The Network: Arusha Women’s Empowerment Business Incubator Program
Submitted by: Maria Rosa Galter, Executive Director, AfricAid
Incubator Participants (The Client) Profiles
Profile One: Visionary Job Creator.
The first profile is a secondary, tertiary, or university woman graduate who enters the workforce and realizes that jobs in the formal sector are in extreme short supply. Through her prior studies, she has been exposed to entrepreneurship and business planning. She now understands that in order to earn an income she must become a job creator. She has a business idea that would also help develop her community. She also understands that if she is economically empowered, she can avoid or leave abusive relationships and is less likely to fall pray to exploitation.
Profile Two: Enterprising Student.
The second profile is a young woman who is currently in tertiary or university and wants to earn an income to help pay for her studies. She has started a small business such as a stationary service from her dorm room. She has purchased a copier and printer and charges her fellow students to make copies of textbooks and other classroom materials or to use her printer. She wants to develop a business plan to make her business more effective. Some businesses that young women in university or vocational institutions are starting in order to help pay for their school fees include: phone voucher sales, hairdressing services, and sales of undergarments. These young women would benefit from a more developed business plan and they would also be great advocates for improving safety on their campuses.
Profile Three: Budding Social Entrepreneur.
A third client profile is a secondary school graduate who wants to earn an income by selling social impact products. Through the business incubator, the young entrepreneur would be linked to social entrepreneurs who are looking for young people to distribute their products. Social enterprise partners include I Care Pads and Nokero Solar lightbulbs. Young women participants would become distributors for these products and earn an income and gain business management experience while going through the business incubator program.
User Perspective-The Client
1. Prospective clients hear about The Network through the Kisa Alumni Network, through Kisa Career Day, through their school networks, or through other AfricAid programs and partner organizations.
2. Prospective clients go to the AfricAid office in Arusha where they apply to participate in the program.
3. AfricAid Staff explain the incubator program and review the application process with the prospective client. The applicant can choose one of three business tracks: New Business, Student Micro-Business, and Social Enterprise Product Franchisee or Distributor.
4. AfricAid staff and The Network Mentors review the applications and score them based on developed viability criteria for the three different tracks. If the idea is viable, the applicant will be invited to join the program. If the idea does not meet the criteria, the applicant is offered other alternatives.
5. 8-10 successful applicants will be invited to join The Network Cohort.
6. Participants will meet with The Network Facilitators (trained AfricAid program officers) and go through an orientation workshop where they will be assigned two Network Mentors, one US business woman and one local Tanzania business woman.
7. The Cohort will meet for a four-hour workshop, once a week, for 8 weeks at The Network classroom. They will have access to computers and Internet.
8. Mentors will communicate with their mentees once every two weeks (once a week with their US mentor and once a week with their Tanzania mentor) and use the curriculum designed at the Program Development phase. The curriculum will be based on an appropriate version of the “Business Plan” model, to include elements such as, Mission Statement, Objectives, Executive Summary, Financials, Marketing, Pitch training, Branding, etc. The Tanzanian mentor will be able to provide valuable insight into the Tanzanian business environment.
9. The Network will provide the clients with access to a network of web development, branding, and marketing professionals who will work with the clients to create marketing collateral materials.
10. There will be various networking nights throughout the program for clients to connect with a variety of social entrepreneurs, business people, investors, and other ventures.
11. Clients will be responsible for completing assignments and accountable to the program staff, mentors, and peers for their efforts
12. The clients will present their business assignments to their peers at peer review sessions.
13. The clients will also learn about personal safety and have a personal support network of women with whom to discuss personal challenges.
14. At the end of the 8-week instructional phase, the clients will pitch their idea to potential investors.
15. After the 8-week instructional program, clients will participate in a three-month pilot support phase.
16. During the pilot support phase, clients will receive continued support through weekly follow up sessions and site visits for one month as they launch their pilot.
16. Clients will receive monthly support for the remaining two months during the pilot phase to address challenges that come up.
17. Entrepreneurs will participate in a graduation ceremony at the end of the 5-month program. Program graduates will be encouraged to participate in ongoing The Network business development workshops, networking nights, and women’s support groups.
User Perspective: The Network Mentor
1. U.S. mentors are chosen for their business experience and commitment
2. A reasonable monetary contribution will be established as part of participation in the program, as a form of sponsorship
3. Some of those fees may go directly to the client for her new business costs
4. A reasonable time commitment will be made by the mentors to work directly with their clients and coordinate with the program
User Perspective: Program Organization
1. In-country staff provides the day-to-day oversight, structure, support and resources to the clients
2. U.S. Coordinator develops the mentor base, training of mentors, and oversight
3. Both collaborate on matching mentors to clients