Supporting families that have been affected by HIV/AIDS.
I. HIV/AIDS FAMILY BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Tanzania Capital Boosting Association’s (TCBA’s) HIV/AIDS Family Business Grant Program (“The Program”) provides business-specific grant capital and training services for local families who have lost their breadwinner to HIV/AIDS.
TCBA is helping to create self-sustaining businesses in Tanzania with the involvement of MondoChallenge, a UK based volunteer organisation. MondoChallenge, set up in 2001 by Anthony Lunch has so far provided 8 senior business professionals to support the micro-credit and training activities of TCBA as well helping to get £10,000 of micro-credit funding.
The HIV/AIDS Program, developed in July 2003 in conjunction with the Global Alliance for Africa (GAA), is the first of its kind in Tanzania to provide capital to AIDS-affected families. The goal of the program is to give these local families access to much-needed capital to continue to build their businesses in the wake of their breadwinner’s death. This is in contrast to most other programmes, which give money to families to be used only for necessities. The increased profits from these businesses enable families to pay for the food, housing, clothing, school fees, and medicine they wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise. This confidence gives them the ability to develop their businesses into bigger enterprises, ensuring the families’ secure future.
Clients for the HIV/AIDS micro-credit program are identified and helped in co-operation with local Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) who specialize in the provision of care to HIV/AIDS patients and their families. The sponsoring NGO/CBO meets with families who they believe may qualify in order to discuss their genuine prospects for sustainable income generation.
Pictured (l to r): Javes Sauni and Elias Shoshi (co-founders of TCBA), Florence Langely, a business adviser from UK based MondoChallenge volunteer organization, Dora Moshi, of Royal Secretarial Services, and David Kinisi, a member of TCBA’s management committee.
In order to be able to apply to the HIV/AIDS micro-credit program, clients must meet the following requirements:
• The loss of their major breadwinner to HIV/AIDS within the past 2 years;
• Verifiable use of funds within an existing business
• Support from one of approximately six TCBA-approved local NGOs/CBOs.
Potential grant-families go through a detailed application process. Upon successful review and acceptance into the Program, families undergo training seminars conducted by TCBA. Training seminars for The Program are similar to TCBA’s current micro-credit program, consisting of:
• Introduction to TCBA and stipulations of The Program;
• Principles of marketing; and
• Bookkeeping skills and standard accounting practices.
It is anticipated that the next round of The Program will occur in November 2003, bringing in approximately 30 families who have lost their breadwinner to AIDS.
II. THE PROGRAM’S IMPACT
Initial discussions among TCBA’s management committee and local NGOs/CBOs were to agree on funding, the structure of the Program, and grant terms. Families who receive grants are required to attend three training seminars to hone their business acumen and streamline their business’ efficiency.
Initial distribution of the funds were made to 11 families in July 2003. Pictured below at the signing ceremony are (l to r): Elizabeth Mosha, Women in Action, Javes Sauni, TCBA, Joyce Ooi, MondoChallenge, and Salome Kundi, the first family to receive funds from the Program.
Salome’s husband died in 2002. Due to his health-care costs the family business selling charcoal and women’s skirts floundered. But with the Tsh 100,000 grant, she was not only able to resume the business, but could expand into the sale of more profitable goods, including used clothes and embroideries. She now runs a successful second-hand clothes business and with the profits from her combined businesses can now feed her family three meals per day, her son attends school, and her home has been made into a better environment in which to raise children.
Pictured below (l to r) in a twice-monthly family visit are: Mama Lucas, Baba Lucas, their three grandchildren, Rose Mtana, Chairwoman of Msamaria (“The Good Samaritan”), Jonathan Mueller, a Mondo Challenge volunteer, and Kinanzara Mwanga, Director of Mmsamaria.
Baba Lucas’ eldest son and wife both died of AIDS last year. Their metal business declined due to medical costs and the loss of the eldest son’s input on the business. With the Tsh 100,000 grant Baba Lucas resumed the business and grew it to the point that profits now provide all nine people in the family three meals per day, and two of the grandchildren attend nursery school.
Other programs
• General Micro-Finance – helping small businesses grow.
• Disabled - supporting disabled businesses owners.
• Training - developing business owners and employees.
How you can help?
• Volunteering – by volunteering, you can provide advice and support to businesses in this program.
• Providing funding – by providing funding, TCBA are able to support more businesses in this program.