Russia (bbabo.net), - In the Republic of Kazakhstan, seven enterprises became winners of the regional stage of the all-Russian competition "The Best Social Project of the Year 2021". Several dozens of individual entrepreneurs and organizations became its laureates. The concept of "social entrepreneurship" in business has existed for a long time, but it was introduced into legislation only in 2019. Now such enterprises can receive state support.

Territory of Speech

To obtain the status of a social enterprise, companies must direct their activities towards achieving socially useful goals and solving social problems. Basically, such organizations provide social services, including to people with disabilities and pensioners, work in the field of additional education, and are engaged in folk crafts.

The speech therapy center "Territory of Speech" in Simferopol conducts rehabilitation of children and adolescents with problems of speech and psychological development, and also helps parents of children with special needs. Its director Oksana Isakova, a psychologist by profession, mother of a special child, many years ago herself faced the problem of her son's socialization. Then she organized a weekend club for children with similar difficulties. Over time, this has grown into a large-scale project with a team of professional specialists.

Visitors to the center are not only Crimeans and residents of the mainland of the Russian Federation, but also from other countries. Employees - psychologists, speech therapists, neuropsychologists, specialists in creativity. Mothers of children with disabilities also work here.

- The center was registered in 2015, during which time we have helped three thousand children. People come to us from America, Finland, Germany, the Czech Republic, France, - says Oksana Isakova.

In the neurocorrection room, little Ibraim works with a specialist: he walks on the rug and performs actions in a certain sequence - puts a cube and claps his hands. As the child neuropsychologist Anastasia Lesnikova explains, such exercises allow the child to plan their actions and contribute to the development of speech.

- I have been working at the center for more than three years, I am engaged in neurocorrection and social integration - these areas that are basic for the development of speech. The main thing in the work is to be a friend to the child, and not an adult who demands something from him, - says Anastasia.

"We don't make bags, we create a mood"

AnnaGreen leather goods workshop was founded in 2012. Today this brand is known far beyond the Crimea. And it all started with a garage, old pieces of leather and the dream of a few enthusiasts to do something unusual. And they succeeded: their work was noticed, regular customers appeared.

The workshop is a small manufactory, equipped with first-class equipment, with the help of which a wide range is produced: bags, clutches, belts, belts, bracelets, key rings, key rings. All this is handmade, on each product there is an inscription "Made in Crimea".

The bags of the Crimean manufacturer are bought by famous Russian actresses, one of the bags is in a museum in France, it is recognized as a work of art, received the highest award named after Pierre Cardin. The creations of the masters can be seen on the catwalks of Milan, Rome, Moscow.

Each model has its own name: "Ekaterina", "Xenia", "Elena", "Anastasia"...

The workshop was recognized as the best project of social entrepreneurship in the field of employment, involvement in socially active activities of persons in need of social support. The company employs 40 people, most of them are mothers with children, women on maternity leave. Many sew bags at home, there is no need to be at work from morning to evening. Everyone chooses a work schedule.

- The production is unique also because we practically did not have professional seamstresses, all the girls studied here, in the workshop. We do not make bags, we create a mood, - says director Bogdan Polyakov.

Pots and books

In the inclusive pottery workshop, training takes place as a career guidance program adapted for children with mental disabilities. The initiator of the project, Anastasia Yefimova, has been teaching children for three years. Among her wards there are children with developmental disabilities - with Down syndrome, with autism.

- Pottery classes help such children develop their creative abilities and physical skills, many brain functions are involved in working with clay. Children become more independent, part of the creative process is cleaning up after themselves, everyone cleans up their workplace. In addition to the general developmental effect, pottery training can become a career guidance program, which is especially important for people with disabilities, says Anastasia.This year, the workshop received a presidential grant to train Crimean teachers in ceramics. By March 2023, 12 new ceramists will appear in Crimea, ready to work with special children.

Another example of social entrepreneurship is the small publishing house Nizhnyaya Oreanda, which publishes local history works by Crimean authors and Orthodox literature.

- If we are interested in the topic, then we can publish a book for our own money, - says director Alexei Pinchuk.

Last year, the publishing house received a grant for which it plans to publish a book on the toponymy of Crimea.

- This will be the fourth issue of 700 pages, with the main toponyms of the Crimea. The publication is in demand by local historians. The circulation is 2000 copies, - says Alexey Pinchuk.

Reference

In Russia, only in 2019, the concept of "social entrepreneurship" was enshrined at the legislative level and its criteria were established. One of the conditions for obtaining the status of a social enterprise is that individual entrepreneurs and organizations must employ disabled people, single or large parents, pensioners and citizens of pre-retirement age, graduates of orphanages, refugees or migrants, and those who have been released from places of detention, have an unexpunged or outstanding criminal record . Social enterprises are supported in the form of grants. According to the Ministry of Economic Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in 2021, 44 enterprises received grants totaling 22 million rubles.

In addition, the status of a social enterprise allows you to receive tax preferences, a loan at a minimum annual interest rate, preferential terms for renting state and municipal property.

In Crimea, entrepreneurs can receive a subsidy to compensate for the cost of renting non-residential premises and its repair, for the purchase of office equipment.

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