The essence of entrepreneurship is taking a new approach to an age-old problem. It requires us to reassess continually the problem at hand, collaborate to speed up our learning, and pivot as needed to get to the right solution in a timely manner. We first collaborated with Empower Generation (EG) as they embarked on the Burma (Myanmar) pilot program funded partly by D-Prize. Please see the full report of the pilot program attached below. Through that collaboration, we learned that while the Myanmar government was rolling out its National Electrification Plan (NEP) to bring national and off-grid energy to 7.2 million homes by 2030, this process was lengthy, and many rural regions would still have to wait for over ten years to benefit. That would mean ten more years of environmentally hazardous kerosene lamps for school children in rural Myanmar. As such, for 2020, Jezuba is focusing on partnering with local Burmese organizations such as the Thabarwa Center (TC), a Buddhist community organization with headquarters south of Yangon in Thanlyin, to solve the last-mile distribution issues to access rural areas. Also, through our partnership with EG, we learned that we have to steer people’s minds and hearts from long-held beliefs toward solar energy products and their efficiency. As such, we are raising awareness on sustainable solutions to global climate issues through solar workshops led by our young interns in California and Yangon, Burma. As we have learned from organizations like Little Sun that simple lamp donations distort markets and maintain countries in aid dependency, we are implementing a market-based trade approach. We are establishing a trading market for artisans’ goods from Burma to sell in the US in exchange for solar LED lamps for school children. We will accomplish our goals by building unity in a grassroots community around art, crafts, and food while empowering the next generation with social impact entrepreneurship. The missing piece is your donation as seed investment. Please join us with your support! Rebecca Liao Co-founder and Director, Jezuba |
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