Upon completion of training at Mawela Vocational Training Centre, people often move on to open and develop their own businesses. Here is how some of them are doing. A brief interview was conducted with each of them where a basic outline of their businesses was given in addition to the major difficulties they were facing. The region of Kilimanjaro suffers from a lack of resources which has resulted in limited economic development. The problems many of our former members are facing are the direct consequence of this fact. Although it is beyond anyone's control to dramatically improve the local economy, it is possible to better the daily operations of the businesses through careful analysis of situations and creative thinking and planning. EEY has received an operational report, which contains possible solutions, produced by Cross-Cultural Solutions volunteers.
The carpenters and welders are all short of customers due to the lack of urban development in the region.
This elegantly dressed lady was one of the many tailors we visited. She as well as most of the other tailors in the area are all affected by the weak flow of customers, mainly due to the fact that it is low season. When high season comes, they seem to have enough business to keep themselves afloat for the year.
This young lady started with nothing, but now owns her own shop.
Most of the tailors don't have a proper workplace because they cannot afford one. They don't have enough room either to make the clothes or to display them in order to attract potential customers passing by.
This man has opened a grocery store in a remote village in Moshi. His biggest problem is that the customers don't always pay straight away, and some don't pay at all. He doesn't always chase after them as many of the customers are relatives, neighbours and friends. Evidently, business is bad.
