Engedaye reflects on first day of visit to UK

Engedaye Eshete shared what she got out of the first day of the visit to Sacoma.

"Technology and Internet. Women with information have power. If you don't have information you can't succeed in business. What we women entrepreneurs associations must do is support women to use technology.

"We need to give training. We learned about a website called Microsoft Digital Learning where people can learn to use computers and software. Someone who is already good at using internet and various software packages can quickly learn to be a trainer. We need to establish centres where our entrepreneurs can come an be trained.

"What we also need is computers. In our association there is only one computer. How can we give more training with just one computer? If we can get some used computers we can better serve the needs of our members. If we use computers in our business we can transfer information to our members. Our members can enter tax information on the computer. We need computers to do business. Our entrepreneurs do not have the knowledge they need for their business. With their lack of information they cannot grow.

"We also need websites. If we had websites we could exchange more information, for example with the UK and our potential clients there.
"We have organic products, honey and spice without chemicals. When we ask with technology where the demand is, we can send the product easily. The consumer is happy because there are no chemicals used in the production of the honey and spices and other organic material. We can send from our country to the UK or the Netherlands. But we can't do this at this time, because at this time we do not have the technology to reach our customers.

"There are 13 different kinds of association in the Ethiopian entrepreneurs association. This umbrella organisation includes the disabled women entrepreneurs association, farmers, exporters and women entrepreneurs associations. Many of these organisations have little information.the exportrs association has some information but does not have linkages, like joint ventures, with UK associations or partners.These women's collectives have little or no information.

"We want to learn more from Sacoma and from Lin about how to use the Internet to solve this problem of women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia."

Engedaye requested that Lin think about how to help women entrepreneurs associations get better connected, every time she opens her laptop.

For starters, at least every women entrepreneurs association should have a laptop or computer.

That is not all.

Engedaye also reflected on violence against women and how this affects women entrepreneurs. When women have good businesses and can support their families, the families do better.

Wat we need is to work with men. The old communist idea on gender was to give women freedom. Liberate them. But traditionally men are the head of the household. We will not make improvements if we try to avoid this, Engedaye says. We need to make it so that the men want women to be successful entrepreneurs. Dina Bina told the story about how she tried to get women at her church to go to the hospital to check for cervical cancer. When she asked for all the women to come, noone came. When she asked for the men to be responsible and ensure that the women were able to undergo the checkup, 300 women participated.
In other words, Engedaye says, we need to change the paradigm and work with men.

If we raise gender equality we can cancel violence against women. We can teach a good culture. If it is not a good culture we all suffer.

Getting ready to start

Five of us breakfasted at Rossmore Hotel, getting ready to visit SACOMA.

At the foodcourt in Ilford

Argos in Ilford

Visiting the UK

Sunday 27 February.
Five of the 7 delegates to our week long exposure visit in the UK have arrived. We are still waiting to hear whether the other 7 get their visas. This morning Dina Bina, Engedaye Eshete, Martha Getachew, Yared Fekade and Nigest Haile arrived.
At lunchtime three of us went into town - the town of Ilford. Every moment was a learning moment, as the following videos show.

The Benefit of Sharing

Knowing want you want

Networking works!

Dina Bina was the first (at present only) member of the Tanzanian delegation to the UK next week to get a visa. Guess why? According to Happiness Mchomvu, it makes a difference that she decorates the British Embassy with her flowers.

Planned visit to the UK

Program IO visit

Sun     27.02.11	Arrival
Mon    28.02.11	SACOMA/Induction/IT systems/Business Development Support Systems Social Entrepreneurship/Program Funding/New Service Models Visit to London Chamber of Commerce/ benchmarking facility
Tue     01.03.11	Visit to Prowess (Bedford, Bedfordshire, in the East of England).
Wed    02.03.11	Free Day
Thu     03.03.11	Visit to Women Development Agency (Coventry, West Midlands)
Fri       04.03.11	Visit to the African Embassies in the UK (Uganda and Tanzania) (Include meeting & roundtable Discussions with the High commissioners Participants Review and strategy meeting/ Business Planning
Sat       05.03.11	Departure

Below is a summary of the learning’s we hope to achieve form all of the IO visits

	What we will learn	Outcome
Prowess	How to develop enterprise support, financial services, general advice or any kind of assistance to women in business	Review the effectiveness of your current services to Attract more women clients through effective promotional materials and outreach Develop women-friendly business training, counseling and networking programs Train and develop staff to understand and meet the needs of women-owned businesses Map services available for women-owned businesses in your area Establish effective equal opportunities and gender mainstreaming strategies Work with key stakeholders towards developing an effective strategy and network of provision for women-owned businesses Support your Leaders or senior staff Demonstrate expertise to funders, develop high quality services for women and increase client base.
Women Business Development Agency	How to develop partnership projects and work with Regional Development Agencies and Funders	How to develop projects in partnership with mainstream government Secure women’s active participation and leadership to build a more sustainable future for the IOs Research Hoe to develop unique programs specific o women business owners or start ups. Working with and support from Universities Other Facilities made available for women i.e. research facilities, Intellectual Property, Research: Evaluations, impact assessments, strategic overviews, questionnaire construction, mapping, consultation meetings and focus groups, wide range of broad based research.
London Chamber of Commerce		Women’s enterprise project development: promotion and outreach, mentoring, networks, all levels of training, microfinance, investment-ready and business angels, on-line services and business counseling. Partnership development: Developing strategic networks and partnership, including trans-national partnerships.
ELSBC Or GWIIN		How to manage capacity building IT Systems Funding form Government Funding form EU Membership Management Data base and IT Systems required Data Protection Working with Policy Makers, Relevant Government Departments and Agencies Policy & Strategy: Development of regional and national strategy, advocacy and lobbying
SACOMA Centre for Enterprise	Program Planning	Fundraising systems and strategy HR Development of a Business Support Service Support your Leaders  or senior staff with the help of an executive coach or mentor Working with Banks, Financial Institutions, Investment and Manufacturing Companies Data Protection Effective partnership working: principles and practice of effective partnership work for IOs Capacity building: staff development and training, social audits, al review and development, assembling complex financial packages (revenue and capital), business planning and fund-raising.
IWD Trade event	Trade and partnering Sat 5th March	This is organized to coincide with trade fairs in March so that the participants can have the opportunity for partnership matchmaking with potential partners. A business booklet will be published to market the incoming participants to attract partners or investors. There will also be involvement from the country high commissions, chambers of commerce and other women in business (potential clients/supply chain). This will form part of the business forum and march making hosted by SACOMA to try and secure a number of partnerships and match making with opportunity networking with other carefully selected potential partners in EU including financial institutions and other business women.

PROWESS

Prowess is the UK association of organizations and individuals who support the growth of women's business ownership. Our work encompasses raising awareness, sharing of best practice, advocacy and information. Prowess has over 300 members who support 100,000 women each year to start 10,000 new businesses which contribute an additional £1.5 billion to the economy.

Each year Prowess members:

Help over 100,000 women looking to start or grow businesses every year. They help 10,000 of them get a business off the ground, contributing an additional £1.5 billion to the UK economy in additional revenue

Support the launch of 25,000 new businesses each year, 39% of which are women-owned

Provide business networking events and opportunities to 40,000 people each year, 83% of whom are women

Provide business development training and support to 70,000 businesses, 35% of which are women-owned

Directly support 18,000 people into jobs, or further training, 42% of who are women

Provide over 5,000 business loans, 32% to women - delivered by 14 members

Issue 4,500 grants, 27% to women - delivered by 16 members

The majority of Prowess members who deliver business support services do so as part of a mainstream service; 26% deliver services targeted specifically at women.

The majority of Prowess members providing business support services define themselves as independent and not-for-profit (69%). The others are split nearly evenly between the public (17%) and private sectors (14%).

Half of Prowess members provide services on a local or sub-regional level, with 40% delivering region-wide. 10% deliver on a multi-regional or national level.

Recent figures from year 1 to year 2 of data collected from 11 of the Prowess Flagship members show that there was a 205% increase in enquiries from women with 6,623 actual enquiries. (The Regional State of Women’s Enterprise in England, Prowess 2005).

Prowess offers a range of specialist consultancy services which are designed to enable members to develop both their organizational capacity and an effective range of support to women-owned businesses.

 Particular areas of specialism include the Flagship Award, a best practice quality standard for excellence in women’s enterprise development.

WOMEN'S BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (WBDA)

Have been helping women to start and grow their businesses for nearly 20 years.

Support is free to all members.

In the UK, the Women's Business Development Agency has developed a unique program to support businesses owned by women, particularly those with growth potential.

WBDA are sharing this knowledge with partners in Poland, Italy and Bulgaria so that business women in these countries can enjoy the opportunity to start and grow their businesses with the support of a program designed by women for women.

Getting Visas to the UK

For three weeks now we have been doing everything to get visa's for our planned week-long visit to the UK. The 12 delegates accumulated all sorts of documents, some from their husbands saying they are definitely returning to their families, some from PROINVEST stating what the importance of the visit is. I bought all the flights and we had tickets to prove the delegates were actually going, I sent money to the organisations to cover the expenses of applying for visa's, I booked and paid for the first night in the hotel in London.
And what happens?

7 of the 12 visa's were denied. Denied! I can't believe it. Here I am organising a trade mission, in the context of EU-ACP trade relations, and the UK does not allow my delegation to participate.

I got the following letter today.

"Your enquiry was passed to me yesterday and I’ve now had a look at these cases. In all cases there was a lack of satisfactory evidence of the personal circumstances of the applicant. We do not doubt that they have been invited or that arrangements are in place for their visit as there is ample documentation showing this, however we need to see the individuals’ personal circumstances in their home country e.g. evidence of employment, personal bank statements, property ownership, family circumstances, in order to be satisfied that they will leave the UK at the end of the visit. This is where the problem lies.

The reasons for the refusal are fully explained in the individual refusal notices. Should applicants wish to re-apply they will need to ensure they cover the points raised and submit documentary evidence to show what their personal circumstances are.

I note that the travel date was proposed to be 26/27 Feb so it will not be possible to have applications processed in time unless you can delay or re-arrange the visit for a later date."


It is absurd. There is ample evidence the women will return. And what I understand is, the visa issuing organisation wants our delegates to start from scratch and pay the fee AGAIN and wait another two weeks and possibly, highly possibly, be denied again.


I am on the phone. We can't accept this.

An example of what happens at the Mobilize Networks! workshop

I am experimenting with putting videos online. I made this video on my iphone.

In the news

SIDO published an article on the networking workshop. You can also find a good article in Tanzania's Daily News.

We will keep you posted on other publications.