East Meets West

In January I went to India with Swedish colleagues from the Novare Management Programme and paid an inspirational visit to Narayana Hrudayalaya, a hospital near Bangalore, established by Dr Shetti, a specialist heart surgeon. He was motivated by the lack of medical care for the poor in India where many die from genetic heart diseases. For a meagre 5 rupees, poor farmers can insure themselves. With his own money, bank loans, government funding and the insurance contributions, the hospital was founded in 2001. Its efficiencies are based on economies of scale where salaries account for just 20% and 90% of employees are women. Technology enables images to be viewed all over India and round the world (diagnoses via satellite mean patients don’t travel to hospital unnecessarily). With 50 children’s heart operations a day this is now the biggest hospital of its kind in the world.

‘Hand-in-Hand’, another initiative, was established in Chennai by Swedish businessman, Percy Barnevik. There are three projects: waste management, micro loans for women, and a girl’s boarding school. The waste management plant is run by volunteers and ‘green friends’ who collect the rubbish. Composted materials are sold to farmers. Imagine the amount of rubbish in India and the potential profit if this proves economical. A feature of the micro-funded women’s groups is the oaths that have to be made: no dowries for girls; no more than 2 babies and all children to be educated. The girl’s boarding school aims to address the problem of child labour where girls under 14 are deprived of education. After an intense 18-month programme, girls return to their families and local schools. The foundation checks school attendance and, if deficient, girls return to the boarding school until 14.

I am convinced that projects like these are a great way forward – entrepreneurship through individuals with insight, drive and passion with the support of government and charitable funding. This is an effective solution to some of the world’s social problems – not only in developing countries but also on our own ‘developed’ doorstep. Could Barack Obama and the NHS learn something from the initiatives taken by Dr Shetti? Could western women wanting to escape poverty not form micro-funded groups as in India? I have decided to donate some of Goodwille’s annual profit to charity. My particular interest is the encouragement of women entrepreneurs! Last year we donated to a group in Malawi who needed sewing machines (see page 3). This year we will support ‘Hand-in-Hand’ and Indian women who need micro finance.