Expected Impacts
- Environment
The locals can stop using kerosene lamps because the solar panels at the center will provide electricity for them. This would decrease the amount of soot and smoke from using kerosene lamps. Furthermore, the indirect effect of solar panels would be the locals starting to install solar panels at their house.
- Employment
The center will provide microfinance to the youths so that they could open micro businesses in the area. The micro businesses will increase youth employment within the village.
The microfinance service is expected to provide loans to 7 youths, and the increase of employment from micro businesses is 4 people in the first year and from the second year there will be additional increases.
- Energy
The center provides electricity in a village where previously electricity wasn’t supplied. This would allow the locals to enjoy cultural activities together such as watching soccer games, or using the internet café.
- Poverty
The center provides an opportunity that the people could break from the vicious cycle of poverty by supporting startup businesses and increasing employment. Furthermore, by providing IT education and easy access to the internet, the center enhances the education level of teenagers and youths. This would provide an important base to break away from poverty.
- Health Care
The solar panels at the Empower center will decrease the number of kerosene lamps in the village, which was the main reason for respiratory diseases. Also, the risk of fire and physical damage by using kerosene lamps will decrease too.
- Human Rights
Low self-esteem and lack of self-reliance rooted in the history of being suppressed and colonized by Western countries would be overcome from the services of the center. The locals will regain their self-esteem as equal human beings and live, pursue life as noble human beings.
- Other effects
It is possible that the news of Empower center will be transferred across the country via mass media, empowering the people all over Tanzania.
Business Plan
1) Employer Management
Due to the difficulty of managing a wholesale shop by one self, the wholesale shop in Dodoma will employ one more employee. The owner will mainly manage marketing and sales to the shops, restaurants in the village. The employee will use the center director’s car to go to a large wholesale market 2~3 times a week to purchase necessary items. Other than that the employee will be at the shop to deliver items to the customers in the village. Cell phones will be used to ordering the items and transferring payment.
Other businesses such as the IT/Computer center, rental shop, stationery shop, microfinance will start with only the owner providing relative services. While conducting business in the area the owners could employ 1 local youth each who shows talent in the business after they work 1 month as an intern.
The center will provide education space to the youth/teacher that could teach computer for free on the first year and receive fees from the second year.
2) Shop Management
Similar to many developing countries, there’s a weak public order in Tanzania. Special attention should be given to shop management because of petty thieves.
To cope with this problem, the micro businesses will be 100% owned by the owners so that they could take full responsibility of the business. Secondly, during daytime one of the youth entrepreneurs using the Empower center will stay in the center while during the night a Masai warrior which the locals are afraid of, will guard the center. Thirdly, the Empower IT/Computer center to be established in Gongali will be built near Dr. Hilonga’s hometown. TAHUD already acquired the land, and similar to the first Empower center in Dodoma, Dr. Hilonga will hand pick the owners of each business from the local youths. Furthermore, the center will train the owners to handle cash by themselves since cash inflow and outflow will be frequent in the center and businesses.
3) Technical Assistance
Solar panel technicians living in the area will provide maintenance for the solar energy generator and virtual computer facility for free. E3 Empower will continuously provide maintenance and operation support by remote access while visiting twice a year in person.
4) Monitoring
On-ground monitoring plan (Necessary for the sustainability and integrity of the business)
Since establishing the Empower Center at a village near Dodoma, Tanzania, on October 2013, E3 Empower has continuously communicated with the center’s director via landline and e-mail about the operation’s situation. In addition, E3 Empower has advised the center on business training for the youths, technical issues and business operation. To construct another Empower project, E3 Empower is cooperating with Dr. Hilonga from the TAHUDE foundation located in Arusha.
The plan to monitor and conduct the Empower project is as follows.
-Visit Tanzania: 2 times (February 2014, August 2014, Dr. Herb Rhee)
-Check-up on the business (conference call) : 2 times a month
-E-mail, Skype: Whenever necessary
-Gongali local manager: Dr. Askwar Hilonga (Director, TAHUDE foundation)
-E3 Empower monitoring manager: Dr. Herb Rhee (CTO, E3 Empower)
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