INTRODUCING THE EDPOWERMENT BUSINESS INCUBATION CENTER
2024 marked the opening of EdPowerment's new initiative: a community-serving "Business Incubation Center" where young adults learn trade and business skills to build a better life in their own environment.
Today the Incubation Center houses four projects to not only teach specific skills, but also business strategies and conversational English that will promote success.
Wings For Confident Women
Responding the the urging of teachers at Dahani Secondary School, in 2023 our Tanzanian team began to educate female students about proper menstrual care AND to teach them how to make reusable pads. These first steps evolved into Wings for Confident Women, a program (named locally) to produce and distribute pads, and teach about proper female reproductive health.
After our initial production of sanitary pads, our management surveyed leading Tanzanian and US programs who manufacture resuable pads in order to improve our product. At the same time, we developed a coaching curriculum. This "re-engineering" has resulted in a product that serves the user for over a year. We teach proper care!
Today at the Center, several former secondary students are honing their sewing skills, making these supplies. In 2024, a total of 3585 reusable pads were distributed to 611 female students in 4 schools; 1141 were given to school matrons to use as needed. A total of 5980 reusable pads were made by the program’s apprentices at the Business Incubation Center.
As the process and the apprentices improve, program managers are developing packaging and selling strategies for local outlets. The final goal is two-fold: to enable habits that build female confidence - AND to equip these apprentices with the ability to make and sell the pads after completing the program at the Center.
Carpentry
Inspired by the enthusiasm of students in the Dahani Boys Club when taught how to build some basic furniture - bookshelves and benches, the second vocational program taught at the Center is skilled carpentry. Led by experienced professionals, the Center provides the tools, equipment and facilities necessary to produce quality furniture and items that will be marketable locally.
In a carefully structured environment and curriculum, four apprentices - our first selection - are learning how to create, engineer and complete products that will excel in quality and appearance. At the same time, they will be equipped with a fundamental understanding of how to evaluate markets, profitability, reinvestment and other steps that lead to a sustainable business.
This is an ambitious program that EdPowerment will continue to monitor, shape and evaluate. The ultimate goal is to impart knowledge and skills for motivated young adults to prosper locally outside of the traditional academic classroom.
Cooking & Snack Production
Again, it was the excitement of students at Saturday's Boys and Girls Clubs that moved EdPowerment to make this the third program taught to apprentices at the Business Incubation Center. Students at Dahani were so engaged when instructed on how to prepare varied foods (along with some nutritional guidance)! So we took our cue and recruited Salma, an outstanding and accomplished chef, to lead this program at the Center. We provide all necessary equipment and supplies to teach four young women the basics of how to prepare a variety of snack and food items popular in local villages.
In addition to the proper cooking methods, the Center teaches the necessary hygiene, sanitation and storage processes and other key aspects of either starting a food establishment or selling products to markets. Students are also gaining experience in packaging and selling techniques. Basic English that will help them to source materials and grow their businesses are a vital part of our program for them, as well as all of the other students at the Center.
So far, the testing of their products has generated A LOT of positive reviews and we look forward to this becoming not only a source of profit to the Center, but also the starting point for a new generation of cooks throughout local villages.
