CASE STUDY 4

Entrepreneur David Kuria is making the toilet a hot commodity in Kibera, one of the largest slums in Kenya. To increase demand for and maintenance of toilets in the slums, he founded a venture called Ecotact. “Why just do two quick things in the toilet?” Kuria asks. Ecotact builds “toilet malls” that provide bathroom facilities along with shoe shines, food, phone booths and other commercial services. Each toilet complex is equipped with 8 toilets, a water kiosk, a baby changing station and gender separate showers. 30,000 customers use Ecotact’s facilities every day. Corporations now vie for advertising, while the nearby vendors strive to keep the toilets clean. And it is the business model, not charity or education alone, that drives this success.

For Nigerian entrepreneur Dr. Joseph Adelegan, a civil engineer by training, human and animal waste was not waste but an opportunity that should not be wasted. A nearby slaughterhouse had been disposing daily the waste of 1,000 slaughtered cows directly into a local river. Joseph designed a bioreactor that digests the waste into biogas that generates electricity and is used for cooking fuel. Local women’s organizations sell the fuel at affordable prices for urban poor. The solid waste left over is a cheap and effective fertilizer. His models, named “Cows to Kilowatts” and “Power to the Poor,” also reduce emission of methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas. His initiative has also improved the quality of the water that the local community uses for cleaning and bathing.

Adelegan’s successful business model not only tackles the technological aspects of this problem, but – even more powerfully – it has mobilized the community. It has even stirred the Nigerian government, which used to block such initiatives, into action. In 2008, his model was accepted into national policy and will be replicated within other slaughterhouses in Nigeria. Meanwhile, Dr. Adelegan, has also been featured on CNN, awarded prizes from the World Economic Forum and covered recently in Fortune magazine. He is now working with other social entrepreneurs to extend the approach to other African countries.  Source sanitation updates

WELCOME TO REALITY- YOU TOO CAN DO IT

AFRICA CASE STUDY 3
FATIMAH SEGHOSIME London Trained Chartered Accountants turned FARMER

THE REVELATION OF EXECUTIVE FARMER from Nigeria

ONCE A DIASPORA LIKE YOU
FROM THE INFO WE READ ABOUT IN THE BLOG- 
backtoafrica-ourmotherland
Let us reason together my fellow Diaspora
Investment 1
this lady farmer said her Hatchery produced 1,200,000 day old chicks (doc) per year
from the research i did a day old chick cost between N 120-  N240 for broilers/layers
a day old chick cost between N 40- N50 for cockerel in Nigeria
so let assume she was able to get 850,000 (doc) broiler  per year 
                                     850 000 * N120 = N 102,000,000 per year
****    Yes, of course i know, 
 that we use minimum amount to do this calculation, this lady can get more than this amount- 


THIS LADY FARMER IS MAKING - N 102,000,000 PER YEAR ON DAY OLD CHICKS ALONE i.e  N 102 Million a year on one investment alone.                                      Convert it to £=428,571 £1=N238 Let assume she spent half of this on the running cost and other expenses, she still has £ 204,285 as profit. how long will it take you to get this in UK (Europe) or USA
You see why Bank managers will like to do business with her.
  
INVESTMENT 2 -   CATFISH FINGERLINGS
Fingerlings are the small fish that has just been hatched from their eggs. From the info gathered two catfish can produce up to 2000-5000* fingerling's (how to do this is no more a secret, as we know people who can train you to start this profitable venture).


Catfish fingerling's cost between N10-N15 depending on the season of the year
this lady farmer said she produced 1,000,000 a year
from my own research i learnt that catfish are carnivorous animal i.e to say they eat each other if their is no enough food, by that we can base our calculation on 890,000 fingerling's
                                       890,000 * N10----N8,900,000 a year
if we deduct the overhead cost and other miscellaneous expenses, let say she spent N 3,500,000 ( N 3.5M)
at the end of the year she still has N 5,400,000 ( N 5.4M) as profit  Convert it to £= 22,268.
What else are you looking for in a business, if not cool profit


Investment 3 Catfish Growout 
You want to know how much she is making in her catfish grow out, then join our blog.
Also you have to know that there are challenges in these type of business, but if you are thinking of the negative side of any business then you better continue in your 9-5 job and stop complaining.
We will be organizing seminars and trainings in UK for Diaspora who like what they have read in this blog. This seminars/trainings will bring in people that are doing this business and are successful entrepreneurs from Africa. 
Join the blogs(follower) to receive info and voucher about coming seminars


http://backtoafrica-ourmotherland.blogspot.com   


http://alertdiasporachronicle.blogspot.com  


Your comments and contributions are welcome.

AFRICA - LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE WHO CAN SEE THE POSITIVE SIDE OF AFRICA.

AFRICA CASE STUDY 2

Entrepreneur watch: Bringing the ‘Zen’ back to Kenya’s restaurant industry

CASE STUDIES, FOOD & BEVERAGES, KENYA | REGINA EKIRU | MARCH 3, 2011 AT 15:47

Shivani Radia Patel (27) quit her high-flying job at a UK law firm to heed her parents’ advice of settling back in Kenya and doing something of her own. Today she is one of the founders and managing directors of Zen Gardens, a leading restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya. How we made it in Africa’s Regina Ekiru sat down with Patel to discuss the business.

Shivani Radia Patel

How did you initially start Zen Gardens?

While working in the UK, I always thought of having my own business but it is the encouragement from my parents that gave me the go. My passion for food inspired me to venture into the hospitality sector. It was a big risk considering the amount of investment in terms of money and time. It took two years to establish the restaurant. It will take us about three to four years to recover the investment but we are on the right track since we are already profitable. When I came back from the UK, I brought in my experience in management and marketing, and teamed-up with my mom and sister who are garden, landscape and interior designers.

Zen Gardens hosts two restaurants – the Bamboo Oriental restaurant and the Jade coffee and tea house – and a conference facility. The facility stands on a two and a half acres piece of land. It has been in operation for two years now. We have 60 employees with a target clientele ranging from the high end market, corporate firms and tourists.

What makes Zen Gardens unique?

Ours is a unique location and concept. The décor, the food, the ambiance and our service standards make us stand out. Being an owner-run investment means we are highly involved in the business. It is very easy to lose control of a big business if the owners are not involved in managing the venture. We are passionate and take care of every detail to ensure our clients get the best service.

Tell us more about the challenges you face in running the business

Setting and maintaining service standards is no joke. We have to be top of the game every day. This demands a lot of time and involvement in the day-to-day activities to ensure we maintain our standards. To add to that, managing every aspect of the business calls for one to be an all-rounder. I am involved in all the departments, from marketing, procurement, human resources, accounts as well as front of house duties. Power disruptions, water shortages and droughts are some of the other challenges that affect operations and lead to extra expenses.

How would you describe the current state of Kenya’s hospitality industry?

The hotel industry in Kenya is on an impressive growth trend. The establishment of new hotels has increased competition thereby prompting market players to adopt higher standards of service.