Business Startup Grants

Hi All, One of the biggest challenges facing families in Mtwapa (and the surrounding area) is being able to make enough money to support themselves with a regular income.

One of the largest industries in the coastal area is tourism, there are a number of hotels which have historically been big employers but in recent years the number of tourists has dropped and many hotels have scaled back and now employ significantly fewer members of staff. This all has a knock on effect on other industries which supply the hotels with food, drink and entertainment.

Outside of tourism, there are a few other large employers in the areas of education, manufacturing and agriculture. Jobs within education and manufacturing often require specific qualifications which makes them unattainable for many and whilst agriculture jobs do not generally require formal education, competition is high which means it is hard to secure a job and the pay can be quite low.

All in all, good employment is tough to come by and many people in Mtwapa choose to setup and run their own business. This can be a really good option as it gives a greater level of flexibility than traditional employment and if a person is willing to work hard the earning potential is huge.

When we talk to families we regularly find that they have lots of good ideas but often cannot find the money needed to get started. This is where the Milele Business Grants come in!

Milele works with families to find and develop a business idea, together we create a list of resources required to get up and running and then our coordinator Rieder provides the family with support to find the best prices and buy everything. A standard startup grant is usually around £40 but this is generally all that is needed to get a small business going. As the business starts to make money the family can invest the profits to buy more resources and expand.

To date we have helped 10 families and whilst not every business will succeed we have found that many have grown to become profitable business in a very short period of time and change the lives of the families involved.

Over the next few weeks we will be releasing a number of articles which take a look at a few of the businesses and the impact they have had on the families involved. We really enjoyed speaking to the families and hope that you enjoy the articles!

Richard