Title: My Summer Internship: an opportune time for social enterprise in Thailand

This past semester, I had the privilege of taking courses offered by Professor Holly Wise, whom I credit for my pursuit and preparedness for an internship with the LINKAGES project (a USAID/PEPFAR funded global cooperative that was awarded to FHI360 in 2014). The project allows community-based partners to provide a continuum of HIV-services based on the principle of differentiated service delivery (DSD), and through the HIV cascade strategic framework. 

The DSD principle rejects the notion of a “one-size-fits-all.” Instead, HIV-service delivery is tailored based on the unique needs and preferences of specific sub-populations; coupled by an understanding of the unique needs and preferences of specific individuals within the sub-populations. The DSD principle led to the creation of the Key Population-Led Health Services (KPLHS) model. The model was developed by the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Center and has been instrumental in HIV-service delivery for key populations (KPs), who account for more than 50% of all new HIV infections in Thailand. FHI360 works with community-based organizations such as the Chiang Mai based and KP led organization CAREMAT to implement the KPLHS model. One of the employees at CAREMAT recognized a data collection challenge and decided to create an IoT-capable (Internet of Things) software application that is based on the design technique of modular programming. The design technique of the CAREMAT application allows for data collection and tracking of clients across the continuum of HIV services: reach, recruit, test, treat, prevent & retain, which is in alignment with the HIV cascade strategic framework of the LINKAGES project. 

This IoT capable software tool already has a social license to operate, as evidenced by the rate of uptake. It also offers an opportunity for CAREMAT to launch a social enterprise, and this is where I come in. As part of The Global Social Enterprise and Innovation Fellows program, I took the courses “Global Social Enterprise” (GHDP 650) and “Innovations in Private Sector Approaches to Global Development” (GHDP 651). Both courses exposed me to alternative business models for social good, an area that is often called the “emerging fourth sector” due to models that reflect an intersection of the three traditional sectors (private, public and nonprofit) with an emphasis on the notion of a triple bottom line. The major drivers of this “emerging fourth sector” are disruptive technologies such as IoT, and new financing mechanisms such as blended finance. 

During my second week at FHI360, I was required to do a “Brown Bag” presentation on the ecosystem of social enterprise in Thailand. Fortunately, I was no stranger to this topic in Southeast Asia due to assigned readings from the GHDP 650 course, such as “Social Entrepreneurship: What Everyone Needs To Know, ” and a case study on “Cabbages and Condoms:” a Thai social enterprise founded by former politician and activist Mechai Viravaidya. The “Cabbages and Condoms” social enterprise has a sustainability model that generated approximately USD$150 million over 25 years since inception, and funds approximately 70% of Mechai’s development endeavors on raising awareness around family planning and HIV/AIDS in Thailand.

Moreover, I did my brown bag during a time that I would describe as an opportune time for social enterprise in Thailand. The Thai government had recently passed a “Social Enterprise Promotion Act,” which renewed support for social enterprises and unleashed resources to reinforce the importance of higher profitability for social good instead of shareholder primacy. The new legislation requires social enterprises to invest at least 70% of profits back into the sustainability and social mission of the enterprises. I made sure to highlight this new legislation in my brown bag presentation because it provided guidance on how the community-based organizations under FHI360 LINKAGES project can launch, be in compliance and implement resilient sustainability models. The legislation is also indicative of a local effort to prioritize deeper social impact and corporate governance that adheres to shared value in Thai society. 

After the brown bag, FHI360 created an opportunity for me and other colleagues to travel to Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. For two days, we meet with community-based organizations that are implementing partners on the LINKAGES project. The help of a Thai interpreter allowed me to deliver a presentation on the concept of social enterprise to the organizations, and they were visibly excited to learn about different social enterprise models, key influencers, funders and new developments in Thailand’s ecosystem. At the same time, the organizations found it useful to learn about a concept that provides potential avenues for sustainability beyond donor funded projects. 

Additionally, I had a chance to profile the CAREMAT employee who voluntarily developed the IoT capable software tool. This is someone who went beyond his scope of work, and someone I can describe as a true visionary. He is a systems designer with a with a knack for “building and fix[ing] systems” guaranteeing data integrity. Being in direct contact with the community-based organizations was a refreshing experience, and I gained contextual understanding which will be crucial in the process of developing a social enterprise model for CAREMAT. My initial thoughts are on exploring nonexclusive licensing revenue models that can allow for the CAREMAT application to be sold as “software as a service” to potential customers. This is one approach that could allow CAREMAT to generate revenue necessary to fund the organization’s HIV cascade services, and an approach that could potentially influence a shift away from dependence on donor funded projects such as LINKAGES. 

After Chiang Mai, I returned to Bangkok and secured an opportunity to attend the 9th Social Business Day conference. The conference was hosted by the Yunus Center, and provided a great opportunity to not only network, but to also learn more about the social enterprise ecosystem in Thailand. Luckily, I got a chance to meet both the Bangladeshi Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, and the pioneer of social enterprise in Thailand Mr. Mechai Viravaidya. Meeting both Prof.Yunus and Khun Mechai felt like a dream come true for me! To go from studying the work of these “social innovators” in my GHDP 650 course, to then having a chance to interact with them in Bangkok was a “pinchable” moment. The conference also allowed me to connect with one of the largest associations for social enterprises in Thailand, namely Thailand SE 4.0. I am now in the process of preparing for a meeting with the associate secretary of Thailand SE 4.0, in order to discuss pathways to membership for the community-based organizations that are under the LINKAGES project. I believe that membership in the Thailand SE 4.0 network would enable the community-based organizations to continue to have an engagement platform, and also access resources well beyond my summer internship. 

As I think back to the opening sentence of my GHD application: “I believe that complex development challenges can be addressed through innovative and practical solutions,” I find myself smiling. This internship with FHI360 is allowing me to fulfill that belief, and to be part of an effort to think creatively about how an innovative technology tool can create sustainability for a community-based organization. The IoT-capable software application created by CAREMAT has the potential to strengthen the provision of HIV-services through the cascade strategic framework. This is germane to meeting both the 95-95-95 fast-track targets of The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, and health target 3.3 under sustainable development goal 3.