Belgrade, April 7, 2020 – Smart Kolektiv launched online campaign Buy Good. Buy Local. as a part of our wider effort to help social entrepreneurship sector in Serbia during this difficult and challenging period. Our goal is to raise awareness of how essential it is to support small, micro and social entrepreneurs in times like this. Micro and small enterprises in Serbia are employing over 40% of population in Serbia. For 65% social entrepreneurs in our country, main area of their social impact are economic empowerment and employment of vulnerable groups. In other words – the majority of these enterprises provide new opportunities for people who had been left behind. Challenges these enterprises will face due to economic crisis, for their employees would mean returning to circle of poverty and social exclusion.
Smart Kolektiv’s campaign Buy Good. Buy Local. points out that each and every of us can help society to overcome these challenging times, among other things, by making more socially conscious and impactful shopping. Buying the products or services from social enterprises, you are directly contributing to the business that is using its profit for solving social problems that have impact on all of us.
We are presenting you some of the social enterprises that have started new campaigns and activities during COVID-19 pandemic in order to help their employees and communities across our country.
Vrtlari – During declared state of emergency, this enterprise is offering free delivery of their delicious products such as jams and ajvar, throughout whole country. They empower over 20 small agriculture farms through their purchase chain, education and additional promotion. Also, they manage to provide seasonal jobs for more than 20 woman older than 50 years and for young people in rural areas.
Uradi Zaradi – This start up created new set of services for citizens of Belgrade during pandemic – supermarket shopping, medicine shopping and dog walking. Uradi Zaradi is online platform that connects people who need income with people who will pay them immediately for some required service, most often related to house keeping.
Moja Pijaca – This online platform offers free delivery of their healthy and quality products in the capital city. They offer vide selection of products from small local producers as well as hand made products with protected designation of origin: fresh fruits and vegetables, different types of cheese, meet etc. Moja pijaca is dedicated in empowering of small agricultural producers all around Serbia.
LiceUlice – Since the streets of our town became too risky for the street magazine vendors, it also increased the risk for them, of not being able to satisfy their basic needs like housing, food and medicine. Support their vendors – buy magazine online or donate funds.
