A25. Tailoring & design in under-served areas of Nairobi

Collaboration opportunity

HR&S aims to provide the opportunities to researchers, innovators, and social entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa that are required for them to implement positive change and development.

HR&S is honoured to partner with Mr. Fredrick ATING’A, CEO and Founder of Dolas Creation, and to offer to him expert advice, auditing and an investment loan.

Our ambition is to partner with Dolas Creation and support with scaling-up.

  1. Maintain and scale tailoring and design within Kibera.
  2. Employ Kibera citizens.
  3. Sell products within Kibera.
  4. Sell products outside Kibera within Nairobi.
  5. Sell products in Sweden through HR&S.

Start-up

Cecilia and Frederick met in Nairobi two times. They compared the mission of their social enterprises and saw an over-lap that can be developed into a win-win equal partnership. They agreed to collaborate.

IMG_9218

Mr. Fredrick ATING’A, CEO Dolas Creation and
Cecilia ÖMAN, CEO HR&S. Nairobi 2019. (Photo HR&S).

Target partner – Social entrepreneur

Our partner

Dolas Creation.
Manager and Founder: Mr. Frederick ATING’A.

By Milicent SIFUNA, 2020

Creating a community to empower –
About our supported social entrepreneur  Mr. Fredrick Ating’a.

Born in Bondo, the Western part of Kenya, Mr. Fredrick Ating’a has always had a great interest in the fashion industry from a very young age. When he was a little boy, he used to admire his grandfather who loved dressing African clothes.  After completing his college studies, he worked in various institutions which he realized was not his calling. He noted that people have their own selfish interests.  He later resigned to follow his passion, designing and developing different types of clothing. His business is in Kibera, the largest slum in Africa, a division of Nairobi, Kenya.  Poverty and unemployment rates are high in this area. Fredrick hopes to transform and empower people in the area by providing jobs and training to other local craftsmen and artisans.

However, insufficient funds to enable him to expand his business, improving the quality of the services and marketing strategies has been a challenge. “I would love to see a transformed society with independent people, people who believe they can do or be whatever they want to be”, he says. He strongly believes that through being a member of the Human Rights & Science (HR&S) RISE Support Centre, he will be able to learn valuable business and financial skills that will help him take his business to the next level.

Dolas creation-What about it?

The love for African fashion and passion to inspire, educate, and empower local artisans and craftsmen drove Frederick Ating’a to come up with Dolas creation. The whole concept behind Dolas creation was thus to bring together gifted local artisans and craftsmen to showcase all local African fashion under one roof. ‘I hope this will invigorate employment and hearten acknowledgment of African crafts both locally and internationally’, he says.

Dolas creation is located in Kibera slum (a division of Nairobi area Kenya) where poverty and unemployment rates are still very high. It is unarguable that the rapid spread of coronavirus across the globe has escalated problems in such communities; who live below the poverty line and depend on the informal sector for a source of income. Keeping in mind that lower-income countries hardly develop policies that provide economic protection for people who are marginalized, such individuals are left vulnerable.

IMG_9200

Mr. Fredrick ATING’A (standing) and his personal assistant Mr. Sammy. Nairobi 2019. (Photo HR&S).

Dolas creation hopes to make local brands that get their place both in local and International space with the following as the main commodities:

  • African print clothes.
  • Ankara shoes (customized).
  • African print bags and purses.
  • African jewelry (customized).

However, because of the biting corona pandemic, Dolas will retail its products online and offer delivery throughout Africa and the World. It hopes to offer quality services and products that are unique and customer friendly. Dolas envisions to be the nation’s most inclusive organization representing marginalized skilled artisans and craftsmen that share a common interest to improve living standards, expand opportunities and empower communities while providing the best practices and services in the fashion industry.  Dolas creation hopes to actualize its dreams by being a member of HR&S RISE Support Centre. This initiative benefits from the ActionInvest programme managed by Action10. Action10 aims to reduce poverty through equal partnership and a sustainable economy,  www.action10.org .

Coaches & programme management meetings

Continuous coaching

Our team-leader Millicent SIFUNA arranges frequent coaching meetings between our team of coaches and with our programme management partners.

November 2020

Meeting with Federick
Federick is doing fine. And he’s still very positive.

He bought some fabric which he used to make the first lot of clothes ( 18 pieces – dresses). This, he says will be used for marketing. He will take pictures of them and post on Facebook with an aim of growing his customer base. This, he said he will organise with our public relations coach.

He is planning to come up with a unique concept for the clothes that he will send to Sweden. He says he will start working on that immediately.

His focus now?
He did love to expand his market base. Because he is targeting the mass market. He hopes that Collins will be of great help in this.

Prepare another budget?
He’s is still working around the first budget first. Once he increases the customer base, it will be a great breakthrough.

Keeping records?
” Yes, I do write everything down. In my book. Everything that I buy. “

Any challenges?
” Actually my main concern now is growing my customer base. Everything else is okay.”

 

WhatsApp Image 2020-08-09 at 16.27.52

From left to right; Dolas Director Frederick  ATING’A, PR coach Collins OWUOR, Accounting coach Ann CHEBER, and EP coach Millicent SIFUNA.
Nairobi 2020. (Photo HR&S RISE Kenya)

Bussines Canvas model & budget

  1. Customer segments:
    Mainstream consumers.
  2. Value propositions:
    Packaging (Unique Dolas badge), material (high quality), perfect stitches, discount on items.
  3. Distribution channels:
    Direct sales, wholesale.
  4. Customer relationships:
    Online communities (Facebook, Instagram), positive word of mouth, personal assistance.
  5. Revenue model:
    Pricing based on product costs.
  6. Key Activities:
    Purchase raw materials, design, marketing and selling, branding and supply chain management.
  7. Key Resources:
    Designers (2 occasional employees), raw materials, and dummies
  8. Key Partnerships:
    Raw material suppliers, retailers, legal advisors.
  9. Cost Structure:
    Raw materials (fabric and leather) and machines.

1st loan
The estimated budget of September 2020 in Kenya Shilling.

  • African print fabrics 30,000.
  • Plain fabrics 20,000.
  • Posters to display clothes 20,000.
  • Leather material 10,000.
  • Accessories from bone work 15,000.
  • Miselenuous 5,000

TOTAL 100,000 Kenya Shilling     (Euro 800)

Survey report
December 2020

DOLAS CREATION MINI SURVEY STATUS REPORT DATED
5TH DECEMBER, 2020.

Prepared by:
David Aura (Survey Management Coach) in collaboration with
Millicent Sifuna (Evaluation Panning Coach)

Overall

Mr. Fredrick is doing fine, he is lively & still very positive.
He used close to 50% of the total loan amount awarded to procure some fabrics and dummies. At least 18 pieces – dresses made as first batch clothes.
The consumption of the loan awarded by Action 10, HR&S to Dolas creation is 50% of the total amount given. The low utilization of the loan is linked to low customer base. The overall production is still low. He anticipates to scale-up gradually as the economy stabilizes, and everything normalizes.

Strengths

Dolas creation still enjoys doing business with a few former clients despite a drop in demand. This was evident from what he stated, “Did you see what Nairobi County Women Representative wore during the launch of Building Bridges Initiatives (BBI) at Bomas Kenya? That was my work.” Also, while in the premises Mr. Fredrick received about 5 clients placing orders for various designs, with our team leader Millicent Sifuna and accounting coach Anne Chebet leading the way to promote Dolas Creation work. This gives great hope for future.

Challenges

Covid-19 has negatively impacted the economy. This has resulted in lowering the demand, especially in fashion industry. This was reflected by Fredrick’s statement,” Just to let you know, at such a time in previous years, you would not have found me here, demand for celebrations attires such as weddings was high and pressure to produce clothes equivalent to clients placed orders was extremely high, and of course the returns were huge.”
Also Fredrick complained about the available quality fabrics: “Kenya as a country does not have the capacity to produce the quality fabrics necessary for making good quality attires. This means we mostly depend on importation which may take much time before receiving the items”.
Market trends: Kenyan market embraces imports, this poses unhealthy market competition due to unregulated market prices when it comes to clothes, as most clients opt to go for cheaper ones of same design.

Finance/marketing assessment

Dolas creation was not in a position to produce/show the accounting books, but promised to link up with the accounting coach this week over the same.
A detailed status report on financial/marketing shall be availed by the respective coaches.

Conclusion

In summary, Dolas establishment’s production is still low. This is due to low demand. The prevailing market prices for various attires has greatly impacted negatively on the establishment’s production level due to its highly priced products as compared to market prices.

Recommendation

The public relations team should draft a plan with Dolas creation on the way forward. It is evident that marketing is a big issue.
The second loan should be withheld and will be released when Dolas has fully utilized the first loan and accounted for it.

Survey MANUAL
FEBRUARY 2021

DOLAS CREATION ENTERPRISE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
By David AURA

Purpose of the manual

 It aims at assisting the HR&S team in preparing and implementing surveys. The manual clearly outlines the methodologies for managing, conducting, and reporting on HR&S surveys.

Background

Dolas Creation Enterprise is a registered sole proprietor entity whose main aim is to inspire, educate and empower local artisans and craftsmen economically. The whole concept behind Dolas creation was thus to bring together gifted local artisans and craftsmen to showcase all local African fashion under one roof thus creating employment for individuals living in Kibra. Through this, Dolas creation hopes to contribute towards poverty eradication, increased incomes, employment creation, and the building of wealth among low-income people in Kibra. Dolas creation established collaboration with HR&S Action10 in 2019. Their joint ambition is to build on what Dolas Creation is already doing and support with scaling – up. The enterprise is located in Kibera slum (a division of the Nairobi City area in Kenya), where high rates of poverty and unemployment are characterized.
A total of  Ksh.100, 000.00 funds from HR&S Action 10 was released to Dolas creation during 2020 to build on the structure that had already been established. The main agenda is to increase production scale.

Data collection approach

This guide follows the subsequent steps to pass through when carrying out a survey for Dolas creation. This survey will be used to evaluate the impact of the social enterprise activities on the livelihoods of employees of Dolas creation and in the people of Kibera. The target population will be drawn from the management and employees of Dolas creation and its customers. The customers are both within and outside Kibera. We will employ random sampling in selecting a sample of respondents from the population. The control will be a group of randomly selected persons within Kibera and outside Kibera. Both primary and secondary sources of data collection will be used. Primary data will include semi-structured questionnaires, testimonies, and focus group discussions, while secondary data will involve written records also at the national and international levels.  The questions will have both open and closed-ended questions. The validity of the questionnaires will be determined by HR&S Sweden. Consent to collect data will be sought from the managing director of Dolas creation and the survey participants.

For purposes of statistical measurement, the typography of progress markers from the tailoring project was generated prior to the start of the project. This generated three types of information. These are:
1. Quantitative – These will be acquired from three different sources;  interviews, testimonies and focus group discussions, with people in charge (plus review of book accounts), observation by interviewers, interview with participants. The indicators used here will include the number of business start-ups, investment level, employees’ income level, pieces of training attended, modern tailoring machines acquired, number of new employees contracted to work for Dolas creation.
2. Qualitative – Qualitative information will be obtained through interviews, testimonies, and focus group discussions, with people in charge and participants.  The sources of information will be social harmony at home, contribution to family, financial independence.
3. Financial- These will be obtained through interviews with the person in charge, direct examination of accounting books, and personal interviews with employees. This includes; total sales in cash, credit sales value, stock in/out, loans to employees (if any), and cash in the bank account (Ksh). 

Consent Form

Thank you for agreeing to speak with me today. My name is………………. and I am conducting a data collection survey on behalf of HR&S. Human Rights & Science has been partnering with Dolas creation enterprise in this area for the last one & a half years.
The information you give us will be used by the project to improve our understanding of the projects and people/community that we serve. HR&S shall keep any information that we collect confidential and shall store data securely. If we share responses, they will be anonymous. Meaning no one will know which responses and comments came from you. HR&s may also share anonymous results to contribute to improving other projects elsewhere and in the future. HR&S may use anonymous results in future publications, reports, and/or presentations.
There will be no immediate benefits for you, but by taking part in this activity you may find an indirect benefit in knowing you have participated in an important piece of research, and that the information gathered may be used to improve the design and delivery of HR&S’s work. You will not receive money or reward of any kind if you agree to take part.
Your participation is completely voluntary, and you have the right to not participate, or to stop participating at any point of this process. If you do not wish to participate, or if you wish to stop at any time, this is acceptable and there are no negative consequences to doing so.
In case you agree, we would like to take photos and/or videos, and post them on our website, and also if you agree on social media. The propose is the strengthen HR&S and our programmes by increased visibility and transparency. If you agree we jointly select each specific photo/video.

Certificate of Consent (participant)
I have read the above information, or it has been read to me. I have had the opportunity to ask questions about it, and any questions I have asked and have been answered to my satisfaction. I consent voluntarily to be a participant in this exercise.

Print Name of Participant

{at least forename and surname}

Signature of Participant

 

DD/MM/YYY

 

PART A: RESPONDENT INFORMATION

No.

Question

Responses

A1

Enumerator Name

 

A2

Respondent’s name

 

A3

Respondent phone number

 

A4

Respondent Gender

               Male                     Female

A5

Age of respondent

1=18-24 yrs, 2=25-35 yrs, 3=36-55 yrs, 4= > 56 yrs

A6

Respondent  position

1= Owner

2= Employee

3= Relative to owner

4= other specify

A5

Region{ must be from Nairobi county}

1=Kibera

2= Ngong’

3= Dagorete

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Branding & Public relations report
December 2020

DOLAS CREATION MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS’ REPORT

December 2020
By Collins OWUOR, Branding & Public realtions coach

Location

Dolas creation is located on the busy Ngong road; this makes it easily accessible to potential clients and buyers. Despite this, there is no display area for enterprise that can attract the attention of potential clients unknown to Dolas creation.

Marketing

There is still a major challenge especially when it comes to marketing the products.
– We still don’t have quality pictures of the products that we can use on social media marketing.
– A display area for marketing various brands of Dolas will be important. Ngong road being a busy road, the products will reach a huge customer base.
– Mr. Fredrick, CEO Dolas Creation, is doing well in terms of marketing. A statement from him confirmed that he makes unique designs for famous public figures and politicians.  This in fact helps puts Dolas creation on the limelight.

Sales

– Dolas Creation is planning for mass production of clothing for events. Mr. Fredrick currently has an order for mass production of certain cloth types for an upcoming event. 
– It is also targeting more people to boost its sales.
– He is waiting for the arrival of imported fabrics to start production. This we believe will improve the sales of Dolas Creation.
– It is approaching festive season and we are targeting more individuals who tend to have new designs during this period.
– As a sign of solidarity to Dolas creation and to the good work of Mr Fredrick, each member of the coaching team promised to promote and market the great designs of Dolas creation by having their favorite designs tailored by Mr. Fredrick.

Conclusion

So far so good, Mr Fredrick is making quality and unique products. This makes Dolas creation stand out in this competitive fashion industry.
We believe with the right marketing strategy and learning from the challenges we are currently facing, Dolas creation will eventually achieve its goals.

Recommendation

Moving forward and hopefully with increased mass production we would like to;

  • Have a display room for the products from Dolas creation.
  • A camera that can be used for taking quality photos which can be used on social media platforms.
  • That Dolas creation keeps us updated on progress and challenges while being accountable.

Accounting report
December 2020

ACCOUNTING REPORT ON DOLAS CREATION BUSINESS

December 2020
By Ann CHEBET, HR&S RISE Kenya Accounting coach

Introduction

Dolas Creation is a business formed and run by Mr. Fredrick Ating’a. The business is mainly based in Ngong road, Nairobi a few meters from the junction mall. The business enjoys a wide market considering its location in Nairobi; the customers include both the high-income residents as well as the low-income residents. Thus, it has the potential of expanding rapidly if the right resources are given with the right commitment and sincere trust between the partners.

1.First loan

The first loan given in 2020 and amounted to Kenya shillings 100,000 which equals to 785.3 euros. According to Fredrick Ating’a, he used a quarter of the money to buy fabrics and dummies to display clothes made for customers. He said that the rest of the money was kept in his bank account. When asked why he did so, instead of investing the full amount in order to scale up the business, he said that most of his customers bring their own fabrics and incur the all the applicable costs so there has been no immediate need to spend the funds.

2.Business Expansion

Dolas Creation has a great ability to expand/grow because of its location as well as its fashion designs. This can be achieved by doing a lot of marketing on social media platforms as well customer to customer recommendations. The business should come up with different prices for different products and different products for different income-levels of people.

3.Trust

After holding long discussions at different times in the course of the year 2020 with Fredrick Ating’a, the owner of Dolas Creation, it emerged that he has not fully trusted the HR&S coaches and instead prefers to confide in president and the founder. He has not shared his books of accounts and the receipts to the accounting coach which makes it difficult to assess how he has gained from the HR&S and how the loan has cushioned his business during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, we hope the situation improves in our future engagements.

Conclusion

The partnership between the HR&S and Dolas Creation can be strengthened if the right measures are taken as well as putting into consideration the different elements available in the market. The business has the capacity to expand rapidly if the trust between the coaches, the CEO of HR&S and the Dolas Creation is achieved. This way, each person’s roles will be clear resulting into greater sales and more income for the Dolas Creation.

Recommendations

The accounting coach recommends the following.

  1. Dolas creation to fully utilize the first loan before the second loan is issued or given.
  2. The founder and CEO of the HR&S to advice Dolas Creation to first engage the coaches available in Kenya for a solution or advice regarding the business before engaging her. This way, the coaches will have to try solve it first before taking it to the CEO. This way, trust will slowly be achieved by both parties.
  3. Dolas Creation to avail their accounting records on time so that the coaches can measure the business growth based on its profitability.
  4. More training for both the Dolas Creation as well as the coaches in regards to business growth and management.

End of the year report 2020

ACCOUNTING REPORT ON DOLAS CREATION BUSINESS

January 2021
By Millicent SIFUNA, Team-leader and EP coach, HR&S RISE Kenya

END OF YEAR REPORT 2020-DOLAS CREATION

INTRODUCTION

Dolas creation is an enterprise that focuses on African wear in Kibera, Nairobi Kenya.  Fredrick Ating’a, the CEO of Dolas, met with Cecelia (HR&S) twice in Nairobi Kenya. After various conversations, they noted that they shared common goals; to see a changed society. They agreed to collaborate, a win-win equal partnership. Frederick Ating’a is driven by passion, there is something he yearns for. His main goal is to empower local artisans and craftsmen in Kibera Kenya.  He has vast knowledge in fashion industry, and he would like to see a turn-around.

Dolas creation was introduced to HR&S coaches in June 2020, and the collaboration with HR&S was initiated. Dolas met with the team and had interesting conversations about his business. What HR&S does is listen, understand, experience then learn. Pieces of information about the enterprise were collected and compiled. What caught HR&S most was the passion that Dolas had for fashion and the urge to see other local artisans and craftsmen in a better place. Dolas creation major challenges were market demand which had tremendously gone low and finances. A strategy for change (SfC) was drafted and agreed upon by both partners. A business model was formulated, reviewed and confirmed by both partners. After setting the first milestones, a budget was presented by Dolas and the loan agreement read, understood and signed by both parties. Money was transferred to Dolas Creation from the the RISE centre Kenya account (A total of 100,000ksh/800 euros) in August 2020.

The method

Dolas will use the money then pay back with a 10% interest. Another loan will be released immediately he pays back the first loan, or has invested the first loan in a professional manner. The amount can be double the first amount. The point is to scale up the business until it becomes sustainable. He will then incorporate other artisans and craftsmen.

What will the money be used for?

Dolas drafted a budget plan before the money was released. He planned to purchase the items listed below:

  • African print fabrics-30,000Ksh
  • Plain fabrics-20,000Ksh
  • Poster to display clothes-20, 000Ksh
  • Leather material-10,000Ksh
  • Accessories from bone work-15,000ksh
  • Miscellenious-5000Ksh

Total amount-100,000Ksh (800 euros)

Accountability management:
Together with the HR&S accounting coach, Dolas creation was to ensure good record and book keeping of all information related to procuring of items. This would ensure transparency, accountability and trust between HR&S and Dolas creation. The accounting coach was encouraged to speak out with Dolas to see how best they can do this.

However, reports from the accounting coach reveal that it has been hard to find any specific information related to accounting from Dolas. The reason for this is unclear. Mutual accountability and trust are important in any partnership. Specific statements are encouraged in accountability, general statements give vague information. HR&S is drafting a strategy to see how best to can handle the issue.

Marketing

At the start of the programme, Dolas echoed one of the challenges as low market demand. “There are no policies to ensure that there is fair trade amongst different stakeholders. Importation of cheap textiles and apparel textile is the order of the day. This has really affected the local industry.” He could be heard saying this repeatedly.

Adding to the corona pandemic, it is unarguable that the fashion industry has been greatly affected. Many people work from home thus dressing up well has not been an issue. This has been farther affected by cancelling of events such as parties, weddings and vacations. This has ensured low demand on clothing. There is sudden closure of many apparel retail stores across the country. People have shifted from physical purchases to online stores. This thus has hit hard on people who have no online stores and have no technology to embrace such. This means the highest impact has been felt by physical stores.

Dolas has a physical production store on Ngong road, Nairobi Kenya. He has reportedly registered a low customer base due to the two factors mentioned above. The HR&S public relations coach in Kenya agreed to draft a strategy to see how best Dolas can handle this. It was agreed that Dolas if comfortable could embrace online marketing with the help of the public relations coach. HR&S is waiting for a report on this.

Dolas creation mentioned a shift in customer segments. He is now planning to target mass market as compared to niche which he was used to. This also means that he has also to draft a different pricing strategy plan. However, he is hopeful that everything shall be alright at the end.

The way forward

According to Dolas, marketing remains a major issue. This thus means that the progress has stalled. How best can we handle this? But then, what happens if accountability is still a problem? Is there a missing link? To start with, the public relations coach is encouraged to draft the marketing strategy with Dolas. The whole team can be involved if need be. Secondly, Dolas creation is encouraged to be accountable. Accountability is a big word. It is not only about finances; it is also about setting goals and beating deadlines. Constant feedback is key, to ensure that the team is up to date and well informed of the programme and how they can chip in. It is interesting that we are all learning in our own capacity and this what makes a great team. We come with our imperfections, but out of this, something great is produced. Challenges are what makes us stronger, and they are expected.

 

 

Equal partnership

This collaboration builds on equal partnership and aims for a balanced sharing of input, responsibility and benefit. All parties shall aim to build trust and to openly share skills, knowledge and support. Openness and frequent knowledge sharing about all aspects concerning the collaboration is hereby agreed on.

Interview with Frederick ATING´A

Ambitions & Challenges

  1. What do you want to do? I want to maintain a self-sustainable business in Kibera and improve livelihoods of the people in Kibera through creating employment opportunities.
  2. How do you want to do it? By upgrading my workspace so that I can accommodate and offer a platform for other skilled artisans/craftsmen in Kibera.
  3. Why did you not do it already? I lacked the capacity to do this.
  4. Did you experience challenges that were hindering you from starting? If so, which challenges? Yes. Among them was developing a vision and a business idea and raising capital for my business.

Sustainable economy & Institutional capacity

  1. Does this project generate products and/or services that are useful? Yes. African wear is being recognized all over the World and with proper marketing, it will be something huge.
  2. Will someone buy what we produce and will we generate an income that covers the costs and provides a profit? Yes, we aspire to produce high quality and unique products that are competitive on the market.
  3. How do you plan to reach a sustainable economy for the programme? I plan to maintain a strong customer base and the right team that I will work with. I also plan to exercise good leadership and organizational skills in my business. The finances will also be well managed through constant accounting and target setting.
  4. What is your business idea for the programme? How do you ensure start-up capital if required? Do you see scaling up opportunities? I plan to deal solely with African wear. I will invest in making bags, shoes, jewelry and clothes with African print. I target both the local and International market.

Expectations, inputs, benefits & responsibility

  1. Which are your expectations on the programme? I expect that through this collaboration we will build a sustainable business base and  promote employment opportunities for kibera people.
  2. Is this a win-win opportunity? Yes, it is a win-win opportunity.
  3. Do we understand each other? Yes.
  4. Which are your expected benefits for yourself? Investment capital and coaching
  5. Which are your expected benefits for the partner? Create social impact. Recognized in public meetings
  6. Do the benefits for yourself and for partner balance; do both partners benefit equally much? Yes, our benefits balance
  7. Which inputs do you plan to contribute with? I will contribute with knowledge, skills, tools and work hours. Our partner will contribute with funds, training and knowledge.
  8. Do the inputs provided by yourself and those expected from the partner balance? Yes, they balance
  9. Do both partners contribute equally much? Yes, both partners contribute equally much.
  10. How do the partners share programme management responsibility? The institution will be more concerned with planning projects, controlling resources,managing risks and managing the programs budget, expenditure and financial management. Our partner will be involved with mentoring our project teams, tracking progress, advising our stakeholders, providing leadership, coordinating resources and allocating funds as necessary.
unsplash - us

Quality values

  1. Which are the quality values? Trust, truth, resilience, harmony, equity, resilience and equal partnership.
  2. How do you ensure quality values? Sharing information.Sharing responsibilities. Sharing challenges
  3. How would you define “Equal partnership”? Rotates around mutual input, mutual management responsibilities and mutual benefits for both partners.
  4. How will equal partnership be ensured? Through equally sharing operational responsibilities, inputs and benefits.
  5. How do you ensure cross-cultural understanding?By understanding and respecting each other’s culture.

Strategy for change

Mission

To be the nation’s most inclusive body representing marginalized skilled artisans and craftsmen that share a common interest to improve living standards, expand opportunities and empower Kibera and the community as a whole.

Ambitions

  • Create a sustainable business in Kibera.
  • Reduce unemployment rates within Kibera.

Outcome challenges

  • Lack of enough equipment and material.
  • Competition from established markets.
  • Potential employees not well trained.
  • Difficulty accessing international markets.
  • Lack of visibility.

 Output

  • Recruit at least two artisans (can be part time).
  • Purchase raw materials and machines.
  • Training/mentoring.
  • Open online platforms-marketing the products.

Milestones:

  • Purchase machines raw materials
  • Purchase dummies.
  • Designing/manufacturing the products.
  • Marketing the products.

Expected outcome

  • Manufacture clothes, bags and shoes.
  • Actively operating online platforms.
  • More employees within the institution.
  • Increased revenue.
  • Increased net profit.

Progress markers

  • Pieces of clothes manufactured in a month.
  • Number of employees (Both part-time and fulltime) after 1.5 years.
  • Testimonials from locals benefiting directly from the business including mentoring and training services.
  • Stocks of shoes/bags/clothes in the shop.
  • People visiting the shop per month/per week.
  • Number of customer orders per month.
  • Number of people within the institution that can afford basic needs after 3 years.
  • Revenue in Ksh per month.
  • Profit margin % per month.

Baseline

  • One part-time employee.
  • Stock of clothes/shoes/bags-less than 10 pieces each.
  • Pieces of clothes/bags/shoes in a month-less than 50.
  • Number of customer leads in a month-less than 50.
  • Number of people visiting the shop per month-less than 50.
  • Revenue 0 %.
  • Profit margin 0 %.

Sources of evidence

  • Stock of clothes.
  • Customer numbers.
  • Number of employees.
  • Revenue %.
  • Profit margin %.

Required input

  • Finances-inform of soft loan
  • Technical training by the client institution
  • ActionInvest loan that is paid back with 10 % annual interest. Before the programme is concluded the full loan is paid back.

Expected impact

  • Self-sustained tailoring business.

Impact assessment

Base-line data
Start-up interview with Frederick

Ambitions & Challenges

  1. What do you want to do?
    I want to maintain a self-sustainable business in Kibera and improve livelihoods of the people in Kibera through creating employment opportunities.
  2.  How do you want to do it?
    By upgrading my workspace so that I can accommodate and offer a platform for other skilled artisans and craftsmen in Kibera.
  3. Why did you not do it already?
    I lacked the capacity to do this.
  4. Did you experience challenges that were hindering you from starting? If so, which challenges?
    Yes. Among them was developing a vision and a business idea and raising capital for my business.

Sustainable economy & Institutional capacity

  1. Does this project generate products and/or services that are useful?
    Yes. African wear is being recognized all over the World and with proper marketing, it will be something huge.
  2. Will someone buy what we produce and will we generate an income that covers the costs and provides a profit?
    Yes, we aspire to produce high quality and unique products that are competitive on the market.
  3. How do you plan to reach a sustainable economy for the business?
    I plan to maintain a strong customer base and the right team that I will work with. I also plan to exercise good leadership and organizational skills in my business. The finances will also be well managed through constant accounting and target setting.
  4. What is your business idea? How do you ensure start-up capital if required? Do you see scaling up opportunities?
    I plan to deal solely with African wear. I will invest in making bags, shoes, jewelry and clothes with African print. I target both the local and International market.

Expectations, inputs, benefits & responsibility

  1. Is this a win-win opportunity?
    Yes, it is a win-win opportunity.
  2. Which are your expected benefits for yourself?
    Investment capital and coaching.
  3. Which are the expected benefits for the partner, from your point of view?
    Create social impact and being recognized in public meetings.
  4. Do the benefits for yourself and for partner balance; do both partners benefit equally much?
    Yes, our benefits balance.
  5. Which inputs do you plan to contribute with?
    I will contribute with knowledge, skills, tools and work hours.
  6. Which inputs do see that the partner can contribute with?
    Our partner will contribute with funds, training and knowledge.
  7. Do the inputs provided by yourself and those expected from the partner, balance?
    Yes, they balance.
  8. Do both partners contribute equally much?
    Yes, both partners contribute equally much.
unsplash - perception

 Quality values & Cross-cultural understanding

  1. How would you define “Equal partnership”?
    It rotates around mutual input, mutual management responsibilities and mutual benefits for both partners.
  2. How will equal partnership be ensured?
    Through equally sharing operational responsibilities, inputs and benefits.
  3. How will cross-cultural understanding be ensured?
    By understanding and respecting each other’s culture.

Milestones

The first milestones, which are related to the first loan, are:

  1. Purchasing raw materials, dummies and production accessories.
  2. Designing products.
  3. Marketing and selling products.

Acknowledgement

HR&S is especially grateful to M.Sc. Milicent SIFUNA, for her deep attention and very hard work. Ms. Millicent made the RISE Kenya possible and she addressed every corner of every challenge. She carefully reviewed the HR&S practical strategies and ActionAreas.

HR&S is grateful.

Ms. Millicent SIFUNA, HR&S RISE Support Centre Evaluation planning coach and Team-leader. (Photo Millicent SIFUNA)

About Kibera

Kibera (Kinubi: Forest or Jungle) is a division of Nairobi Area, Kenya, and neighbourhood of the city of Nairobi, 6.6 kilometres from the city centre. Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi, the largest urban slum in Africa and the third largest in the world. The Kenya Population and Housing Census has estimated Kibera’s population to be one or two million people. Most of Kibera slum residents live in extreme poverty, earning less than $1.00 per day. Unemployment rates are high. Persons living with HIV in the slum are many, as are AIDS cases. Cases of assault and rape are common. There are few schools, and most people cannot afford education for their children. Clean water is scarce. Diseases caused by poor hygiene are prevalent. A great majority living in the slum lack access to basic services, including electricity, running water, and medical care.The neighbourhood is divided into a number of villages, including Kianda, Soweto East, Gatwekera, Kisumu Ndogo, Lindi, Laini Saba, Siranga, Makina and Mashimoni.
History – Colonial era. The city of Nairobi, where Kibera is located, was founded in 1899 when the Uganda Railway line was built, thereby creating a need for its headquarters and British colonial offices. The colonial administration intended to keep Nairobi as a home for Europeans and temporary migrant workers from Africa and Asia. The migrant workers were brought into Nairobi on short-term contracts, as indentured labour, to work in the service sector, as railway manual labour and to fill lower-level administrative posts in the colonial government. Between 1900 and 1940, the colonial government passed a number of laws – such as the 1922 Vagrancy Act – to segregate people, evict, arrest, expel and limit the movement of the natives and indentured workers. Within Nairobi, Africans could live in segregated “native reserves” at the edge of the city. Permits to live in Nairobi were necessary, and these permits separated living areas of non-Europeans by ethnic group. One such group were African soldiers who served the military interests of the British colonial army, and their assigned area developed into a slum, now known as Kibera.
Kibera originated as a settlement in the forests at the outskirts of Nairobi, when Nubian soldiers returning from service with the King’s African Rifles (KAR) were allocated plots of land there in return for their efforts in 1904. Kibera was situated on the KAR military exercise grounds in close proximity to the KAR headquarters along Thika Road. The British colonial government allowed the settlement to grow informally. The Nubians had no claim on land in “Native Reserves” and over time, other tribes moved into the area to rent land from the Nubian landlords. With the increase in railway traffic, Nairobi’s economy developed, and an increasing number of rural migrants moved to urban Nairobi in search of wage labour. Kibera and other slums developed throughout Nairobi. Kibera slum was established in early 20th century, and has grown ever since on public lands, around water streams and railway tracks. Its current residents are people from all major ethnic groups of Kenya. Proposals were made in the late 1920s to demolish and relocate Kibera, as it was within the zone of European residential holdings; however, the residents objected to these proposals. The colonial government considered proposals to reorganize Kibera, and the Kenya Land Commission heard a number of cases which referred to the “Kibera problem”. By then, Kibera was not the only slum. A 1931 Colonial Report noted the segregated nature of housing in Nairobi and other Kenyan towns, with housing for Europeans reported as good, and widespread prevalence of slum property for Africans and other non-European migrants.

History – Post-independence After Kenya became independent in 1963, a number of forms of housing were made illegal by the government. The new ruling affected Kibera on the basis of land tenure, rendering it an unauthorized settlement. Despite this, people continued to live there, and by the early 1970s landlords were renting out their properties in Kibera to significantly greater numbers of tenants than were permitted by law. The tenants, who are highly impoverished, cannot afford to rent legal housing, finding the rates offered in Kibera to be comparatively affordable. The number of residents in Kibera has increased accordingly despite its unauthorized nature. By 1974, members of the Kikuyu tribe predominated the population of Kibera, and had gained control over administrative positions, which were kept through political patronage. A shift in Kenyan demographics has taken place since then, with the Luo and Luhya tribes from the West of Kenya being the primary sources of internal emigration. By 1995 Kibera had become a predominantly Luo slum and Mathare Valley nearby the predominantly Kikuyu slum area. The coincident rise of multi-party politics in Kenya has caused the Luo leader and MP for much of Kibera, the parliamentary seat of Langata, Raila Odinga to be known for his ability to bring out a formidable demonstration force instantly. Meanwhile, Mathare Valley has become a hotbed of gang warfare. Political tensions in the nation between the ethnic tribes escalated after the re-election of President Kibaki in 2007.
Kibera today The Nubian community has a Council of Elders who are also the Trustees of its Trust. This Trust now claims all of Kibera. It claims that the extent of their land is over 1,100 acres (4.5 km2). It claims that owing to State sanctioned allotments the land area is now reduced to 780 acres (3.2 km2). The Government does not accept their claims but its rehousing programme envisions a land extent around 300 acres (1.2 km2) for the claimed Nubian settlement. Neither side has left any room for negotiation from this position. Presently, Kibera’s residents represent all the major Kenyan ethnic backgrounds, with some areas being specifically dominated by peoples of one ethno-linguistic group. Many new residents come from rural areas with chronic underdevelopment and overpopulation issues. The multi-ethnic nature of Kibera’s populism combined with the tribalism that pervades Kenyan politics has led to Kibera hosting a number of small ethnic conflicts throughout its century-long history. The Kenyan government owns all the land upon which Kibera stands, though it continues to not officially acknowledge the settlement; no basic services, schools, clinics, running water or lavatories are publicly provided, and the services that do exist are privately owned.
Slum upgrading Kibera is one of the most studied slums in Africa, not only because it sits in the centre of the modern city, but also because UN-HABITAT, the United Nations’ agency for human settlements, is headquartered close by. Ban Ki-moon visited the settlement within a month of his selection as UN secretary-general. The government, UN-HABITAT and a contingent of NGOs, notably Maji na Ufanisi, are making inroads into the settlements in an attempt to facelift the housing and sanitary conditions. There are three significant complicating factors to construction or upgrade within Kibera. The first is the rate of petty and serious crime. Building materials cannot be left unattended for long at any time because there is a very high chance of them being stolen. The second is the lack of building foundations. The ground in much of Kibera is literally composed of refuse and rubbish. The third complicating factor is the unyielding topography and cramped sprawl of the area. Few houses have vehicle access, and many are at the bottoms of steep inclines (which heightens the flooding risk). On 16 September 2009 the Kenyan government began a long-term movement scheme. The clearance of Kibera was expected to take between two and five years to complete. The project has been delayed for a number of reasons.

Status Feb 2023
By Freja and Felicia when visiting

action10org

MEET ACTION10 ENTREPRENEUR MR. FREDRICK!

Fredrick started off as a Lab Technician in Kenya but soon realized he wanted to go into design and clothing. He has now been in the fashion industry for more than 30 years. In 2002, he started his own tailoring business called Dola’s Creation.

Dola’s Creation specializes in authentic ceremonial clothing with traditional African prints. Fredrick designs his own patterns and make all his clothing pieces from scratch, tailored to his customers’ preferences.

During Fredrick’s career he has designed and manufactured pieces for wedding parties, government personnel, politicians and Miss World contestants. Fredrick came into contact with Action10 three years ago through one of his clients. Action10 founder Cecilia met with one of his customers while she was wearing one of Fredrick’s creations and was impressed by the beautiful tailoring and design.

Fredrick received a loan through Action10 to boost his business in early 2020. Since then, things have been challenging for social entrepreneurs in Kenya. Covid-19 and political and societal change have played a role. Stay tuned for part 2 to learn about the challenges Fredrick and Dola’s Creation have faced, what opportunities lay ahead and the goals Fredrick hopes to accomplish in the near future.

 

When Covid-19 started, Fredrick received his first loan to boost his tailoring business. Then Kenya went into lockdown, which affected his sales drastically. Creating custom clothes requires in-person meetings with clients to get the correct measurements, but customers were unwilling to come to the tailoring studio physically. There were also no gatherings during this time, and the demand for ceremonial clothing was low.

Thinking back, Fredrick believes creating a clothing line with generic sizes to sell online could’ve been a great solution. Of course, the pieces would still be made to order, but customers wouldn’t need to come in.

Covid-19 hasn’t been Fredrick’s only challenge. He explains that Kenyan society is gravely affected by politics and that people are less inclined to spend money when there is a political election, which there was in August 2022. Uncertainty about the future leads to less consumption.

Fredrick hopes that when the election period ends, he will get his business to blossom. He wants to focus on his marketing strategies, something Action10’s Kenya team will assist with. Fredrick aims to develop his social media channels and open an online store. In the long run, he plans to hire people to help with the increased demand for his pieces, which he hopes will come with an online shop. Fredrick explains he might face competition from the fast fashion industry and imported clothes from China. Still, creating custom pieces to the desires of his customers is his excellent selling point.