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Wednesday, 6 April 2011

‘Mama Shujaa' is on the way to make life better for families living in the slums of Kenya.

The Swahili phrase meaning ‘warrior woman' is the brand name for small business enterprises that UWA students are helping Kenyan women to set up.

The team from SIFE UWA (Students in Free Enterprise) has taken on its first international project. The team is managing the newest African project for Perth-based charity BE Kids Australia.

BE Kids Australia is an initiative designed to improve the lives of children in the poorest parts of Africa. Calvin Coyles, Strategic director for SIFE UWA , says the rights of women and children are closely linked.

"If we can help their mothers to run successful small businesses, the children and their quality of life will benefit," he said.

Calvin along with Project Coordinator, Holly Ransom, spent two weeks in Kenya during February, running workshops for a group of 20 women, targeted by BE Kids Australia.

"We have worked with Indigenous people here in WA and we knew that progress would be similarly slow, steady and considered in Africa. But we were amazed how much we - and the women - were able to achieve during our first visit."

Calvin and Holly ran eight workshops ranging from goal setting and leadership to business planning.

This gave the women, who had previously never received a primary school education, the tools for future business success.

The Rotary Club of Crawley has supported BE Kids Australia with a $7,000 grant for the Mama Shujaa project.

These funds are to be used to set up and run four different small businesses: a general shop, a fruit and vegetable shop, a taxi service and a hair braiding salon.

"The women will take turns working in the businesses and looking after the children," Calvin said. "So a child care business may also eventuate."

The students are now meeting with their mentors in the Business School to plan the next step. "If all goes to plan, the businesses will be up and running by the end of the year," Calvin said. "The businesses will be branded and recognised as part of the Mama Shujaa Business Hub, which we hope the community will support."

SIFE is an ongoing international volunteer program in which students learn to set up and run small businesses that benefit the community. The majority of UWA students who are involved are studying in the Business School but the program is not limited to the business field.

"I often quote Will Smith: ‘If you are not making someone's life better, you're wasting your time' and for me that really resonates with what SIFE's all about," Calvin said. "All the students involved are so keen to use our skills to help others and I believe that's why we've been so successful."

SIFE teams compete nationally and internationally and their projects are judged by CEOs from successful businesses. UWA students have been extraordinarily successful, winning the Australian championships three years in a row and competing overseas in the international finals.

Assistant Professor Doina Olaru is the SIFE students' Faculty Advisor and Dr Donella Caspersz is a regional coordinator for SIFE Australia. They are both in Management and Organisations in the Business School.

The SIFE students thanked them and their key sponsors, the Vice-Chancellor and the Business School.

More information about the Mama Shujaa project is available at SIFE UWA .

Published in UWA News , 4 April 2011

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