Why You Should Vote for Africa, Tech & Women SXSW Panel

I decided to write this blog post as a way to help prospective voters and supporters to understand the thinking and passion behind our Africa, Tech & Women: The New Faces of Development SXSW panel submission.  We believe this panel will help to change the conversation on Africa, about whom most people have a limited negative perception; its women, who are often depicted as helpless, uneducated and unproductive; and dispel the myth that there isn’t much technological development taking place in Africa.

When TMS Ruge and I embarked upon this SXSW journey together, we decided we would create a panel building upon his successful SXSW 2009 presentation, Africa 3.0.  We knew that with the 2012 panel, we wanted to add a new dimension and feature multiple voices.  After a lot of research and brainstorming, we discovered that the African Union declared 2010-2020: The African Woman Decade and decided it would be a source of inspiration for us.  Additionally, we’re both very passionate about gender rights issues, publicizing the greatness of Africa and its Diaspora and are tech enthusiasts — and as such, we decided on the title: Africa, Tech & Women.

The subtitle: The New Faces of Development came about after lots of trial and error.  We finally agreed to it, given that it encompasses the areas we want to cover and from a new perspective: (1) Economic, (2) Technological, (3) Philanthropic, and (4) Community.

We then decided we should showcase the different ways in which a cross-section of African women based in the Diaspora and on the continent are impacting Africa’s development through technology.  We were able to identify three incredible African women who leverage use technology in very significant ways to affect change on the continent and beyond.  They also helped us to flesh out the panel topics, so that the description you read below is representative of what we all want to share, in the limited time available on a panel.  Additionally,

Africa, Tech & Women SXSW Panelists

1. Isis Nyong’o – InMobi (Kenya)

Isis joined InMobi in February 2011 to lead business expansion in Africa. With over nine years of business development, marketing and sales experience, Isis is responsible for the overall growth on the continent.  Isis joins InMobi from Google where she led the company’s business development efforts in Africa. She specialized in mobile partnerships and developed Google’s content strategy to bring more African content online. She brings extensive media and tech experience to InMobi and drove the launch of MTV Networks in Africa where she was responsible for commercial relationships including distribution and sales. She developed the marketing strategy for Kenya’s first online recruitment service, MyJobsEye and holds degrees from Stanford University and Harvard Business School where she was president of the Africa Business Club. Isis has been named by Forbes as one of The 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa, is one of the ‘Top 40 Women under 40″ in Kenya, and is frequently featured by the Africa media including, Al Jazeera, BBC, Nation Newspaper, NTV, Standard Newspaper and UP Magazine, among others.

2. Ebele Okobi-Harris – Yahoo! (USA)

Ebele Okobi-Harris is Director of Yahoo!’s Business and Human Rights Program, leading Yahoo!’s efforts to promote privacy and free expression on the Internet. Before joining Yahoo!, Ebele was a corporate securities and mergers & acquisitions attorney at Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York, Paris and London, an attorney fellow at Consumers Union (a consumer rights advocacy non-profit) in San Francisco, a director of Advisory Services at Catalyst (a non-profit with the mission of advancing women in business) in San Jose and Amsterdam and at Nike’s EMEA headquarters as an MDP focused on marketing and business development in Africa.

Ms. Okobi-Harris earned a BA in Psychology from the University of Southern California, a JD from Columbia Law School and an MBA Certificat des Études from Hautes Études Commerciales de Paris.

3. Milly Businge – Kikuube Village Council (Uganda)

Milly Businge is a respected village elder and mother of eight children in the small village of Kikuube. She serves as the Local Chairperson (LC1) of her village, representing a population of nearly 1000 residents. She has been unanimously re-elected to this position by the residents of Kikuube because her work representing them at the government level. She has often wanted to retire and refused to stand for the position during elections, but the villagers always rally and vote for her anyway. That’s the mark of a great leader.  Mrs. Businge was also recently officially ordained as a minister and serves as the pastor of the small but growing community church.

In November 2010, Mrs. Businge delivered the keynote speech during the “Villages in Action” conference that was hosted in Kikuube.  The conference was broadcast live over the internet and proved to be a very successful initiative — giving the poor an opportunity to be heard in the global conversation about the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

When she is not managing domestic disputes, land wrangles, and community health awareness campaigns in her community, she spends her time reading. She is also an enthusiastic user of mobile technologies as they help her connect with her constituency and connect globally to her son (TMS Ruge) in America.

4. Liz Ngonzi – New York University Heyman Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising (USA)

Born in Uganda and “raised” at the United Nations, Liz Ngonzi is an international educator, speaker and consultant, who has since 2009, been on Adjunct Faculty at New York University’s Heyman Center for Philanthropy & Fundraising – for which she has developed and taught courses on online and mobile fundraising, and where she is one of four noted social media experts.

Liz is a recognized authority on ICT for development, the African Diaspora market, hospitality / service management, women in business, and social entrepreneurship.  She’s a frequent conference speaker, including as a panelist during the Entrepreneurship@Cornell Celebration, in the spring of 2007; as a featured international speaker at the May 2011 Southern Africa Institute of Fundraising’s 10th Biennial Convention in South Africa; and as a panelist for New York University’s Philanthropy 3.0 Speaker Series: Mobile in Advocacy The Next Frontier.  In September, she will speak in the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 41^st Annual Legislative Conference and will chair the 2^nd Annual ICT Women Empowerment Africa Summit in South Africa.

A committed volunteer, Liz has held several board positions, including currently serving as a member of the President’s Council of Cornell Women (for which she is a Vice Chair of its Communications Committee); the Advisory Board to the Cornell University Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship; and the United Nations International School’s Council for Alumni Affairs.

Media outlets in which Liz has been featured, include: CBS’ The Early Show, Crain’s New York Business, New Jersey Jewish News, Successful Meetings Magazine, The New York Times, The Nonprofit Times and ZambiaBlogTalkRadio.

Liz founded and runs Amazing Taste, LLC., a values-led boutique consulting firm that connects NGOs with philanthropists and corporations, to achieve strategic objectives through fundraising events, marketing campaigns, along with educational activities.   Amazing Taste has worked with or advised domestic and international educational institutions, gender rights organizations, healthcare foundations, political campaigns, and youth development organizations.

Liz spent her 10-year corporate career in marketing, sales and business consulting at Digital Equipment Corporation, MICROS Systems, Inc. and Arthur Andersen, respectively.  She obtained her Master of Management in Hospitality degree from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems degree (with a concentration in Telecommunications Systems) from Syracuse University.  Additionally, she graduated from the United Nations International School.

5. TMS Ruge (moderator and “token male”) – Project Diaspora (USA)

TMS Ruge was born in Masindi, Uganda and grew up in Uganda, Kenya and the United States. Capitalizing on his understanding of different cultures and markets, Ruge has become a successful global social entrepreneur.

In 2007 he co-founded Project Diaspora — to motivate, engage and mobilize the African Diaspora to take an active role in Africa’s development. Following his passion to engage the continent, he has invested his time and money in a number of development initiatives including Uganda Medicinal Plants Grower’s ltd. – an indigenous farmers’ business specializing in the export of value-added medicinal plants, and Women of Kireka – a women’s jewelry making cooperative.

A technology enthusiast, Ruge writes and speaks extensively on Africa’s current renaissance driven by technology, youth and the Diaspora. He is a frequent contributor to several online publications including CNN, PopTech, The Globe and Mail, and The Guardian, and the Project Diaspora blog. He is also the host of The Digital Continent Podcast, a weekly technology podcast for people who believe that Africa is full of innovation and opportunity. Ruge is also a founding board member of Hive Colab – an open, collaborative, community-owned, work environment for young Ugandan tech entrepreneurs to focus on projects..

Ruge also serves as an advisor for ?OpenAction.org – an online platform that allows development organizations to richly engage their online audience.

He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Design from the University of North Texas.

Description of the Proposed SXSW Africa, Tech Women: The New Faces of Development Panel:

This panel provides a rare glimpse into the multitude of ways African women are applying technology to advance Africa’s development. The panel aims to dispel the myths about African women as breeders and victims — incapable of participating in their own continent’s development, by: (1) showcasing contributions they are making in the technology field – through entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and community leadership; and (2) providing insights into how they are using technology to raise awareness about, mobilize campaigns against and address human rights violations.

The panel will specifically explore how African women are using technology to make an impact through: – Digital advocacy to protect people’s rights – Social media to help grassroots organizations engage new supporters worldwide – Mobile advertising to enable small businesses to access new markets – Internet connectivity to integrate the often unheard community voices into the global conversation on development

Throughout the discussion, panelists will provide anecdotes on how the resulting increased access to information, is altering the role of women in African society.

Questions our panel aims to answer are:

1. What is the role of women in Africa’s fast emerging digital landscape and what types of contributions are they making?
2. How is technology improving the everyday lives of women on the continent?
3. What is the negative impact of increased access to information, on the role of the African woman in her society?
4. What are the opportunities and connections technology is facilitating between women in the Diaspora and on the continent?
5. Given the increased adoption of mobile phones in Africa and the rise of its middle class, what opportunities exist for marketers interested in targeting African women?

Please help us to amplify the voices of African women in the global discussion on development.

Vote for Africa, Tech & Women: The New Faces of Development and tell your friends to do the same.

Thank you

Follow us on Twitter: Liz Ngonzi @LizNgonzi | Isis  Nyongy’o @Inyongyo | TMS Ruge @TMSruge

The Guardian’s Poverty Matters blog has been publishing some analysis on Africa’s middle class. According to research reports they cited, 1 in 3 Africans on the continent can be classified as middle class. The Guardian’s tight definition of Africa’s middle class is those individuals spending between $2-$20. It is quite a large range and actually a shocker to some people.

I wanted to take a look at those numbers a little deeper in my layman-nowhere-near-economist-or-mathematician kind of way. Help me out here if the math is flawed, but I hope you understand what I am trying to get at. Most of the reports cited by the Guardian articles make no mention of the Diaspora. Surely our $40 billion in annual remittances should be counted. Right? Does it really matter where we earn it when all of it is being spent on the continent?

Let’s look at the numbers. David Smith first reported that Africa’s middle class totals a staggering 333 million. That is a third of the continent’s population that spends between $2 and $20 per day. This is not the same definition used to describe the global poverty line. That, is defined as those earning less than $2. I am not yet sure what the difference is between earning and spending, but I am sure they mean different things in this context.

So let’s do some calculations.

According to Smith’s cited calculations, Africa’s middle class has between $666 million and $6.6 billion in discretionary income. When you look at that from the perspective that Africa’s population is 1 billion people and its total GDP was over $1.6 trillion, then we are not talking about a whole lot of money here. But, this small range is responsible for generating half of the continents collective GDP of $1.6 trillion.

The middle class was responsible for at least half of Africa’s GDP of $1.6tn, he added. The trend reflected years of sustained economic growth, with sub-Saharan Africa projected at 5.5% this year.

My question is why aren’t remittances counted in this equation? If we (Diaspora) are spending $40 billion annually on the continent, what kind of contribution are we having on the continent, when a mere $6.6 billion at the top level of that range accounts for half of the continent’s GDP? What am I missing here? Especially when that $40 billion is contributed by roughly 10 million of us frequenting Western Union, Money Gram and other means of transferring money to the continent. That’s an average of $4000 per year per per Diaspora or $11 per day per Diaspora in discretionary income sent to the continent. $11 per day put the Diaspora in the upper middle class based on that earning range. Why isn’t this part of the equation and conversation? I’ve got to be missing something here.

Africa’s Diaspora spends more on the continent than the supposed middle class on the continent, yet we are not counted. I don’t get it. The Diaspora needs to be counted as part of the continent’s middle class. Just because we don’t live there full time doesn’t mean that our money isn’t being spent there. And to answer their question, yes this “missing” middle class is contributing to a reduction in poverty and literacy. I know this because my remittances do just that. A third sibling is graduating from Makerere University while the other two are already gainfully employed. Now that’s just me. Multiply that effort by roughly 10 million and we become a catalytic, economic force for change — especially as many of us are turning that discretionary expenditure into money-generating businesses or social ventures.

Trade Africa quoting the ADF and World Bank:

Report on African countries remittances, skills and investments are jointly carried out by the African Development Bank and the World Bank as part of the Africa Migration Project.

A breakdown of the$40billion investment showed that Nigerians in diaspora invested 57 percent; 55 percent in Kenya; 36 percent in Burkina Faso; 20 percent in Uganda and Senegal, 15 percent.

Interesting to note that Andy Sumner and Nancy Birdsall‘s piece references The Globe and Mail’s piece that defines the middle class as a catalyst in 5 categories:

the catalyst class (a) has an interest in accountability because they pay more taxes; (b) probably don’t work for the state and thus don’t see their loyalty and interests tied to the status quo; (c) have parents who led quite different consumption lifestyles to them; (d) probably have internet (cafe) access and cell phones; and (e) want “open business conditions, fair and honourable contracts, and a route to employment unclotted by corruption”.

When it comes to Africa, if that doesn’t sound the like the Diaspora, I don’t know what does. Again, I am no economist, but the numbers are painting a picture that many are not seeing. Any ideas why?

UPDATE:

Andy Sumner has a great follow-up piece on the definition of the middle class

My last couple of blog posts on Project Diaspora have focused on best practices to improve service delivery on the continent and mobile solutions to potentially improve visitors’ experiences when they travel to Africa.

San Bushman man from Botswana. Photo Credit: Ian Beatty from Amherst, MA, USA

As I contemplated this current blog post, I looked through my notes to find an inspiring idea. I wasn’t inspired by any of them. So I revisited a Wikipedia search for Africa, which I recently conducted.  What I found was seemingly pretty basic: history, geography, politics, etc.  What struck me, however, was that the overall entries about contemporary Africa were quite negative in general, supported by images of a San bushman from Botswana, Beja Bedouins from Northeast Africa, a rural woman from Benin and a street musician from South Africa.

Beja Bedouins from Northeast Africa. Photo Credit: I, Jpereira

While none of these photos are particularly derogatory, they fail to accurately reflect what the continent has to offer, in terms of its educated urban population and its market potential.

As a diasporan born in Uganda and raised in New York, this all stirred up negative emotions within.  I grew up in New York during a time when it wasn’t cool to be African and I struggled with my identity, despite having gone to the United Nations International School – a very inclusive and empowering academic institution — and living in a community of mostly multicultural families.  At the time, it was much easier for me to assimilate as an African American (a group with which I still very heavily identify having grown up in the US) trying to bury my “Africanness”.  It’s only when I got to Syracuse University as an undergrad and took a few Africana studies courses that I began to develop pride for my heritage and to seek out additional sources to reinforce that feeling. So while the title of this post is about the kid in Podunk, I believe that what I’m proposing below is important also for the African kid (a) living in the diaspora, (b) who is fortunate enough to access the internet in Africa and even (c) whose friend and can teach him/her about who he/she can become as a result of hearing about his/her fortunate friend’s discovery online.

I must stress that my issue in post isn’t actually with Wikipedia — “a nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to encouraging the growth, development and distribution of free, multilingual content, and to providing the full content of these wiki-based projects to the public free of charge.” The question then is “who should bear the responsibility for the inaccurate portrayal of Africa?”  Is it an individual, an organization or African governments?  Who stands to benefits most from a more inclusive and therefore positive branding of Africa?  You may in turn ask “why this is important?”  Well here are my two cents:

Children, the future leaders of the world, are generally quite impressionable.  So what they’re taught as children influences the decisions they make as adults.  Exposure to correct information about Africa would therefore lead them to recognize Africa and Africans are valuable partners in the global economy rather than the current perception of Africa and its people as a lost cause.

Liya Kebede, Ethiopian model, maternal health advocate, clothing designer and actress who has appeared three times on the cover of US Vogue. Photo Credit: Ed Kavishe, Fashion Wire Press

It’s imperative therefore that Africa and Africans amend the Wikipedia pages on Africa and the African Diaspora, to reflect more inclusive images of Africa and the African Diaspora, given the intrinsic value of the latter both to the continent and the countries where they reside.

Below is a very SMALL sample of diasporans of note who could potentially be spotlighted.  I used the following methodology to find them:

1. I searched Wikipedia for diasporans with whom I am familiar and then used links from their profiles to identify others. I was mindful about the need to reflect talent from the whole continent.
2. I excluded people on the continent making their mark, purely as a means to remain focused on Project Diaspora’s mission: to promote African diaspora engagement in sustainable economic activities within Africa.
3. For simplicity sake, I narrowly defined Diasporans as those who currently reside outside of Africa and who were born in or have parents from Africa.
4. I linked to the Diasporans’ existing Wikipedia pages and grouped each sample according to primary industry.
5. Finally, I used photos from diasporans whose Wikipedia pages had rights-free photographs.

African Diasporans of Note

Arts / Entertainment	Akon || Johannes Anyuru || Michael Blackson || Chiwetel Ejiofor || Idris Elba || Safi Faye || Edi Gathegi || Haile Gerima || Namugenyi Kiwanuka || Boris Kodjoe || Sal Masekela || Peter Mensah || Tom Morello || Ntare Mwine || Thandi Newton       Photo: Thandi Newton, English actress born to Zimbabwean mother and British father. Photo Credit: gdcgraphics”
Education	Ilesanmi Adesida || Kwame Anthony Appiah || Patricia McFadden
Fashion	Amsale Aberra || Ozwald Boateng || Iman || Kiara Kabukuru || Liya Kebede
Financial Services	Mo Ibrahim || Dambisa Moyo || Adebayo Ogunlesi
Journalism	Sade Baderinwa || Ron Mwangaguhunga || Hoda Kotb || Dinaw Mengestu || Adaora Udoji
Politics	Peter Bossman || David Soares
Hospitality Management/Travel	Dorinda Hafner || Marcus Samuelsson         Photo: Marcus Samuelsson, Ethiopian-born Swedish chef and co-owner of Aquavit and Red Rooster restaurants in New York City and C-House Restaurant, located in the Affinia Hotel in Chicago. Photo Credit: Tduk Alex Lozupone”
Religion	Rev. Peter Gomes* || Archbishop John Sentamu
Science & Technology	Kwatsi Alubaruho || Cheick Modibo Diarra || Chinedu Echeruo || Gebisa Ejeta || Ave Kludze || Noah Samara || Window Snyder
Sports	John Amaechi || Kelenna Azubuike || Yinka Dare || Obinna Ekezie || James Ihedigbo || Ruth Kasirye || Mathias Kiwanuka || Dikembe Mutombo || Emeka Okafor || Hakeem Olajuwon || Betty Okino       Photo: Dikembe Mutombo, retired Congolese American professional basketball player, who last played for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. Photo Credit: Keith Allison”

In conclusion, while Wikipedia is a great tool for cataloguing a part of Africa’s reality through its Africa and African Diaspora pages, they need to project the other side of the story.  The basis for this is currently available as individual dots on the Wikipedia site.  What’s needed is for these dots to be connected and given a little bit of context to make it easy for a kid anywhere in the world to access a more inclusive picture about Africa.  I am pleased to note that individual Africans including: Mo Ibrahim, G. Kofi Annan, Sophie Bekele, Ida Horner, Mariéme Jamme, Sheila Ochugboju, Emeka Okafor, Alex Okosi and Joshua Wanyama , are some of the many already working towards the rebranding of the continent.

My hope is that this post will inspire others to join this vital effort.  I welcome any feedback or suggestions for other Diasporans or Diaspora-related items to feature.

Please feel free to connect with me:
Twitter || LinkedIn || Facebook || Email || Amazing Taste Website

*Rev. Peter Gomes passed away on February 28, 2011

I received a letter last week from a young African woman (whose identity I’ve omitted, in deference to her privacy), currently a graduate student in a leading hospitality management program in Europe.  What first struck me about her was that she had taken the time to send me a letter, when she could easily have emailed me, given that she referenced she had found me on LinkedIn through a mutual contact and she must have subsequently googled me to find my business address, where she then would most likely could have easily found my email address, as well.  By taking the time to write a letter to me, this young woman already grabbed my attention by demonstrating to me that she understands etiquette — which definitely worked in her favor, given that she wrote to me requesting assistance with a dream she has — to open a hospitality management school in her country of origin, in order to provide less fortunate young people the opportunity to study free in their home country. This would then enable them to qualify for the positions in the country’s major tourism sector — currently occupied mostly by foreigners.

Swimming Pool at Chobe Safari Lodge in Uganda

The letter inspired me to think about service, in general and hospitality in particular, in Africa, beginning with experiences I’ve had in the various places I visited on the continent, including in my country of origin, Uganda.  I’ve always been baffled by the fact that while Africans are generally hospitable people, when it comes to providing professional service to others, there tends to be an inconsistency in how its delivered.  In all fairness, I should mention that there are several establishments I have visited in which I have received consistently great service from accommodating staff and engaged managers.  So I asked myself, what is it that’s lacking in the places to which I have decided I would never return? Based on my own experiences and anecdotes from other customers and even staff, many such places tend to be run by ill-prepared and unmotivated managers, who most likely report to indifferent owners.  These owners often times have not developed the practices and structures necessary to empower managers/employees to deliver consistently great service, be it internally or externally.  The point being, that the leadership sets the tone for the type of service the customer-facing employee will provide.  Once the leader creates a culture that is service-oriented, hires accommodating people, teaches and incentivizes them to provide great service, employees are more than likely to perform better.

One of the Beautiful Cottages at Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort in Uganda

As tourism gains momentum as a major economic driver in Africa, I would like to appeal to proprietors to consider adopting the following six service delivery best practices in order to deliver customer service excellence.  These practices are based on (a) my studies while a graduate student at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration (b) research I’ve conducted on my own as an educator developing and teaching university-level hospitality management courses (c) observations I’ve made about organizations to which I or my firm have consulted and (d) methods I’ve successfully employed in my own business.

1. Development of Standard Operating Procedures: Successful establishments tend to develop procedures to manage the full customer experience.  These procedures are encompassed in the following phases:

• Customer Engagement Phase (e.g., phone greeting, email inquiry response, website information)
• Arrival (e.g., by whom and how customers are greeted)
• Service Delivery Phase (e.g., when and how customer orders are taken and suggestions provided to them)
• Payment Processing Phase (e.g., flexibility of payment options)
• Departure Phase (e.g., how customers are bid farewell and whether there is a request for feedback on service provided)
• Post-Visit Engagement Phase (e.g. thanking customers for their business and providing incentives to encourage future patronage / referral of others)

2. Hiring Practices: One of the key elements to developing a great customer-facing staff is recruiting those people who are inclined toward service, possibly even have experience in working in establishments that deliver consistently and /or people who have demonstrated an interest in service delivery, through their educational pursuits.  Finding such employees is facilitated by the fact that there is such widespread unemployment on the Continent, that employers are able to cherry-pick candidates.

3. Training / Orientation Process: Once appropriate candidates are hired, they should to be taught about the establishment’s service culture and expectations of employees, trained in service delivery procedures and informed about the importance of the service they are providing to customers paying their hard-earned money.  By doing so, the leadership establishes expectations of performance and provides clear reasons that the employees can internalize and refer to in various customer-facing situations.

4. Management Oversight: Managers should practice “management by walking around,” which requires them to monitor operations so as to  to enable them to identify any issues before they escalate, discover employees providing great service and provide an additional touch-point for customers who may have additional questions.

5. Incentives: People are generally motivated in multiple ways, money being one of them.  However, successful leaders recognize that public recognition of performance against clearly defined objectives, the offering of career path options, and support of employees’ extracurricular pursuits are just as, if not more effective means to incentivize performance.

6. Employee Treatment: Leaders of successful establishments understand that the way in which they treat their employees is directly correlated to how those employees then in turn treat internal and external customers.  Employers can do so by treating employees in a hospitable manner, developing practices such as providing them with healthcare, transportation and / or meal allowances to supplement wages, and by taking the time to learn about the employees’ individual challenges and helping to facilitate reasonable solutions.

Giraffes in Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda

Going back to the letter and idea from the young African woman’s vision that inspired this posting (and with whom I have since communicated via email and a skype video call) my professional opinion as a practitioner in the service sector is that she’s on to something great. So I have since communicated further with her and provided her with some of my own insights for how she can potentially realize her dream.  Central to all of this, however, is that as she realizes her dream, she keeps in mind, the importance of developing an institution that not only teaches those interested in working in hospitality, the technical aspects of providing service, but also, the philosophical and human aspects of why and how service is delivered.  Additionally, my hope is that she aims to recruit students (all of whom she envisions would attend on scholarship), who demonstrate a pre-disposition to service delivery, and who therefore, with the right training and opportunities, would help to lift the level of service provided in her country, in particular and the rest of the continent, in general.

Great Eco-Conscious Decor at Boda Boda Restaurant in Kampala, Uganda

Finally, I believe that in the short-term, she should be flexible in how she conceives of her institution.  With the increasing number of applications available to facilitate e-learning, she may want to consider working with educators / industry practitioners to develop a curriculum that can be delivered remotely to students assembled in an existing structure, such as a local school, church or community center.  In such a case, instead of having to wait until she raises the funds for a building, etc., she could literally begin teaching using a laptop, projector and WiFi access — made possible by Africa 3.0.

Unlike my first two postings on Project Diaspora, this young woman and I did not connect via Twitter, 140 characters at a time.  However, some of the insights, which I shared with her, were informed by my frequent activity on Twitter over the last 18+ months.

New Note: I was recently quoted in the book Cornell University School of Hotel Administration on Hospitality: Cutting Edge Thinking and Practice book (page 16)

Here’s how you can connect with me:

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HOPSTOP Logo Superimposed on Google Map of Kampala, Uganda

One of my favorite iPhone apps is HOPSTOP, founded in 2005 by US-based and Nigerian-born entrepreneur, Chinedu Echeruo.  Why I love this app is that it enables me to easily map out my travel route (by foot, rail or bus) when I’m visiting places across the US, with which I’m unfamiliar and provides me with access to services located around my destination, such as a Starbucks, I can visit prior to a meeting to have a warm beverage, check my email or  freshen up.

I was reminded of why I love HOPSTOP so much, during my recent vacation to Uganda.  It was a great trip during which I visited many parts of the country, dined in fantastic places, stayed in great resorts and as a constantly-engaged entrepreneur…even snuck in a few meetings.  One of the only challenges I faced however, was that despite having born in Uganda and traveled there quite often, I needed to have guides with me throughout the trip, because the country — as with others on the African Continent — have limited numbers of street names.  This is not only a challenge for visitors, it’s also an issue for locals who are forced to use landmarks to find destinations.  The aforementioned challenge limited my experience to those places I researched online prior to my visit, those which friends recommended to me and those with which my various guides were familiar.

I wonder,  if had I been able to access a HOPSTOP app to find destinations on my own,  would I have been comfortable trying out new places and possibly venturing out on my own?  Why this is significant is that when I put myself in the shoes of someone visiting a country such as Uganda, for the first time, I can imagine that navigating through the many wonderful places to experiecne might be a challenge, particularly given the aforementioned lack of street names.  To be fair, there are many sources, one of which is The Eye Magazine, which does provide listings of destinations and maps of their corresponding locations.  However, for folks like me who are used to being able to access information easily on a PDA, we definitely need more.

Ideally, I would love to see an app that enables visitors to:

• Map out their routes by various available modes of transportation with cost and risk estimates for each (a trip on a boda boda can be quite a harrowing experience, yet is the most affordable option in East Africa, besides walking)
• Access location-based services that are generated based on the user’s location, personal preferences and purchasing history
• Retrieve a time-limited coupon for access to services, such as those of the Groupon app
• Post reviews of their experience of local services (a la TripAdvisor)
• Monitor traffic updates that enable them to avoid “jam” centers

Having presence on an app such as the one proposed above would be great for owners of small businesses in Uganda (and other African countries),  in that it would potentially provide them access to consumers they might not otherwise have been able to attract, enable them to receive feedback about their services that could help them improve delivery, create more needed jobs and generally stimulate economic growth.  Google has already embarked on a project to map various countries throughout Africa — an endeavor which should help to facilitate the aforementioned.

Mr. Echeruo, I ask you to seriously consider creating the app I’ve proposed above…if you’re not already doing so.  You’re a terrific example of the great minds to which Africa has given birth and from which it should benefit…as it develops.  You have successfully scaled HopStop across North America and it’s now time to take your talents and resources to Africa — a continent that relies heavily on tourism and and increasingly on international commerce, both of which would be more easily facilitated by a disruptive app that ultimately furthers the development of the Continent.   In addition to all of the aforementioned, there is a growing community of trail-blazing tech savvy wiz kids on the Continent (that I learned about 140 characters at a time on Twitter) with whom you could potentially collaborate to work towards Africa 3.0 – an aspiration that a tech visionary such as you, has the wherewithal to achieve.

Here’s how you can connect with me:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Facebook

Amazing Taste Website

When the financial gods of the world sneezed and nearly caused the apocalyptic demise of the world, as we know it, the West, the United States and Asia became the news and leaders scrambled to “save” humankind by all means necessary. However the effects are still being felt as our children will not get their Nintendo wiis and other super Chinese electronic gadgets that Santa has always delivered year in year out without the talk of tightening belts, and the word recession being mentioned at dinnertime. The recovery will take some time so will the adjustments of consumers from big spenders to big savers.

For the people in developing countries, the recession meant less financial donations from the West and equally a need to tighten belts and adjust to the recession. Not much of a task for most in poor nations especially in Africa. They never overload shopping carts with electronic gadgets at Christmas anyway. Neither do they overburden themselves with unnecessary gifts to each other. A trip to the rural homes to visit the clan is more than the Christmas present they expect from each other. Jovial is the mood at Christmas and nobody sulks over gifts or lecture on the effects of the recession at dinnertime.

Most in Africa especially the rural folks have no idea what all this talk of a recession is all about. Like AIDS when it started ravaging communities in the 90s, the rural folk were the last to accept it as a world threat, including their obscure villages.

Taking life on a day-a-day basis has always been a proud hobby of most Africans. In Zimbabwe with a non-existent economy and no cash (local currency) for over a year now, thanks to Mugabe and Zanu Pf ‘s unprecedented demolition of a modern economy, the population has adjusted faster than the West will ever recover from the recession. History does repeat itself and in history we learn lessons for today and tomorrow. So rather than wait for the endless power sharing talks that are yielding nothing for the people, villagers in Zimbabwe remembered the glorious days of barter trading eons of years ago. Quite a novelty and equally an intrigue where goods are exchanged for service rendered.
A live chicken will pay your bus fare for a 200km journey and a cow will get the body of your dead relative delivered to its resting place of your desire. A gallon of milk will fetch a bucket of corn meal. Two goats will pay for a semester of High school education. One can also pay a cow as exam fees. There are obviousl disparities on the actual values of the goods or services involved in the exchange. For instance a cow costs upwards of US$500 but exam fees for eight subjects cost less than US$200.
With inflation running above 230 billion percentage, the local currency was not even worth the paper it was printed on and the Finance Minister Tendai Biti from the MDC party, had no choice but to discard the useless money in favor of foreign currency that had long become the preferred choice of the people especially in the cities. Inflation went down dramatically overnight to about 3% and has held steady as long as the local currency is not reintroduced. However the move has adversely affected the villagers with no means of getting the US$, the South African Rand and the Botswana Pula that have become acceptable currency along with the British Pound.

President Mugabe and his blue-eyed Governor of the Reserve Bank, Gideon Gono who siphoned and helped others in power to siphon the treasury dry, have advocated the populist approach of bringing back the local currency against the wisdom of the Finance Minister and the dictates of the economy. As the Governor of the Reserve Bank one would think that he understands the difference between economics and populist sentiments. But to ask him this, is to ask him to go against the modus operandi of Zanu Pf for decades, in which they printed money rather than let industry produce revenue.

No wonder the Vice President Ms Joyce Mujuru, is said to have lashed out at the Finance Minister for not dolling out the IMF loans that have not yet been disbursed because the Unity government does not have the required structures to start using the money. To her if the money is there just give it out. She is not used to be denied money when she wants it and the Reserve Bank for a decade had pandered to the whims of these bigwigs and operated as a quasi-Zanu Pf party entity. More certainly she would have ordered money printed without a second thought just like they were used to.

Now with the money printing machine in the Masasa industrial area east of Harare the capital city, lying obsolete, for over a year, the frustration is obvious on the economics- challenged goons in Zanu Pf and especially the so called War Veterans who have called on the government to print the local currency regardless.

On the villagers, the frustration is more of not knowing what they have done to deserve Mugabe for all this time. They will not be seeing any of their children and relatives whom most have run away from the repression of Mugabe and the ensuing economic meltdown. And this Christmas, they wish they could trade Mugabe for Tsvangirai in their every day barter trade renaissance which has become the norm. So much for wishes.

All this would not be if only Mugabe had not vowed to go down with the ship and threw a tantrum that destroyed a country, young lives, an economy, education, health care, transportation, tourism, and most importantly agriculture that had always been the mainstay of the economy setting us back fifty years in terms of development.
Welcome to the Stone Age in the twenty first century ala Mugabe way.
I wish you a Merry Christmas Africa, especially Zimbos.

Background to the Summit
Uganda Government through Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) has been executing several programs that have been essential and critical in National development. These programs have been designed in line with the national strategies like the Competitiveness Investment Climate Strategy (CICS) which has mapped out the main activities and listed the expected outcomes. Under these programs, UIA focused on pro-active investment promotion and facilitation as a core activity. Under the promotion and facilitation part, the Diaspora investment stands out as a main component which needed more attention. UIA has effectively undertaken its pro-active role to inform the Diaspora about investment and trade opportunities that exist at home.

The Ugandan Diaspora, at different levels, occasionally met with UIA and Government officials promoting investment packages at their meetings or conventions on the opportunities that exist in the country and the region as a whole. Issues of the general policy, regulatory frameworks as well initiatives that the Uganda Government has in place to make home the best investment destination are discussed. These issues are manifested by the theme “Home is the Best” for all Diaspora Conferences held in Uganda since 2004. The last Conference was held in Gulu and Kampala. A decision was then made to have a Diaspora Conference in December of every year.

It is a common practice that many Ugandans in the Diaspora trek home to cerebrate the Christmas festivals with the families. Therefore this year’s Conference code named “Home is the Best Summit -3” will be held in Lira on 23rd December 2009, Kampala on 29th to 30th December 2009, and Mbale on 4th January 2010. Home is the Best Summit – 3 because it will be the third Conference to organise under such a theme.

Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) is coordinating Government Departments/Institutions and the Private Sector to realize this Diaspora Investment Summit.

Summit Objectives
The “Home is the Best” Forum which has become an annual event is intended to embrace all Ugandans in the Diaspora .The Summit will also allows the Diaspora to actively express ideas on the development and review processes of policy and regulatory frame work regarding the business environment. Members of the Diaspora also get the opportunity to reflect on their business investment achievements at home.

Summit Structure
The Summit structure will include presentations, discussion panels and may be live broadcasting that will discuss trade & investment opportunities and challenges in different areas of the country. There will be side events that will include Exhibitions and Fashion Shows, Entertainment, Cultural Activities, Youths Activities and Diners, and Cocktails. This years Summit will pay special attention to Agriculture-Agro-possessing especially Value Addition to our abundant natural resources, ICT especially Business Process Outsourcing & Multimedia, Education Finance ,Health care and Tourism and other areas.

The out of Kampala meets (Lira and Mbale) give the Diaspora participants a chance to see the countryside and the numerous latent investment and trading opportunities outside the capital.

Participation in the Summit
Approximately 300 to 450 Diaspora members and their families who make the annual Christmas holiday pilgrimage to Uganda are expected to attend this year’s Summit. Last year’s (2008) events hosted in Gulu and Kampala had more that 250 participants. There will be strong presence of Ugandan Business Community, Government Officials, NGO’S and limited general public.

Summit Outcome
The Forum usually comprises as an exhibition of the solutions to the Diaspora needs, discussions on challenges, and new opportunities. Financial institutions, the construction & building industry, trading houses and the private sector as whole present their branded packages to the Ugandan Diaspora who usually lack information and knowledge about the home economic and investment climate.

Finally the Summit agenda will recommend the practical actions, time lines and tools that will lead to improved measures for better environment and embark on initiatives that will promote more Diaspora-led investments in the country.

Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) and the Private Sector in Uganda is organising yet another Diaspora Investment Summit, under the theme “HOME IS THE BEST 3”. Three business summits are scheduled to take place in Lira, Kampala (Hotel Africana) and Mbale on 23rd December 2009, 29th to 30th December 2009, and 4th January 2010 respectively.

The “Home is the Best” Forum has become an annual event that embraces all Ugandans in the Diaspora into active participation in the development and review processes of policy and regulatory frame work regarding the business environment. Members also get the opportunity to reflect on their business investment achievements at home. .

The Forum usually comprises an exhibition of the solutions to the Diaspora needs, discussions on challenges, and new opportunities. Financial institutions, the construction & building industry, trading houses and the private sector as a whole present their branded packages to the Ugandan Diaspora who usually lack information and knowledge about the home’s economic and investment climate.

Approximately 300 to 450 Diaspora members and their families, who make the annual Christmas holiday pilgrimage to Uganda, attend the Summit. Last year’s (2008) events were hosted in Gulu and Kampala. The out of Kampala meets give the participants a chance to see the countryside and the numerous latent investment and trading opportunities outside the capital.

This year’s summit will pay special attention to Investment and Trade opportunities in ICT especially Business Process Outsourcing and Multimedia, Value Addition to our abundant natural resources (Agriculture-Agro-possessing), Tourism, Health care, Education Bio-Technology etc.

There will be number of side events that will include i) Exhibitions and Fashion Shows where Ugandans at home and in the Diaspora with display their products and services, ii) Entertainment & Cultural Activities where participants will discuss the effects of modernisation on the culture, there will be training sessions on valued cultural norms including gender issues, iii) Youths and Children Activities which will include games and sports iv) Dinners, and Cocktails.

For further Information, please contact:

Mr. John Musajjakawa
Senior Investment Promotion Officer
Uganda Investment Authority
Twed Plaza, 2nd Floor, Plot 22B Lumumba Avenue
Tel: 0414-301161, Fax: 0414-342903
Email: musajja@ugandainvest.com or info@ugandainvest.com

Mrs. Doris Mitti Kimuli
Deputy Director, Communications & Public Relations
Uganda Investment Authority
Twed Plaza, 2nd Floor, Plot 22B Lumumba Avenue
Tel: 0414-301101, Fax: 0414-342903
E-mail: dmitti@ugandainvest.com, info@ugandainvest.com
Website: www.ugandainvest.com

1. Protecting Displaced Africa: Selective Rescue, Economist, p. 52

As we are working with internally displaced persons (the Women of Kireka), this article was of interest. On October 23rd, the Africa Union signed a convention stating that “African governments will have to look after their displaced citizens.”

Ironically enough, this happened in Kampala, Uganda, a country with somewhere between 1m and 4m IDPs. In the North, while the IDP camps have mostly shut down, the many who fled the war and ended up poor and marginalized in urban centers like Kampala and Jinja are receiving next to nothing.

Recognizing IDPs is, admittedly, an expensive and messy process. How to differentiate IDPs from the poor? how to determine the best means of relocation, resources or money or both?

Refugee Law Projet is a local organization and a strong advocate for the inclusion of IDP protection in Uganda and elsewhere. For many years, they have been trying to answer these questions and get the government to act. For more information on IDPs, you can consult their website.

2. Migration: A constant Search for Opportunity, The Africa Report, p. 16:

We all know the story of the boat that capsizes killing dozens of refugees on the way to Spain or France. However, a less known story is that of migration within Africa. The Africa Report says that “only a tiny fraction of the 17m African migrants who have chosen to leave their home countries to seek opportunities abroad. The vast majority of them, pershaps, 12 m, have stayed within Africa – often at the same time supporting even larger numbers of people at home.”

The article also highlights new numbers on the Diaspora and their contributions back home.

• African migration has led to more than $23bn in remittances in 2007, approx. $12bn to Sub-Saharan Africa and $11.5bn to North Africa
• The amount of remittances could actually be 50% higher because most migrants send money through informal channels
• In Lesotho, remittances account for 30% of GDP.
• In Cape Verde, Comoros, Lesotho and Uganda, remittances represent over 25% of export earnings

However, as the article also highlights:

[Remittances] do little to change the underlying structures that trap millions in poverty. And some economists believe that beauce remittances are spent on consumption – food, clothing, weddings etc. – they do not encourage development.

In line with this,

Governments need to consider ways to make sending and receiving remittances easier for migrants and their families. Doing so would increase the productivity of the money they send and it may benefit scores more – as well as make additional small but important differences at the household and community level.

Esi Yankah, CEO of The Africa Mentor Network, Inc. contacted PD with information on an upcoming networking event for Ghana’s enterprising youth to be held this August. The event will offer selected youth a chance to showcase their “innovative ideas and exceptional resumes” in front of Ghana’s elite business executives.

If you haven’t heard, then you are pretty late! The Africa Mentor Network is here and it’s all about Africa Helping Africans. They are launching their organization with a big bang, something new, something unique, and something you would love to be part of. It’s all about the African youth and the corporate executives! The signature “Speed Networking Roundtable” is the premiere-networking event in Ghana bringing together top executives of companies in Ghana with the African youth. This event also launches The Africa Mentor Network. Many African youth have very innovative ideas and exceptional resumes and are looking for that one opportunity to put their best foot forward. They are looking to pitch their big ideas as well as sell their exceptional resumes directly to corporate executives they would never get to meet on a regular day or possibly in their lifetime. These executives are also highly regarded and admired as role models to the youth and to the Ghanaian community. This event will give the youth participant a face-to-face chance to impress these executives and also network with them. This could open a great door of opportunity for them. Participants could get hired instantly, win a second interview, have their ideas adopted and more importantly establish long-term relationships. Participants are only given 2.5 minutes per executive therefore careful preparation becomes critical.

The great thing about this event is that it is an equal opportunity event; once you carefully prepare and pitch your resume and ideas well you stand an equal chance as any other participants. This event will introduce the art of networking into the Ghanaian community and create an environment where all corporate executives who may be competitors can come together for a common purpose. The event is set for August 12th at the African Regent Hotel, one of Ghana’s first class hotels and an authentically branded symbol of Africa. Corporate executives interested in being a part of this event should email Esi Yankah.

Applications will be put out middle of July on www.africamentor.org and public announcements will be made for Ghana’s youth participants to apply to be a part of this experience. A limited number of applicants will be selected. Participants of this event officially become members of The Africa Mentor Network and can participate in all their other Mentoring and Networking programs they will be implementing, and also enjoy all the benefits and opportunities that come with being a member. The organization is currently seeking sponsorships and donations for this event and for this organizations initiative. This organizations signature event will be held twice a year and will be held in other African countries. Any company or organization interested in helping to launch“ The Speed Networking Roundtable” event in their country should contact them through email.

The Africa Mentor Network is a 501(c)3 tax exempt not-for-profit organization founded to serve all of Africa. This organization was made for Africa by Africans because Africans deserve to have their own voice too! It founded based on a simple idea of helping the African youth to help themselves through mentoring and networking. Everyone needs a mentor in his or her life. Africa has all the resources needed to help motivate and inspire the younger generation to create awareness for themselves and help them realize their full potentials and advance in their social, educational and economic opportunities.

Esi Yankah is the President of this initiative, a Ghanaian citizen and a final year graduate student. Miss Yankah works with a wonderful team made up of Ugochukwu Nwosu, Bernice Karikari- Apau and Jacquelyn Knight Jackson. Visit their website www.africamentor.org today and join them on facebook! You don’t want to miss this event. Please direct all correspondence toesiyankah@africamentor.org.

If you are looking to invest in Africa’s burgeoning travel, tourism and real estate industries, then mark your calendar for the African Travel Expo 2009 to be held in Toronto this September.

According to the press release, “the purpose of the show is to promote tourism and real estate in Africa by bringing together African-based businesses and tourism officials with Canadian and American consumers.”

The full press release follows:

MEDIA RELEASE
July 1, 2009

OUR MISSION IS TO PROMOTE THE CONTINENT OF AFRICA TO THE CANADIAN AND AMERICAN MARKET

Toronto, ON – The African Travel & Real Estate Expo will take place at the Sheraton Hotel in Toronto, Canada on September 1 to September 3, 2009 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm each day. The Expo will feature exhibitors promoting travel, tourism and real estate products from Africa.

The three day expo expects over 100 exhibitors and 5,000 visitors. Exhibitors will include members from travel and tourism, real estate, government and corporate sectors. “The purpose of the show is to promote tourism and real estate in Africa by bringing together African-based businesses and tourism officials with Canadian and American consumers. Africa, to a large extent, has bucked the global slowdown and has shown growth in travel, branding opportunities, and investment” says Patience Chirisa, event organizer and president of African Travel Expo.

Sponsors for the show include South African Airways, Fedex, and CTV as well as many others. The Expo will effectively market to consumers by offering complimentary seminars on African travel and real estate products. A cocktail evening is planned for exhibitors, media, and government officials on the first night of the expo to promote networking opportunities. Admission to the expo is free and numerous prizes will be awarded including two round-trip tickets to South Africa.

Please visit our site: http://www.africantravelexpo.com

Special Discount
As of July 1, 2009 we are offering a 10% discount off the price of any registered booth. This special offer applies to anyone that reserves a booth using the promotional code provided on this announcement.

Promotional Code: MKIRK

For further information, please contact us:

phone: 1-905-912-5806
email: sales@africantravelexpo.com.
web: www.africantravelexpo.com

The 2nd Kenya Diaspora International Conference and Investment Forum

So pleased to discover this event.
The 2nd Kenya Diaspora International Conference and Investment Forum

Big thanks to Mariam Ali Mucheru who not only participated in our survey but also took the time to drop us a line and let us know about this event.

The purpose of this Conference is to provide a forum for multiple stakeholders to engage the Kenya Diaspora and potential foreign investors on effective initiatives to build productive partnerships in support of Kenya and her development agenda.

Scheduled to occur Thursday, Aug 20, 2009 – Saturday, Aug 22, 2009
at Kennesaw State University just outside of Atlanta Georgia, its theme is “Building a Knowledge-Based Economy in Kenya: The Role of the Kenyan Diaspora” . They are still accepting proposals for the event until June 15th on the following themes:

ICT Mini-Conference Themes
1. Outlook of the ICT sector in Kenya: A Highlight of the Policy framework, infrastructure and Market Potential.

2. Broadband Access For All: Reaching the Masses with ICT – Strategies and Tactics.

3. Business Process Outsourcing: Kenya the destination for Business Process Outsourcing.

4. Geographic Advantages: Kenya As The Launching Pad For A Revolution In Ict In East And Central Africa

5. E-governance solutions: Improving transparency and Public Sector service delivery through technology.

6. Training and education for the ICT industry in Kenya: Meeting the human capital needs for a knowledge-based Economy.

7. Harnessing innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship: Opportunities for youth

8. Mobile Telephone in Kenya: A Case study for innovation & transformation

9. Application of ICT in health care delivery system: development of e-health solutions in Kenya

10 Protecting ICT Production: status of Intellectual Property Rights in Kenya

Investment Forum Themes
1. Investment and Business Climate in Kenya: Supporting Innovation and Entrepreneurial Culture

2. Mobilizing Capital for an Emerging Economy: Alternatives to Donor Funding- The Role of the Diaspora and Capital Markets

3. Banking and Financial Services Sector in Kenya: Establishing a Center of Excellence

4. Investing in Infrastructure and Real Estate Development in Kenya; harnessing the resources from the Diaspora

5. Meeting Energy Demand for a Growing Economy: Opportunities for Investment

6. Investing in Tourism and Hospitality Industry in Kenya: Opportunities and Challenges

7. Public-Private Partnership (PPP): Engaging the Diaspora

Conference organizers include:
Kennesaw State University, Institute for Global Initiatives
Association of Kenyan Professionals in Atlanta (AKPA)
Ministry of Information and Communication, Republic of Kenya
Kenya Development Network Consortium (KDNC) (actual site being revamped at the moment)
East Africa-American Business Council (EAABC)

One of the cornerstones of our mission here at PD is to encourage the African Diaspora to do more with their remittances. Annually, it is estimated that Diaspora remittances to Africa are inching north of $40 billion. That’s money put directly in the hands of those who need it. Increasingly, remittance investments are becoming the economic driver for development projects across Africa, but the process of remitting money is so far a bit cumbersome, expensive and in some instances, laborious. The whole institution of sending money overseas is in need of an overhaul.

My remittance scenario usually looks like this: I have sibling in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. The rest of the family is split between Masindi town (a 4-hour ride from Kampala) and surrounding villages. My sibling in Kampala uses one of my Visa® ATM cards I supplied to withdrawal money directly from my account for her school fees. This has proven to be cheaper than, say, Western Union or Money Gram.

But if money needs to go all the way to the village, where my parents are, then the whole process starts to look like a financial relay race. Money is withdrawn from my account in Kampala, deposited into a bank account that has a branch in Masindi. Someone in Masindi withdraws from that account, puts it on a local matatu traveling to the village where my mom lives and delivers the money. That whole process can take up to 24 hours. At a total cost of about $6-10 US. While laborious, it’s a lot cheaper than a direct bank wire transfer ($40 US + fees) or Western Union (based on percentage of transfer, plus manipulated exchange rate). Now, why an automated bank transfer costs $40 is beyond me.

What is needed is an innovative way to get money directly into the hands of the recipients faster and cheaper. There are handful mobile wallet & mobile payments initiatives in Africa by the likes of MTN, Vodafone, and others in the mobile phone space, but they primarily concern with moving money within Africa. None of them currently connect to the Diaspora. It’s astounding that in the era of mobile everything, not a single African banking institution has taken the reigns of the mobile wallet. In fact, Africa is leading the global rollout of mobile banking! It’s been entrepreneurs and cellular communications giants that are pushing the envelope in this space. Banks meanwhile are pulling out the stops by fighting to protect their tuff instead of seizing this as an opportunity to capture market share and innovate in this space. If anyone should be looking to capitalize on $40 billion dollars-worth of annual Diaspora dollars, you’d think it would be banking institutions, instead they are thumbing their noses at the Diaspora and sitting on their hands.

IFAD: CALL FOR PROPOSALS (Financing Facility for Remittances)
This week, The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is looking to simplify the Diaspora remittances process by announcing the availability of funds for any organization working on remittance technologies and solutions:

The objectives of the 2009 call for proposals are to:
1. Improve remittance transmission and access to remittance services in rural areas
2. Link remittances to financial services and products in rural areas
3. Develop innovative and productive rural investment channels and opportunities for
migrants and community-based organizations

Here’s some information about what will be funded and how much:

Through a four-phase competitive process, the FFR will award grant financing of up to
US$250,000 per project to eligible institutions, to be implemented within a two-year period.
Applicants must provide a minimum counterpart contribution of 20 per cent of the amount
requested (or 30 per cent for projects in the Latin America and the Caribbean region), of
which at least half should be in cash.

Here the dates and deadlines for the 2009 proposals:

Deadline for online application of Concept proposals 29 May 2009
Finalist pre-selection and request for Full proposals 17 Jul 2009
Deadline for submission of Full proposals 14 Aug 2009
Selection of finalists 24 Sep 2009

You can download the full Executive summary and general conditions document (PDF).

It is important to note that Africa’s true middle class is it’s Diaspora. So any technologies or aggressively proactive policies that make it easier for investment remittances to reach their destination, cheaper and faster will be a boon to development. I will certainly be cheering for any Diaspora or indigenous institutions that receive funding to tackle this issue. African-crafted innovations for African problems indeed.

Only Robert Mugabe the President of Zimbabwe for three decades can prove that, yes, you can have your cake and eat it at the same time. I mean literally and otherwise.

This past week as he celebrated his 85th Birthday with a nearly two hundred pound cake adorned with the number 85, his supporters force-marched and bused in as usual from all over the country, engaged in fist fights over the scarce scoops of sadza (thick porridge) and the boiled cabbages.
Soldiers and the police trying to cover up the embarrassing scene from Mugabe and his dignitaries had a tough time controlling the masses. The fights have become common at most state functions, a clear sign of the hard times that people have fallen unto. Unphased, Mugabe and his family went on to cut his cake and eat it in front of the 10 000 or so, who would cheer him on as expected.

The celebration itself was small in comparison to the lavish throw-down parties that Zanu PF usually put up for Mugabe yet another sing of the hard times. But couldn’t anyone stop the shameful binging considering the state of the Nation of Zimbabwe?
Apparently not, because when Mugabe throws a tantrum over not having what he is used to having, some heads would roll, French guillotine style. So about US$300 000 was gathered to please the “toddler” at his birthday, when the nation can not afford a medical kit to fight cholera that has ravished the country claiming more than 4000 lives and nearly a 100 000 people infected.

He is not used to being denied what he wants and he has run the country the same way for almost thirty years. That is why he is still president despite the fact that he lost the March election to the opposition, he couldn’t imagine himself not being president and his cahoots made sure he got what he wanted, this time with the help of the opposition of course thru the so-called Global Agreement to have the Government of National Unity. .

Almost a month after the swearing in of this two-headed donkey called the Government of National Unity, agreed upon by the ruling Zanu Pf Party and the two MDC factions, Zimbabwe still finds itself stuck in the mud that Mugabe created, mainly because he still runs stuff at Zimhouse.

Regardless of how much the Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC- T faction, and Arthur Mutambara of the lesser MDC posture about in a bid to show off their newly minted authority in this GNU, let it be known, Mugabe and his cronies are still very much in control.

To Mugabe, nothing has changed, except that now he has turned 85 but age is just a number.

Political activists are still in prisons, ministries are still run by his chosen permanent secretaries, and the police still abduct people even prominent opposition members like Roy Bennett. The armed forces are still headed by the same generals who declared they will never ever salute Morgan Tsvangirai, Gideon Gono still presides over the National Bank that has overseen the unprecedented inflation in millions percentile, in the history of the civilized world.
Cholera, a relatively treatable disease has claimed more than 4000 lives and continues to stalk the countryside.

And Tsvangirai’s call for sanctions to be removed is sweet music to Mugabe’s ears. That is exactly how he envisioned the GNU working. The MDC sources the resources, and bust the sanctions but they get to spend the donations with him. Sort of a backdoor admittance of his failure and the need to have the MDC come to the rescue of Zimbabwe. When things get better he calls for elections, and the cycle of violence starts again. He wins and calls for another round of GNU.

Mugabe the Fidel Castro of Africa has emerged unscathed in all the farce about “Mugabe must go” chants, as he withered the Western world’s intent to oust him. SADC (The Southern African Development Community) literally was cowed by Mugabe as he again threw tantrums and ranted about neo-colonialism and lectured the African leaders on their lack of respect for what he personally sacrificed for the people of Zimbabwe and Africa in general. Again he persevered had his cake and ate it too. The SADC heads of state came out of every meeting more determined to let him have it his way, and his way is always to emerge on top not on the bottom.

If Mugabe can stubbornly cheat death as he has cheated defeat, he will still be president when elections are held maybe in 2011, and he will still celebrate with another cake adorned with 87 for his birthday. So much for an 85th old with a sweet tooth for birthday cakes and power.

PS: Kudos to Tsvangirai and Mutambara for not participating in the shameful Zanu Pf function (Mugabe’s birthday)

Note from the Author: I started wrting this before the sad news of Morgan Tsvangirai’s wife death in a car accident. So it might be untimely but again it is a timeless piece. I wish I had enough time to research on the many supposed enemies of Mugabe who perished through staged road accidents

WE HEART SOCIAL MEDIA
Thanks to the generosity and enthusiastic support of all our Twitter supporters, family and friends, Women of Kireka quickly tipped their $1,000 fund-raising campaign at The Point in less than 18 days. As Siena stated, after a lengthy conference call, Project Diaspora decided to lower the fund-raising goal to $1000 due to the stressful economic situation in hopes of raising the $1000 by March 1st. What we didn’t count on was the generous willingness of everyone who donated to pass on the message for others to donate as well. The result was a deluge of good-hearted giving and social media putting its best foot forward.

For the first time, we saw the power of social media pushing this campaign to the “tipping point”. To some, this might not be a massive accomplishment, but to us, it is a massive first HOOOrah! into the many projects that we have on tap here at PD. As noted in our list of things one should know about development projects, this is very much a manageable budget, with manageable goals for our first project.

Our next step is a strategic review of our planned use of the funds that you have generously awarded the women. We will have a budget and timelines in the coming weeks. Thanks to everyone who donated. We hope to have some training activity on the ground in the first weeks of March ’09 with continued escalation of updates.

OH BUT THERE’S MORE…
On my visit to see the women for the first time last December, I had shot some video at the quarry. The footage went missing and I had a sinking feeling that I had left it in Uganda. This week, while cleaning off my desktop (I love a clean desktop), something told me to double-check an untitled folder before I deleted it.

Boom! Gold!

So it is my pleasure to share the videos with you. They have been uploaded to our newly-minted Youtube channel. Here’s one of those videos. You will have to excuse the goofy-haired, blabbering host. He’s new at this.

As with my encounter Amos, meeting Grace Lamono at the Kireka stone quarry was an uplifting experience. She’s warm and out-spoken, and in a way she’s the de facto spokeswoman for the the other 14 Acholi refugee women and their children. It’s not because conversational English skills, but also her upbeat, expressive and effervescent personality. On my visit to the quarry last December, I was able to sit down with her for a few minutes to talk about her goals, aspirations and the group’s challenges trying to survive as domestic refugees in Kampala’s fast-paced, and expensive environment. I wish I’d had an opportunity to talk to all the women the day I visited but most of them were not working that day as it was a holiday weekend.

You can find out more about grace by visiting the official Women of Kireka informational blog, maintained by Siena Anstis.

 

FUND RAISING UPDATE:

As you can see in the sidebar, the fund-raising is going better than expected given the uncertain economic times. We are creeping down slowly towards our first $1000-goal mark. If you haven’t already pitched in, please help us hit that tipping point so we can kickstart some positive change in these women. A majority of these funds will be used to buy supplies and train the ladies to kick off their own skills-building fund raising efforts by making leather and beaded bracelets. We’ll have more information on how you can get one of these custom-made bracelets in the next few weeks. Stay tuned for more information. Again, if you haven’t joined the cause, please don’t hesitate, donate today.

One of the biggest hurdles to development in Sub-Saharan Africa is lack of access to banking. We have lamented the degree to which this gaping hole stymies the Diaspora and their efforts to send money back home, and commented on the reality that banks want a piece of this money. Which in many respects gives Diasporans a certain amount of leverage that the average African worker just does not have. Wizzit seems to get it. There is a way to serve the needs of the poor, have a socially responsible business model and still make money. Wow, what a clever bunch of folks. Actually doing business and banking the old-fashioned way!

So here is the deal. Traditional banks have tremendous overhead. These days a bank means, a branch office, corporate offices, bank tellers, computers, and all the rest. All of which costs money; money banks get not by earning interest on their deposit investments, but off the fees they charge their customers. So many fees in fact, that for most unbanked people it makes no sense. If up to 25% of your deposit will get eaten up in fees, why not take your chances and just deal in cash? It is a gamble, sure, but why not take the gamble? A sure 25% loss versus the risk of your hard earned cash getting stolen out from under your mattress? I might take that bet myself if I were in their position. Banks are require all sorts of things like minimum opening deposits, minimum balances, they are flat out inconvenient and expensive. On top of this it is incredibly difficult to get an account, period. As an example Post Bank of Uganda has the following list of requirements to open a transaction account:

UGH! Anyone who has opened a bank account in the US finds this list a bit difficult to swallow. For a loan sure, some proof of ability to pay and general responsibility is expected. However, to open an account for deposits and withdrawals, this laundry list of requirements is almost laughable. Essentially all I need to open an account here in Texas is a photo ID and some money to put in the account. I give them some personal information sure, but unless I want credit, all they care about is the cash.

Ok let’s review.

Wizzit a relatively new player on the banking scene in South Africa (founded in November 2004 as a division of South African Bank of Athens) set out to change all that. Their target is South Africa’s 16 million unbanked. So Wizzitt does not have bank branches, they have a dedicated mobile sales force known as WizzKids. If you call Wizzit and tell them your Mum wants to open an account, a WizzKid heads out to her and gets it set up. There are no fees for having the account, there are no minimum balances. They set up tents in farming communities and open accounts with the local farm worker, the average time to open and account? 20 seconds. Not too shabby. In addition to the WizzKids sales force they have also partnered with Dunnes stores. Wizzit and Dunnes target the same customers. 99% Dunnes customers are unbanked, so now you can open a Wizzit account at your local Dunnes store. So With a Wizzit account, you primarily do transactions with your phone via sms; you get a Maestro branded debit card which can be used in businesses that accept debit cards. Want to withdraw money? Use and ATM or get cash back at a local debit card accepting buisness. Convenient, cheap and easy. What could be better!?

There are a few wrinkles. CNN reported that there have been complaints about the amount of time it takes for checks to clear, and if you are relying on cell phones you have to deal with the instability of the phone network. No phone service? No banking services… not so good.

From the Nextbilion.net

WIZZIT is a cellphone-based banking facility whose target market is the estimated 16 million unbanked or underbanked South Africans – about 60 percent of the country’s population. Unlike its competitors (FNB and MTN), WIZZIT does not require users to have a bank account and is compatible with early generation cell phones popular in low-income communities. The facility even works with customers who use pay-as-you-go cellphones – another distinction. In addition to being able to conduct cellphone-to-cellphone transactions, WIZZIT account holders are issued Maestro debit cards that can be used at any ATM or retailer. WIZZIT charges per-transaction fees that range from 99c (USD 0.15) to R4.99 (USD 0.78) and does not charge a monthly fee nor require a minimum balance. There are no transaction limitations – the service is purely pay-as-you-go. WIZZIT employs over 800 “Wizz Kids” – typically unemployed university graduates from low-income communities – to promote the product and help unbanked customers open accounts.

All in all a great model, that offers real banking solutions to South Africans. There is alot of lip service to mobile banking through out sub-saharan Africa. Nice to see a business model that is offering a great product, employing people and making a profit!

The World Bank on Wizzit

Coverage on CNN focus on Africa
Coverage on Business Q&A
Coverage on SABC 2

>I love what I am seeing. This month the World Bank posted its newest installment on the African Diaspora and its influence and impact. Among other exciting statments they made the below:

Engaging the African Diaspora is imperative if Africa is to enjoy lasting and sustainable economic development, according to Ken Johnson, principal of Devconia, LLC, a Diaspora-owned international development firm.

“[Members of the Diaspora] bring legitimate insight as well as a strong cultural component and texture necessary for the successful design and implementation of development projects,”…

As members of the Diaspora be aware that large organizations are mobilizing and restructuring to help you achieve your goals back home.

The world bank is specifically focusing on:

Working to provide grant and technical assistance to Diaspora development projects in Africa.

I would like to put this call out to the World Bank, AUC and the governments of all African nations… Begin with your 2nd point. It is critical to open the doors to the Diaspora when they want to come back and help. Don’t make things hard, just because it has never been done that way. Make opening bank accounts simple and safe, make registration, regulation and taxation simple, clear and easy. Create a win-win. If Diaspora-led projects succeed, then the the nations of African will be stronger and as a result so will the whole of the continent. Make it happen, open the doors, partner with your sons and daughters and the world will be the better for it.

Read the whole of the article: The African Union and World Bank: Mobilizing the African Diaspora

When I met first Siena Anstis this summer at Cafe Pap in Kampala, I was a rock star. No really, she really thought I was a musician, Bobby Wine to be exact. Here, she tell’s it much better than I do. Besides sharing a love for photography and a lust for really expensive camera lenses, we also shared a passion for grassroots economic development projects.

Fast forward to last week when she launched the Women of Kireka web site. The blog is the end result of her encounter with 13 women in the Kireka stone quarry, just outside Kampala, Uganda.

The inhabitants of the Acholi quarter, and most of the women working at the quarry, fled the war in Northern Uganda 6-10 years ago. As a friend working for Refugee Law Project (RLP) pointed out, they are now living on the same salary as back home, $1 a day, except in a different surrounding alien to them. Most, if not all, used to be peasant farmers: toiling in fields of cassava and beans morning to evening. RLP calls them urban Internally Displaced Persons. 

Siena launched The Women of Kireka web site in partnership with Northern Uganda Women and Children Initiatives (NUWECHI) as an effort to get these women involved in a sustainable, income-generating business. The project has set a goal to raise US$23,000 to buy equipment for the women to start a sewing business so they can earn enough money to start a new way of life. Here’s how that money will be spent.

Project Diaspora would like to announce that we’ll be throwing our full support behind this initiative as it parallel’s our efforts to “engage and motive” the African Diaspora to take a greater collective role in as many development projects as possible. We invite the Ugandan Diaspora to offer their knowledge and financial support behind this project. Even donating $1 or an email or a word of support will go a long way in helping these women become economically independent. We’ll be posting regular updates on the efforts, as well as how much has been raised, how it’s spent, along with the results.

WAYS TO HELP:

Paypal
We’ve added a Paypal ‘Donate’ button to our sidebar. Feel free to donate as little of as much as you want. If you are already a Paypal member, simply send your donation to [ siena.anstis@gmail.com ].

The Point
You can also donate and lend your support for this initiative directly via The Point.

SUPPORT
You can show your support for these women by joining the Facebook group, where we’ll be posting regular updates. Search for “Women of Kireka”, leave comments on Siena’s blog here, or contact her directly at siena.anstis@gmail.com.

Living in the Diaspora and want to own a some land or a home back home? Anyone who has tried or even though about trying knows that there are not just stumbling blocks in your way… but big freakin boulders.

Check out these two posts and comment threads from Bankelle to see what other Diasporans are talking about when it comes to homeownership, mortgages and banking.

Here and here.

I am back in Kampala now. I have a deluge of information to dig through from the 1st East African Investment Conference. Actually, now that I think about it, I have a lot of posts regarding East Africa in general that are in the pipeline.

It may seem that I’ve abandoned Project Aloe altogether, but in reality there’s a ton going on behind the scenes and the EAIC has been a source of inspiration, and leads, if nothing else.

As soon as I get a moment, I’ll post my latest update in the installment as well. If anything else, I am looking forward to meeting with some of the farmers, since I haven’t been here since the project started last September.

Also, lookout for another post on Diaspora at the EAIC. We [The Diaspora] had somewhat of an introduction at this conference, courtesy of yours truly. I made sure you were all in the mix because your contributions to Africa’s revitalization is much needed.

So, stay tuned. More coverage on the way.

PS:
We really could use more volunteer bloggers. Any members of the Diaspora interested?

The Rwandese Government is set to kick off the first ever East African Investment Conference later this month. According to the official registration site, the conference “is designed to showcase “Leveraging the East African Market through Trade and Investment”

Over 700 leading business executives are expected to attend, as well as EAC’s heads of state. If you are interested in starting a business, or seeking funding partners for your project, or would like to know more about EAC’s business climate and investment opportunities, do yourself a favor. Circle June 26-28, 2008 on your calendars, and maybe add a couple of extra days to check out Rwanda’s fabulous Mountain guerillas.

I am writing in response to an article in the Monitor on August 5th 2006 by Timothy Kalyegira entitled “Why haven’t our PhDs caused devt in Uganda?” In this article, writer among others refers to the obsession with “further studies” in White, western countries as “maalo” a statement which I very strongly disagree with.
Making efficient decisions whether personal, social or economic should be based on a benefit cost analysis. When an individual is faced with decision making between pursuing a higher degree (Masters or PhD) in Uganda or abroad, they will weigh their benefits (current and future) versus costs, and will chose the option that provides higher benefits and lower costs.

Masters Programs with a two year completion period could easily take up to 5 years at the most highly ranked university in Uganda that is in addition to the fact that quality of education in our best universities is low. Not to mention the pain that graduate students have to go through when writing their thesis, creating a lot of frustration. Compare this to Masters Programs overseas that last only 1-2 years, with better quality of education. Just the time constraint shows that any one based with this decision is definitely going to chose to pursue their degree overseas. This can not in any way be called “maalo” but basic economic thinking.

The writer further provides some statistics about published books stating that every year on average, 50,000 new book titles are published in Britain, 70,000 in Russia, and 150,000 in the United States, and that Uganda has had less than 1000 titles since 1962. How can we compare the number of publications by Uganda’s higher degree earners to those of the western world? For starters the number of individuals in the western world with master degrees or PhDs is so much higher than those in Uganda. The only way that this comparison can be made is by using some of the basic statistical measures like percentages.

The writer noted that advanced degree earners are all about self-actualization which is social status thus the observation that “Uganda’s educated elite, complete with advanced post-graduate degrees, are still generally better known and regarded for the homes they have built, the four-wheel cars they drive, parties they throw or attend, and the people they date. This is yet another simple economic response that has nothing to do with social status. These people usually have great income shifts. Once again in an efficient society an individual is meant to be paid a wage rate that is equal to their productivity. Graduate students have a lot more knowledge to put on the table, thus more productivity and should definitely be made a lot more. If you can give up current for future consumption, this will be reflected in your future wage rate. These people give up a lot of year’s salaries to pursue higher education; it would be too shocking if after they return they are paid the same as the lower level graduates, after all a P.7 dropout is not likely to earn more than S.6 dropout. Given higher income all individuals White Caucasian or Black will respond by consuming more and will expand their consumption choices. The writer seems to blame this on the culture of blacks, but it has a lot more to do with economic demand and supply theory.

The issue on why Uganda seems to have many more citizens pursuing advanced degrees from abroad, with barely noticeable effect on the economy, can be addressed by focusing on the bigger picture of the economy of Uganda but not behavioral differences of Blacks, Whites and Asians as illustrated by the writer. The percentage of Ugandans with master’s degrees or PhDs is definitely not large enough to cause significant impact on the economy. Further more, very few of our highly educated Ugandans are involved in top level fiscal and monetary policy decisions.
Economies with higher levels of human capital have been observed to perform better than economies with lower levels of human capital. These economies also have efficient systems, good infrastructure and low levels of corruption. A couple of studies have shown low economic development in Africa can be attributed to several circumstances, among others to the low educational levels, empirical results show the positive role that human capital has in economic development, thus negative consequences for many African countries if their educational gap is reduced in the next years.

Discouraging advanced level education abroad is such a ridiculous gesture. What we need to do is encourage many of our citizens to pursue higher level degrees abroad. The government should then motivate as many of these individuals to return after their academic programs, to apply the attained knowledge to our various systems. Countries like China and India are doing this, they have so many students study abroad with jobs to return to after their academic program, among other things, their human capital level are on a continuous rise, and these economies are getting better by the day.

Dr. Veronica Wabukawo

So, what does it say about the state of the world, that the fastest growing and most active recruitment of Africans is by security contractors on the big land mine that used to be Iraq? All over Africa, contractors are looking for cheap labor that has enough sense not to get shot up, step on a IED or otherwise get themselves dead. Apparently Africans are uniquely suited for the work since they have experience in “risk mitigation” aka a highly developed sense of self preservation honed from the many years of strife and war in their own countries. As an added bonus they can be had for cheap. Thus helping the US fight a war that should never have started for a quarter of what they might have had to pay American soldiers to do the same job. Oh, and then there is the extra added benefit of not having to pay for their healthcare later in life should they suffer debilitating physical or mental injuries in their service of the American government. As long as we stay on budget and all… what does it matter. Right? I mean really it is WAAAY more than they would make working at home. Sheesh, life’s a risk, they have a choice to go or not. Reuters, AllAFrica.com and NPR’s Marketplace covered it this week. (Actually you just have to look at one of these links since it is the same exact story 3 times! It comes from IRIN originally though… does anyone do any actual reporting these days?)

Ummm… ok, so what if we failed to mention where they were going, took their passports away from them so they could not leave, failed to mention how truly dangerous Iraq actually is, oh yeah, and take most of the money they earned to pay travel expenses. It is really ridiculous to think that these workers really have much of a choice. What kind of choice is there between no job and having a job? Especially if they don’t have ANY of the information they need to make an informed choice. These companies are HELPING Africans. Oh happy day. Thanks all you US Government contractors trying to protect your bottom line. You are just the economic boom that Namibia, Uganda, Angola. Mozambique and the rest of Africa need. Really, you are just what was needed.

Thankfully many African governments are taking action. South Africa has forbidden recruitment within its borders.

In November 2007, South African President Thabo Mbeki signed legislation regulating the recruitment of South Africans to work in areas of armed conflict, which applies to private security contractors in Iraq

– IRIN

Namibia fought back after a public out cry:

And when news spread about the risks recruits would face in Iraq, there was public outcry. On 12 October 2007, the Namibian government deported two US citizens heading SOC-SMG’s operations there, declaring them “prohibited immigrants.”

–IRIN

Here is hoping that other African governments step up to protect their citizens.

The BBC Africa web site has posted this week’s image gallery. Featured are a couple of photos I found at once humorous and gut-wrenchingly sad. Humorous because the subject matter clearly illustrated our previous frustrations with Mugabe, and sad at the same time because it is clear-cut proof of how desperate the situation on the ground is.

It is even sadder to realize that even if economic relief was anywhere around the corner, halting and subsequently reversing Zimbabwe’s runaway inflation will take decades. Idi Amin’s pea-brained economic policies didn’t do favors for Uganda’s economy, and 20 year’s later, she’s still trying to climb back to her former glory.

Incidentally, if I was that chicken I’d be rather offended for being bartered for a roll of toilet paper! As if cutting my head off wasn’t enough of an insult!

Ahead of this month’s general and presidential elections, here’s to hoping that Zimbabwe wakes up finally and demands change.

Over the next few weeks, Project Diaspora will be covering the plight of Uganda’s aloe vera farmers who are trying to find international markets for their product. Part 1 of Project Aloe is an overview of how I personally got involved. Subsequent articles will provide more details into the challenges of trying to assist these farmers.

An open letter to Hajji Ali Sessanga:

Dear Dan/Hajji Ali Sessanga,

I write to inform you that Project Diaspora recently started to cover the plight of Uganda’s aloe vera farmers. We’ve had the story on our desk since September of 2007 and have been in the process of educating ourselves about the world-wide aloe vera industry. Recently we went public with what we know so far and in the coming weeks, we will be updating the series as more information develops. In our research, your organization, Uganda Commercial Aloe Vera Association, was identified as responsible for the introduction of aloe vera into Uganda (specifically, aloe barbadensis miller, a variety common to our state of residence, Texas)

It has come to our attention that you sold these seedlings to thousands of Ugandan farmers, at what we consider a premium. We’ve also followed your efforts to engage the global markets for a partnership since 2005. However, we are unable to determine what your “go-to-market” strategy is. It seems that you’ve shifted your strategies since you got engaged in this project:

In 2005, your were in search of a “development partners who can invest in the extraction of aloe vera.”

Two years later, you announced that your association had received funding for a processing plant worth over 1Bn Ush, and that you were increasing aloe production. Not too long after that, you announced that you had begun exporting aloe vera seedlings to neighboring countries. In the months since we got the story, we’ve grown suspicious of your methods and hence have a lot of questions which we feel need answers directly from you in order to properly asses how big Uganda’s aloe vera industry is, and what it will take to properly serve the thousands of farmers that you have left stranded.

Did you in fact get the funding?
If so, what was the total amount of funding that you received.
You have been quoted giving contradictory sums. From $300,000 all the way to $600,000.

What price are you offering the farmers for the aloe leaves? aloe seedlings?
Our research indicates that you were offering up to 3,000 shillings per Kg. for the leaves. We have also discovered that you are buying aloe vera seedlings from the very farmers that you sold aloe vera seedlings to for the purposes of exporting them to Japanese and Korean, Congolese, UK and Kenyan markets. How much are you buying them back from the farmers? How much have you bought, and which districts in Uganda are you concentrating your purchases? How much have you exported?

If you did receive funding, who was your funding partner, and has the processing plant been constructed?

Show me the money!
You collected membership fees. You charged a premium for the seedlings and you were presumably the only supplier of aloe barbadensis seedlings in the country (a virtual monopoly). Basic math calculations conclude that you earned more than the magic $600,000 that it costs for the type of plant you promised to bring to Uganda. In other words, we are confused as to why you needed funding in the first place when you earned more than enough money to single-handedly bring an entire processing facility to Uganda. What happened to all that money that you charged your fellow Ugandans?

If so, where is it located?
All the news organizations that have reported on this story, have either failed to report on the location of your facility or have not followed up as to the whereabouts of this facility and how farmers can find it in order to bring their aloe vera raw materials to your facility for purchase.

What is its processing capacity?
You’ve reported that you received funding for a processing facility worth $600.00, and that “Uganda’s Aloe Vera acreage coverage is 380 hectares (912 acres). If this is in fact, true, then your facility should have the capability to process up to 55,000 Kg of aloe vera daily! In other words, you should be able to process the entirety of Uganda’s aloe vera acreage on a monthly basis. If this is so, why is there an entire District (nearly 900 Masindi farmers) stuck with a rotting supply of aloe vera in their gardens a full two years past the date you promised to come back and purchase it. And what of the Karamoja farmers?

What method are you using to process the aloe? How are you storing it?
Our research indicates that the best processing method is cold processing, as it is the best method to preserve a majority of the active enzymes that make the aloe vera such a potent health plant. This method of course, is energy-dependent. As you know Uganda and most of East Africa is energy-strapped. How are you overcoming this production hurdle?

International Certification?
Our research also indicates that in order for aloe to enter the international markets, it has to go through a stringent certification process by The International Aloe Council. This certification involves not only certification of the raw materials but the processing facility as well. Have you in fact, been able to receive international certification for all of this aloe that you have exporting to international buyers? If so, why hasn’t this been reported?

There are many more questions of course, but we thought these few questions urgently needed to be addressed in order for us to fully address the state of Uganda’s aloe vera industry. We would appreciate a response on the matter to clarify what we hope to be a simple case of under reporting by the general media. We would hate to label you as a con man when in fact you are an enterprising Ugandan that’s run into an international road block in getting a major cash crop on the international market. I am sure thousands of stranded Ugandan farmers will appreciate answers to these very questions, after they have only been waiting for 4 years since you took all their money.

You are free to leave us a reply in the comments below. We will publish your responses on our site so that the answers are freely available to all interested parties.

p.s.
What’s your real name? You have been identified as Dan Sessanga as well as Hajji Ali Sessanga. Which is it?