University of Otago (UO) Professor, Dr. Sarah Walton, began one of our classes by referring to a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) called Women in Business Development Inc., (WIBDI). This NGO started in 1991 and focuses on creating economic opportunities for local populations in Samoa. The reason this is a prime example of socioeconomics is because WIBDI uses Samoan culture and traditions as a “backbone” for many of its programs. WIBDI emphasizes social impact rather than only profit. It creates goods with an entrepreneurial spirit, however the end goal is ethically-based social advancement. The NGO supports products like coconut oil and dried banana snacks by working directly with home-based rural residents, especially women, making these items.
WIBDI worked with local cultures without intervening in family values and roles. This approach, sometimes, led to issues like tensions with male family members when women generated high incomes. WIBDI addresses these types of consequences as well. WIBDI, in essence, is an example of how a business endeavor can go beyond commerce to help small populations in difficult circumstances become economically self-sustaining, and still retain cultural traditions.
-- Dakota R.
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