Pakistani villagers are building their own resilient local economies by creating and selling useful products, such as stoves, tiles and building materials, to their neighbours.

Taxis that do pick-ups where others won't go, organic veg for the poorest people and a clothes-sharing co-operative are just some of the start-ups that have emerged on the outskirts of Brazil's São Paulo thanks to a consortium of business support specialists.

A partnership between a London-based venture philanthropist and an Eygyptian exporter has helped artisans hone their products to appeal to consumers worldwide.

A collaboration between a consultancy in Pakistan and one of Europe’s top business schools has been even more successful than planned, supporting 100 new businesses run by students and alumni to take their first steps.

Sharing lessons learned by UK enterprises has helped Indonesian women start and develop their own social and creative enterprises including a co-operative bakery, therapy for survivors of domestic violence and orchid farming.

Changing people leads to change in communities, believe the leaders of a project that empowers young people to solve the problems they see around them.

Some say, if you can’t measure it, it didn’t happen. But it’s a real challenge to assess social impact. A partnership in South Africa aims to introduce impact measurement and management techniques to grassroots creative and social entrepreneurs.

Investment-worthy but not investment-ready – this is a common problem among start-ups all over the world. In Pakistan a new toolkit is helping to create a more supportive environment for fledgling businesses.

Awareness of the contribution that social and creative entrepreneurs can make to Pakistan’s development could be about to take off, thanks to an experiment in helping people make their business dreams a reality.