The Broccoli Project , an
innovative scheme created by Marc Anthony Zimmerman, offers rewards to the
poor in exchange for socially beneficial behaviour. Zimmerman, a successful
social entrepreneur was inspired by CK Prahalad’s book, The Fortune at the
Bottom of the Pyramid . He explains that while the rich are offered numerous
incentives through reward schemes, there is nothing similar for the poor. The
project works by linking activities such as taking HIV tests to reward
vouchers.

The Broccoli project was nominated by Andrea Bohmert of Hasso Plattner
Ventures for the regional Global
Entrepreneurship Competition run by the City of Cape Town. The project won
that
competition
and the prize of a fully paid entry into the World Innovation Summit in
Barcelona (called HiT Barcelona) taking place
from the 17th to 19th June. Along with competing for a prize of 50 000 euros,
the project will be presented in front of some of the worlds leading venture
capitalists who are looking for enterprises to fund.

The scheme follows well-researched projects like the Conditional Cash
Transfers in Latin America and
more recently New York mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Opportunity
NYC programme. The former
programmes have reported a substantial decline in poverty among programme
participants.

An issue with these programmes is their high administrative costs which the
Broccoli project aims to keep to a minimum using fingerprint technology and
barcoded vouchers. Based on the many incentive and loyalty programmes
targeting the rich, participants are treated as adults able to make their own
decisions about their behaviours. This is a world apart from a handout which
has been the traditional way to help the poor.

Vouchers received for positive behaviours such as encouraging attendance of
skills-development workshops, staying in school, preventing disease and taking
medication can be redeemed at a national retailer for food. In addition to the
rewards, anybody can buy and give vouchers which guarantees that a handout at
a traffic light turns into a basic food staple such as bread, milk, maize meal
or vegetables.

The Broccoli Project is already operational and has been working with a number
of organisations including the Desmond Tutu HIV/Aids Foundation. A short news
clip from CNBC Africa highlights
the benefits of the programme and how it works.

With Zimmerman on his way to Barcelona this weekend, you can support their
chances in the global competition by entering a comment which counts as a
vote of support for their project.

As Broccoli says on its website “When last did you get the opportunity to make
a real, meaningful difference that could literally change the world? And all
you had to do was click a button .
Vote for The Broccoli Project to win at the World Innovation Summit.”