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Self Employment

Local SMS Community Newsletter for Promotion of Self-Employment

Project URL: 
http://www.smsone.in
Short Project Overview: 

We promote SMS based Free Newsletter in every small locality to alert, inform, update local citizens with social, political, cultural, governmental information.
We are trying to develop a Local Micro-Media through which citizens can be weaved together with a thread of SMS - affectionately.
This is an integrated, interconnected & interactive community newsletter which is run by local 10th-12th failed, school college dropped out youngster who earns $ 100-200 monthly.

Detailed Project Overview: 

Project Idea:
It’s a Location based Citizen centric Information & knowledge focused Update & alert service through SMS which is free for the members and which is run by a local – social entrepreneur. We are trying to provide ‘One Social Assistant cum  Entrepreneur’ for every 1000 families.

Qualification of Local Social Entrepreneur (Mobile Journalist)
School-college dropped outs
Opportunity less – street wanderer
Socio-politically sadden youths
Financially backwards youths

Reason for the project:
To develop citizens own local-micro media
To amplify citizens voice
To bring them together under a single umbrella to encourage their participation
To update citizens with all latest local happenings on various fronts like social, political, governmental information
To enhance affection and oneness in the society
To empower local school-college dropouts

Scalability:

Self Employment Opportunities to more than 200,000 youths only in India!!!!

Think of opportunities in all developing countries for youths !!!

Modus operandi:
Step 1: Affiliation with SMSONE
A youth with above mention qualification, having good local contacts in the society, gets affiliated with us. He is advised to start Local SMS Newsletter in his area.
Step 2 : Collection of local citizens data
He starts making members for Local SMS Community newsletter by signing a single page Permission Letter from the mobile users.
75 % of residents & around 25 % of businessman’s would be allowed in one Local SMS Community.
This letter confirms members’ willingness to accept the social SMS and allow promotional SMS.
Step 3: Database management
He send the entire data to SMSONE HO where the data is sorted according to Name, Gender, Age, DoB, Profession, Pin code etc.
Step 4 : Training
A one day capacity building training is given to him. SMSONE Values, vision, mission is imparted on him.
Step 5: Actual Implementation
He starts sending free SMS to his members as per their requirement.
Same time, he will start finding local advertisers and start earning money.

Types of SMS to Citizens
Only 1 message per week is send to the community. The messages are classified as given below.

A
• Government 2 Citizens (G2C)
• Social messages 2 Citizens services
• Community demand messages: alerts : news : reminders :Custom made
• Local News - Community generated content
• Birthday wishes to all members
• Local happenings like cultural programs, lectures, stage shows, religious shows, programs on National Days etc.
• Water & Power shutdowns & due dates
• Telephone bills due dates
• Municipal taxes & due dates
• Road/Traffic congestion/ Road closures
• Local/Municipal/Sate Government /Indian Government important announcements
• Local Social activities like … Eye Testing, Health checkups & different camps
• Climate changing alerts
• Important instructions from the local police
• Emergency medical aid like blood donations solicited etc.
B
• Local shopkeepers' ads
• Local Credit Societies/Co-operative Banks ads/schemes/announcements
• Discount offers from various shops, hotels and establishments
• Local Insurance agents
• Local Car/2 Wheeler dealers/service centers
• New shop openings
• Local Real Estates
• Marriage invitations
C
• Birthday Wishes of/to/for the budding local leaders
• Village Administration/Municipal Committees /Local, Assembly and Parliament elections from the candidates of various political parties as well as independent candidates
• Co-operative Development Society/Co-op Bank/Co-op credit society/ Milk Federation/Sugar Factory and other similar Elections.

Monthly earning for Self Employed Youth
• He earns 1 Cent/message/member by sending A type SMS.
• He earns 3 Cents/message/member by sending B type SMS.
• He earns 3-5 Cents/message/member by sending C type SMS.

Now multiply above cents by 1000 members & by 5 messages per month.

He sends 1 Social : 4 Promotional SMS to earn $ 100-200/month.

Money + Prestige:

The 10-12th failed, school college dropout who was wandering on the streets here and there, now earns handsome money per month. And as a mobile Journalist, community starts respecting him.

So he gets money plus social respect through this idea.

 Uniqueness of Model
• Offer Self-employment to the 10-12th Failed - undergraduate youths without any huge investment.
• Develop a unique media, fruits of which would be shared by all self employed youths.
• Distribute lifelong benefit to self employed youths for one time work.
• Integrate mobile users of all operators.
• Run a location based SMS newsletter.
• Update members through Local News & Happenings speedily.
• Customize SMS services as per the community demands, like emphasis on Spiritual, political or cultural alerts.
• Catch at-source /origin where maximum numbers comes together. i.e. Schools, Political Parties, Spiritual Groups, Agricultural Forums etc.
• Connect entire family with the world.
• Create oneness, affiliation in the Local Community using SMS services.

What else have you done in this area?: 

By using the SMS as media we have developed various services for citizens like:

Police-Citizens : Developed a SMS based solution for riots,emmergency,law & order situations, disaster,social tention alerts, handled by Pune Police and authorities in less than 3 minutes which serves to save lives of people who are unable to respond in quick reflex, like children, ladies & senior citizens. Fot the first time, BoP is integrated into Police mechanism in addressing the social problems.

School-Parents: Parents are often in a quandary about whether to send their children to school if it rains heavily or there is an emergency situation where the school has to remain closed for the day. SMSONE supports school in relaying urgent message to all parents at night or early morning. Also we update parents on various school activities.

University of Pune: National Service Scheme- Students:Principals :SMSONE services intensively to alert, inform the NSS students, NSS Program Officers & Principals of Colleges.

We reach 500 programme officers and 250 Principals and we have data of 12000 students. We have connected all of them through SMSONE. As Program Officer gets updated & informs College Principal about the content of the message.The same message is written on the notice board if it is for student use.

After 26/11 Mumbai attack. UoP-NSS decided to donate blood for victims admitted in different hospitals such as Kama, we send SMS to all Pune city NSS PO's and we could donate 470 bags of blood in a span of 3 hours

Also we have used this service in our of Disaster Management Exhibition where this service attracted 1,00,000 crowd in lowest possible time- 2 days.

Means UoP-NSS uses SMS services for mGov & University 2 Student services also.

Pune Union of Working Journalists-Members:

Its the first Journalist organization in India which is using such advance technology to alert, update, inform their members through SMS. They inform about Journalist meetings, important Press Conferences, Meet the press, Assistance to their members etc.

There are about 430 Journalist associated with PUWJ. They all are communicated through SMSONE.

Services were used at the time of internal elections of PUWJ extensively from last 2 years. Welfare programs of Journalsit are relayed through this.many examples.

.... & many institutions, NGOS, Government offices using our innovative services for their immediate communication needs.

Is there a video that helps describe your Project? If so, enter the embed code here: 
Does your Project have financial support?: 
No
Is the impact area of your Project global?: 
Yes
Type of expertise needed: 
Marketing/Media Expertise
Description: 

Since we are developing a very innovative concept of Local Micro-Media, we do not get assistance in terms of one who understands media-community-ICT relations.

We are making unemployed youths as media tycoons, so we reuire expertise at grassroot level also.

Sustainability (financial) Model: 

Its a self sustainable model.

The growth engine lies with the local community leader (mobile Journalist).

More he involves in social activities,more he will be introduced to the prospective advertisers,more he will earn.

So the youth serves the community genuinely.

This model will work in all developing countries.

Just consider example of my country: INDIA

India has 290 Million mobile users & expect to reach 500 Million by 2010.

Now , we connect every 1000 mobile user with 1 enemployed youth.

Considering this,  we can offer self employment opportunities to more than 200,000 unemployed youths of India.

Now consider entire scope in developing countries.

Every youth earns US$ 100-200/month, How much Social Networth this project will generate.... cant imagine?...it is in Billions.

Identified Obstacles: 

• Politicians see this united and amplified voice of a community as a potential threat and may destroy the model if gets loosely bound.

• The 'mentality' of unemployed youths.

Project Milestones: 

July 2006: Almighty influxes idea to me. Launched Pilot project

upto July 2007 :Pilot project period

Aug 2007: Commercial Launch

Nov 2007: Manthan Award 2007 for best Innovative Idea & eContent in India 2007. Amongst top 30 in India

July 2008: Clinton Global Initiatives & Microsoft’s YES Fund Award 2008 for  Best ICT Business Plan in India worth $ 2000 (YES: Youth Employment Summit Inc.) Amongst Top 5 in India

Sept 08: One amongst 14 Social Entrepreneurship selected by Social Impact International (USA-India) for social entrepreneurship mentoring. 

Feb 2009 : NASSCOM Foundation’s Social Innovation Honors for Best Social Innovation. Topped in India in 'For Profit' category. Amongst top 3 in India.

Mar 2009: Launched in Andhra Pradesh

Apr 2009: Launching in Tamilnadu, Karnataka

Now, 325+ local communities are successfuly operational in 25 districts, 75+ blocks in the state of Maharashtra giving self employment opportunities to more than 350 youths.

Additional Project Idea Representative: 
Mrs Jyoti Ghate
Additional Project Idea Representative: 
Mr Ravikant Warpe

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