WilmaFund enterprises in Tanzania that have already begun operations on the ground and/or are ready for capitalization include the following:
Solar Home Systems Service Center Ahakishaka Water Bottling Dar CDA Mushroom Bukoba CDA Nutrition Services Ahakishaka Model Farm and Tree Nursery Ahakishaka Bean and Corn (ABC Company)
Solar Village Institute (SVI) is a CDA in Karagwe, Tanzania, that aims to be a "model village" to demonstrate the value and affordability of Solar Home Systems (SHS) in households and businesses lacking access to grid power. The process began in 2002 with building a solar-powered campsite, tourist lodge, and SVI Center. It continued with installation of SHS systems for demonstration purposes in the houses of elected SVI leaders, together with training for maintenance. SHS Service Center will turn this activity into a thriving business by exploiting present demand for solar equipment by commercial establishments in area villages, which in turn will facilitate introduction of affordable SHS into all SVI member households.
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Top-grade bottled water from the mountain springs of Karagwe (Tanzania) will be suitable for use throughout East Africa and for export. Construction of water capture from natural springs, pumping, piping, storage, and local distribution facilities was completed in 2004, and the water is being used by the community at rates that cover operating costs. This achievement has brought great welfare gains to the host CDA, contributing to community support for other enterprises being planned. Added capital investment will focus on bottling and exporting the water, which is of exceptional quality and runs plentifully in all seasons.
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Production and marketing of fresh mushrooms to local stores and hotels is now well under way near Dar es Salaam under the Dar Widows CDA. Starting in 2002 on a large tract of land north of the city (pictured below), the Company constructed large growing houses. Operations were managed by a team of mushroom technicians and trainers from China, who also undertook to train CDA members to grow mushrooms in their own small houses. The experts from China are now providing technical assistance to Tanzanians who have learned the business. The Company has introduced new types of mushrooms to Tanzania, including a variety of button mushroom that is tolerant of Tanzania's tropical weather. Exportable products are under development and will use the port and airport of Dar as Salaam.
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In 2004 a widows' CDA in Bukoba, Tanzania, started a foods-for-health business with a central processing facility in town and a distribution network though kiosks and cafes run by groups of CDA members. Later they took the initiative to start a grain trading business, and also investigated setting up a banana wine business, knowing that appropriate bananas are in excess supply in the Region and are routinely used for unlicensed "home brew." However, the widows learned that production and sale of licensed wine of exportable quality would cost much in skill that would have to be hired, so they postponed this business until a later stage in the development of their organization.
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This home-grown project of the Solar Village Institute, part of the Ahakishaka Enterprise Cluster, focuses on teaching and demonstrating model farming/nursery techniques for the raising and use of local trees, vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, and medicinal plants. This project started in 2005 in a small way with grants from WILMA and the American Cathedral in Paris. It has already opened up a vision of future progress for many people in the area, particularly as reforestation is a priority (since refugee camps ravaged the area's biomass during the Rwanda war and its aftermath). The project aims to grow into a self-sustaining business through production and sale of innovative produce, while continuing to serve as a center for dissemination of farm innovations.
This is a farmers' cooperative that enlists the membership of most of the men of the Village. It was organized initially for the processing and marketing of dried beans and corn to UN refugee camps in Kigoma, Tanzania. These crops can be produced abundantly locally, but transport costs and other barriers to effective marketing have kept the farm-gate prices too low to motivate production beyond subsistence levels. Organizing quality control, distribution, and marketing can increase incentives and cash incomes to the farmers. Over time, and with access to capital on appropriate terms, the Company expects to produce a diversified mix of grains for various markets in Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.