Updates from the Microfinance Project
Posted by Kaitlin Walter, Fellow Gurrion and Veltah, the Project’s microloan Recipients, are both enrolled in SEDA’s pilot Mentoring Programme. They will be mentored by a business adviser from a private company that is contracted by SEDA for two months. They will meet with Themba Manzini, the business adviser, this coming Wednesday to begin their … Read more
Eggs, Chicken and Microfinance
Posted by Kaitlin Walter, Fellow Gurrion Mabunda and Veltah Mathebula will be receiving the Project’s first two microloans this week! Gurrion is starting his business, the Utah Egg Farm, and Veltah is re-establishing her business, the Chicken Project. They will both meet with a SEDA business adviser on 1 February to go over their business … Read more
The bakery is cooking…
Posted by Kaitlin Walter, Fellow The Uta Bakery is in full swing as the season is changing from spring to summer in South Africa. We are baking 200-300 loaves of bread per day, and as the recent Think Impact Global Development Ambassadors can confirm, the bread is delicious! Everyday, the bakery staff, Cedrick, Thomas, Nature, … Read more
World Hunger – As clear a picture as ever
Posted by Saul Garlick, Executive Director It doesn’t get any more straightforward than this: Poverty in Africa is still extremely high. The Bread for the World Institute has published a remarkable map of the world disclosing what percentage of people living in every country around the world is surviving on less than $1.25 per day. … Read more
Baking the Morning Away!
I woke up today to go to work (as I now know, bakeries have to start the day before the sun rises), and I realized that June is just around the corner! I could not be more excited about the project, which is slowly but surely coming to life!
It’s Green Outside and Things are Lookin’ Good
I got out to South Africa on Saturday with our team of Global Development Ambassadors. It’s been a whirlwind of exciting development and progress. The group arrive to the Uta community on Sunday where we saw a remarkable new structure, complete with a beautiful red roof at the site of the new health clinic that will serve 50,000 people! The clinic, built by our partner The Buffelshoek Trust, who is working closely with the Mpumalanga, Department of Health, have devised a plan that will ensure at least 160 people every day (likely much more!) will receive high quality medical care for their HIV/AIDS, bone fractures, diabetes and other need. Accompanied by the clinic will be an outstanding outreach program to educate the community on this new resource that they have been dreaming of for decades.
Running a Marathon for Social Change
Posted by Kaitlin Walter, Fellow Team Uta is in training! A group of six girls, Sonia Rao, Emma Shapiro, Adele Williams, Maddie Kane, Emily Martin and me, will be running in the Georgia ING Half-Marathon on March 29th to raise funds for the Uta Bakery Social Entrepreneurship project! The team has set the fundraising goal … Read more
Bakery on the Rise
I’m currently working on a couple of fundraising projects. They are all very exciting, especially the Uta Bakery Team running in the Georgia Half-Marathon on March 29th. There are six girls on the team, and each girl has a personal fundraising goal of $10 per mile. We already have two girls who have donors that have agreed to match their total amount raised, and we can’t wait to run for social entrepreneurship!
Early Lessons as a Fellow Starting a Project
The past two months have been full of challenges and rewards for the Uta Bakery Social Entrepreneurship Project. I have focused primarily on fundraising during the fall and winter, and I am very excited about the research and design part of the program to which I will dedicate the majority of my time in the spring.
