POWERING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY: A WORLD THAT WORKS
Introducing the GSM Micro Marketing Initiative (project) The GSM Micro Marketing Initiative is an innovative business idea; it is a project that can change the lives of the poorest of the poor. GSM Micro Marketing Initiative is a business initiative to market Global System Mobile (GSM) recharge cards and phone call services. The business idea is that you can start the business with less than ($100.00) one hundred dollars. It does not require big capital, hiring of shops, does not require overhead cost. It has the possibility for large – scale expansion and demonstrates substantial difference from other projects or business which requires big capital to start, hiring of shops and other overhead cost which is a pediments to the poorest of the poor.
About You
About You
About Your Organization
Organization Name
Christian Fellowship and Care Foundation
Organization Website
Organization Phone
+234 - 8081314385
Organization Address
P.O.Box 101, Ehime Mbano, Imo State, Nigeria 472101
Organization Country
Nigeria, XX
Country where this project is creating social impact
Nigeria
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
Please select
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Innovation
Entry Form title
POWERING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY: A WORLD THAT WORKS
What change do you want to bring to the world?
Introducing the GSM Micro Marketing Initiative (project) The GSM Micro Marketing Initiative is an innovative business idea; it is a project that can change the lives of the poorest of the poor. GSM Micro Marketing Initiative is a business initiative to market Global System Mobile (GSM) recharge cards and phone call services. The business idea is that you can start the business with less than ($100.00) one hundred dollars. It does not require big capital, hiring of shops, does not require overhead cost. It has the possibility for large – scale expansion and demonstrates substantial difference from other projects or business which requires big capital to start, hiring of shops and other overhead cost which is a pediments to the poorest of the poor.
What are the primary activities of your project?
Awareness Raising and Need Assessment. The organization conducted participatory awareness raising, need and opportunity assessment, which included the communities, stakeholders, woman and vulnerable individuals to design and select appropriate initiative to holistically meet the needs of the communities. (2) Setting of Goals and Objectives: (a) Goals: the goal of the GSM – Micro Marketing Initiative is to promote and uplift the community wellbeing through micro – enterprise that will encourage income generating activities at low cost and to alleviate poverty at family and community level. It will embrace the full participation of women, men, youth and vulnerable individuals in decision making processes in the community to promote their social well being and self-esteem. (b) Objectives: A. Generation of employment opportunities for rural men, women and youth and enhancement of their social well being. B. Employment and involvement of women, youth and the vulnerable persons in their local economic development processes. C. Increase in the income of the skilled and unskilled individuals. D. To provide skill and productive training for the operation and management of micro – enterprise. E. Create a better environment for relative peace, conflict resolution and management. F. Enhancement of community economic opportunity and income mobilization and productive asset acquisition for sustainable community development. (3) How the objectives achieved: this was achieved through community sensitization and awareness raising strategy. The project productivity and income generating micro – marketing, enterprise management skills, participatory planning to create economic strategy to market the GSM recharge cards and phone – call ventures. One hundred persons (100) were initially trained in GSM – micro marketing initiative. The started self employment and freed them selves from the spiral of poverty. (4) Impute: Carried out capacity building and training. (5) Output: 100 persons trained and started self – employment. (6) Monitoring and evaluation: To measure the impact of the project on the beneficiaries. Whether the goals and objectives was implemented according project set goals. The activities of the project including monitoring and evaluation were carried out in collaboration with project leaders and beneficiaries including women and vulnerable individuals to ensure community ownership and sustainability of the project. (7) Assessment: The organization carried out a general assessment of participants and beneficiaries whether there are changes in their knowledge, attitude and behaviour. To know the number of individuals and communities that participated. To know changes in income and asset acquisition. To know the long term social well being and economic opportunity of participants. (8) Project financial report: An audit of the financial of the projects was carried out by a private auditing organization to insure financial transparency.
What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?
The GSM Micro Marketing Initiative is innovative because it is a business concept which can be started with a very low capital and it can grow into a big business within a short space of time and have the possibility for large scale expansion to create thousands of self – employment to thousands unemployed persons and demonstrate a substantial difference form other projects that can be started with big capital and employ few people. It is new in this field, particularly in mobile facility. Many new businesses require huge capital, big workforce, infrastructure and costly equipment to start operation, it require a lot of paper work, premises, shops and workshops. It will only employ few hands and many people of the world will remain in an unemployment and abject poverty. The GSM Micro Marketing Initiative places you in advantage with the service providers, you could start with only $100 one hundred dollars, to purchase recharge cards from GSM providers and a handset for phone – calls services, the communication grants will provide you with promotional materials and marketing support programs with out your putting a cent. In few months time, you are running a business of our own. Thousands who follow this initiative were in self – employment and changed their world of poverty to a fulfilling life and economic freedom and social well being. The GSM Micro Marketing Initiative is in line with powering Economic Opportunity – Create a world that works prompted by powering Foundation and Ashoka’s Change markers. The GMS Micro Marketing Initiative is an innovative market – based
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.
The community that we engage is Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. The population is approximately 200, 000 inhabitants setting in an area covering 34 square kilometres. The local government area was administratively divided into 29 autonomous communities which are administered by recognized tradinational rulers. It has 11 political wards with elected councillors and a chairman. The occupation of the villagers are predominantly sustenance farming. The rural dwellers are poverty stricken and they lack many facilities which are essential to good livelihood. The women and children are the most affected; as women are not allowed to engage in meaningful enterprise to uplift their status. Most of them are denied education and restricted at homes. The Christian Fellowship and Care Foundation have carried out several awareness creating activities and advocacy to sensitize the women to know their right and that of their children. There have been changes in attitude and behaviour and practice since the social mobilization was carried out in the communities. Both women and vulnerable individuals has been repositioned to seek and create self – employment for themselves and the promotion of GSM Micro Marketing Initiative by the Christian Fellowship and Care Foundation through community participatory inclusive decision making has enabled the women and vulnerable persons the opportunities to participate in the local economic development efforts toward self – employment. The GSM – Micro Marketing Initiative has created the opportunity for the villagers to recognize their potential in the communities. Connecting the people with global donors and networks will enhance the sustainability of their entrepreneurial built up and economic social well being. The people have seen that the GSM – Micro Marketing Initiative is an effort for human development and the project can be started by any person who wants to change his world and disseminate their innovative ideas that contribute to the improvement and the progress of human conditions. It is as well a pioneering approach to powering economic opportunity – create a world that work.
Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project
The founder Albert M. Ezeigwe is a social worker who is touched by the ply light and sufferings of the world poor. In this past of our world, Nigeria is a country endeared with enormous materials and human resources, but still the country. The United Nations ranked Nigeria as one of the poorest countries of the world there is lack of micro – enterprise or industrial development. The majority of the people are living in abject poverty. There is no employment opportunity for the masses, particularly the poorest of the poor in semi – urban slums and people living in the rural communities. Majority of the people lack access to clean water, electricity and health care and other necessities of life. The prevailing is prevalent in sub – Shara Africa where the people live in pitiable conditions. If you didn’t live in a developed country, such as United States, or Australia or Europe, where would you live? Chances are, you would be in a home without electricity, running water, or a toilet, your family, with an average of six members, would be sharing a one – room house, probably no longer than your bedroom. In cold weather, you might be living with no heat or appropriate clothing. Worse still, you may lack food, water, shelter, or clothes other than those on your back. You might have sold all your belongings to train yourself or children, still, no employment, but think of sharing a business of your own, there is no capital about ($1, 0000.00) one thousand dollars, there will be no money to hire a shop and founder with the support of other stakeholders, founded the Christian Fell
Social Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured
The GSM-Micro Marketing Initiative was a participatory initiative which involved the communities, women and other vulnerable groups in the selection and design of the project on how it will impact the stakeholders. The process involved needs assessment of target beneficiaries was taken into account in the project design. The need to create employment opportunity for the poor and vulnerable individuals was putting into consideration. The financial aspects of running the project of GSM – Marketing Initiative was comfortable for the beneficiaries to participate.
A tenable goals and objectives were put in place considering the innovative nature of the project which logically connected with local initiative and perceptive. The capacity building and training of the beneficiaries produced project leadership, implementation strategy, communication with beneficiaries, management of financial resources, transparency and accountability resulted to the success of the project. The GSM – Micro Marketing Initiative started with 100 persons as a pilot project and has been replicated by others which have led to creation of employment to many vulnerable individuals which show that the project was successful. The social impact of the project was necessitated by the low capital investment on the project and rapid economic turn over which changed the status of beneficiaries. The success of the initiative is manifest on the changes in the lives of the beneficiaries which can be replicated anywhere to create employment opportunity.
A well articulated logical frame work was put in place to measure the impact of the project, a monitoring and evaluation frame work using SMART indicators was designed. The design utilized to accomplish the project objectives. To measure the success of the GSM –Micro Marketing Initiative there was through assessment of participants and beneficiaries, training program design and planning and the resources allocated to pursue project objectives.
The number of trainees, number of participating communities, number of beneficiaries, projects or programs put in place, and activities implemented that resulted from the combination of imputers and processes was determined to measure the success of the project. The outcome show that the beneficiary and population – level increased, changes in knowledge, practice and attitudes of beneficiaries. There is also increase in knowledge of enterprise management, productive projects resulting from the intervention. There is a noticeable impact on the long-term changes at the beneficiary and population level because of improved income, improved access to food, and asset acquisition increase, resilience to shock, resulting from changes in knowledge, attitude and behaviour. The GSM Micro Marketing Initiative has been successful globally. Powering Economic opportunity: Create a world that work.
How many people have been impacted by your project?
101-1,000
How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?
1,001-10,000
How will your project evolve over the next three years?
The GSM – Micro Marketing Initiative is pioneering human development projects with the aim of inciting and encouraging innovation and creativity in area of human development and employment opportunity. The project will evolve the enhancement of existing impact through addition of complementary services like computer and internet services and business center consultancy services. It will require cooperation of stakeholders to exchange and spread of experience which helps to strengthen the mechanism of development by generating financial support that will come from new customers and a long – term plan for financial security and community support.
Sustainability
What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?
There is a big prospect in expanding the GSM Micro Marketing Project. The barriers that might hinder the success of the project is lack of founders and donors. It is true that the GSM Micro Marketing Initiative project can be started with a low capital investment but it needed strong financial partnerships and community support network in order to sustain it. There is also the barrier of procurement of technologies. A three year work plan will be put in place in anticipation of expanding existing impacts through encouragement of new participants and beneficiaries through capacity building and training, acquisition of new technologies. Expanding the project has the possibility of providing more job opportunity through complementary services. The future development of telecommunication have a great opportunity for marketing solutions to increase self-employment. The international Telecommunication unit Usaid that demand was being driven by people using their phones to access banking and mobile health services. Even the simplest, low-end mobile phone can do so much, to improve health care in developing world, said ITU secretary general Dr Hamadoun Toure. The successful expansion of the project require more financial impute for this obvious reason the organization will develop a funding model that can help us scale-up our project. We will seek the partnership of Ashoka’s change makers and eBay Foundation for assistance to secure funds from other organizations. We will also solicite for the continued assistance of the community members who has supported the project in the past. We would seek funding through well articulated proposals using SMART indicators for a three year project plan to funding agencies and donors to ensure the sustainability of the project and community ownership. The GSM Micro Marketing Initiative has proved to be a successful idea to fund marketing solutions to un-employment. We will use the model during our pilot project at Ehime Mbano Imo State to replicate the expansion of the project. There will be an improvement on the training and management skills of the participants to be able to cope with the scale up of the project. We will work closely with major telecommunication service providers for more assistance on marketing material support and encouragement. With these efforts and proposals we could be able to break the barriers and create economic empowering and create a world that works.
Tell us about your partnerships
The Christian Fellowship and Care Foundation collaborates with governments, technology providers and non-governmental organization. This focuses on inclusive mobilization of relevant partners, public-private and community sectors to engage with and take the ownership of the project in order to ensure effective implementation. In order to strengthen advocacy, built solidarity, enhance collective capacity, avoid duplication and synergise our efforts at local level, all stakeholders, including beneficiaries, government agencies and for-profit service provider. Companies needs to work together. By so doing the different partners and stakeholders will have a strong sense of solidarity and connection to make the GSM Micro Marketing Initiative project a successful venture. The partnership of Christian Fellowship and Care Foundation are mainly working with organizations and community base organization that assist on skills transfer and mutual learning. It is offered in a manner that promotes mutual learning between partner organizations and the host organization that provide funding is a challenge. Our partners, the communication service providers give only material assistance on marketing enhancement. The need for strong local and international partnership is necessary for the expansion of the employment strategy and project enhancement of the Christian Fellowship and Care Foundation and the beneficiaries. It is our intention to be in partnership with Ashoka’s change makers and eBay Foundation to develop strong partnerships and support network internationally to the improvement and the progress of human conditions. Strong partnerships will strengthen cooperation mechanisms of development by generating financial support that will bring solutions to under-employment and eradicate negative social factors that resist the process of development of poor local communities. The Christian Fellowship and Care Foundation is looking forward of finding strong partnership that will assist in an effort aim to promote concepts and dimension of human development to create marketing solutions to improve living conditions of the poor and the disadvantaged populations particularly women and children: strong partnerships will develop better mechanisms to find solutions to the problem of poverty, marginalization and socio-economic exclusion of vulnerable groups. Strong partnerships will guarantee powering economic opportunity create a world that works.
Current annual budget of project, in US dollars
$1,000‐$10,000
Explain your selections
The activities of Christian Fellowship and Care Foundation have a humble beginning. The stakeholders comprises friends and family members who shared the inspiration and concern about the pitiful conditions of poor individuals in the rural communities. Friends and family members started to support the activities right from action and registration stage. They made donations of money and most of them volunteered to do one job or the other. The contribution of friends and family members laid a good foundation for the progress of the organization. Their financial contribution to carry out most of its responsibilities. Nigeria is a developing country and people are not aware of what volunteering is all about. In certain situation friends and family members can understand you more better and will be prepared to give assistance at any time and respond at the time of need. Friends and family members have continued to participate also supported the organization financially. The organization normally appeal to individuals for financial support. Compassionate minded individuals have in several occasion made personal donation to the organization. Individuals has also made donation through some international humanitarian organizations to our organization to carry out its activities. It is note working that individual support have helped the organization sustain its humanitarian activities. Private business organization through financial assistance and material support.
How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?
The organization intends to strengthen their project in the next three years by putting in place a long-term plan for financial security and community support. It will require putting a frame work using lesson learned and spread of experience helps to strengthen cooperation mechanisms of development by generating financial support that will eradicate negative social factors that resist the process of development for the vulnerable groups and the un-employed. The success so fear accomplished through the GSM Micro Marketing Initiative will be-re-implemented in the next three years by creating more community awareness and capacity building and develop leadership to handle the expected increase volume of economic activities which will be implemented in different locations in the next three years. The project will be strengthen in the next three years through the development of strong partnership both locally and internationally and support networks the expansion of the existing impacts through additional increase on community participation and stakeholder collaborations to put new services in place. In the next three years the GSM Micro Marketing solutions for un-employment will be carried out through renewed goal and objectives and replication of best practice that will accommodate more participants and beneficiaries both locally and international.
Challenges
Which barriers to employment does your innovation address?
Please select up to three in order of relevancy to your project.
PRIMARY
Lack of efficiency
SECONDARY
Lack of efficiency
TERTIARY
Lack of efficiency
Please describe how your innovation specifically tackles the barriers listed above.
The Christian Fellowship and Care Foundation human development initiative have put in place the economic opportunity for the unemployed population. The GSM Micro Marketing Initiative is an innovative business idea that ($100.00) one hundred dollars, it requires no big capital, hiring of shops, does not require overhead cost. It has the possibility for large scale expansion and demonstrates substantial difference from other projects or businesses which require big capital to start and other overhead cost. The GSM Micro Marketing Initiative have created thousands of jobs for the unemployed in sub-share a Africa.
Are you trying to scale your organization or initiative?
If yes, please check up to three potential pathways in order of relevancy to you.
PRIMARY
Grown geographic reach: Within host country
SECONDARY
Grown geographic reach: Within host country
TERTIARY
Grown geographic reach: Within host country
Please describe which of your growth activities are current or planned for the immediate future.
Do you collaborate with any of the following: (Check all that apply)
If yes, how have these collaborations helped your innovation to succeed?
The Christian Fellowship and Care Foundation engage the government, the technology providers, other non-governmental organization and for profit companies in the formulation and implementation of the GSM Micro Marketing Initiative project. The collaborations helped the innovative idea to succeed. The focus of the collaboration is to raise awareness of the major issues facing the poor villagers, vulnerable individuals social well being and under employment situation. To suggest appropriate actions and what is necessary to elevate the sufferings of vulnerable individuals and to obtain government support and community ownership. The collaborations also focuses on inclusive mobilization of relevant.
 | 48 weeks agoNgom Sobel updated this Competition Entry. |
| 49 weeks agoClinton Ezeigwe submitted this idea. |
