- Three social enterprises create sustainable community impact: Generating income through economic animal, Restoring marine ecosystems through eco-tourism, and Using traditional Karen weaving to address community livelihood challenges.
Banpu Public Company Limited, versatile energy, in collaboration with ChangeFusion, announced the winners of the 13th Banpu Champions for Change (BC4C) for the best social enterprise models. This year’s theme, “Impactful Locals, National Boost,” highlighted three winning enterprises: “Channarong,” which supports Krabi communities through livestock and mangrove forest restoration; “Khon – Ta – Lay,” which promotes marine conservation in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province via ecotourism packages; and “Karen Design,” which addresses livelihood issues in Mae Hong Son communities using traditional Karen weaving techniques. Each winner will receive 250,000 baht to support their operations.
Mr. Rattapon Sukhunthee, Head of Corporate Communications at Banpu Public Company Limited, stated, “This year we’ve seen a greater understanding of social entrepreneurship among participants as well as increased proficiency in using technology for product promotion. All three winning teams demonstrated remarkable dedication to success and resilience in overcoming various challenges. Banpu is committed to supporting the social enterprise ecosystem in Thailand as we aim to build networks and collaborate with various organizations to help social enterprises reach the mass market, thereby strengthening the grassroots economy, reducing inequality, and effectively addressing social issues.”
Now in its 13th year, the BC4C program focuses on empowering social enterprises (SEs) across Thailand to address diverse social and environmental challenges. With this year’s competition themed “Impactful Locals, National Boost,” the three winning teams, which participated in an incubation program, applied their training during a three-month market trial, refining their business models and community impact strategies, and ultimately demonstrating measurable success. Each received 250,000 baht in seed funding to further develop their ventures (listed in no particular order).
- Channarong: Generating income by cultivating stingless bees, a local economic asset, while supporting mangrove forest expansion. The social enterprise is earning its income by selling bee colonies and related products, while sharing its expertise with community enterprise networks. Profits are reinvested in mangrove restoration and expansion projects and tourism activities for the community, such as mangrove planting and releasing crabs and stingless bees. Over the past three months, Channarong has generated over 200,000 baht in revenue.
- Khon – Ta – Lay: Reviving Prachuap Khiri Khan’s marine ecosystem with ecotourism. The social enterprise offers tourists the opportunity to experience the lives of local fishermen, explore the natural environment, and enjoy seafood while contributing to sustainable marine restoration. Other activities include the creation of crab banks and fish houses, where economically valuable species such as blue crabs and spotted mackerel are processed into fresh seafood souvenirs. During its three-month market trial, Khon – Ta – Lay attracted over 90 tourists, generating approximately 40,000 baht in revenue per operating cycle.
- Karen Design: Using traditional Karen weaving to address livelihood challenges and reduce community deforestation. The social enterprise taps into the weaving skills of the Mae La Noi community in Mae Hong Son Province, creating income opportunities that provide an alternative to slash-and-burn corn farming. Additionally, they repurpose corn husks into craft products like lamps in various designs. During the three-month market trial, Karen Design generated over 200,000 baht in revenue.
“Banpu is committed to empowering passionate young entrepreneurs to follow their dreams in building successful and impactful social enterprises. Over the past 13 years, we’ve supported more than 130 businesses, benefiting 187 communities and organizations and impacting the lives of over 2.5 million people,” Mr. Sukhunthee concluded.
Follow Banpu Champions for Change on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/banpuchampions/
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About Banpu
Banpu Public Company Limited is a versatile energy provider, operating 3 core groups of businesses – energy resources, energy generation, and energy technology in Thailand, Indonesia, China, Australia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Japan, the United States of America, and Vietnam.
