Number 4 of the India Platform Newsletter - Issued December 2022

WOMEN FARMER ENTREPRENEURS A report on a women’s livelihood promotion initiative in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh.

Work4Progress (W4P) promotes ‘inclusive entrepreneurship’, a phenomenon that is characterized by a systemic change that enables under-represented groups such as youth and women to access entrepreneurship opportunities, thereby leading to social inclusion, quality employment, and sustainable economic growth. The program was launched in 2017 in India by Development Alternatives, and supported by “la Caixa” Foundation, and has expanded to Peru and Mozambique with a total of 7 national networks.

The Work4Progress program in India aims to enable job creation, entrepreneurship, and achievement of dignified employment for program participants through a social innovation approach. The two networks involved – led by Alianza Action Aid (AAA) and Development Alternatives (DA), respectively – each have programmatic operations in the geography of Bundelkhand, though each brings a distinct approach to social innovation in the area. Because the approaches both fall under the Work4Progress (W4P) umbrella, and because the two approaches are complementary, there is an opportunity for cross-network learning and collaboration. To align the Work4Progress networks in India more closely, representatives from AAA and DA participated in a two-day workshop between September 7 & 8. The workshop had the specific objective of enabling the two networks to understand each other’s Theory of Change and strengthen connections for Work4Progress programs in Bundelkhand. To accomplish this, the workshop was designed to assist the networks: • Understand the explicit and implicit Theories of Change that Work4Progress Networks use to achieve Social Change • Identify complementary aspects of Alianza Action Aid and Development Alternatives approaches to social change • Explore ways to enhance social innovation in Bundelkhand through cross network collaboration This report briefly summarizes the main discussion points and outcomes from the two workshop sessions.

The Work4Progress program in India aims to enable job creation, entrepreneurship, and achievement of dignified employment for program participants through a social innovation approach. The two networks involved – led by Alianza Action Aid (AAA) and Development Alternatives (DA), respectively – each have programmatic operations in the geography of Bundelkhand, though each brings a distinct approach to social innovation in the area. Because the approaches both fall under the Work4Progress (W4P) umbrella, and because the two approaches are complementary, there is an opportunity for cross-network learning and collaboration. To align the Work4Progress networks in India more closely, representatives from AAA and DA participated in a two-day workshop between September 7 & 8. The workshop had the specific objective of enabling the two networks to understand each other’s Theory of Change and strengthen connections for Work4Progress programs in Bundelkhand. To accomplish this, the workshop was designed to assist the networks: • Understand the explicit and implicit Theories of Change that Work4Progress Networks use to achieve Social Change • Identify complementary aspects of Alianza Action Aid and Development Alternatives approaches to social change • Explore ways to enhance social innovation in Bundelkhand through cross network collaboration This report briefly summarizes the main discussion points and outcomes from the two workshop sessions.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis and rising injustices, Vrinda Chopra proposes a lateral concept of social innovation through an approach based on ideas of unlearning, relearning and shared learning to deepen justice and solidarity in our development paradigms.