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Latest News from Africa
A financial advisor from Togo’s capital city of Lomé came to the village of Koumea recently to teach members of Africa Forward Initiative’s (AFI) field crew how to better train their clients in managing their microloan funds.
Africa Forward Initiative (AFI) team members recently returned to some schools they visited last fall to bring much-needed classroom supplies through the organization’s School for All program. Materials included maps, globes, rulers, dictionaries, and textbooks, which were presented to the schools in January. School for All is one of three community-solution initiatives championed by AFI in its mission to support African communities living in extreme poverty. These three initiatives work toward alleviating community-shared barriers to economic stability: lack of access to education, lack of adequate food supply, and lack of clean water. In AFI’s first-ever School for All event in the fall of 2023, team members distributed individual school supplies to 1,300 orphaned children in Togo, Ivory Coast, and New Guinea. AFI Director of Operations Kifatiosa Douti reports that school officials have remarked on the increased enthusiasm and drive of the students since the AFI School Supply Drive.
In autumn of 2023, 1,300 orphaned children in Togo, Ivory Coast, and Guinea received school supplies through Africa Forward Initiative’s first School for All school supply drive. The goal of the program is to make school accessible for all students, regardless of their means, and encourage them to stay in school. Africa Forward team members distributed packets filled with books, notepaper, and pencils to the eager children, along with words of encouragement. “Your education is crucial,” said Africa Forward’s Director of Operations Kifatiosa Douti as she prepared to distribute packets of supplies to students in Togo. “It’s time to focus on your studies and heed the guidance of your teachers.” Douti also asked the schools for a follow-up report at the end of the term so Africa Forward Initiative can monitor the children’s progress.
Approximately 400 families in four African countries got much-needed food staples during the holiday season through Africa Forward Initiative’s inaugural Harvest of Hope project. In December, Africa Forward team members distributed packets of food to families in Togo, Uganda, Ivory Coast, and Guinea. Each food packet contained foods that are staples in a typical African diet: rice, cooking oil, tomato paste, couscous, pasta. Each packet had enough food to feed a family of five or six for approximately one month. Recipients were chosen based on need, with priority given to widows with children at home. The food provisions not only help families meet immediate needs for healthy food, but they also enable Africa Forward entrepreneurship clients to focus their microloans on growing their businesses.
Entrepreneurial Success Stories
Kao mengizani, known as Ishallo is a bread baker whose output has increased from about 45 loaves a day to up to 500 thanks to support from the Africa Forward Initiative. Ishallo had long been known for the tasty loaves of bread she baked and sold from her home. Her bread was so popular that she was typically sold out by early morning; however, she didn’t have the means to expand her business. Ishallo received an $80 loan from Africa Forward Initiative and used it to purchase more ingredients and equipment so she could increase her volume. She now sells steadily from three different outlets and has hired three women to work for her, thus providing a sustainable income for not only her own family, but three more families as well. Ishallo plans to eventually add a solar-powered commercial oven so she can grow her business even more.
Nog Piyabalo is a sheep farmer whose herd has grown from about 30 to more than 300 in a year’s time thanks to a loan and the accompanying support he received from the Africa Forward Initiative. Nog Piyabalo is a sheep farmer whose herd has grown from about 30 to more than 300 in a year’s time thanks to a loan and the accompanying support he received from Africa Forward Initiative. With no financial means for—or ready access to—veterinarian services, Nog’s sheep were vulnerable to disease. In addition, he couldn’t afford to build proper shelter to protect the sheep from predators. He was granted a $100 loan which he used to bring a veterinarian to his farm to examine the sheep, vaccinate them, and train Nog on how to better take care of them. Nog was eventually granted a second loan, which he used to build a shelter and obtain a guard dog to further protect the sheep. He now has a robust herd that provides a steady, sustainable income, not just for himself, but for the several workers he has since been able to employ. Nog is now sharing his expertise with others; he has formed an association of local sheep farmers who meet regularly to share information and support one another.
MAKOTE Madjemba is a tailor who is now able to earn a living wage through the trade she loves thanks to support from Africa Forward Initiative. Skilled with a needle and thread, MAKOTE has always loved fashion, and she established a business tailoring clothes for various customers. However, her only sewing machine was old and broke down frequently, causing sometimes lengthy delays in projects. As a result, MAKOTE was having difficulty maintaining a sustainable client base. She got a loan through Africa Forward Initiative and used it to purchase a new, dependable sewing machine that has enabled her to take on more projects and turn them around quickly. Her business has since grown to the point that she now has four young apprentices who are working with her and learning the tailoring trade. MAKOTE hopes to one day open a fashion stylist school where she could teach her craft to even more apprentices.