“All labour that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance
and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
Africa presents such a rich opportunity for innovations that can transform society and catapult communities into meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. More than ever before the adoption of mobile technology and the decrease in usage costs could enable social innovators to leverage these advancements to uplift humanity.
The vastness of challenges that many on the continent face on a daily basis has led to the emergence of Social Innovators. According to the Oxford University Said Business School, Social Innovation is “New ideas that work in meeting social goals”. Their report further indicated that Social Innovation is all around us from self-help groups to community gardens and that is always addresses unmet needs to improve the lives of people.
In order to maximize the impact of Social Innovation we have to understand the basic process. Below we share the 5 phases of the Social Innovation process:
- Discovery Phase: Realization of a challenge and exploring how you’ll possibly approach the it.
- Interpretation Phase: Learning about the challenge and developing expertise that could lead to a deeper understanding.
- Ideation Phase: A deeper understanding will lead to seeing opportunities. It is only then that ideas are sparked that leads to the conceptualization of possible solutions.
- Experimentation Phase: Taking the idea and concept then building a solution.
- Evolution Phase: After trying a new solution , the learning have to applied in order to evolve to an improved social innovation.
So next time you find yourself grappling with some social challenges, remember that any new idea that works to solve the problem is the beginning of your journey as a Social Innovator.
Enjoy some of our favorite videos on the topic of Social Innovation