Kenya Projects Manual

How to Make Money
A Manual for Kenyan Youth Groups on Starting Revenue Generating Projects

First Edition, March 2008
By: Kristen Hope

(Gender Empowerment Officer with the Kenya Girl Guides Association and Canadian International Youth Intern July 2007 January 2008) Nyeri, Kenya Cranbrook and Toronto, Canada
Kenya Girl Guides Association
www.projectsmanual.shorturl.com
Permission is granted to photocopy this book in whole or in part as long as the author, COTR, CIDA and KGGA are recognised. Copyright 2008 Kristen Hope Please share this book with anyone who could benefit from it. The companion website for this book will be located at: www.projectsmanual.shorturl.com This web location will include the full text of this book along with additional features such as photos of the groups, updates, links and more information. If you have any questions or comments, or if you find any factual errors in the book, please contact me at: Email Address: projectsmanual@gmail.com Postal address; Kristen Hope c/o International Department College of the Rockies Box 8500, 2700 College Way Cranbrook, British Columbia V1C 5L7 Canada The cover design is by Marion Knaus
This book has been undertaken through College of the Rockies and the Government of Canadas Youth Employment Strategy with a contribution from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). I researched and wrote this book while working as an International Youth Intern for them. For more information on this program visit: http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/internships CIDA and COTR provided the funding and opportunity, Kenya Girl Guides Association (KGGA) provincial program managers were of much help in visiting the projects and the KGGA has agreed to sell the books through their shops. Further thanks go to my family who helped greatly with editing and layout and for supporting me throughout the process. Thanks of course also go to William for giving me the push I needed to get started and full support and encouragement along the way. I have tried to ensure all information in this volume is accurate. The data was collected in October and November of 2007. All data was correct to the best of my knowledge at that time. Further, every group was contacted by SMS and/or e-mail and given time in December and January to approve or correct an online draft of the manual. Despite these efforts, there is a high probability that some of the information may be incorrect by the time of printing. I do apologise for such errors. If you encounter errors please do not hesitate to contact me. Kristen
Inspiration
The inspiration for writing this book was a group of Girl Guides (ages 8-14) in Saka, near Garissa in North Eastern Province. These girls were given two goats in 2003 by the Kenya Girl Guides Association (KGGA). The girls raised those goats into a small herd. The milk and meat from the goats provided nutrition and the profit from the sale of the goats paid for the secondary school fees of the girls. The WAGGGS friendship fund, mutual aid scheme and Girlguiding UK donated another 100 goats. The girls care for the goats in a patrol system. They are also able to help provide for their families in a nomadic area were income is hard to come by. I started researching revenue-generating projects that youth groups could do. I wanted to find other projects like this and to show that youth group projects can have a meaningful positive impact. Unfortunately I was never able to visit Saka due to the insecurity in the region. It is my hope though, that other groups will be similarly inspired to start their own projects through the examples provided in this book. Information on the Saka Girl Guides Goat Project can be found at: http://www.wagggs.org/en/projects/mutual_aid/fullyfunded http://africa.wagggsworld.org/en/grab/1038/1/africanewsletenglish2006.pdf http://www.wagggsworld.org/en/grab/1095/1/OWNSept06.pdf
Table of Contents
Introduction Definitions of Key Terms List of Projects Profiles of Projects Page 5 Page 5 Pages 6-7 Pages 8-43
Lessons Learned, Other Project Ideas and Advice on Starting Pages 44-45 a Project How to Start a Revenue Generating Project Sources of Capital Why Do Some Projects Fail Conclusion Pages 46-47 Pages 48-53 Page 54 Page 54
Introduction
The culture of Self Help Groups and entrepreneurship is uniquely strong in Kenya. It is this phenomenon that is the basis for this book. This book is not meant to be a comprehensive review of revenue-generating projects in Kenya, nor is it meant to be a step-by-step guide for starting a business. It is intended to be a good broad basis of ideas and information that Kenyan Youth Groups can take inspiration and direction from in choosing and starting up such projects. If you are considering starting a project please contact groups listed here who are in that business. The manual starts with some basic definitions of terms used in the book and some basic information on starting a business/revenue generating project in Kenya. This is followed by profiles of existing projects both successful and otherwise from all over the country. At the end of the book is information on how to start a business, find the relevant laws and information, register and get capital for starting or expanding.
Definitions of Key Terms:

Youth persons aged between 18 and 30 (or, for the purposes of the youth fund, 35). Youth Group youth who are collectively registered with the Ministry of Gender, Culture, Sports and Social Services1 as a youth group. Self Help Group A Self Help Group is a group of people who have joined together to solve common problems through joint action. A group that has a secretary, treasurer, rules and regulations and is registered with the Ministry of Gender. They must pay Ksh 400 to register at the division office and then another Ksh 600 to get a certificate from the district office. Every district has its own registration form and certificates. Self Help Groups are limited to one sub-location. Merry-Go-Round Loan Group a group of people who each donate a set amount of money regularly to a common group fund. The number of members, the amount collected per person and the frequency of donations vary widely. That fund is then given as a loan to one or more members of the group. Who receives the loan rotates through the group at each meeting. Members often use the money for domestic problems such as sickness and medical bills, weddings and burials or house improvements. One group recommends using them to be sure you can trust your group members before engaging in larger projects. Self-sustaining a project that is not reliant on loans or other outside sources of funding it makes enough from its revenue-generating activities to fully support itself. IGA Income Generating Activity CBO Community Based Organisation a specific type of Self Help Group. A CBO is beneficial to the community as a whole, a Self Help Group is beneficial to its members alone. They also cover a bigger area than a Self Help Group sometimes one can cover a whole district.
For the remainder of the manual, the Ministry of Gender, Culture, Sports and Social Services will be referred to as the Ministry of Gender.
List of Projects Included:

Empowerment projects where teaching employable skills is the main purpose (all are self-sustaining 2 or expect to be within a year or two)
1) Shanzu Transitional Workshop Mombasa: Fostering employable skills, sewing and beading. 2) Hawkers Market Girls Centre Nairobi: Fostering employable skills, tailoring, beading and catering. 3) Kibera Girls Centre Nairobi: Fostering employable skills, catering, beading and tailoring. 4) Gucha Girls Centre Kisii: Fostering employable skills, selling milk, tailoring and computers. 5) Tujiinue Orphan Girls Self Help Group Kitale: Producing honey, tailoring, organic farming, catering and traditional crafts. 6) Teenage Mothers and Girls Association of Kenya (TEMAK) Kisumu: Fostering employable skills, selling traditional crafts, producing honey, goat rearing, solar cooking, chicken rearing, cow rearing and a freshwater well. 7) Imani Workshop Eldoret: Bead-making, beading, ceramics, papermaking, knitting and tailoring. 8) Utamaduni Self Help Group Isiolo: Jewellery and traditional crafts. 9) Child and Youth Empowerment Centre Thunguma Nyeri: Tailoring, farming.
Projects listed in rough order of how self-sustaining they are

10) Mfukiri Dairy Goat Self Help Group Embu: Raising dairy goats. 11) Nanyuki Spinners and Weavers Nanyuki: Spinning and weaving wool. 12) Pendeza Weaving Kisumu: Spinning and weaving wool and cotton. 13) Bombolulu Workshops Mombasa: Woodcarving, tailoring, beading, restaurant and traditional villages. 14) Kisumu Innovation Centre Kenya (KICK) Kisumu: Exporting crafts made by local artisans a. Azizi Crafts Kisumu: making crafts for KICK b. KWOSH Kisumu: making crafts for KICK. c. Peter, freelance wire artist Kisumu: making crafts for KICK 15) Muslim Youth Group Bungoma: Farming, selling shares to members, renting seats and mattresses. 16) Kenya Kanga Nairobi, Coast and now Baringo: Sewing products from Kangas. 17) Young Ladies Self Help Group Nairobi: Embroidering and tailoring. 18) Nawe Plants Park Bungoma: Importing, growing and selling plants and keeping bees for honey. 19) Bosongo Youth Group Kisii: Tree planting, running a small kiosk and a MerryGo-Round loan system. 20) Mongongonyoni Self Help Group Kisii: Breaking stones into concrete. 21) Young Scouters AIDS/Poverty Self Help Group Kisii: Soapstone carving, mushroom farming. 22) UniquEco Nairobi and Coast: Carving products from old flip flops.
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This does not mean that they have never had grants or donations, but that at present they are not reliant on them.
23) Sio RC Guides Bungoma: Selling biscuits, investing in maize. 24) Joybringers Self Help Group Eldoret: Beading and tailoring. 25) St. Rita Community-Based Orphan Care Kisumu: Raising chickens, beading, farming and consultancy. 26) Maseno Girls Orphan/Girl Guide Poultry Farming Kisumu: Raising chickens. 27) Kinthithe Christian Union Youth Group Project Embu: Farming. 28) Iringa Youth Group Kisii: Brick making. 29) Kipsongo Slum Group Kitale: Brick making and beading. 30) Omotembe Mushroom Project Youth Group Kisii: Mushroom farming. 31) New Silent Corner Embu: Operating a small restaurant (hoteli). 32) St. Lucy Women Group Isiolo: Grains (posho) mill. 33) Lutheran Church Special School Kisumu: Making teaching aids of wood, selling mandazi.
Projects Established in 2007 it is too soon to know if they will succeed

34) Faida Bungoma: Making cards/plaques, embroidering tablecloths, selling tree seedlings. 35) Kitale Academy Primary School Brownies and Girl Guides Kitale: Crocheting scarves. 36) Picha Poa Nairobi: Selling handmade greeting cards. 37) Mwangaza Designs Nyeri: Sewing reusable shopping bags. 38) Generation United Youth Group Isiolo: Motorbike taxi and delivery services. 39) Downtown Kisii: Selling second-hand clothes. 40) Bulesa Youth Group Isiolo: Running a kiosk. 41) Sirende Special Unit Kitale: Beading. 42) St. Monicas Special School Embu: Beading.
Non-Revenue Generating Groups

43) Isiolo Youth Environmental Group Isiolo: Seeks funding from businesses to do community education. 44) Isiolo young initiative Isiolo: Merry-Go-Round. 45) Jaribu Isiolo: Merry-Go-Round. 46) Jamii Isiolo: Merry-Go-Round.
Empowerment Projects
Projects whose main purpose is to train people in employable skills - all are selfsustaining or expect to be within a year or two. These are generally projects that I was very impressed with because they are doing good work and giving back to their communities.
1. Group Name: Shanzu Transitional Workshop (Shanzu near Mombasa, Coast) Revenue-Generating Activities: Sewing Kikois and Kangas into bags and clothing, jewellery making and some leather work, sewing Girl Guide uniforms. They also rent out space on the site for camping. Other Activities: Fostering employable skills, including tailoring and computer use, in disabled girls Shanzu Transitional workshop was started in 1992 by the KGGA in Mombasa to help girls with disabilities gain skills to live independently. Girls arrive around the age of 18. Disabled girls (most are either deaf or polio victims) from anywhere in Kenya are welcome. The girls do a two-year program where they learn tailoring, jewellery making, leather work, tie dye and computers. They complete the Kenya National Grade Test Exams at the end. After passing the exam the most skilled girls are invited to stay on and work making the products for sale. Some girls have been here for four years. They sell their products to tourists in Mombasa via beach boys for a 10% commission and some hotels, such as the Serena, that have agreed to sell the products in the hotel. They also export through Global Craft (which was started by a US Peace Corps volunteer at Shanzu). When they graduate they are given a sewing machine which, along with their tailoring qualification, enables them to support themselves. The girls are given a small monthly allowance along with a share of the profits from their goods sold. In return they shop, cook and generally care for themselves while living at the centre. Currently there are ten girls in the two-year training program and nine working full time in production of products for sale. In the future they plan to build a hostel on site and use solar panels. The workshop is almost self-sufficient donations are welcome for food and maintenance. The girls pay a Ksh 2000 admission fee though the true cost per girl for the centre is Ksh 25 000. The girls get accommodation, basic food and training. In the past they have had significant support from the Lions club, the ILO and many other people and groups. They are currently looking to expand and build a hostel that would cost Ksh 4 000 000 and some solar installations that would cost Ksh 1 500 000 and are in need of donors to help finance them. Marketing is their biggest challenge few people know about the workshop and they have poor signage/advertising. It is even difficult to get girls to come from elsewhere in Kenya and register in the program because they do not know about it. However, of the 70 girls who have gone through the program none has failed and most have started successful businesses. One has even started her own polytechnic training centre. This project would be viable anywhere there is a market for the goods and is beneficial because it creates opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship. They recommend
anyone starting such a project ensure their products are high quality. Shanzus products are some of the best-made I have seen anywhere. Contact Information: Shanzu Transitional Workshop PO Box 10368 or 80890 Mombasa off Serena Road, Shanzu, Mombasa. +254(0)733 994 007 shanzuworkshop@yahoo.com www.shanzuworkshop.com www.shanzu.org Elizabeth Gitonga - Manager +254(0)722 284 903 elizabethgitongaus@yahoo.com Shannon Ross US Peace Corps +254(0)726 088 492 Supershan413@gmail.com Damu Shah Project Founder +254(0)733 822 449 or +254(0)720 317 729 irongirlguide@wananchi.com My Notes: If you know of a disabled Kenyan girl who could benefit from this program, encourage her to contact the centre. The application form and brochure will be available to print from my website. 2. Group Name: Hawkers Market Girls Centre (Nairobi) Revenue-Generating Activities: Tailoring, catering and beadwork. They also have a small shamba and engaging in solar cooking and charcoal dust briquette making. Other Activities: Girl Guiding, fostering employable skills in youth. The Hawkers Market Girls Centre was started by three Nairobi housewives as an informal school for scavenger girls in 1993 and officially in 1995 by the Asian Foundation as City Park Environmental Group to make compost. They also provided a feeding program and shelter for the school. The girls were helping their parents at the market or running their own stalls. Shortly thereafter Hawkers Market Girls Centre was created and the girls were separated from the women. At the centre, the girls learned basic literacy and studied English and math. When free primary education was introduced in 2002 the centre switched over to offer vocational training for out-of-school adolescent girls. Primary aged children still come for the feeding program. Currently there are 18 girls aged 16-22 attending the centre. The centre operates what they call a Learn and Earn program. The Learn and Earn initiative means that the girls in the program make products (mostly tailoring and beadwork), the products are sold and the girls get 10 percent of the proceeds. The centre teaches the girls skills including tailoring, catering, computers, crafts, accounting, gardening, solar cooking, recycling hair dressing and making briquettes for cooking. The briquettes, made from charcoal dust and dirt, save money on cooking fuel costs and could be sold to the community. They have also begun beading. The girls are encouraged to undertake entrepreneurial activities. They also learn about nutrition, health, business management and the environment through workshops. It is a one year course where the girls complete national exams and receive certificates in all the fields they study. The centre pays half the cost of exam fees and the girls pay the other half. This is a Kenya Girl Guides Association (KGGA) project, the KGGA manages it and the
girls have all been enrolled in the KGGA. The staff are all volunteers and so it can be hard to attract or retain experienced or expert staff especially for management. They have started to offer catering services to the public. The girls who do the work earn 10% of catering proceeds, some goes to their supervisor/instructor and the rest goes back into the centre. The centre is not yet self-sustaining and they welcome donations especially of notions and sewing supplies. They have had significant monetary support from the KGGA as well as a number of individuals and other organisations and space is provided by the Asian Foundation. They have also received donations from the World Bank. They hope to be self-sustaining in a year or two. They are working hard to convince the girls to be thrifty and environmentally conscientious. Water is a big challenge. There is no running water at the site. Water is collected and during the dry season must be purchased from outside the centre this can be costly and time-consuming. Also, garbage gets thrown into the centre from the Hawkers Market which is right next door. Learning materials are expensive. Funding in general is a problem. The program is successful though - A few of the girls have been sponsored to attend various colleges and have been successful in their businesses after graduation. The lack of electricity is also a challenge. Space is a big constraint and strained relations with the market have prevented building a larger facility for the centre. At one time they tried to offer microfinance services but the community did not welcome it. They are considering making the program two years to better train the girls. They also want to retain some graduates as staff to work full time either in hairdressing or making production items for sale (as is done at Shanzu see above). This will aid in sustainability. They plan to produce Girl Guide uniforms and to create a proper display of Hawkers and Kibera centre products at the KGGA shops. They also plan to teach hairdressing and spa techniques. One graduate who has begun work as a successful hairdresser after being sponsored to hairdressing school has started giving back to the centre. They plan to start selling tea and doughnuts (mandazi) to the community. They will also soon offer computer classes as well as internet and typesetting services to the public. They still hope to build a permanent structure. They may also begin to use their oven to bake and sell bread. Advice for other groups: Training is key. Have a clear message so people do not abuse it educate the community on the project and its intentions. Specialization is good (pick one thing and do it well). The girls are the priority, give them a sense of belonging and give them an environment conducive to success. Contact Information: Hawkers Market Girls Centre Wangui F. Nyoike +254(0)722 255 808 or +254(0)20 2091081 fwabull@yahoo.com Shariffa Keshavjee shariffa@whiterose.co.ke kgga@skyweb.co.ke www.kgga.co.ke
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3. Group Name: Kibera Girls Centre a Girl Guide Association Project (Nairobi) Revenue-Generating Activities: tailoring, beading, catering Other Activities: Teaching skills to out of school adolescents, Saturday lunch program for siblings of the students The Kibera Girl Centre was started in 1977 by a Girl Guide leader who was a teacher in a local school. She began the centre as an informal school for children who were otherwise unable to attend school. The land was allocated to the Girl Guides by the railway. To date, over 500 girls have gone through this program. The Kibera Girls centre is an educational option for girls who cannot attend a traditional high school. Currently there are 16 girls attending the centre. The centre pays half of the girls test fees and the girls are expected to pay the other half. The girls learn beading, weaving, cooking, hairdressing, computers and other vocational and entrepreneurial skills. The centre also sells the girls products allowing the girls to make a meagre income while attending. The centre places emphasis on the idea of rights; the right to learn, to good health and to economic empowerment. Kibera, being one of the largest slums in Africa, is a place very much in need of rights recognition. Many children there are unable to attend school and are forced into labour at a young age. The centre teaches vocational skills through a learn and earn program as at Hawkers Market (above). They also teach about sexual and reproductive health information most girls are not taught elsewhere. They are partners with the Rotary Club who provides food on Saturdays for a feeding program for siblings of the girls at the centre. Usually about 80-100 children between the ages of 2-14 turn up for these lunches. On Saturdays the centre also offers guiding programmes, life skills (including self defence and rights education), environmental activities, reading sessions and physical fitness activities. The centre costs almost one million shillings a year to run. Funds for maintenance and materials are lacking. Every second Saturday there is a feeding and education program where children learn hygiene, life skills, computers, environmental care, gardening, reading, games, self-defence and Girl Guiding. Plans for the Future: They plan to produce Girl Guide uniforms and to create a proper display of Hawkers Market Girls Centre and Kibera Girls Centre products at the KGGA shops. They plan to begin retaining talented girls to work for the centre and other income-generating activities as soon as they can get the business plan put together to enable that. Contact Information: Kibera Girls Centre Box 310 00606 Nairobi kgga@skyweb.co.ke Nyoike Wangui +254(0)722 255 808 www.kgga.co.ke
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4. Group Name: Gucha Girls Centre (Community Based Organisation Gucha, near Kisii, Nyanza) Revenue-Generating Activities: selling milk, tailoring Other Activities: Girl guiding Members: 100 girls between the ages of 12-18. This project started in 2001 inspired by the Kibera Girls Centre and Hawkers Market Centre. They have grown from humble beginnings to 38 girls in 2005 and by 2007 had 100 girls between the ages of 12-18 attending the centre. The centre has sewing machines and computers also bulls and cows for income from milk. They teach street children with volunteers from the community. The girls are from families that are economically disadvantaged. The centre partners with other organisations to provide training in life and vocational skills to the girls. They study reading , writing, maths, hand work, basket making, spiritual awareness, tailoring, dress making, tailoring, secretarial studies, beauty/salon, cooking, business studies, HIV/AIDS and STD awareness, languages (English and Swahili), the Girl Guide laws, cleanliness, agriculture and even the art of living (breathing exercises) They have been financially supported by UNICEF but plan to be self-sustaining soon. They are, however, in need of funds especially to purchase food and equipment. Contact Information: Gucha Girls Centre Moses Asiago mosesasiago@yahoo.com P. O. Box 334, Ogembo. +254(0)733 697 060, +254(0)725 565 906 Kilgoris Road, Ogembo Township Gucha District, 18 km from Kisii Next to Tendere Primary School.
5. Group Name: Tujiinue Orphan Girls Self Help Group (Kitale, Rift Valley) Revenue-Generating Activities: Honey, tailoring, traditional crafts, organic farming, baking and catering. Other Activities: Fostering employable skills in orphaned adolescent girls. They have recently joined the KGGA. The project began in 2002 with tailoring then grew to organic farming and then baking. Making honey/beekeeping is their newest project. They have trained over 100 girls in different skills. They encourage the use of traditional foods especially in their catering business. Members are all orphans with children who cannot find work elsewhere. They contribute money to support the group. The leaders are volunteers. Tujiinue has had many donations made by Mrs. Barasa, the founder, to be viable. It holds a lot of promise but is not yet self-sustaining. Volunteers, tools and money are big problems. Members sometimes do not contribute what they have agreed to and volunteers can be unreliable. They are very much in need of support. Training materials are lacking and rent for the space is expensive. The girls have been able to wholly support themselves from the project though. In future, Tujiinue plans to open a bakery and to rent out chairs and tents for weddings. This group has a lot of potential and is doing very good work.
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Advice for other groups: You must be committed to the project, give it time and be flexible. Contact Information: Tujiinue Orphan Girls Self Help Group Christine Nasimiyu Barasa christinecomservice@yahoo.com Box 3589 Kitale code 30200 +254(0)733 237 998 or +254(0)721 463 214 tujiinue@yahoo.com
6. Group Name: Teenage Mothers and Girls Association of Kenya (TEMAK) (Kisumu, Nyanza) Revenue-Generating Activities: Tailoring and crafts (dolls, bags, jewellery, tie dye fabrics, kitenge products) sold at their shops. At other TEMAK sites they also have beekeeping, goat raising, solar cooking (to save on fuel costs), dairy cows, chickens, high-value tree planting and a well for fresh water. Other Activities: Teach young mothers vocational skills including tailoring, hairdressing, computers, accounting and crafts. The centre also offers a community clinic and a nursery and kindergarten school. They have recently joined the KGGA. The Teenage Mothers & Girls Association of Kenya (TEMAK) began in 1992 by Philomena Mashaka whose sisters were teenage mothers. She started the project to teach teenage mothers tailoring skills in a slum. They have since moved into a house in the suburbs of Kisumu. Currently there are 50 girls in the program. The program teaches the girls employable skills, provides day-care for their children and offers a community clinic for basic health care needs. They pride themselves on their gender empowerment and say that TEMAK gives: - Orphans education - Child prostitutes hope - Teenage mothers vocational skills - Young AIDS widows economic empowerment - HIV positive adolescent girls and children a better and healthier life - Domestic female child workers alternative and better options - Street girls a better home They have several sites and shops selling their wares including one at their suburban Kisumu site, one at the Kisumu museum and one at the Megacity mall in Kisumu. The revenue from the shops sustains the projects. They have had a few donations from wellwishers and organisations but are not reliant on them. They currently have just 50 girls and 20 children because constrained finances are preventing them from their desired size of training 700 girls and caring for 300 children. TEMAK is self-sustaining working hard to empower orphans, child prostitutes, teenage mothers, HIV positive children, AIDS widows, street girls and girls trapped working as domestic help. They are currently building a new, much larger, facility called The City of www.projectsmanual.shorturl.com
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Hope. It will have all the services and amenities currently at TEMAK but also proper classrooms, electricity, a halfway house facility for abused girls who cannot live at home and boarding facilities for girls working in the program who would otherwise have to travel long distances to attend the centre. Advice for other groups: Keep focused on your goal and do not lose hope. Contact Information: TEMAK Emmaqulate Nyol Emmaqute89@yahoo.com +254(0)724 092 747 Maureen Akinyi +254(0)724 990 785 www.afrikapamoja.org/temak Joab Othatche, Philomena Mashaka Teenage Mothers & Girls Association of Kenya (TEMAK) PO Box 3531, Kisumu 40100 +254(0)57-2023155 +254(0)57-202-7028 +254(0)722 271 066 temak@mailkisumu.com Note: TEMAK was hit hard by the violence that followed the December 2007 elections. Two of their sites were vandalised and looted. They lost all their 14 computers, a printer, hairdressing supplies, a photocopier, even chairs and curtains off the windows everything was taken. At their new City of Hope site their brand new water tanks were pierced from bullets and are now useless. Further, many of the girls who relied on TEMAK were unable to access the centre, including its medical centre, or indeed the city at all and were suffering from severe hunger and other shortages. 7. Group Name: Imani Workshops (Eldoret, Rift Valley) Revenue-Generating Activities: Bead making, beading, ceramics, paper making, tailoring, knitting and reusing donated food containers from WFP and USAID. Other Activities: Training and employing PLWHA. The project started in 2004 and they got the workshop in 2005. They began with tailoring and knitting and it grew from there. Workers are trained for three months to learn one skill. They now have 100 workers (22 full time and 78 part time and extenders who are called in when the workload is very high) and all are HIV positive. They are clients of AMPATH (Academic Model for the Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS) and receive significant donations from Indiana University as well as other well wishers. They are currently reliant on donations though the workshop is soon to be self sustainable and supports the workers. They have opened a branch in Turbo. Workers are able to pay the bills, fees, rent, food and access medicines (which are free from AMPATH). Imani is a member of the Fair Trade Federation. They hope to open more branches and plan to expand the existing ones to employ more people. Advice for other groups: Be patient, hardworking and loving and do not discriminate or stigmatise. Contact Information:
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Imani Workshops www.imaniworkshops.org info@imaniworkshops.org
IU Kenya Partnership Indiana University School of Medicine 1001 West 10th Street, OPW M200 Indianapolis, IN, USA, 46202 +1-317-630-6770
8. Group Name: Utamaduni (Isiolo, Eastern) Revenue-Generating Activities: They make bracelets, necklaces, traditional knives, spears, belts, earrings and detergents. Other Activities: Community volunteer work such as building bridges over open sewers and cleaning hospitals and churches. They also do HIV/AIDS education in the community. They have tried to give sponsorship for school fees in the past. The movement started in the 1970s and this particular group started in 1996. Currently there are 37 members between 11-44 years both male and female. Most members are school drop outs. They use scrap metals (brass, copper, steel) to make jewellery. They also use cow horns to make knife handles. They get most of their raw materials from the hardware shop. The horns they gather for free from places where they are not used. It is self-sustaining and through their volunteer work they are giving back to the community. The project supports the workers and their families. Marketing is their biggest challenge people do not know they are there or what they do. They have an office and a workshop and are soon to open a store to sell their goods. They are considering creating an internet presence such as a web site to help with publicity and marketing. They plan to start a cultural centre for dances, a model village and a new workshop in town. Advice for other groups: If you are considering such a project you are more than welcome to come visit them. Know that there will be challenges; it is hard. You must have patience and perseverance. There are high and low seasons. Sometimes demand is higher than you can meet. There is also inherent danger of working with fire. Expertise in business management skills is important. Youth tend to have poor money management skills but learn well by doing. Religious tolerance and mixed ethnicity is important as well. Contact Information: Utamaduni Mohamed Abdullahi +254(0)721 897 776 PO Box 522 Isiolo Ali Haro +254(0)725 403 160
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9. Group Name: Child and Youth Empowerment Centre Thunguma (Childrens home in Thunguma Near Nyeri, Central) Revenue-Generating Activities: Tailoring school uniforms, small scale farming (shamba) Other Activities: raising OVCs and teaching them life skills and employable skills. The program has been running since 2003. This centre has been open since 2006. The youngest children in the program are 6 generally but there are exceptions. They begin vocational training for youth at age 14. The oldest is 20. They have an exit program for graduates to integrate the kids into society to avoid a problem of dependency. They take in homeless youth, house them, send them to school, teach them skills and raise them. They are considered a national model for such an institution. They are financially supported by local authorities who are mandated by law to help childrens homes. Also they get donations from neighbours. Local donations are different from foreign ones, they say, in that they are often ongoing whereas international donations are often one-time. They had private donations in the form of sewing machines and six complete toolboxes donated for the woodworking program. They prefer donations to be productive animals because they are self-sustaining. They emphasise that by growing their own food and eating it they save on costs thus while they may not generate revenue, they reduce their need for it. The centre will be much more self-sufficient by the end of 2008. They plan to greatly expand the agriculture program and to create a woodworking program. They are also considering a number of other programs to give their youth more employable skills. Advice for other groups: There are three ways to increase sustainability i) make stuff, sell it, use the money, ii) make stuff, use it, save the money you would have spent if you had bought it, iii) create a sense of community ownership of the project so that you have a network for resource-sharing. Contact Information: Child and Youth Empowerment Centre Thunguma Paul Maina pmaina@localgovernment.go.ke PO box 2855 Nyeri Patrick Miheso pmiheso@localgovernemnt.go.ke
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Revenue-Generating Projects
Listed in a rough order of how self-sustaining they are
10. Group Name: Mfukiri Dairy Goat Self Help Group (Embu, Eastern) Revenue-Generating Activities: Raising goats as well as a few cows and chickens and a small garden farm (shamba). The Mfuriki Dairy Goat Self Help Group has been in operation since 1993 and has fifteen members. It is one of the most successful projects that I visited. One member I spoke to has been involved for just four years (hes only 20 years old) and already he has over 10 goats plus some chickens. The project is described by its members as easily self-sustaining. They make about Ksh 70 000 per year it is enough to support a family including a child in secondary school. How it operates: They lease a breeding buck from the Dairy Goat Association of Kenya for Ksh 4000 a year. Typically theyll have one buck for 15 months and then exchange it for a new one. The group shares the breeding buck and each pays Ksh 100 per month to the group kitty. Other than sharing the buck the members operate individually. There are five levels of goats according to how many generations back their ancestry is known. The more generations known the more valuable the animal is. A kid (between six months and one year old) sells for Ksh 9000. An adult can go for as much as Ksh 11 000 depending on the buyer, the market and the goats ancestry. Food for 15 goats and 3 cows is only Ksh 500 per month. The goats are mostly zero-grazed (kept in pens and fed there) but the kids are allowed to run free. Challenges: Group dynamics has been a challenge for them some members are not cooperative. Also, building enough shelter for all the goats can be difficult. Advice for other groups: Raising goats is a good project because it works even on a small piece of land. Contact Information: Mfurkiri Dairy Goat Self Help Group PO Box 1773 Embu David Murimi +254(0)729 391 197 Moses Njeru +254(0)720 653 713
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11. Group Name: Nanyuki Spinners and Weavers (Self Help Group) (Nanyuki, Rift Valley) Revenue-Generating Activities: Take raw wool, sort it, clean it, spin it, wash it, dye it and weave it into carpets and other items for sale. Other Activities: They plant trees on their property to help conservation efforts, teaching employable skills to poor widows. The Nanyuki Spinners and Weavers, at 30 years old, are one of the oldest groups I visited. They started with only six members. They saved unused funds allotted to maintenance and, after 15 years, had saved enough to begin building their first building. It was completed seven years later. They have grown from those humble beginnings to now have 137 members supported full time by the project. A total of 282 women have trained or are being trained at this centre. Also on the property are a Presbyterian church, a girls boarding school and sheep that they are raising. The goal was to make poor, widowed and single women self-reliant by training in knitting, spinning and weaving. Annah, the founder, learned spinning and weaving in Nairobi and opened this project under the Presbyterian Church of East Africa in 1977. At present, they are self-sustaining, but have had loans/grants in the past and do accept donations. The first tools (looms) were donated but now all needed items are purchased. Over the years they have been supported by the Care Kenya International, the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, the US Embassy, the Canadian High Commission, the Municipal Council, the British High Commission, the district development office, and the local community. The project would be possible without donations, but would be more difficult especially at the beginning. The director has been utterly committed to the project and has given much of herself for its success. How it operates: Women are referred to them from the Ministry of Gender. Women of any denomination are accepted as long as they work. Their space has determined their capacity. It takes five days to make a small carpet and they sell it for Ksh 5000 Half of proceeds go to the women and half are reinvested back into the project. They sell items from their shop directly and they also work with hotels for orders and make products to decorate the hotels in the off seasons. There is no idle time. They do their own maintenance. Severe challenges over the years have repeatedly threatened to close the centre. The biggest challenge is marketing because this project caters to tourists. Peak season is June to August and December to March is not too bad. Sales from those periods must hold them over for the rest of the year. Sometimes all the money is tied up in stock and then wages cannot be paid. The group has, in the past, been able to provide raw materials and sales support to other craft groups it is affiliated with but acquiring raw materials has also been challenging lately as the price of wool is increasing and farmers prefer to sell to large
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companies. This has prevented the group from giving as much support to its affiliated organisations, some of which have shut down as a result. The women at the centre are able to support their families and most have been able to buy land and build their own houses. They are also generally able to get their children through secondary school and some even to university. Some women who trained at the centre have moved on to start their own projects, employing themselves and others. To overcome the rising cost of wool they have decided to start a sheep farm so that they control their supply chain from start to finish. They have bought land and sheep and constructed a shed for this purpose and intend to fence the property. They hope to build a hostel on the site. Advice for other groups: - You need to have an objective, a mission statement and goals to achieve. - Well-wishers and supporters can be helpful for generating income. - The founder must be fully devoted to the project. - There will be obstacles. Everyone depends on the founder. - There are hard times and the project will not always be enough. - Rely on yourself you are the key to success or the reason for failure take responsibility. - The founder is key strength and determination cannot be taught. - Less than one in three projects succeeds. - Tell the government to leave your project alone. - The person in charge must be part and parcel of the people working for the project, not the boss be a friend. The boss up high has no idea whats going on at ground level. You need to be both on the top and on the ground. Dont just give orders ask for them. Each person does their part. Recognise good ideas and individuals. - The project is not yours to destroy, it is yours to maintain. - Success isnt optional I have to succeed. - You have to fight for your project. - Have the facts that make the project possible. - Know your rights and the laws. - Be straightforward. - Work and progress will not be steady but will be full of ups and downs. - Be ready to be stoned from all sides. - Be a good ambassador and advocate for your project. - The key to success is the favour of God. - Recognise when a problem is too difficult. Use the whole group, work together and pray God takes the burden. Contact Information: Nanyuki Spinners and Weavers www.spinnersandweavers.org pceansw@africaonline.co.ke +254(0)62-31724 or +254(0)62-32062 Annah Warutere (Project Director) PCEA Nanyuki Spinners and Weavers PO Box 25 10400 Nanyuki +254(0)720 220 889
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12. Group Name: Pendeza Weaving (Kisumu, Nyanza) Revenue-Generating Activities: Spinning and weaving Pendeza Weaving is a very similar project to the Nanyuki Spinner and Weavers (above). Margaret Okello, the founder of Pendeza Weaving, trained in weaving and started the business in 1980 in Nyalenda slum of Kisumu. She started with spinning and selling wool until she could buy a loom. By 1986 Pendeza had saved enough money to move to their permanent location. It has been self-sustaining since right after it was started. It started with a Ksh 1000 donation to buy the first spinning wheel. They have had no donations since then. They currently have 25 members. Some work at the main building and some do spinning or knitting work at home in villages. They have difficulty getting support to start branch projects in the villages. Public authorities do not support them but keep the funds directed to such projects for themselves. Marketing is also difficult. They supply some consignment shops but it is time consuming and limited. Craft shows such as those in Nairobi are expensive. The December 2007 elections hampered the business as early as November as tourists and even locals were saving their money to leave the country. This project can help to stem rural urban migration a little because so much of the work can be done in rural areas at home since no electricity is needed. Slum dwellers are employed and can have their kids in school, afford medical care and food. The project has greatly reduced the poverty among those it employs. They would train more people if they had the resources. They have bought some land for that purpose. Advice for other groups: Be committed, manage the business honestly and carefully, and be trustworthy. Keep good records and be open with your group. Learn management skills and teach your members. Contact Information: Pendeza Weaving Pendezawp@yahoo.com PO Box 1786 Kisumu Margaret Okello +254(0)734 587253 +254(0)35 44466
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13. Group Name: Bombolulu Workshops and Cultural Centre (Mombasa, Coast) Revenue-Generating Activities: Traditional and modern handicrafts, restaurant and cultural village Other Activities: They provide housing for their employees and have a kindergarten school on site. In their Mobility Aid Workshop on site they also manufacture and distribute wheelchairs and other mobility devices for disabled people. The mobility aid workshop is dependant on sponsors and other outside funding and has a long waiting list of Kenyans in need of their devices. Bombolulu was started in 1969 by US Peace Corps volunteers as a training and employment centre. It was a poultry farm that wasnt very successful. They started by selling eggs and vegetables from a farm garden. The name became known when they started selling to hotels in the area. It was in 1971 that they expanded to jewellery making, then tailoring, leatherwork and woodcarving. The Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya (APDK an NGO funded by donors including the Kenyan government and one woman in the UK) began running Bombolulu in 1987. There are other similar workshops in other provinces but this is the largest. They sell products at their shop (which is large and well organised) and also ship orders internationally. They ship to 22 countries and are Trade Caps/Fair Trade certified. Their products are often not labelled as Bombolulu or made by disabled persons but carry the label of whoever is selling them. Currently the project is self-sustaining with 150 disabled people training and working there. The restaurant is high end and also caters to private parties and large groups. The cultural village is a tourist attraction where they have mock ups of traditional villages from a variety of Kenyan tribes for tourists to walk around and experience. Both were added later as further attractions to cater to the tourist market. Bombolulu is located close to a number of high-end beach resorts so they have many tourists visiting them. High and low seasons pose a challenge as did the 2007 elections and currency fluctuations. They overcome seasonal problems by marketing to locals and schools. They are able to provide employment for 150 disabled people but there are still more on the waiting list. They plan to expand to self-employ more people outside Bombolulu with the centre providing support. Advice for other groups: Before you start, visit organisations such as this to research advantages and strategies for your project. Contact Information: Bombolulu Workshops and Cultural Centre apdkbpm@africaonline.co.ke www.apdkbombolulu.com PO Box 83988 Mombasa +254(0)41471704/473571/475324 +254(0)733 811 603 +254(0)723 560 933 Fax: +254(0)41473570/474078 APDK Mobility Aid Workshop +254(0)41-472674, 471704, 470271/2 Fax 473570, 471840 apdkexec@africaonline.co.ke
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14. Group Name: Kisumu Innovation Centre Kenya (KICK) Trading (Kisumu, Nyanza) Revenue-Generating Activities: export of locally made craft products. Also known as Ziwa Creations, the Kisumu Innovation Centre Kenya (KICK) was started in 1994 as an NGO. It became a company limited by shares in 1997. In 2005 the name was officially changed to KICK Trading. KICK exports products made by any Kisumu-area artisans and promotes innovation and micro-enterprises applying organic resources such as water hyacinth and waste products such as scrap metals. Jua kali artisans sell through KICK to get market for their products. They sell abroad in many countries including Canada, the UK, the US and Australia. Many different groups of artisans export through KICK. Several are located right on the property of the KICK offices. They have always been completely self-sustaining they get no donations. Over 100 people are fully supported by this initiative and some of them even work from home. KICK pays part of the order placed with the artisans before they make it relieving some of the financial burden of having to buy supplies to make a large order before it is sold. The mark up on the products in retail outlets is often as much as 100-250% so there is much room for profit. The artists are paid by KICK when the order is placed (allowing them to buy materials) but the customer pays KICK on delivery (allowing them to see the product before payment). The artists face many challenges including: perceptions of and an existing bias against informal, outdoor (jua kali) work, lack of knowledge of markets, inability to produce the desired quality/quantity, change is perceived as too risky, inability to understand the expectations of customers for product and service and inability to finance innovation. Advice for other groups: Train first you need to learn from other artisans. Market your products. Examples of some of the many artisans and artisan groups who export through KICK: a) Kowil Women and Orphans Self Help Group (KWOSH) and Azizi Crafts train unemployed women and youth in craft production. They reuse materials such as wires, iron sheets, plastics and water hyacinth that would otherwise go to waste. They do painting, tinsmithing, weaving, paper crafts, tailoring and wire crafts. KWOSH uses the proceeds to support persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) with education programs, encouraging youths to make use of government-funded HIV counselling and testing (VCT) centres. They also have nutritional training programs for caring for PLWHA. KWOSH works with girls, youths, orphans and unemployed, widowed, mothers. Azizi supports needy orphans. b) Peter is a freelance wire artist. He works through KICK and other organisations. He started in 1992 with no training and learned on his own. He also paints and trains others in his crafts. He thinks of himself as a jack-of-alltrades. The prices of the materials he uses are increasing and this is posing a challenge for him. The price of copper wire, for example, has doubled in the past
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year. He does manage to support his family and a house on it. He says that this trade is a good one because you can live off of it. He is a principled man as I asked to buy one of the wire tree decorations he was making and he refused saying it was a custom order and he wouldnt give the design away without permission from the person who ordered them. Contact Information: Kisumu Innovation Centre Kenya (KICK) Agina Rashid Isaac (manager) Kick Trading Limited Ramogi Rise Road Opposite Winam Law Courts next to Central SDA church PO Box 19091 40113 Kisumu kicktrading@gmail.com iagina@yahoo.com +254(0)720 250 585 or +254(0)734 36 505 Tel: +254(0)735 511 285 Tel: +254(0)720 250 585 Tel: +254(0)20 353 0031 Azizi Crafts Ramogi Rise Road Opposite Kibuye Law Court KICK Compound PO Box 19091-40113 Kisumu, Kenya +254(0)722 691 348 azizicrafts@gmail.com isaacabongo@yahoo.com Kowil Women and Orphans Self Help Group (KWOSH) PO Box 19091 40113 Kisumu, Kenya +254(0)735 683 111 or +254(0)725 571 957 Victorkopiyo444@yahoo.com www.carecircle.net/programs-carecirclesinfo.php?id=54 kw.group@yahoo.com
Kisumu Innovation Centre Kenya (KICK) P.O. Box 284, Kisumu, Kenya kick@swiftkisumu.com. kicktrading@gmail.com kick@net2000ke.com +254(0)35 43762 +254(0)35 43763 (fax)
15. Group Name: Muslim Youth Group (Bungoma, Western) Revenue-Generating Activities: selling shares in group, farming, rent seats and mattresses. Other Activities: Sponsor and solicit help for needy students. Hold womens workshops every two weeks. Provide youth trainings, mediation to community and operate a community library. Started in 1989 with 5 members (three men and two women) and now has hundreds of members across Western Kenya, including 60 in Bungoma. Its purpose is to reduce poverty, encourage education, reduce prostitution and child abuse and attend to such cases. It takes care of anyone regardless of any factor including religion. They are selfsustaining in that they have had donations from well wishers but are not reliant on them. The group supports its trustees full time and its members partially. How it operates: They sell shares in the group to members who get dividends. The money from the shares is invested into projects They farm sugarcane and keep bees for honey. They own the land. www.projectsmanual.shorturl.com
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They also rent out mattresses and chairs for various functions. Funding sources are unreliable and finding donors is difficult. When they invest the money from shares, some of the investments are not profitable (such as schools). It can be difficult to know how best to assist the society. They aid in the economic and social empowerment of the community, have built four schools, distribute relief food, have a farm and maintain a special focus on girls (especially ensuring access to sanitary pads). Members are committed to the project. They also hold womens workshops every two weeks to empower them with knowledge. The lecturers come from universities and other institutions. They also partner with nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) to do youth training for church groups and the like. They provide mediation to people in the community in partnership with the government and other organisations. They run a community library. They have held AIDS empowerment trainings that were beneficial and important for women. They also provide support for orphans to live with families. They do have a loans system within the group and it is used mostly by women. Plans for the Future: They are considering starting a catering business. They also want to increase their farming business and begin to export mushrooms, plant maize and start an agro-vet business in Mumias. Advice for other groups: You need to be interested in serving the group, be informed on what you are starting, have commitment, initiative and a source of income (selling shares works well). Start projects after all that. Donors are a last resort only ask for assistance after you help yourself. Start with a small, simple activity. Contact Information: Muslim Youth Group PO BOX 917 Bungoma 50200 mygrowes@yahoo.co.uk Dr. Amin Sheikh (Patron) +254(0)5530242 Rajam Oduor (Chairman) +254(0)735 831 860 Fatuma Chalangat (Project Manager) +254(0)729 792 746 Mohammed Beka (Project Coordinator) +254(0)720 354 748
16. Group Name: Kenya Kanga (Nairobi, Coast, Baringo, Rift Valley) Revenue-Generating Activities: Sewing products from kangas. Inspired by www.kikoy.com the company was started in 1995. Kenya Kanga currently has 10-15 full time employees and more are called in for big orders. The workers sew the products and then only those that are of high enough quality the company buys. There is a ready market for these brightly coloured products. Selling the kanga story as an integral part of the Kenyan experience really helps. Making products upcountry in places such as the Rift Valley is cheaper because labour is less expensive there.
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It is very hard to consistently have high quality products for sale because workers often cut corners. Getting the products into shops is difficult as well. Tour guides and drivers expect a 20% commission for bringing customers to a shop. The project is good because it creates jobs for people in areas with high unemployment. They have started branch projects like this elsewhere in Kenya in August 2007 but are having difficulty selling the products to hotels. They plan to export overseas, especially to Northern Europe because competition is getting stiff within Kenya. They prefer to sell to boutiques rather than to big name stores because of the cost. This project could be a full career but the founder also runs another business. Advice for other groups: Dont try to pay yourself a large mzungu salary she says, it will break a small company like this. Market your product seriously before really starting. If you cannot sell your product widely it wont work no matter how much you love it if others dont like it, it wont sell. Stay ahead of the game change your products frequently and keep prices reasonable. Companies should become profitable after about five years. Get advice and input from everyone. Everything you need can be made in Kenya. She would be happy to talk to anyone starting their own business. Contact Information: Kenya Kanga Gemma Lawrence PO Box 15243, 00509 Nairobi gemma@kenyakangacollection.com www.kenyakeangacollection.com +254(0)721 738 477
17. Group Name: Young Ladies Self Help Group (Nairobi) Revenue-Generating Activities: Sew and embroider/cross stitch aprons, tea cosies, hand towels, napkins, tray covers and oven mitts. Mothers of the 20 current members started this project in 1985. Many members are single parents and some are HIV positive. They each work three days a week on the project meeting as a whole group on Thursdays. The work is high quality. They enjoy being self-employed because this kind of work allows the girls to work from home and care for children while working. The project is self-sustaining and fully supports the members however they are in need of capital to expand their project and create more stock. Finding places to sell the products is difficult as well they currently only sell at their store on site and at craft fairs. They plan to grow the project as much as circumstances allow. Contact Information: Young Ladies Self Help Group Box 456 0516 Dandora, Nairobi +254(0)733 536781 Mary Atieno Mon, Wed, Thurs 2:30-5pm
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18. Group Name: Nawe Plants Park (Bungoma) Revenue-Generating Activities: Growing and selling flowers, plants, seeds and seedlings as well as beekeeping. Other Activities: Training others in gardening Isiye buys plants, often in other cities (she removes the soil for easy transport and packs them carefully) and grows them in the garden of her home. She specialises in species from far away. She is the sole owner and operator of this project though when she can afford to she hires help for repotting, weeding, watering, fertilizing and the like. She has had no training for this as it began as a hobby and a passion and grew into a job. She started six years ago but its only been a full time job for one year now. The project is self-sustaining. She buys clay pots for the plants in Kakamega from a womens group that does pottery there. She studies the plants, researches them and asks for advice before she brings foreign species this helps prevent importing species that could become invasive. She sells fruits, ornamental plants, trees, herbs and medicinal plants as well as flowers. She also trains interested people in return for free labour from them. The beekeeping started in 2007 and complements the flowers business nicely. She has two hives that could produce about 40L of honey (but in 2007 they only produced 10L because she is still very new at this activity). The hives were built by a local handyman (fundi). Once the hives are there the bees find them and move in naturally if you smear beeswax or sugar on them. She can tell when it is time to harvest by the smell. She does need to wear a protective suit when harvesting because the bees are defensive. Her biggest challenges have been getting adequate water and affording help. Otherwise the project has been rather successful. In future she plans to build a greenhouse. This is a great project idea because it is feasible anywhere, can start small and grow at your own rate and one doesnt need much knowledge of plants to start. You can learn on the job. Advice for other groups: Have adequate access to water, have lots of space, soil, manure and learn about the plants so you can raise them well. Knowledge is also important for informing customers on how to take care of them (indoors or out, sunshine or shade, wet or dry, etc..). Cactus is the easiest plant to start with. Contact Information: Nawe Plants Park Isiye Simiyu PO Box 2312 Bungoma 50200 +254(0)722 860 216
19. Group Name: Bosongo Youth Group (Kisii, Nyanza) Revenue-Generating Activities: Small business (kiosk) selling electronics and mobile accessories. Other Activities: Tree planting, Merry-Go-Round loans
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Bosongo started in 2004 as a Merry-Go-Round group with five people to start businesses. It now has thirty members and all have their own successful businesses. Half the revenue generated goes into the business and half goes into personal income. It is barely enough to live off of. They have found that funding is a challenge because the Youth Fund and other funding organisations require guarantees that are almost impossible for youth such as a co-signer. They still hope to secure funding to grow their businesses. Advice for other groups: As former Scouts they say they owe their success to Scouting. This project is a good one to start and is viable anywhere. Contact Information: Bosongo Youth Group Box 384 Kisii or Box 741 Kisii Joshua Maigo Ombwera +254(0)736 746 99 My Notes: while the youth fund itself does not require a co-signer, it is possible that some of the financial intermediaries do. 20. Group Name: Mongongonyoni Self Help Group (Kisii, Nyanza) Revenue-Generating Activities: Break stones into concrete Other Activities: Merry-Go-Round loan system each contributes Ksh 200 per week. Mongongonyoni started in 2003 when they collected excess stones from road construction. They now purchase stones from quarries in the hills near Kisii and crush them into concrete dust manually with mallets. Its a special kind of stone that softens when they fire it. They have 20 members, all fully supported by the project, plus some other workers. They have never tried for a loan and have had no donations as such the project is self-sustaining. They face many challenges. Water for cooling stones is far away, money is in short supply and they lack equipment such as wheelbarrows, hammers, gloves, goggles, spades, large mallets and wedges for splitting. Also the work of quarrying the stones is risky. Lifting stones out of the quarry (sometimes as much as thirty feet) is difficult and time consuming. The equipment they do have breaks often. Too much rain can impede transport. The only success they cite is the Merry-Go-Round loan system they have in place. Plans for the Future: They plan to get a sponsor. They also want to get health insurance and first aid kits since it is a risk-prone job. +254(0)736 515 658, +254(0)710 797 057, +254(0)736 738 221 PO Box 1937 Kisii My notes: I think this group would do well if they could get a loan to buy better equipment. This would increase their efficiency and hopefully also their profit margin while reducing their risk of injury. www.projectsmanual.shorturl.com Contact Information: Mongongonyoni Self Help Group Beatrice K. Aloys Zakayo
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21. Group Name: Young Scouters AIDS/Poverty Campaign Self Help Group (Tabaka near Kisii, Nyanza) Revenue-Generating Activities: Soapstone carving, mushroom farming Other Activities: Community service community education about HIV/AIDS and home-based care. In 2002 they received Ksh 342 300 to fund their community education projects for six months. The National AIDS Control Council of Kenya awarded the group a certificate of accountability and completion. They are also involved in poverty eradication through the profits derived from their soapstone. They volunteer as Scouts to be election observers as well. In 1999 they built a timber footbridge in the community. A local politician helped them expand it into a road bridge in 2002. They have also helped initiate a project to build culverts on the roadside. The Young Scouters started in 1996 as a farming group with six members of a Rover unit. The group started as Scouts from different units that wanted to have a common activity and took up farming. They started carving soapstone in 1998 as a new group. Every member still farms for their own use but there is none left for sale. They now have 25 members but if they have a big or urgent order they get the wider community of over 300 people involved. They are also part of a larger group of 107 people who have successfully tried oyster mushroom cultivation and are looking to expand it. The project barely makes enough to support its members and their families. They are looking for donations but have had none so far. Finding a market is the biggest challenge. There are high and low seasons. They sell their products to brokers (get paid 50% of order before production and 50% after the after is often late) but they want to get direct access to buyers. There are also problems with transporting the heavy, fragile goods to markets. People dont see that by competing against each other or by splitting on political lines they hinder their ability to demand a fair price for their products. This soapstone is ONLY found in Kisii. They could have a monopoly if they got organised. They need a market and they need a loan. Buyers are a challenge in that they often do not give advance notice and instructions for orders or prior notice of contract changes. They have enjoyed considerable success though. They have been recognised by the UN. They have earned a reputation as honest in the community. Many members have been able to build better houses for themselves from iron sheets and mud. Members children can get basic education. They have networked and met people from many places in Kenya and the world. They have improved the standard of living of the community and have initiated other groups and projects. The Young Scouters are considering registering as an NGO to get more customers. They plan to continue to improve the standards of living in the community by expanding their business and employing more people. If they get a donation they would like to buy their own workshop and redirect the money they are currently spending on rent to other community projects. They would also like to improve the education and nutrition of the community. They want to build a website for publicity but lack the skills to build one. They need to network more with other groups and organisations.
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Advice for other groups:1) have a market and understand it, 2) concentrate you cannot profit from idleness, 3) accountability at every stage is paramount, 4) transparency is needed Contact Information: Young Scouters AIDS/Poverty Campaign Self Help Group Enosh Nyandoro Oino Enosh70@yahoo.com +254(0)733 754 737 PO Box 381 Kisii 40200
22. Group Name: UniquEco Nairobi and Kiwayu (on northern Coast) Revenue-Generating Activities: carving items from old discarded flip flops. Other Activities: It is environmentally friendly because they clean up the beaches. The project began in 1997 with the Worldwide Fund for Nature to develop an incomegenerating project. It operates entirely as a business in order to ensure sustainability. They sell their product at shows, through the Internet and they export to the US and UK. Their workers are both women and men. They are on the brink of being self-sustaining, but it has taken two years of full time business effort to get it there. Making high quality products is time consuming and difficult. Sometimes members refuse to share skills, will sell products piecemeal as they can rather than making a large order or will refuse to use a bank account. Production is very inefficient. Also, there is nowhere to get a soft loan or any breaks for eco-friendly projects because all financial institutions are strictly business. The project does create a living for impoverished people in their home communities though. The workers and community really made this work it wouldnt have been possible if they hadnt been committed from the beginning. They plan to continue to improve their efficiency and competitiveness. Advice for other groups: You need to have a leader who is personally responsible, connected globally and is a driving force. Be more than a project have a business plan and be really committed. Contact Information: UniquEco Designs Ltd. PO Box 15565 Nairobi 00503 +254(0)20-270 0534 +254(0)727 531 301 or +254(0)733 639 640 Julie Church Managing Director Julie@uniqueco-designs.com www.uniqueco-designs.com www.flipflopiwas.com
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23. Group Name: Sio RC Primary School Girl Guides (Bungoma, Western) Revenue-Generating Activities: Sell biscuits to other students, investing in maize, they are starting soap making and poultry farming Other Activities: funds raised are used to sponsor orphans. Since 2006, the Sio RC Primary School Girl Guides have been buying biscuits at wholesale prices that they sell for Ksh 1 (retail price) to other pupils for snacks. They were making Ksh 20 per box but it is now often less due to higher costs and broken biscuits. If they are to continue selling biscuits they will have to raise the price, but most primary school students will not have more than Ksh 1 to spend on a snack. The funds raised have been used to pay exam fees, scout registration fees and tuition fees for four orphans. They have started investing in maize by buying in season and selling out of season for a higher price. This was so successful they were able to sponsor one boy to day school. They had tried to grow other vegetables but the drought killed them. They had spent Ksh 2000 to rent the plot of land. In future, they want to start keeping poultry and selling eggs. They plan to keep the chickens at their leaders house. They also plan to make avocado soap and have already had the moulds made. Contact Information: Sio RC Primary School Girl Guides PO Box 1018 Bungoma 50200
24. Group Name: Joybringers Self Help Group (Eldoret, Rift Valley) Revenue-Generating Activities: Beadwork and tailoring They started in November 2005 with 35 members to make red AIDS ribbons. They began in a private home then moved to working in a hotel but had to pay Ksh 200 per hour for the space. Recently they moved to a shop in a mall but are having trouble paying the rent for it. They now only have 15 members. They sell necklaces, earrings and bracelets as well as petticoats. They sell both through their shop in Eldoret and in the UK through a supporter there. At one time they operated under FPAC (family care) but left because of poor treatment. There are many challenges. Some members have a long commute, the group cannot afford to provide lunch for its members and members need some money to pay rent for their homes the members have no other jobs. The group is self supporting though the members volunteer their time. Advice for other groups: Be ready for tough times, persevere. Group members should treat each other as equals and respect each other. Try to get along Contact Information: Joybringers Self Help Group Beatrice Lumonye +254(0)725 268 869 Joybringers Self Help Group PO Box 947 Eldoret www.joybringerskenya.i8.com
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25. Group Name: St. Rita Community Based Orphan Care (Community Based Organisation Kisumu, Nyanza) Revenue-Generating Activities: raise poultry, beading, farming, selling handmade ropes and consultancy. Other Activities: pay school fees for orphans to live in families (usually relatives), provide psychological training and consultancy. They work to empower the caregivers of orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) through both access to micro credit and training on IGAs. They also provide information on property, land and inheritance laws and rights to bereaved families. They also provide a Merry-Go-Round scheme so the IGAs may be started. St. Ritas is a support centre for orphans living with families in the community. Community based orphan care keeps families together as children are often placed with relatives. St. Ritas has management and project staff, community health volunteers and a village management committee. They started income generation in 1998 with home baking - a project that s now discontinued due to time constraints. The kids help with raising the poultry and farming. The centre also sells beaded necklaces made by PLWA at home and ropes made by a local womens group. They currently have 93 orphans ages 6-18 in 52 homes They receive donations from individuals and organisations such as the National AIDS council, the World Childrens Prize and Womens Perspectives but all donations are irregular. They also have a pragmatic daily donation of 10 loaves of bread from the local bakery. This project would be possible but very constrained without the donations. They won the World Childrens Prize from Sweden in 2005, were named the regional coordinator for Africa by Global Health and cite even simply existing for 9 years on minimal funds as a success. They now have an organised donor system whereby individuals can commit to donating on a regular basis. One orphan from the program has just finished studying clinical medicine and in future they hope to sponsor more of their students to go to university. They have a lot of other programs and initiatives relating to caring for the OVCs and are involved in a number of local and regional groups. St. Ritas is under a lot of pressure because there are too many orphans, not enough resources and the families that care for the orphans often have very high expectations and demands. Families expect the full costs of raising the child to be covered and will not do anything for free. St. Ritas is very much in wont of donations. Advice for other groups: Identify what skills you have and do your best at everything you do. If you want to start a community-based orphan care project she provides training. Contact Information: St. Rita Community Based Orphan Care Bernadette Otieno (Coordinator) +254(0)722 780 155 or +254-057-2023106 Strita42@hotmail.com www.strita.info PO Box 1232 40100 Kisumu Situated at Dunga Kogonyo opposite Covenant House
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26. Group Name: Maseno Girls Orphan/Girl Guide Poultry Farming (Kisumu, Nyanza) Revenue-Generating Activities: Raising chickens for eggs and meat Other Activities: Use the experience to earn Girl Guide interest badges, learn about agricultural business. The revenue is used to support orphaned girls basic needs, some of whom have HIV themselves. Parents have reported the girls taking an active interest in caring for chickens at home too (it is a boarding school). Maseno Girls School started poultry rearing in 2000 with one coop of 100 chickens. Now they have 400 chickens in four coops. The project started with a donation of Ksh 300 000. That original donation made building the coops possible. It has tried to be self-sustaining since then but high costs for feed has made it difficult. Though they have some financial difficulties at present they are managing though they would need a donation to renovate or expand. They pay Ksh 400 each for two-month-old chicks. Chicks start laying eggs at six months of age and finish at about two years. When they stop laying they are culled for meat. The Girl Guides (aged 8-14) care for the chickens on weekends and a hired hand or two are paid to care for them during the week. The guides also keep a close eye on the records kept by the hired hands thus learning record-keeping and supervisory skills. The feed is organic and is made from ground, dried fish, other proteins and starch. If the chickens lack protein they will begin to peck at each other. They also feed the chickens greens tied in bunches high enough that they have to jump (exercise) to reach them. They get sun in the morning and evening because the mesh sides of the coop face east and west but also have curtains to keep them warm during the rainy seasons. Chickens also need to eat some fine sand for digestion. Chickens are very susceptible to viruses. Feed is costly. Workmens salary varies. All these combine to make profitably raising chickens challenging. A cock, while it would allow the chickens to produce chicks, would reduce the number of, and delay the laying of, eggs. The revenue from the project supports the basic needs of orphaned girls, but the number of orphans needing sponsorship is overwhelming. Eating eggs twice a week has noticeably improved the health and academic standards of the girls. The improved diet has also helped retain girls at the school, increased enrolment and improved the reputation of the school in the community. Parents are very supportive of the project. The project has also inspired some teachers to keep their own poultry thus improving their standard of living as well. They have a good relationship with the livestock office from paying the officers for their help and advice. They attend the agricultural (ASK) shows regularly. The school wants to buy broilers to cook the meat so the girls can eat more white meat. Also, the coops need to be renovated or rebuilt as they are aging. Theyd like to expand to have 500 chickens. Advice for other groups: Have a special account for the project and take good care of the money.
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Contact Information: Maseno Girls Orphan/Girl Guide Poultry Farming Maseno Girls School Box 15 40105 Maseno
Rosalyn GG Leader Roaduwo@yahoo.com Tereza Akoth Odour Head Teacher tessodi@yahoo.com
27. Group Name: Kinthithe Christian Union Youth Group Project (Embu, Eastern) Revenue-Generating Activities: Farming maize and beans Other Activities: Used proceeds to sponsor members to go to camps and trainings and to buy material (such as books). Kinthithe has forty members. They bought acre of land in October 2006 with Ksh 1200 start up capital. To farm they needed fertilizer (Ksh 600) and labour provided free by the members. They also spent Ksh 200 on pesticides and Ksh 200 on preservatives for storing the maize. Total profit was Ksh 5000. This first harvest was good. It was a big harvest and the prices the goods sold for were high. However the cost of inputs, such as fertilizer, were also high. The second harvest did poorly. They harvested 22 tins of beans but only one bag of maize. However, they had saved almost 50% of the profit from the first year to help in the second year (Ksh 2200). The land they use was donated by their school and the members donate their time for free. Other than that, the project is self-sustaining. Weather, especially drought, is the biggest challenge and profits are low. It is a small garden (shamba) and the profits are split between the members. Finding time to do the work and ensuring the kids who do the work are properly supervised are other challenges. They plan to sponsor a child in form three for school fees. Advice for other groups: Try growing tomatoes if you have lots of water available. Ensure your timing is good in relation to the prices of goods on the market. Plant offseason so that your product is ready when there is little competition. Most people plant in March/April so plant yours in June/July. Contact Information: Kinthithe Christian Union Youth Group Project ndwigalucy@yahoo.com Duncan M Murungi Box 397 Embu
28. Group Name: Iringa Youth Group (Kisii, Nyanza) Revenue-Generating Activities: Brick making Iringa started in 2005 with each member (20 secondary school graduates) contributing Ksh 500 - total Ksh 10 000. The group bought land, hoes (jembes), grass and machetes (pangas). They also bought timber and made brick moulds. They then began digging clay soil to make smooth bricks. The first harvest took six months to make, dry and fire and www.projectsmanual.shorturl.com
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made 10 000 bricks. Each sold for Ksh 5 and so they brought in Ksh 50 000. After expenses such as firewood and transport of the bricks from the river to the sale site (they are carried by women who charge Ksh 1 per brick) only Ksh 10 000 was left. Since that was how much the members had originally put in there was no profit. They have had no training. Twenty people had worked full time for six months to make all those bricks. Insufficient resources finance, time and storage space limited the scope of the project. With more resources they could make a load of bricks in just three months. They only bought a plot 10 feet by 50 feet but now feel that twice as much space would be better. Also, the workers were eating a poor diet, which impeded their ability to work hard. The market for bricks is good though and the project reduced loitering in the area because the people were working, but the workers had barely enough money to buy clothes and a little food. Perhaps future loads will be more profitable since one-time expenses (such as land and tools) will not have to be paid again. The group plans to buy more space and to make bricks faster. They would also like to learn more about loans Advice for other groups: Have adequate finance and dont drink beer if you have to do heavy labour. Contact Information: Iringa Youth Group Elijah Ombasa Okioka +254(0)734 928 259 Thomas O Ondieki Box 3025 Kisii 40200 Ogembo2003@yahoo.com
29. Group Name: Kipsongo Slum Group (Kitale, Rift Valley) Revenue-Generating Activities: Brick making Started in 2005 with well wishers for brick-making equipment. They have had no real donations. The members do each make enough for one person to live off of but there is often nothing left over to go back into the business and they find it challenging to get funds for supplies such as timber for moulds. Capital for growth/maintenance is a challenge. They are squatters on the land they use, they lack education and the pay isnt adequate to support a family. Advice for other groups: Brick making needs a certain kind of soil it is not feasible everywhere. Coming together is strength and leads to success in life. The journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step. Contact Information: Kipsongo Slum group Ibrahim Bakari +254(0)721 572 600 ibrabeker@yahoo.com
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30. Group Name: Omotembe Mushroom Project Youth Group (aka Nyaera) (Kisii, Nyanza) Revenue-Generating Activities: medicinal oyster mushroom farming Omotembe started in 2005 with 300 people because mushroom farming needs a lot of start up capital each person contributed Ksh 1200. The organisers had a one week course to farm mushrooms. They paid Ksh 400 for the course. They planted the seeds in the dark and waited 45-60 days. The mushrooms were then harvested daily for six months. Following the harvest they waited four weeks, sprayed for pests and planted again. So far it has not been profitable and they have had no donations. People do buy the mushrooms though. Demand is greater than their ability to produce. They enjoy the mushrooms and the project prevents them from being idle. Money is a problem because the price of the mushrooms is too low and the growing can be high tech and thus high cost. Members sometimes do not bring in their payments in full or on time. Management has been stealing from the group. Honesty is lacking. Advice for other groups: The project is good but you need to persevere through problems. You need to have start up capital. Good management is key. Buy seeds cheaply. This project is feasible anywhere in Kenya. Contact Information: Omotembe Mushroom Project Youth Group Box 434 Kisii +254(0)722 526 133
31. Group Name: New Silent Corner (Kithimu, near Embu, Eastern) Revenue-Generating Activities: the New Silent Corner restaurant - a small restaurant (hoteli) in Kithimu (near Embu). Other Activities: They also run a Merry-Go-Round loan system for members The project was started in February 2007. They started with their own capital Ksh 10 000 all members contributed some. This was too little and needed to be supplemented. They recommend starting with Ksh 50 000. At the beginning the profit was Ksh 200 a day and now is less. There were 15 members at the start but now there are only six. Some members left because they got other jobs. They hired three employees and now have four but cannot pay employees and make a profit. The employees are not members the members have other jobs. The management of the restaurant has been given to someone else to help pay rent for the space. No donations have been needed but there is often a lack of money to buy commodities thus limiting the menu. Also the local people only come when they have money which is usually after harvest thus the purchasing power of the community is seasonal. Also, people come more on weekends. Funding is the biggest challenge. They are considering giving up the business
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Advice for other groups: You need to have start-up capital, budgeting is key and sometimes you will have food and no customers. The project would work better in a bigger town with more buying power. Contact Information: New Silent Corner Samuel Wairi (Chairman of the Youth Group) +254(0)728 515 698
32. Group Name: St. Lucy Women Group (Isiolo, Eastern) Revenue-Generating Activities: Operate a grains (posho) mill This group has been in operation since 1992 and started with buying chickens and selling eggs. They were then sponsored by the Catholic Mission and Germany to buy the milling machines. Each of their 25 members also contributed some start-up money. The machines were sponsored but have had no other donations. The sponsorship for the machines was essential, without it the project would not be possible. There is stiff competition in the milling business and they have no money to buy the cereals for storage. So far the project is not profitable. They hope to buy big machines for purifying maize to sell packaged flour for ugali. Contact Information: St. Lucy Women Group Juliteta Marigu Njeru PO Box 58 Isiolo Code 30600 +254(0)726 488 489
33. Group Name: Lutheran Church Special School (Kisumu, Nyanza) Revenue-Generating Activities: Make wooden teaching aids for mentally handicapped schools and weave wool into cloths. They also make and sell doughnuts (mandazi) to students and teachers. They grow kale (sikuma wiki), cowpeas, onions, tomatoes, groundnuts and papayas these products do well. Other Activities: Teaching and empowerment The school started in 1989 and started poultry farming at that time. It only lasted two years. They have had the carpentry program since 1984 though demand for their products fluctuates and finances vary as well. The students are all mentally handicapped children. They make the products as part of their class work. The school and the projects are reliant on donations. Water is insufficient and often tainted with asbestos from the run off from the asbestos roof. They had a tree nursery that died because of asbestos poisoning from the water. They also had poultry but it was too expensive to maintain and resulted in no profit. Finances are a problem. Raw materials are increasing in price, agriculture has been hampered by drought and poultry does not make money. They plan to start a new tree nursery and build a modern chicken coop
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The children are gaining employable skills. The graduates are doing well for themselves. Public attitude has changed in the communities since the children have shown they can perform. They have inspired the Ministry of Education to develop a curriculum and to focus on special education. Advice for other groups: Do start these projects for mentally handicapped children these children are better received in the communities as active members once trained. The government assists. Contact Information: Lutheran Church Special School Head teacher Mary Joyce Ouma lutheranmh@yahoo.co.uk PO Box 1203 Kisumu 40100
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Projects Established in 2007

(Its too soon to tell if they will be successful)
34. Group Name: Faida (Bungoma, Western) Revenue-Generating Activities: They have three projects: i) Plaques: They print inspirational messages (for holidays, graduation, or everyday) on paper and photocopy them. Then they decorate them with stickers, glue them to cardboard (from Bata shoe boxes), cover the paper with cellophane (clear or coloured) and frame them with dried reeds. The cardboard is cut so that it can fold out into a stand. They sell these plaques at school graduations and other celebrations for Ksh 250. ii) Needlework: They crochet tablecloths using patterns that are simple and use little thread. They sell these for Ksh 2500 for a complete set (tablecloth and chair covers). iii) Tree seedlings: They gather seeds from local trees, plant and nurture them. Then they put seedlings into small open plastic bags (called sockets) with soil and manure. Faida is a group of five young women who started crocheting tablecloths in January 2007. In March they began growing tree seedlings and in April they began to make plaques for graduation gifts. They are becoming members of the KGGA. They meet once a week at members houses (rotating each week so all their parents get to see what they do). They share their skills with each other teaching the group. Their only donation was Ksh 1000 in January 2007 by their local councillor. After that, the group has been self-sustaining. The market price for their products is low, the production is time-consuming (all members have other jobs) and some of the materials (such as reeds for plaques) are seasonal. Hopefully they will be able to get over these hurdles. They plan to get a room/shop to sell their goods. Also, they would be willing to train other groups in these activities for a fee. Contact Information: Faida Mary Salisi Avner +254(0)724 666 862 rachelogan@yahoo.com Sio RC School PO Box 1018 Bungoma 50200
35. Group Name: Kitale Academy Primary Girl Guides and Brownies (Kitale, Rift Valley) Revenue-Generating Activities: Crocheting Scarves This is probably the newest project I visited. The Brownies and Girl Guides at Kitale Academy learned to crochet and began crocheting scarves a week before I met them. Some of the scarves were very well done with interesting patterns. They intend to sell the scarves at the local market and use the income to sponsor needy children to go to school. Contact Information: Kitale Academy Primary School Girl Guides and Brownies Ms. Caroline N. Wamela +254(0)722 916 577
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Kitale Academy Primary Private Bag, Kitale
36. Group Name: Picha Poa Designs (Nairobi) Revenue-Generating Activities: (Handmade greeting cards and photo frames) Started as a hobby in mid 2006, the business began in July 2007. There is currently only one member the founder. Using paper, recycled paper and even elephant dung paper she hand-makes greeting cards. She still has another job to support herself since this venture is not yet self sustaining. She intends to make it self-sustaining enough that she can hire deaf people as staff both for business growth and as an outreach project to allow them to be self-supporting. She is targeting the local market and not export. Finding places to sell and getting people to pay for the whole cost of producing these time-consuming cards are her biggest challenges. The response to the cards is very positive though. Advice for other groups: Do not rush, do some research about the products and the market. Once you start, keep going. Contact Information: Picha Poa Designs info@pichapoa.co.ke Box 52 Village Market 00621 Nairobi +254(0)722 748 692
37. Group Name: Mwangaza Designs (affiliated with the Kenyan Network of Women with AIDS - KENWA - Nyeri, Central) Revenue-Generating Activities: Sew kangas and other fabrics into reusable shopping bags. They also do clothing repairs. Mwangaza Designs started in July 2007 and sews reusable shopping bags. It was inspired by the incoming law to charge people for using plastic shopping bags. The idea is to encourage people to use reusable shopping bags instead of plastic ones. There are five ladies who are involved in the project. Four of the five members had some previous skills they could use for this project. The ladies are paid by the piece for their work. The sewing machines were donated and they pay no rent for the space since they are part of KENWA and use KENWA Nyeris space. At this point the project is not selfsustaining. They plan to expand to making school uniforms. Advice for other groups: This project could be replicated by other groups. Talk with your group and be sure that the whole group is willing to do the job. It must be important to you all must share the vision and have the same vision. Respect each other. Contact Information: Mwangaza Designs Margaret Wambui Karimi +254(0)710 649 132 KENWA Nyeri Francis Ngugi +254-720-643-980 francismuiruri@yahoo.com
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38. Group Name: Generation United Youth Group (Isiolo, Eastern) Revenue-Generating Activities: Run a motorbike taxi and delivery service This group began in February 2007 and has ten members. They use motorbikes to run a taxi and delivery service. They bought the motorbikes one at a time as they could afford to. It is working well but they still have a loan to pay. They have received no donations. Money was a problem at the start, as was advertising and getting customers. Now though those problems have been resolved. They plan to expand and buy a car. They have many ideas for further expansion if they could secure funding. Advice for other groups: This is a viable project elsewhere too. Start with whatever you have and dont give up. You need licences for motorbikes Contact Information: Generation United Youth Group Box 19 Isiolo Fridah Kinya Nganatha (founder and Samson M Koome (secretary) unitedyouthisiolo@yahoo.com CEO) +254(0)721 594 721 My Notes: This is an ingenious idea that I think could work in almost any city. 39. Group Name: Downtown (Kisii, Nyanza) Revenue-Generating Activities: Sell second-hand clothes and shoes in a small shop. This group of two got together in early 2007, decided to raise money and opened a small second-hand clothing shop. They have had no loans and no grants only small donations from well-wishers. The business is self-sustaining but money is a challenge in that they have no capital to expand the business. The profit is enough to maintain it though. They have not looked into getting a loan and have made no plans since they have no capital to support them. Advice for other groups: Be sure you have enough start up money approximately Ksh 100 000 is enough. Contact Information: Downtown Duke Ocharo +254(0)721 635 606 Dukemario2005@yahoo.com PO Box 1314 Kisii Frank Omurwa +254(0)725 557 546 Nmarsh84@yahoo.com
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40. Group Name: Bulesa Youth Group (near Isiolo, Eastern) Revenue-Generating Activities: Run a small kiosk selling sodas, milk and juice in a rural village (population 4000) This group started in January 2007 with 30 members who each made personal contributions. They opened a kiosk in a small rural village. Their focus is selfsustainability they have had no donations but their local Member of Parliament helped with fundraising. Contributions were difficult for members who are otherwise unemployed and reliant on their parents. Nonetheless, they are doing well. The group made their own fridge. Advice for other groups: A positive attitude is important. This project is feasible elsewhere. Working as a group can be difficult but it has its advantages such as sharing ideas and responsibilities, using peoples different talents. They would like to be motivational for other groups Contact Information: Bulesa Youth Group Fr. Angelo Njagi +254(0)721 693 295 Bulesa Mission PO Box 688 60300 Isiolo
My notes: This is a small project but the fact that it is successful in a small town is encouraging. 41. Group Name: Sirende Special Unit (Sirende School Kitale, Rift Valley) Revenue-Generating Activities: Beading necklaces Other Activities: teaching skills to mentally handicapped children This project began in July 2007 with a donation from Danida and Kenya Commercial Bank of some beads and uniforms for the mentally handicapped children at the school to make beaded necklaces and bracelets. They still have no market for the goods yet so sales are very low as their only customers are people who stop by the school. Getting a fair price for their products at sale is difficult. The quality of the product is highly variable as well. The kids really enjoy it and it teaches them important skills such as perceptions, motor-coordination, eye-tracking and training. It encourages self-esteem. They hope to find a market soon. Contact Information: Sirende Special Unit Sabina E Ambuso PO Box 1792 Kitale Ambusoabby@yahoo.com +254(0)725 640 387
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42. St. Monicas School (Embu, Eastern) Revenue-Generating Activities: making beaded necklaces Other Activities: teaching skills to mentally handicapped children Very similar to the Sirende Special Unit project above. This is a recent initiative started to teach the children useful skills. The children enjoy it and work diligently on the necklaces regularly. They even learn some business skills from calculating the change for transactions. Contact Information: St. Monicas Special School ndwigalucy@yahoo.com Box 1688 Embu
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Non Revenue-Generating Groups

Other projects that, while they do not generate revenue, were worth noting
43. Group Name: Isiolo Youth Environmental Group (Community Based Organisation Isiolo) Revenue-Generating Activities: Weekly donations from members Ksh 20. Other Activities: Environmental conservation, disaster management and disease control (especially malaria and TB), spraying, education, tree planting. They do theatre activities about early marriage for primary schools. This group is different from the others in that its primary focus is community education and it has virtually no revenue-generation activities. I decided to include them because hopefully they can network with other groups and all will benefit. This group has ten members both men and women who each contribute Ksh 20 a week to fund its operations. All members are volunteers. The group has collaborated with other NGOs and CBOs numerous times. The attitude of the community is a challenge in that the public wants to be paid for participating in anything. The public address facilities the group often rents are frequently unavailable. Time management is also a challenge especially in the rainy season nothing starts on time. Funding shortages are always a problem. They are registered with the Total Eco Challenge. The group wants to have a theatre competition between schools but lack the funds. They would also like to build a theatre in Isiolo (they feel it is possible since the youth advocated for the library and got it through the Constituency Development Fund). They want to change the towns outlook and make the town beautiful. They feel clean up should be done publicly rather than by private corporations. Contact Information: Isiolo Youth Environmental Group Mathenge Ndegwa +254(0)720 327 793 PO Box 110 Isiolo
Merry-Go-Round loan groups, such as these three, are popular: 44. Isiolo Young Initiative (Wachira Waninga Box 108 Isiolo) 45. Jaribu (Eveline Gichangi +254(0)733 736 164 Eveline Gichangi Box138 Isiolo) 46. Jamii (Fridah Nyawira PO Box 138 Isiolo).
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Lessons learned from these projects:

it takes time to become successful raising goats is a profitable activity that uses little land running a successful project is very challenging finding buyers for the products is often the biggest challenge. More marketing is needed start small and grow from there high and low seasons mean you have to budget money well to last through the year
Other project ideas (in rough order of difficulty):

Sell handmade bookmarks (use wide cello tape to laminate manila paper with printed messages on them costs about Ksh 3 to make and sells for about Ksh 10 only need about Ksh 200 to start up) Sell cereals Sell bread Run a public toilet Rabbit rearing Raise pigs piglets are Ksh 1500 each, they eat scraps from the kitchen (especially good in a school with a feeding program no food costs. Adult pigs are Ksh 7000. Raise sheep Entertainment for locals or tourists Pottery Leather work e.g.: Isiolo Leather Cobblers Youth Group (Isaiah Kariuki +254(0)723209111) Information Technology Orientation Concierge take newly arrived business people and diplomats around showing them good restaurants, hotels or rental apartments, laundry services, etc... Help them get settled into life in the area. Introduce them to local customs and courtesies. Rent houses Sell fruit for export Commercial flower growing (floriculture) Run a pharmacy (need a diploma)
Advice on starting and operating a revenue-generating project

(a selection of advice from the project profiles above): You need to be interested in serving the group, be informed on what you are starting, have commitment, initiative and a source of income (selling shares works well). Start projects after all that. (Muslim Youth Group, #15) Start with a small, simple activity. (Muslim Youth Group, #15)
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Donors are a last resort only ask for assistance after you help yourself. (Muslim Youth Group, #15) There are three ways to increase sustainability: i) Make stuff, sell it, use the money, ii) Make stuff, use it, save the money you would have spent if you had bought it, iii) Create a sense of community ownership of the project so that you have a network for resource-sharing. (Child and Youth Empowerment Centre Thunguma, #9) Have a market and understand it. (Young Scouters AIDS/Poverty Self Help Group, #21) Market your product seriously before really starting. If you cannot sell your product widely it wont work no matter how much you love it if others dont like it, it wont sell. (Kenya Kanga, #16) Concentrate you cannot profit from idleness. (Young Scouters AIDS/Poverty Self Help Group, #21) Dont try to pay yourself a large mzungu salary, it will break a small company. (Kenya Kanga, #16) Everything you need can be made in Kenya. (Kenya Kanga, #16) Be committed, manage the business honestly and carefully, be trustworthy. Keep good records and be open with your group. (Pendeza Weaving, # 12) Accountability at every stage is paramount. (Young Scouters AIDS/Poverty Self Help Group, #21) Transparency is needed. (Young Scouters AIDS/Poverty Self Help Group, #21) Be more than a project have a business plan and be really committed. (UniquEco, #22) Learn management skills and teach your members. (Pendeza Weaving, # 12) Expertise in business management skills is important. (Utamaduni, #8) Rely on yourself you are the key to success or the reason for failure take responsibility. (Nanyuki Spinners and Weavers, #11) Know that there will be challenges; it is hard. You must have patience and perseverance. (Utamaduni, #8) The person in charge must be part and parcel of the people working for the project, not the boss be a friend. The boss up high has no idea whats going on at ground level. You need to be both on the top and on the ground. Dont just give orders ask for them. (Nanyuki Spinners and Weavers, #11) Get advice and input from everyone. (Kenya Kanga, #16) Recognise good ideas and individuals. (Nanyuki Spinners and Weavers, #11) Religious tolerance and mixed ethnicity is important. (Utamaduni, #8) Know your rights and the laws. (Nanyuki Spinners and Weavers, #11) Stay ahead of the game change your products frequently and keep prices reasonable. (Kenya Kanga, #16) Companies should become profitable after about five years. (Kenya Kanga, #16)
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How to Start a Revenue Generating Project:

To register a business you need to contact the Ministry of Trade and Industry: http://tradeandindustry.go.ke To register a Self Help Group or community based organisation you need to contact the Ministry of Gender: http://culture.go.ke Disclaimer: I am not an expert in entrepreneurship nor have I ever had any formal business training. The following is the result of basic online research alone. - To start a small business you need start up capital, planning, research, talent, motivation and determination. - You should have a business plan, even if you are the only person who will see it. o The process of thinking about how your business/project will operate in detail will help you avoid potentially serious mistakes and will give you confidence in knowing you can succeed. Include clear and realistic ideas of what makes you different or better than the competition and how you will win and keep customers. o A business plan includes a text document as well as numerical financial worksheets. o Learn from people already doing this kind of project/business. Get an idea of what the challenges are and how you can deal with them. Travel to other areas to get ideas of differences and how you might want to operate differently. o A business plan can be just a few pages long it doesnt have to be a thick book. o You can always change your business plan o Include details of how you will keep your business alive for the initial period before you are making a profit and that period can sometimes take years. o Include sections about your competitors, market and financial forecasts, how your business will operate and how you will market your business. o Business plans are often required when applying for capital from banks and other investors. o Ensure all writing is free of errors both grammatical and factual. Double-check all your facts. o Even if your business is already started, it is not too late to write a business plan. - Along with your business plan, you need to have an overview of finances. This includes estimates of start up costs, expenses, revenues and profit margin. Estimate at least for the first year. It has been said that almost everyone underestimates the costs of starting a business so be careful not to be too conservative with your figures. Plan for unexpected expenses. - Remember that the customer is not always right they can make unreasonable requests, they sometimes lie. They do deserve to be treated with respect and to be treated as if they are important because they are. Your business will fail without customers. Do everything you can to serve them well, even if you cannot fully
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satisfy their demands. Positive surprises, such as discounts and benefits go beyond the customers expectations they like that. Mentors, people who know how to run their business well and can spend time helping your business, can be very beneficial. More than one mentor is better.
Websites - The Ministry of Trade and Industry is responsible for businesses in Kenya: http://www.tradeandindustry.go.ke - The Investors Handbook is an online document published in January 2006 by the UNDP for small entrepreneurs in Kenya and can be found at: http://www.ke.undp.org/InvestorsHandbook.pdf - Kenya Institute of Management (KIM) provides courses on business management: www.kim.ac.ke - Information about important developments in various fields can be found at: ventureworthy.com - Detailed instructions on writing a business plan as well as other basic business documents can be found at: www.score.org. Business document templates can be found at http://www.score.org/template_gallery.html - Jump up provides the basic elements of a business plan: http://jumpup.intuit.com/ - Sample business plans for a variety of small businesses can be found at www.bplans.com Relevant Laws - For detailed information on the business laws in Kenya visit: http://www.doingbusiness.org/LawLibrary/LawLibrary.aspx - Income-generating projects are subject to taxes, Self Help Groups are not. - Self Help Groups are registered with the social services department of the Ministry of Gender (http://culture.go.ke). A Self Help Group has at least 20 members (list to be included in registration package), keeps minutes of their meetings, has election procedures and have held an election and have a constitution/bylaws. Each province has its own registration form. In return the government provides leadership training, technical advice, record keeping skills and small grants. - The Ministry of Gender also registers cultural groups, artists and cultural practitioners if you are starting a project that would fall into one of those categories you should contact them. http://culture.go.ke
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Sources of Capital
Youth Enterprise Development Fund (Ministry of State for Youth Affairs: http://youthaffairs.go.ke) There are two ways to access the Youth Fund through the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs directly or through financial intermediaries. Going directly through the Ministry is using the Constituency Youth Enterprise Scheme (C-YES). The youth fund is currently Ksh 1 000 000 000 but Mwai Kibaki promised in 2007 to increase it to Ksh 5 000 000 000. The C-YES has Ksh 1 000 000 per constituency to disburse (there are 210 constituencies in Kenya). There is 100 000 000 set aside for exporting labour abroad and Ksh 690 000 000 is for disbursement through the financial intermediaries. Only registered, organised youth groups and cooperatives can qualify for C-YES loans. Groups must be registered with the Ministry of Gender, have been in existence for three months and have at least 70% of their members and 100% of their leadership between the ages of 18-353. Also, the group must have a bank account. The maximum first loan for a group is Ksh 50 000. There is no interest but there is a 5% administration fee. No collateral is required. If the first loan is paid back on time and in full, future loans may be for greater amounts. This is a continuous process applications may be submitted at any time. After the first loan is given, there is a three month grace period after which the group must begin to repay the loan. It must be fully repaid within 12 months after the grace period (15 months after the loan was given). Many groups applied to the C-YES for the first round in April but a lot of them did not fit all the criteria. Of the groups that were eligible, all were given loans. The second round of loans was given out in December 2007. The financial intermediaries can give loans to any youth-owned enterprise. These enterprises can be owned individually, in a group, as a company, in cooperatives or other legal forms of business ownership. The financial intermediaries carry their own risk in disbursing these funds as they cannot pass on the costs of defaulted loans to the government. Only minimal, soft or flexible collateral is required, if any if required at all. These loans are given at 8% interest per annum on a reducing balance. That is considerably lower than other lending institutions that are often 14-20% interest. It is thought that the low interest rate from the youth fund will force other institutions to lower their rates. Each financial intermediary can create their own conditions for the loan and has their own application procedure. The Ministry of Youth and the financial intermediaries also offer training on basic business skills focussing on entrepreneurship. The Youth Fund is now a partially government controlled (parastatal) organisation in Kenya. This will improve its structure. In future the intermediaries will be phased out and later the Youth Fund may even
Although the legal definition of youth in Kenya is 18-30, the youth fund allows those up to age 35 to be included because many people do not finish school and start businesses until they are close to 30. Similarly, those under 18 are allowed to participate but are not classified as youth.
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become its own bank. By November 2007 over 18 000 women and 5000 men had benefited from the youth fund through intermediaries with 98% of the groups repaying their loans. Over 4500 groups had been given loans from the C-YES at that time. Steps to access the Youth fund through C-YES: 1) The group must have existed for three months, have a bank account (usually they start by taking contributions from members and banking those) and be registered with the Ministry of Gender. 2) Determine the project to be undertaken and fill in the standardised form for business proposal (available on the website for the Ministry of Youth and at Ministry of Youth offices). 3) Submit the completed application and relevant documentations to the decision committee (made up of staff from the Ministry of Youth and other stakeholders). They will make their decision in 1-3 months. 4) The decision is communicated and the cheque is given to the group with all members present. 5) After a three month grace period from receiving the cheque, repayment begins. The loan must be fully repaid within 12 months from this date. 6) If the loan is repaid in full and on schedule the group may apply for another, bigger loan. List of Financial Intermediaries for the Youth Fund: - Family Finance Building Society - Kenya Entrepreneurship Empowerment Foundation (KEEF) - Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE) - Small and Micro Enterprise program - Kenya Women Finance Trust (KWFT) - K-REP Bank - K-REP Development Agency - Adok Timo - Business Initiatives and - Equity Bank Management Assistance Services - Baringo Farmers SACCO - Nyamire Tea Farmers SACO - Elgon Teachers SACCO - Nomads Welfare Development - Taita Taveta teachers SACCO Group - Lokichogio Multi-Purpose Cooperative - Masaku Traders SACCO There is a third form of support for youth enterprise financial grants. Grants can be given to persons with exceptional business ideas who are otherwise ineligible for the Youth Fund. Application is done directly to the Minister of Youth. To apply, send a business proposal and application letter. The Ministry of Youth also runs Youth Polytechnics to foster employable skills in youth. These are job training centres that teach trade skill as well as entrepreneurship. Most of the students are primary school drop outs. With free secondary education as of 2008, all fees for such polytechnics are waived.
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Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) (Ministry of Gender: http://culture.go.ke) The Women Enterprise Fund was officially launched on December 13, 2007. Newer than the Youth Enterprise Development Fund, the Women Enterprise Fund works in a very similar manner. The fund can be accessed either through financial intermediaries or directly through the Ministry of Gender. When accessed directly though the Ministry it is known as the Constituency Women Enterprise Loan Scheme (C-WELS). To be eligible, applicant groups must have 70% female membership, including 100% female leadership. There is a Ksh 50 000 limit for first loans but future loans can be larger if a group repays in full and on schedule. Financial intermediaries can have higher limits. The objective of the Women Enterprise Fund is to empower women to engage in the development of micro enterprises as a way of enhancing their socio-economic status. (Nation, Dec 13 2007, pg 40) The first cheques from the womens fund were disbursed in December 2007. There is Ksh 1 000 000 000 set aside for the Women Fund in the 2007-2008 fiscal year, KSH 640 000 000 through financial intermediaries, Ksh 1 000 000 per constituency through the C-WELS, Ksh 50 million for capacity building (training women in enterprise and business development skills) and Ksh 100 million for administrative costs. The fund is a revolving loan scheme for individuals and groups. The District/Divisional Women Enterprise Committees (DWEFC) appraise all loan applications and determine who will receive funds. Nationally, the Women Enterprise Fund Advisory Board overseas the administration of the fund. There are four institutions involved in the management of the fund. The first are the Advisory Boards that advise the minister on the operations of the fund and oversee its management. Second is the Secretariat headed by the Chief Executive responsible for the day to day running of the fund. Micro-finance institutions collectively are the third institution managing the fund. There will be at least four such financial intermediaries per district. Finally, the fourth institution is the DWEFC. To access a loan from the fund one must be a female Kenyan over the age of 18 intending to invest in Income Generating Activities (IGAs). If it is a group applying they must be registered and have existed for three months prior to application. Any kind of female-owned enterprise, including individually owned, companies, groups or cooperatives are eligible. Interest is 8% per annum on a reducing balance. Collateral is flexible. The loan amount is dependant on the type of business proposed and the terms of the intermediary but for loans over Ksh 500 000 approval must be sought from the Funds Advisory Board. Identification details such as certificates of business registration, national identity card or passport are needed as well as a bank account, preferably with the financial intermediary. Each intermediary has own application form and procedures. The existence of the groups is verified by the Divisional WEP committee. The repayment period will not exceed three years and may be less as per the terms of the agreement between the applicant and the financial intermediary.
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The C-WELS (accessed through the Ministry) is largely to ensure that women living in areas poorly served by financial intermediaries can access the fund. Target enterprises are those of womens groups in the Divisions. The maximum loan amount is Ksh 50 000 and is available only to women groups in the constituency, not individual enterprises. There is a 5% administration fee upfront and no interest. The DWEFC screens proposals and determine successful applicants. When the loan is granted there is a three month grace period after which the loan must be repaid in 12 equal instalments over 12 months. The group must have been in existence for three months and must be registered. They must fill out and submit the application form/business proposal. The Divisional Women Enterprise Fund Committee uses Ministry-provided evaluation guidelines to evaluate applications and recommends to the advisory board to disburse funs to the group. The Women Enterprise Fund Secretariat disburses the fund directly to the bank accounts of approved groups. Repayments are made into a collection account. Financial Intermediaries: - Kenya Women Finance Trust (KWFT) - Family Bank - Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE) - Cooperative Bank of Kenya - Small and Micro Enterprise Programme (SMEP) - K-Rep Development Agency - Pamoja Women Group - Business Initiative and Management Assistance Services (BIMAS) - Gusii Farmers Rural SACO Society Limited - Jitegemea Credit Scheme - Mathira farmers SACCO Society Limited - Taifa SACCO Society Limited Oikocredit www.oikocredit.org A Dutch organisation, Oikocredit is based on the idea that given a chance and given credit the poor of the world can build themselves a better life. Oikocredit was founded thirty years ago and is a civil society initiative and a privately owned cooperative rather than a privately owned organisation. They offer loans of as long as ten years on little collateral and no commission or extra fees. They offer interest rates similar to commercial loans but do not require 100% collateral. Though it is a church-based organisation, they do not take religion into account when selecting projects. They provide their loans in local currency to avoid problems of exchange rate changes. Oikocredit uses a few focus countries, including Kenya, to concentrate their benefit.
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East African Office Judy Ngarachu PO Box 30328-00100 Nairobi, Kenya +254(0)204 445 845 Fax: +254(0)204 445 318 office.ke@oikocredit.org www.oikocredit.org/rm/ke
International Office PO Box CC Amersfoort, The Netherlands +31 33 422 4040 Fax: +31 33 465 03 36 info@oikocredit.org www.oikocredit.org
Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE) http://www.kie.co.ke/ KIE is a parastatal organisation set up by the Ministry of Trade and Industry in 1967 as a subsidiary to the Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC). KIE serves to incubate medium, small and micro enterprises across Kenya through credit, business development schemes and industrial parks. To get a loan from KIE you need to be a service or manufacturing business that is at least two years old and that employs at least five people. To apply you must provide photos and a sketched map of your business location, security for 140% of the loan value desired, certificate from the Land Registry of an Official Search, a report of valuation from the registered land valuer, credible guarantors (two), current bank statements and trading licence as well as both the guarantors and applicants PIN certificates. Your business must also be appraised by KIE, the loan must be used according to KIE policy and a quotation is needed if equipment is purchased. There is an application fee of Ksh 1000 and a legal fee of 2% of the total loan. Their loans for small and medium sized industries are payable within 3-8 years and can be between Ksh 500 000 and Ksh 14 000 000. These can have a one year grace period. For micro loans, they lend Ksh 100 000 to Ksh 500 000 to informal (jua kali) business owners. For both they charge 15% interest on a reducing balance. KIE has 21 branches offices across Kenya Kenya Industrial Estates Limited Managing Director PO Box 78029 Nairobi, Kenya +254(0)20 651 348/53 Fax: +254(0)651355 admin@kie.co.ke www.kie.co.ke
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Kiva Microfunds www.kiva.org Kiva is a California, United States of America micro-lending agency where people lend their own money ($25 or more) to a business of their choice in a developing country through the kiva.org website. When the money is paid back the lender can re-lend it to another business or withdraw it. Kiva was started in 2005 and has been quite successful. They have even had an instance after good press coverage when every project listed on their site was fully funded. Kiva has been criticised for charging high interest rates though they argue it is necessary to cover the costs of micro lending. Their only other source of revenue is optional fees paid by lenders voluntarily. Kiva lends through field partners microfinance institutions who administer and manage the loans in developing countries. Currently there are 85 field partners. In Kenya, their field partners are: - The Ebony Foundation (Eb-F) - Opportunity International Wedco Ltd. - Womens Economic Empowerment Consort (WEEC) - Kisumu Medical & Education Trust (K-MET) - Action Now: Kenya - People Microcredit Investment Bureau (PEMCI) - Supporting Enterprises for Economic Development (SEED) Development Group - East Africa Beta - Rural Agency for Development (RAFODE) Kiva is not a security or a religious organisation through it does partner with religious organisations. Due diligence is conducted on each potential field partner before they are accepted. They must lend to the poor as a social mission. It is the field partners who takes loan applications and decides which will be uploaded to the website to find lenders. They also distribute the funds once they are lent and forward repayments back to kiva.org Kiva Microfunds 3180 18th Street, Suite 201 San Francisco, California 94110 USA +1-412-952-8811 Monday-Friday 8am 5pm CST
Other Potential Sources of Capital - Believe Begin Become: a business plan competition http://www.believe-beginbecome.com/ - Banks (Equity, KCB, Barclays, K-Rep, Co-operative, Standard Chartered, etc) - Rotary Club, Lions Club, both within and outside Kenya. - International Development Agencies Danida, SIDA, CIDA, USAID, etc - www.givemeaning.com register your project, seek votes and raise funds
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Why Do Some Projects Fail?

There are any number of reasons why projects fail. Take time to consider your project and if it has what it will need to succeed. There are whole books written on this subject but hopefully this short list will be of some help. Preventable Causes of Failure: - Bad management - Dishonesty or lack of trustworthiness of any involved people - Poor budgeting - Unrealistic goals - A lack of planning - Unclear thinking use as much detail as possible in all aspects of the project - Lack of basic business skills Unpreventable Causes of Failure - Natural disaster, severe weather - Death of key persons - Political/civil unrest - Changes in laws - Changes in the market for your product or service No matter what type of project you are considering be sure to do all the research you can, consider all the possibilities you can think of, plan for many different circumstances, and always be aware of the possibility of failure.
Conclusion
It is my sincere hope that you have found this book useful to you in starting your project. This book is intended as a tool of empowerment and inspiration Kenyan projects can and do succeed. Hopefully it has given you ideas of projects you hadnt thought of before, some ideas of where to look for financing, and if and how you should register your project with the government. Do check the companion website for this book for updates and further information. It can be found at: www.projectsmanual.shorturl.com. Please share this book with anyone who you feel may benefit from it. Feel free to photocopy it, print it from the website above, or purchase it at a minimal cost from any Kenya Girl Guides shop. I would like to express my thanks to the people of Kenya and in particular the Kenya Girl Guides Association and the many projects mentioned in this book. Kenya and her people have impressive potential and I am proud to have been able to spend some time there. Further thanks go to the College of the Rockies in Cranbrook, Canada and the Canadian International Development Association for providing the funding and the opportunity that made this book possible. Kristen
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Kenya Projects Manual

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Kenya Projects Manual

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How to Make Money

A Manual for Kenyan Youth Groups on Starting Revenue Generating Projects

By: Kristen Hope

Definitions of Key Terms:

List of Projects Included:

Projects listed in rough order of how self-sustaining they are

Projects Established in 2007 it is too soon to know if they will succeed

Non-Revenue Generating Groups

Imani Workshops www.imaniworkshops.org info@imaniworkshops.org

Rosalyn GG Leader Roaduwo@yahoo.com Tereza Akoth Odour Head Teacher tessodi@yahoo.com

Projects Established in 2007

Kitale Academy Primary Private Bag, Kitale

Non Revenue-Generating Groups

Lessons learned from these projects:

Other project ideas (in rough order of difficulty):

Advice on starting and operating a revenue-generating project

How to Start a Revenue Generating Project:

Why Do Some Projects Fail?

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