KOZHIKODE: Bridge Social Innovations, a startup company at Technolodge IT Park, Piravom, has come up with the unique idea of marketing the products of special people.
Various products made by the special schools and people will be marketed under one brand name and they will be given the profit. The company is the brainchild of two MSW graduates Jibin Joy, Jithu Thomas and a BTech graduate Anil Babychan.
The team will launch its first product in June in association with a special school in Ernakulam.
Jibin Joy told DC that the aim of the company was to give confidence to the special people about their capabilities and also empower them by providing them a means to live.
“Our team is a social enterprise providing sustainable solutions to some of the major concerns faced by the special people.
“Our attempt is to draw upon business techniques to find solutions to most pressing social problems. Conventional enterprises typically measure performance in profit and return, but social enterprises also take into account a positive return to society,” he said.
As an initial step, the Bridge is planning to market notebooks in tie-up with the special school. “Special schools have been playing a major role in the development of the special people.
Vocational centres associated with these schools are providing training to the special students but employing them after their academics is still a major concern for the authorities and the parents.
Though certain vocational centres provide employment for the special people, their products are unable to compete with those of the same genre,” Jibin said. The Bridge will brand the items and act as a marketing unit for the special schools.
