazing to learn of your
innovative work in Kumasi on SoCCs.
This sounds absolutely wonderful, a real
breakthrough.”
Message from Jeffrey Sachs
Recipient of 2013 Swaminathan Award

36. www.asiainitiatives.org

37. Thank you