How Business Can Help the Poor

This small, private company is a good example of how any business can share its wealth between its employees and other external parties who need help such as rural communities in third world countries.

The company was founded by an Englishman and his German wife who are risking part of their retirement savings to invest in Tanzania. They have grounded a safari lodge not far from Lake Manyara National Park. Once the business becomes profitable and has paid back its debts it will be able to donate up to 50,000 US Dollars to a single, defined aid project once each year! This is made possible by having limited overheads and a small staff of Tanzanians. Only Tanzanians or other East Africans will ever work at the lodge and earn a salary. The European founders are happy once their original investment has been repaid. No salaries will ever be earned by the founders or any other voluntary worker.

In addition to the low wage overheads the lodge has been built to be easily maintained with minimal recurring costs. For example, all electricity is produced by natural resources, through either solar or wind turbines. This provides a safe and low cost lighting system for each newly built, en-suite bungalow.

All water is harvested in tanks during the rainy seasons during which the lodge is closed. It is used only for showering, washing and cooking. Bottled mineral water is used for drinking and the toilets are the latest Scandinavian technology dry compost toilets in which urine is separated and sent out through the drainage system leaving the faeces to dry in a special container which is closed whilst the toilet is unused - sitting on the toilet automatically opens the container. Instead of water inlets and outlets the dry compost toilet has a single air outlet; a white plastic pipe which goes through the bathroom wall, up on the outside of the bungalow and protrudes just above the roof like a chimney. A 12 volt fan integrated into the toilet runs all day long extracting air into the atmosphere leaving absolutely no trace of smell. The containers are replaced daily with fresh containers.

The lodge is thus ecologically sustainable and runs with very low overheads. With this combination the company can afford to make their prices extremely competitive and can, in good years, afford the 50,000 US Dollar aid project!

So why is it not a registered charity? Or an NGO (non governmental organisation)? This question, as far as NGOs go, is easily answered. A Tanzanian NGO is a legal entity that is managed by a committee, a group of at least five Tanzanians and other members who, together, decide the entire objectives of the NGO. This works fine if the NGO has a number of sponsors or a foundation backing it but not if it is a single business that is financing and managing the projects. It is well known that no profitable business can be run by a committee. It must have clear objectives and be managed by a hierarchy of one or more people who should work as a team towards clearly defined objectives. Management must know when it is time to re-invest some profits back into the business and which business priorities must come first before the finer act of aiding the under privileged. Only a successful business can earn enough to donate 50,000 US dollars per year. The owners of this lodge have not yet fully understood the implications of being a registered charity so it has postponed this quest until the lodge shows clear and regular profits and is already aiding Tanzania. Registration as a charity could be a constructive step forward, but maybe not. The prime aim is to help the rural communities of Tanzania and this can be achieved by a low profit organisation, as opposed to a non profit organisation which does not need to plough back money into a business because it runs on sponsorships.

Look out CEOs and Managing Directors of the world! Even a small family business can make a big impact in helping the third world – are the major globals doing enough? Or are they just gaining publicity and tax relief when they hand over a big cheque?

The kind of project that this humble safari lodge is hoping to finance can be from year to year quite different. Each year, as the financial books are closed it will be evident how much money is left for the project. That sum will be the maximum budget for that year’s project so it may also dictate which kind of project.

For twenty thousand dollars a small village can be provided with a water system. Water tanks can be installed for rainwater harvesting or pumps and pipelines from the river, or perhaps a well can be bored. With less money in the first years perhaps the lodge will finance new furniture and study materials for a school, or simply donate a few thousand dollars to the local aids orphanage, to a local hospital or to an NGO who help women or children in need. With fifty thousand whole schools can be built or micro industries – solar powered workshops to provide work and enable locals to make and sell products for a reasonable living instead of dumping their hard earned raw products on a city trader who will give them a pittance for their toil. There are many possibilities with such amounts of money each year.

This company’s policy takes care in pointing out that the aid projects will be directed to rural communities only. African cities can also do with a lot of help but in helping the local, country communities the cities will become less burdened with young people who leave their country homes to flock to the city in search of a better life only to find a worse kind of poverty in the slums, with sickness, drugs and crime as a constant companion.

Africans are generally humble, friendly, generous and honest people. Except where war and rebellion reigns the African countryside is a happy and safe place but poor, extremely poor.

This safari lodge has some remarkably positive aims and a genuine desire to help the people without inflicting any kind of dogmatic conditions. It intends to help local Tanzanians have a better life but to lead whatever kind of life they wish to. If individuals or even complete families or tribes wish to have their children integrated into a modern, computer driven society with employment in modern business then that shall be, but if they wish to remain pastoralists or to till their lands, to remain nomadic then let them, but they too need help. An interesting mixture can also apply, for example the Maasai politician who works in a suit and tie, is chauffeured from meeting to meeting and goes home at the weekend to his remote Boma (village) and lives his original Maasai life with all their traditions and customs as they were.

It is possible for business to provide constructive support and help under privileged people no matter where they live, whatever their creed, nationality or religion. However, to do so the business must be successful – its employees must have secure jobs and a promising future – and it must have a regular flow of customers. So it would not be fair to complete this article without explaining a little about the safari lodge which has provided my inputs.

The Manyara Valley Culture Camp’s motto is “At Home in Africa”. There are two main reasons for this slogan. Firstly they provide modern, en-suite rooms in new bungalows with large terraces overlooking the most beautiful Rift Valley with Lake Manyara to the south and Mount Kitumbeine (2800m) to the north. Each room is furnished to western European standards in terms of furniture, fittings, comfort and above all cleanliness. Its kitchen is maintained to European hygienic standards and its restaurant, built in the traditional style with a thatched roof is open to the vast and glorious surroundings, offering amazing views. So you can feel at home at the camp!

The second reason why “At Home in Africa” is important is that you can do, during their one week package, whatever you wish to do on top of their all inclusive safaris. Of the six full days spent at the camp four are taken by full day safaris (picnic hamper lunch) – two wildlife safari days in two of three world renowned National Parks: Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park or Lake Manyara National Park. The latter is just twenty minutes away and the furthest (Tarangire) takes just ninety minutes on a very good road. Two other days are spent on culture safaris with local tribes such as the Mbulu, Maasai, Chagga in a very personal experience. The final two days are spent just like at home, doing whatever you wish: if you just want to relax in camp then do it, perhaps combined with a few guided, gentle walks – just wandering or bird watching. If you want more adventure or athletic activities that is also possible with guided treks, foot safaris mountain walks etc. Traditional African board games and books from the drop and take library are also available for the mentally active.

Everything is fully included (except flights and alcoholic beverages) and, apart from those two days when you just pick and choose what to do it is all arranged for you including free airport shuttles to and from camp. So it is ideal for the first time to Africa visitors and for those who have been before and are looking for more!

This lodge will make you feel at home in Africa, and thanks to your custom, will be able to provide significant help in rural Tanzania. Now that’s what I call a business!