Changing lives one at a time
Happy & Neema Coffee Company
The Happy & Neema Coffee Company was the first business launched with the support of GHTA. Happy and Neema are both single mothers who were struggling to support their children after their husbands left. These 2 women were thrilled to be accepted into the first group of students at the Adult Education Centre and worked very hard in their classes. They were in the first group of GHTA graduates and started their coffee business in January 2010. Thanks to a generous sponsor from the U.S., we were able to purchase the initial inventory of coffee beans for the women. This initial inventory included 5 bags of coffee 120,00Tsh each = 600,000Tsh, scale and two phones; total investment of 680,000Tsh.
Happy and Neema roast, mill, and bag the coffee themselves. They began by selling coffee on the street to other Tanzanians, a very common practice in Moshi. However, soon GHTA was able to secure 3 contracts for them with businesses in town. They now sell their coffee in 2 curio (i.e. tourist souvenir) stores and in a local coffee lounge (like the Tanzanian version of Starbucks!). In these locations, Happy and Neema sell their coffee in bags made from kanga (local Tanzanian fabric in bright colours) or burlap. The bags are made by another GHTA graduate. The label attached to each bag describes the women’s story.
Tanzania is known to have some of the best coffee beans in the world and the coffee that Happy and Neema make is delicious. It is a wonderful gift so many of our volunteers purchase bags to take home for themselves and their loved ones.
Women’s Co-operative
Give a Heart To Africa is renting a store space in Moshi which currently houses 5 of its former graduates’ business. GHTA pays for the annual rent of 1,800,000Tsh. Women in the co-operative conduct their business free of charge for a one year period which allows them to save up money to afford a store space of their own when they move out.
Gaudencia
Gaudencia was a student in the third GHTA class and graduated as one of the Top 5 students. She is a busy mother; very driven, anxious to improve her family status, and keen to see her children succeed. While working for a short time in a hair salon, she developed a passion for women’s beauty products. Thus it was an easy choice for her to select cosmetics as the business she wanted to start. Women in Moshi love to wear make-up but, because make-up is not produced locally, it can be expensive to purchase. Gaudencia saw an opportunity in Moshi to offer a wide range of cosmetics at good prices.
With GHTA, she travels to Nairobi (the capital of Kenya) to purchase her inventory. Make-up is much less expensive there, and there is a broader range of products of higher quality. She purchases eye shadow, blush, lipstick, mascara, and more in bulk. She then sells these products at a profit from her space in the Women’s Cooperative. Gaudencia has a natural business acumen and is always in search of the best and most profitable inventory. She is not shy to greet her customers and showcase her products. Gaudencia is proud to be running her own business today, helping the women of Moshi feel their most beautiful. She hopes to save enough money to open her own hair salon one day, combined with selling cosmetics. Given her great work ethic, we are confident she will succeed.
Total investment: GHTA donated to Gaudencia 2,000,000Tsh to purchase her 1st inventory.
Christina
Christina was a student in the third GHTA class. She is a very ambitious mother of two beautiful children. She started sewing in her home a few years ago but was unable to expand her ‘business’ due to lack of funds and space. While she studied in our school she excelled in her classes, improving her spoken English and knowledge of business. She is a lovely, kind, and honest woman.
Christina worked very hard on her Business Plan to start a business selling fabrics. She spent a lot of time researching and selecting her inventory, and advertising her new business. The local fabrics in Tanzania are called “kangas” and “kitenges.” These fabrics come in bright colours and many different designs. Tanzanian women wear traditional fabrics everyday so they need to purchase new ones often. Christina travels to Dar es Salaam to buy fabric in bulk and then sells it for a profit. She receives a lot of support from her husband and parents, all of whom came to the grand opening of the Co-operative.
Christina has been working very hard since the launch of her business. Her customer base has expanded significantly, as have her sales of fabrics, kangas, and kitenges. Given her ambition and business savvy, she will definitely become an accomplished business woman. After she purchased her first inventory, in all the excitement she exclaimed “I will be able to drive my children to school one day!” All of us at Give a Heart To Africa know her dream will come true and are proud to be helping her on the road to her future.
Total investment: GHTA donated to Christina 2,000,000Tsh to purchase her 1st inventory.
Eunice
Eunice was a student in the third GHTA class. She is a lovely woman and a wonderful mother. She always has a smile on her face, is very polite, and is kind to others. Eunice had not attended classes since elementary school. She found the classes at GHTA’s Adult Education Center challenging but Eunice rose to the challenge. She worked very hard, came to every extra help class offered, passed all three subjects, and graduated with a certificate from Give a Heart To Africa.
Shoes are expensive in Moshi and hard to come by. There is always a demand in the market for more shoes. Eunice recognized this and decided to use her space in the Women’s Co-operative to start a business selling footwear. Eunice travels to Dar with GHTA to purchase her inventory. Shoes are less expensive there and there is a greater variety of styles. Eunice sells these shoes at a profit in Moshi. GHTA gives Eunice extensive business coaching. She is putting what she learned at the Adult Education Center into practice and working hard to become an accomplished business woman. Eunice is so proud to be running her own business and supporting her family, and we are thrilled to see her succeeding.
Total investment: GHTA donated to Eunice 1,500,000Tsh to purchase her 1st inventory.
Serapia
Serapia has been working very hard for the last two years as a single mom selling men’s shoes on the streets of Moshi. She started with one pair of shoes and has increased her business to over 20 pairs. She walked for 1.5 hrs to town with all the shoes on her back looking for customers and returned home well after dark. She joined our school in October 2010 and studied extremely hard. This is a woman who knows what she wants, to improve her families standard of living. She works very hard and thus was chosen to join our women’s co-operative as of May 2011. She found a very niche market, men’s sports shoes and now is the only business owner in Moshi selling new men’s football and running shoes.
Total investment: GHTA donated to Serapia 2,000,000Tsh to purchase her 1st inventory.
Grace
Grace was one of our shiest students, she was almost in tears when she had to speak when she first joined our school. Over time, she became very confident, argued her point in class, expressed her opinions and studied very, very hard. She has one of the best business plans in class. When she was selected to join our women’s co-operative she decided to sell women’s clothes as she loves fashion. She joined our co-operative in May, 2011 selling jeans, t-shirts, dresses, bras and underwear.
Total investment: GHTA donated to Grace 2,000,000Tsh to purchase her 1st inventory.
Other Employment
Linna
Linna is one of our former graduates, she always has a smile on her face and is just a joy to be around. Her life changed dramatically just two weeks after graduation when her husband passed away suddenly and she was left to take care of their two young children. After taking some time to grieve and help her children get through a very difficult situation, she approached us about starting a sheet business at a local used clothing market. On May 24th, 2011, she purchased 270,000Tsh ($200) worth of sheets; in 6 hours, she sold 20 sheets and made a profit of $50. She was overwhelmed with joy saying how blessed she felt. We wish her and her children ONLY the best.
Levina
Levina is a former graduate and her life has been far from easy in the last few years. She has been taking care of her two children and a very ill husband who passed away in November, 2010. To support her children, she has been washing people’s clothes, walking around all day looking for customers. Employees of Standard & Poors, Madrid, got together and donated several boxes of used clothes which we then in turn donated to Levina to start a small used clothing business. She has been working very hard to turn it into a success. Best wishes to her and her children.
Further Education
Give a Heart To Africa has been able to find several sponsors to help some of our recent graduates to further their education. We would like to thank ALL of our sponsors and friends for their help.
Helen, attending Secondary School
Calvin, Innocent and Luckson Kimambo, all attending a Secondary School
Siyanga, completed Secondary School, will be studying to become an electrician.
Halima, attending Journalism school in Arusha
Neema, attending Secondary School
Gloria, attending Secondary School
Odilia, attending Secretary school
Employment
Not all people have the desire to start their own small business but the skills they learn at Give A Heart To Africa’s Adult Education Centre can enable them to find employment. The members of GHTA use their contacts in Moshi to learn about new job opportunities whenever possible. We have helped many of GHTA’s graduates find jobs or improve their employment in Moshi:
- Dorcas works in a stationary store
- Faraja works in an internet cafe
- Mary works in a stationary store
- Pendo got a job at Gladys Adventure Co.
- Calvin works at Luvitan Business Services
- Agatha works in a stationary store
