Going Big In Romania
Team Member Ana Janošev Managing Director Social Impact Award gGmbH ana.janosev@socialimpactaward.net
Corina Angelescu and Andreea Nedu are part of the SIA Romania team. We asked them about their work and how is social entrepreneurship developing in Romania, and here’s what they have shared. […]
Corina Angelescu and Andreea Nedu are part of the SIA Romania team. We asked them about their work and how is social entrepreneurship developing in Romania, and here’s what they have shared.
This is the second article of our blog series on the topic of how SIA and social entrepreneurship change people’s lives. Read more about our Impact fields in 2019.
Already in 2012, Romania joined the SIA family. How has awareness about social entrepreneurship changed among Romanian youth?
Corina: Awareness of young people about the topic is growing, but slowly. Every year, whenever we go to universities or high schools, the conversation is the same. Youth needs to understand better what social entrepreneurship is, in order to decide if this is the boat they would like to jump on. However, there is a larger potential. I meet many young people who feel the need to do meaningful work. When they discover social entrepreneurship, it clicks well with these values.
When it comes to entrepreneurs, support programs, and companies that want to invest, there is definitely growth. There are more incubators supporting social entrepreneurs and more awareness-raising programs, although not necessarily for youth.
SIA Romania puts a lot of effort into reaching the youth nationwide. In 2019, you’ve organized over 25 events and workshops for more than 900 people in 10 cities all over Romania. Why do you do this?
Corina: The most important reason is adding options to their potential careers. We help them see a broader perspective than they are used to in schools. There are also very few programs that reach out nationally on important topics for the local communities. Wherever we go we ask youth about their communities‘ issues and how to fix them. We encourage initiatives locally which is really important.
What makes young people reach an a-ha moment when learning about social entrepreneurship?
Andrea: What works best are examples. At every presentation, we show them the real people who build social enterprises. They realize it‘s possible. Showing examples or meeting entrepreneurs in person and engaging in discussions – young people can easily relate to that.
What are your ambitions for 2020?
Andrea: We want as many youngsters as possible to really understand social entrepreneurship. In the past years, we have positioned SIA Romania as a tool for exactly that. We have also built a great group of supporters all around the country. In the next years, we will push further and implement our ideas to make this happen.
Enjoy learning more about Social Impact Award community in our Global Impact Report 2019.
