Tag Foundation for Social Development

SHARE EXPERTISE TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

PLAN BEE: A LIVELIHOODS AND INCOME GENERATION PROJECT FOCUSED ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND MODERNIZATION OF THE BEEKEEPING VALUE CHAIN, HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT BY TAG IN SOUTH SHAN STATE IN MYANMAR (BURMA). THE PROJECT BEGAN WITH A PILOT IN THE SUMMER OF 2012 AND IN THE AUTUMN OF 2013 WAS AWARDED FUNDING FROM LIFT (A UN AFFILIATE LIVELIHOODS FUNDING ORGANIZATION IN MYANMAR) TO CARRY OUT A 24-MONTH PROJECT. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT HAS BEEN EXTENDED TWO TIMES, AND IS NOW SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED AT THE END OF MARCH 2019 WITH AN OVERALL BUDGET OF 1,869,967 USD AND IS NOW OPERATING NATIONALLY ACROSS 5 MAJOR STATES AND COVERING ALL HONEY-FLOW AREAS OF MYANMAR. THE PROJECT HAS REFOCUSED STRATEGY TO ESTABLISH A TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING, TARGETING MAINLY RURAL YOUNG PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE HIGHER LEVEL OF EDUCATION BUT HAVE THE CAPACITY AND MOTIVATION TO ESTABLISH BEEKEEPING BUSINESS AS A FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT. SO FAR, THE PROJECT HAS TRAINED OVER 1,000 BEEKEEPERS, MOSTLY PEOPLE WITH NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE OR EXPOSURE AND OVER 300 MAINLY WOMEN IN VALUE ADDED PRODUCTS. 200 BEEKEEPING BUSINESSES (SMALL-MEDIUM ENTERPRISES) HAVE BEEN FORMED AS A RESULT WITH INCOME GENERATION INCREASES OF BETWEEN 40%-250% AND 119 WOMEN LED MICROENTERPRISES, PRODUCING COSMETIC PRODUCTS AND CANDLES, WHICH HAVE DIVERSIFIED FAMILY INCOMES BETWEEN 10%-25%. THE PROJECT HAS CONDUCTED EXTENSIVE AWARENESS RAISING, PRODUCED NEW BEEKEEPING MANUALS, INTRODUCED NEW INNOVATIVE BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENT, ESTABLISHED AN INDEPENDENT SOCIAL ENTERPRISE - HONEY BUSINESS (ORIGINALLY CALLED THE ARBC - APICULTURE RESOURCE AND BUSINESS CENTRE - NOW RENAMED THE PBSE - PLAN BEE SOCIAL ENTERPRISE) THAT IS MARKETING ITS HONEY TO WITHIN MYANMAR AND TO SEVERAL OTHER COUNTRIES AND IS EMPLOYING DIRECTLY 9 FULL TIME STAFF AND 5 PART TIME STAFF FROM LOCAL VILLAGES. LAST YEAR'S PRODUCTION OF HONEY WAS ABOVE 40 TONS AND NEXT YEAR THE ENTERPRISE IS PROJECTED TO PRODUCE AND SELL OVER 100 TONS OF HONEY WITH ANNUAL INDEPENDENT TURNOVER OF 40,000 USD FROM SALES. THE PROJECT WORKS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF MYANMAR'S DIVISION OF APICULTURE (BEEKEEPING) AND DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, SEVERAL LOCAL TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS AND A RANGE OF LOCAL BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS. THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE OF TAG IN 2018 WAS TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDEPENDENT GOVERNANCE OF THE BEEKEEPING SOCIAL BUSINESS AND TO CONTINUE AND DEVELOP MARKET LINKAGES SO IT CAN BE SUSTAINABLE BEYOND THE LIFETIME OF THE PROJECT. FOR THE SAME REASON, MUCH PRIORITY HAS BEEN GIVEN TO CAPACITY BUILDING OF LOCAL PERSONNEL, TO ENABLE THE BUSINESS TO BE WELL MANAGED INTO THE FUTURE AND TO HIRE A LOCAL CEO. E3 - EDUCATION, EMPLOYABILITY, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIPS: FOLLOWING THE INITIAL PILOT, TAG HAS BEEN DELIVERING A YOUTH SPARKS PROJECT WITH MICROSOFT PHILANTHROPIES ASIA WHICH IS AIMED AT INCREASING EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS OF RURAL YOUTHS AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILLS. THE PROJECT ENGAGED LOCAL PARTNERS TO DEVELOP A HACKATHON FOR INNOVATIVE SOCIAL IMPACT IDEAS AND LAUNCHED AN ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM. 1,000 UNIVERSITY AND RURAL YOUTHS WERE ENGAGED ALONGSIDE TAUNGGYI UNIVERSITY.MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH: IN 2018 TAG FINALLY LAUNCHED THE LONG ANTICIPATED MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH PROJECT IN MYANMAR CALLED DROP OF MILK, WHICH IS LARGELY FUNDED THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL. A DROP OF MILK FOCUSED ON REDUCING MATERNAL MORTALITY RATES THROUGH IMPROVED HOLISTIC PRIMARY COMMUNITY HEALTH IN THE RURAL SOUTHERN SHAN STATE OF MYANMAR (BURMA) WITH AN OVERARCHING GOAL IS TO IMPROVE MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH OUTCOMES IN THE 138 VILLAGES ACROSS SOUTHERN SHAN STATE. THE PROJECT AIMED TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OUTCOMES OF MOTHERS AND CHILDREN IN THE SOUTHERN SHAN STATE BY STRENGTHENING CAPACITIES OF MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS TO DELIVER QUALITY COMMUNITY AND HOSPITAL BASED HEALTH SERVICES THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING AND UPGRADING ESSENTIAL DELIVERY ROOM FACILITIES AND THE UTILIZATION OF SPECIALLY DESIGNED MEDICAL KITS THAT WILL IMPROVE EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF AT RISK PREGNANCIES; BY EDUCATING MIDWIVES AND COMMUNITY-BASED HEALTH PROVIDERS ON HOW TO IDENTIFY AND DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS IN CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS OF AGE THROUGH HOLISTIC COMMUNITY HEALTH DELIVERY OF SERVICES AND BY STRENGTHENING VILLAGE TO HOSPITAL REFERRAL SYSTEMS THROUGH IMPROVED PATIENT HISTORY MANAGEMENT AND RECORDINGS BY UTILIZING M-HEALTH TECHNOLOGY. THE PROJECT LAUNCHED SUCCESSFULLY IN JULY OF 2018 AND BY END OF 2018 HAD CONDUCTED 2 INTERNATIONALLY LED TRAININGS, UPGRADED ESSENTIAL FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT AND LAUNCHED THE UNIQUE CHILD DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION WHICH IS NOW BEING UTILIZED ACROSS THE 138 VILLAGES ENABLING TO IMPROVE IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT OF DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS IN CHILDREN.