Develop The Social Spirit Of Gen Z, ASEAN Foundation And TikTok Hold ASEAN Regional Workshop SEDP 2.0

Photo: Special

JAKARTA - The ASEAN Foundation is developing sustainable development in ASEAN. The event was held with support from TikTok and SAP in the form of Regional Workshops for the ASEAN Social Entrepreneurship Development Program (ASEAN Social Enterprise Development Program-ASEAN SEDP) 2.0. This event was held with the theme of empowering social entrepreneurship to encourage meaningful changes in the ASEAN region.

During the workshop, there were three best social entrepreneurs who received a total of 30,000 US dollars in grant funds to realize their innovative social business ideas and advance sustainable development goals in ASEAN. The winner of the grant fund was Survival Skills from Vietnam as the first winner, Tulibot from Indonesia as the second winner, followed by Beebag from Malaysia as the third winner.

In addition, the ASEAN Regional Workshop SEDP 2.0 also presents a dynamic series of programs, including the Demo Day and Business Matchmaking sessions, which connect visionary social entrepreneurs with potential investors, including venture captions and investor officials. In addition, this workshop also provides participants with the opportunity to discuss, convey aspirations and initiatives, as well as build networking with the ACCMSME delegation and ASEAN policymakers.

We are very happy to be able to announce the winners of the grant today, and we look forward to witnessing their growth and contribution to sustainability across the ASEAN region. This Regional workshop offers a very valuable opportunity for social entrepreneurs to interact with potential potential investors, actively participate in regional discussions, and build networks with influential policymakers in ASEAN. We believe that all social entrepreneurs in ASEAN SEDP 2.0 will take advantage of the knowledge they gained during the program to continue to grow, "said Dr. Piti Srisangnam, Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation.

The ASEAN Foundation, in collaboration with TikTok and SAP, has successfully implemented ASEAN SEDP 2.0 to empower social entrepreneurs throughout the ASEAN region. This program focuses on increasing productivity, technology, and innovation, increasing access to finance, increasing market access and internationalization, as well as developing entrepreneurship and developing human resources.

After going through a rigorous selection process involving 145 registrants, 20 leading social entrepreneurs from ten ASEAN member countries were selected to participate in this program.

They are Big BWN Project (Brunei Darussalam); ADSA Cambodia (Camboja); Commerce, PetaNetra, PT. Indonesian Job Disabilities, and Tulibot (Indonesia); Cofarm Farm for Local (Laos); Beebag, Native Discovery, PichaEATs (Malaysia); CC Educare Myanmar, Taungthutada, TTTD Farmers Bridge (Myanmar); Recyglo Singapore (Singapore); Lukthamdai, Moreloop, and PakDone (Thailand); Hinablon sa Cebu and Mayani (Filipina); and the Vietnam Skills Survival and Tohe Social Enterprise (Vietnam).

Selected social entrepreneurs have benefited from 15 virtual training and mentoring sessions that are tailored to their specific needs. In one of the sessions held in September 2023, focusing on Tiktok Trust and Safety TikTok, providing information on TikTok security efforts, community guidelines, and user protection measures.

I am happy to learn about TikTok Trust and Safety, through this learning session I obtained information that TikTok has strategies and steps to ensure the safety of users on this platform. As a TikTok user, I firmly believe that we are well protected," said Hasnita Taslim, founder of PT Job Disability.

Other workshops held by TikTok focus on content creation strategies, where social entrepreneurs are equipped with skills and techniques to connect, develop, and mobilize their audiences in an authentic way.

We are proud to partner with the ASEAN Foundation to empower social entrepreneurs across Southeast Asia to advance inclusive economic growth and drive significant changes in their communities. We believe that collective partnerships, involving governments, non-profit organizations, and private sector partners, could enable the next generation of entrepreneurs to grow and develop," said Jerry Lewis Ong, Social Impact APAC, TikTok.

Along with the continued strategic collaboration between the ASEAN Foundation and the SAP, this program aims to empower social entrepreneurs led by young people in the ASEAN region. This can be achieved by providing skills to build a workforce that is ready to face the future and encourages them to find innovative solutions that are beneficial for an inclusive economy throughout the region.

SAP also held selected social entrepreneurs with the theme "Strong Collaboration: Increasing Impact through Partnerships" and SAP 4HANA for Small and Medium Enterprises in the past week.

Lu Hongwei, Regional CSR Director, East Asia, Pacific & Greater China, SAP, said it was committed to fostering social entrepreneurs who are ready to encourage change at the regional and global levels.

"With the knowledge gained from our program and ongoing support in the form of mentorship, and access to supply networks to our companies, we are very confident in the huge impact they will achieve," he said.

This program features four leading social entrepreneurs in Indonesia who show the spirit of innovation and inclusiveness as well as have a significant impact in and outside their community:

1. Commerce: This innovative platform takes advantage of the rural youth's e-commerce skills, allowing them to partner with Small and Medium Enterprises and earn income without leaving their hometowns.

2. PetaNetra: Mobile application which acts as a companion for visually impaired people to navigate independently in indoor public spaces using Augmented Reality.

3. PT. Indonesian Job Disability: This organization offers employment solutions and employment recruitment services that focus on disabilities, serving the business world and government institutions.

4. Tulibot: Smart glasses (smart glasses) companies dedicated to individuals with hearing disabilities. Their speech-to-text solutions and innovative smart glasses provide important tools for communication and accessibility.

The Regional Workshop was attended by ACCMSME Nomination Officer, Tham Jierong, Assistant CEO and Head, Venture Building, RAISE, Singapore; Joanne Tan, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Capability Programs & Planning Group, Enterprise Singapore; M. Reza Guntara, Expert Planner, Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, Indonesia.