Social enterprises are now finding business solutions to tackle almost all of the world's biggest problems

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Seeing that corporates like Old Mutual and Econet had made significant donations in cash and time to support the relief effort, Dakshesh set up a “purposeful remittance” programme in association with a national grocery chain called Gain Cash and Carry whereby people could send money credits straight either to their relatives’ phones to allow them to buy goods from their stores or to help purchase grain at cost price which Gain employees would then voluntarily distribute. People still overwhelmingly find their instinct is to support people affected by natural disasters by donating through organisations like the Disasters and Emergency Committee than through businesses which on many levels is a shame as not only does 100% of the money going through Zympay go direct to recipients but because Dakshesh negotiated the price of products right down to the bare bones, it goes even further. With early funding from Big Issue Invest, the energetic social entrepreneur Cemal Ezel set up a coffee business which would hire homeless people to run coffee carts, giving employees a Living Wage, housing, a bank account and therapy where needed. Trust in the private sector is low, often understandably, but the more people see beyond the emotional desire to help victims of disasters like Idal and instead adopt more rational responses and seek to know what actually happened with their money, the better equipped we would be to provide the best solutions.