The Chance to Stay Home

by Shweta Kakkar

In-country migration is a major challenge for developing countries, as people are leaving their towns and villages to move to cities in search of work. In the north Indian region that I call home, “ghost villages,” as we call them, are scattered throughout the foothills of the Himalayas. Some villages have only women and elderly people residing there, as the men have migrated to work in urban areas. Other villages are abandoned entirely.

The data that supports these statements are concerning. Today, 55 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas. By 2050, this number will balloon to 68 percent as another 2.5 billion people migrate. Ninety percent of this migration will occur in Asia and Africa.

It is one thing to choose to migrate somewhere else to seek a new life and the adventures that go with it. It is another thing to be forced into it. Most of the people who migrate in the world have no other choice, as they are unable to find work near home. And when rural people migrate to cities, they generally face a host of new challenges. They often end up at the fringes of cities where they are highly vulnerable to poverty, exploitation, homelessness, and social ills. Urbanization greatly increases their risk of family breakdown as well as many stress-related diseases and disorders.

Urban migration can be slowed by the creation of jobs in rural areas. Unfortunately, Of the USD $18 billion invested on average in Asia's startup accelerators each year, the vast majority is invested in startups located in big cities, resource-rich countries, and specialized industries (techinasia.com). Meanwhile, two-thirds of the world’s poor work in rural agriculture and manufacturing.

If we want to fight poverty in the developing world, we need to equip entrepreneurs who create jobs in these sectors.

These are a few of the reasons why we focus on accelerating and incubating businesses that are located in rural and semi-rural regions of Asia. When we partner with innovative entrepreneurs who create opportunity in their local villages and towns, their communities are not forced to migrate for work. We are currently partnering with 16 ventures in four regions of Asia, creating jobs for hundreds of local people.

Entrepreneurship is special because it enables us to do things that we love, and in the place we call home.