Rediscovering the Problem Solver(s)
Societal problems - as complex as they are - seem to encourage communities to think of equally complex solutions solely offered by elite actors referred to as specialized professionals. On the contrary, I believe that the complex problems of our society are partially rooted in simpler problems that have to do with the individual’s perception of our societal reality. Individuals – specifically young people – perceive societal problems as something beyond their ability and their sphere of influence. They see it as a concern the government ought to deal with through its existing ministries and experienced politicians. Individual empowerment through exemplifying cases through which individual effort can be effectively channeled towards addressing a societal problem is an important mechanism to facilitate the engagement of more citizens in societal activities. Impacting individual attitudes as an approach expands the circle of participation in finding solutions to societal problems to every person who is capable of teaching us a new thing. But unfortunately, our society is missing a critical mass of young individuals who see themselves as problem solvers, who see themselves as part of a solution, and who are capable of imagining themselves able to impact others. Social pressure is instead forcing young people to think of survival strategies. The result is that they opt to migrate because they are being pushed away from active participation in community management through involvement in real-life politics.
At the other end of the spectrum comes the recent rise in entrepreneurial activity in the Arab region. This rise of entrepreneurship in the region in my opinion is a form of a healthy resistance to the prevailing antidemocratic economic and social channels that block the majority of young people. Here, it is important to note that this rise is not the result of a structural change or improvement in the existing social, economic, or political structures or policies. Those obstructive structures still prevail and are sustaining their autocratic elements in pretty much the same intensity as before the Arab Spring. The rise of entrepreneurship in my view was a direct consequence of a change in individual perception, to be more specific, a change in how young people perceive themselves, the society around them, and most importantly how they perceive the impact they could have on the problems their communities face. Entrepreneurship as a tool however is not readily available for the vast majority of youth in the region, it is usually relevant and available for the better educated who have a more open access to resources. Our society needs more tools that would have an impact similar to that of entrepreneurship in terms of engaging individuals to solve problems but ones that are more relevant to other youth with different set of skills or interests but who equally have the right to be considered stakeholders and become actors. Those tools could take other forms such as arts’ production, social work, etc.
I want here to give an example from our financing experience at KarmSolar, which is one of the common problems facing startups in Egypt and the Arab region. It was a common practice in the region that any small business would seek the main local businessmen and investors for financing. Those investors contribute not only with their investment but would also offer their networks and local influence. This resulted in business elites accumulating considerable wealth at the expense of young entrepreneurs. And since they were perceived as the main channel for getting things done, it was more common for young people to work for them in their ‘one man show’ companies rather than to think of establishing their own businesses. At KarmSolar, we had decided that we want to focus on strong and participatory governance and sound procedures, this meant that we had to deal with the financing problem differently. The team realized that there is an alternative source of financing within society that is seldom tapped for, and that is young professionals. By young professionals I mean young people who have been working with multi-nationals for some time and have accumulated decent savings, and they wish to invest their savings in a meaningful manner away from the traditional less interesting investments in real estate or the stock exchange. Targeting young professionals proved to work pretty well for everyone. It helped us avoid the ‘one man show’ syndrome through contributions from a diversified team of investors, and it gave our investors a chance to be engaged while making a good use of their money. The team’s problem solving approach to the financing issue paid off and it was a proof to us that there is much power within the ranks of young people that are normally overlooked when looking through the lens of the prevailing traditions of doing business. With little savings came the ability and willingness to be more open to teamwork and to contribute their experience to a startup. In effect, this countered the leverage that business elites usually have through their exclusive networks and financial capacity. KarmSolar until this day and after five years of operation remains primarily financed by young professionals in Egypt.
I see problems as opportunities because with them comes the challenge to solve them. In every solution we formulate there is a potential for the rise of a new business around that solution and thus a potential for the creation of new valuable jobs. Problem solvers will be the new value creators for our economies and societies, and it is important we harbor the initiatives that would help our young people, my peers, develop their problem solving skills.
Ahmed Zahran is CEO and Co-Founder of KarmSolar, an Egyptian joint stock company established in 2011, working in the field of off-grid solar innovations. Zahran holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from AUC, a Master of Science in economics from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, a diploma in philosophy and literature from the European College of Liberal Arts in Berlin, and a certificate in social entrepreneurship from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his/her private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of neither the Arab Development Portal nor the United Nations Development Programme.
