What is the initiative about?
The Development Incubator Fellowship (DiF) is a platform that brings together emerging community-based groups and initiatives to develop and share narratives, build networks, and collaborate around social issues. Initiated in 2021 by the People Participation Working Group, the Social Enterprise ECUE, and Oxfam, the platform has continued since 2025 under the name Social Entrepreneurs Vietnam.
DiF focuses on social entrepreneurial and social impact groups (SIGs), particularly youth- and student-led initiatives. Through the platform, SIGs connect with businesses, researchers, and development organisations at national and international levels, creating opportunities to learn, exchange experiences, collaborate, and strengthen their capacities.
By connecting diverse actors around shared social challenges, DiF supports the growth of a social impact ecosystem rooted in participation, inclusion, and community-led action.
How did you define and understand ‘narratives’? What narratives did you aim to amplify?
The initiative was developed in response to the limited visibility and understanding of the social sector in Vietnam. While NGOs and social organisations contribute to addressing a wide range of social issues, their work is often less visible beyond sector networks and the communities they directly engage. As a result, opportunities to highlight the role of social organisations, community initiatives, and individual citizens in driving inclusive and sustainable development remain limited.
Among young people, interest in social engagement is increasing, but awareness of NGOs, people participation, and their role in development remains limited. Voluntary engagement is often perceived primarily as charity work, with less recognition of the diverse ways young people can contribute to community development and social impact.
Within DiF, narrative development was rooted in co-creation with young people. The initiative amplified narratives centred on social entrepreneurship, inclusive business, sustainable development, and gender equality, helping broaden perceptions of how young people can contribute to social development. For example, the initiative “How Much Obedience Is Enough?” created opportunities for dialogue on family and educational relationships, demonstrating how youth-led groups can surface diverse perspectives, encourage reflection, and contribute to community conversations on social issues.
DiF also understood narratives as something to be lived and embodied in practice. To resonate with young people, social, economic and business solutions need to be tangible, relevant, and relatable while meaningfully integrating principles of sustainable development, equity and inclusion.
What approaches were used?
The initiative adopted an ecosystem approach, bringing together young and community leaders, researchers, businesses, and (I)NGOs to jointly develop, share, and apply narratives in practice. Beyond collaboration, the approach sought to create enabling conditions for social impact initiatives to thrive, including stronger capacities, shared values, public trust, and supportive environments for participation and action.
“The DiF program aims to introduce a new way of working… In the past, efforts have been quite fragmented: the government focuses on state affairs, businesses concentrate on business activities, and social organizations tend to work within their own spheres. However, in reality, we all share a common concern for social issues, and each sector brings its own strengths.” (DiF participant)
What activities were carried out?
The initiative centred a youth co-creation process with young people. Through training sessions, participants explored development values, social impact, and engagement before receiving mini-grants to design and implement their own initiatives.
Grantees developed activities including workshops, online campaigns, and talk shows addressing issues ranging from social entrepreneurship to the protection of children from violence.
One example was Rethink Business, which connected students with social impact enterprises through training, field visits, and exchanges. Participants explored how businesses can contribute to inclusive development, including through employment opportunities for people with disabilities, rural women, and disadvantaged groups.
After four months of engagement, participants reported gaining new perspectives on how they could contribute to social development. As one participant shared:
“I saw many people and stories that created value with a lot of passion. Business owners are determined, creative, and contribute a lot to society. I am very grateful that Rethink Business has created a playground for young people like me.”
DiF also disseminated narratives through documentaries and talk shows targeting broader youth audiences.
Who did the initiative influence, and what change did it contribute to?
DiF reached young people, particularly students and youth-led groups, as well as a wider network of businesses, researchers, social organisations, and development actors. Through its narrative dissemination efforts, it also engaged thousands of people through social media and other channels.
The initiative contributed to visible shifts in awareness and attitudes among participating young people, encouraging greater interest in community engagement, social entrepreneurship, and careers in the nonprofit sector. As one participant reflected:
“Through the program, I was inspired a lot. Social impact businesses can represent vulnerable communities. They do business and have an impact on communities in difficult situations. After participating in the program, I gained a lot of fundamental knowledge about the impact of business, circular economy, and inspiration. I will definitely apply these lessons to my network.”
Beyond raising awareness, the initiative supported young people to become active contributors to narrative change within their communities, enabling them not only to take action but also to shape and share stories, experiences and perspectives on social issues.
How did you measure change?
Change was assessed through a combination of participation and engagement indicators, alongside surveys and case studies. Social media metrics — including reach, views, and engagement — were used to track how widely narratives were disseminated and how audiences interacted with them.
Surveys and case studies documenting participants’ experiences provided qualitative insights into how narratives influenced awareness, attitudes, and actions. Collectively, these findings pointed to a growing recognition of youth role in shaping social norms, amplifying diverse voices, and addressing social issues from within communities themselves. This was also reflected in expanding youth participation in DiF and similar platforms, as well as the emergence of youth-led social impact and communication initiatives.
However, measuring impact at a broader scale remained a significant challenge.
Reflecting on the strengths and limitations
Working with young people proved to be one of the initiative’s greatest strengths. Through grants and mentoring, youth champions were supported not only in taking action but also in building communities of practice and dialogue beyond the initial activities. Bringing together practitioners, researchers, and young people also helped foster a dynamic ecosystem of learning and collaboration.
At the same time, the initiative remained largely centred on urban youth, with more limited engagement of rural, remote, and disadvantaged groups. Addressing this gap will be essential to ensure that future iterations reach a wider range of young people and reflect more diverse experiences and perspectives.