Niti Bhan: The hidden opportunities of the informal economy
نيتي بان: الفُرص الخفية للإقتصاد غير الرسمي
Through exploratory and human-centered research, Niti Bhan discovers and makes tangible pragmatic opportunities for sustainable and inclusive value creation. Full bio
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are stereotypically seen
بصورة نمطية
the word "informal"
association we have,
and economic losses,
40 to 60 percent of the profit margin
من هامش الربح
the informal trade ecosystem,
الايكولوجي التجاري غير الرسمي ،
on cross-border trade in East Africa,
بالتجارة عبر الحدود في شرق افريقيا
to understand what was the problem,
ما المشكلة
in the informal sector.
غير الرسمي.
over the last 20 years was,
between illicit --
غير المشروع --
in the informal sector --
في القطاع غير الرسمي --
which is the trade or the commerce,
وهي التجارة أو التبادل التجاري
the smuggling or contraband --
أو المهربين أنفسهم --
of the informal sector,
between these aspects,
بين هذه الجوانب
between 60 to 80 percent addition
60 إلى 80% بإلاضافة
at four times the rate
العمل بأربعة أضعاف المُعدل
generation opportunities
in conventional disciplines.
في التخصصات التقليدية.
machine out of an old car?
من سيارة قديمة؟
to be recognized.
hold that this is criminal,
أن هذا أمر إجرامي،
the informal economic ecosystem
الايكولوجي الإقتصادي غير الرسمي
all our assumptions,
that we'd gone in on,
التي عملنا عليها
in a town called Malaba,
في بلدة تدعي مالابا،
from the branches,
wait for customers,
والانتظار للعملاء
according to the literature,
mom driven to trade,
مُتَجهة للتجارة
government market fees
الحكومية للمقاطعة
up shop under her tree.
by the side of the road -- no.
الطريق -- لا.
who's keeping sales records for years;
لعدة سنوات -
of retail that comes in from Uganda
التجزئة التي تاتي من أوغندا
bringing the goods in,
who comes to collect cash
لجمع النقدية
Teresia spends, on average,
تيريزيا في المتوسط
that she gets from Nairobi?
تحصل عليها من نيروبي ؟
invested in trade goods and services
استثمرته في السلع والخدمات التجارية
of the small entrepreneurs,
المشاريع الصغيرة،
in these market towns.
أسواق المُدن.
she's at the first rung.
فإنها في الدرجة الاولي.
three lines of business,
الأعمال التجارية،
US dollars every month.
كل شهر.
that it wasn't the criminalization;
you're charging receipts from.
الإيصالات منه.
of their skilled occupations.
have no means to recognize them
وسيلة للتعرف عليهم
a forwarding address.
of our assumptions.
to help African women traders?
النساء التاجرات الإفريقيات؟
50 dollars or 100 dollars.
that amount every month
the additional services
neither the policy stereotype
النمطية للسياسة
salaried office worker
المكتب الماجور
are allegedly composed of.
are the proto-SMEs
المشاريع الصغيرة والمتوسطة
of businesses and enterprises
the invisible ones --
the candlestick makers --
that make your french fries
المقلية
trading across borders,
الأعمال عبر الحدود،
to data gatherers.
with the vast informal sector
غير الرسمي الشاسع
between smugglers and tax evaders
والمتهربين من الضرائب
and send their kids to university.
أبنائهم للجامعة.
the skills, the occupations?
بالمهارات والمهن؟
by beginning with this recognition
بالبدء بهذا الإعتراف
doorways for them to enter
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Niti Bhan - Human-centered strategistThrough exploratory and human-centered research, Niti Bhan discovers and makes tangible pragmatic opportunities for sustainable and inclusive value creation.
Why you should listen
Niti Bhan is a global nomad whose life mission is to bridge the gap of understanding between cultures, contexts and continents. She brings a multicultural perspective to innovation for the informal economies of the emerging markets of the developing world. She is the founder and principal of Emerging Futures Lab, a multidisciplinary team of human-centered researchers, designers, engineers and economists who collaborate on design and innovation strategies for social impact and sustainable profit in the emerging consumer markets of sub-Saharan Africa.
Growing up as a third culture kid in the ASEAN of the 1970s exposed Bhan to the British and American systems of primary and secondary education whilst her university education in Engineering (Bangalore University), Design (National Institute of Design, India & the Institute of Design, IIT Chicago), and Business (majoring in Strategy at the Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh) gave her the experience of living and working across cultures and continents. Emerging Futures Lab came to life in San Francisco in 2005, operated between Singapore, the Netherlands, and East Africa from 2007 through 2013, and is now an established SME in Finland.
Niti Bhan | Speaker | TED.com