A cold and damp Saturday in Arua. Although I’m still wandering around in a short sleeve shirt, nearly everyone else is bundled up in coats. It’s quite humorous. I think it might be in the low 60’s, even high 50’s!
Today George left for Nairobi – he emailed to say he is safe and sound – but not before conducting a last minute meeting in the snack bar/shed at the airport. Now that’s getting business done American style!
I was left to carry the flag.
First on the Agenda was a visit to a building site of the construction company that is one of our loan portfolio companies (a fancy way of saying we lent them money!!). Part of the site can be seen in the picture at the top. This is a large project funded by the World Bank to refurbish and expand a secondary school some 20kms northwest of Arua. There are a series of 6 new classrooms, and 4 pit latrines being built from scratch, 6 classrooms that are being refurbished , new furniture is being built for all the classrooms and the installation of rudimentary power that will run the lights off solar panels. It is an interesting community event. The labor is hired locally, the bricks are made by the villagers, the transportation is hired from the school itself and all the fabrication will be done in workshops in Arua. Then when it is all finished, the community will have a fine new school. Projects like this really benefit the community in multiple ways. As a result of the expansion, more students will be able to attend school, and the class sizes will drop from 70-80 students per class to 40-50. In talking with the teachers there, they are excited about how much better they will be able to develop the kids when they don’t have to try to work with 80 at a time! Finally, as a result of the project, which was won in part because of our working capital financing, the construction company will buy a dump truck from the project earnings and strengthen its product offering and competitive position as a result.
A win, win, win, win!!
I met with two other entrepreneurs from Yumbe – a town north of Arua by about 60 kms, which makes Arua look like a budding metropolis, and an economic powerhouse! One has an agricultural input dealership and the other is the main honey producer in the region. I think we can work with one, but the other business model just doesn’t make enough sense. At least I was able to show the owner what the issues were and think he will be able to improve his overall business as a result.
Finally I met with the Business Vision Arua 2009 Board of Directors. BVA is a Community Based Organization we helped form whose express purpose is to help Christian business men and women grow their businesses and take them to the “next level”. While I was heavily involved with the organization initially, I have increasingly encouraged it to be transferred into the hands of the Arua community. It will only work if the men and women doing business here expand it in such a way as adds value to them. The new Board seems to have the bit between its teeth and is starting by building a strong BVA community group before pushing out into expansionary avenues. I think this is exactly the right way to go and I look forward to a very much strengthened BVA when I come back.
I’m not sure if this will get posted tonight, the net has been behaving badly for the last few hours.
Blessings to all!
A
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