After participating in a Bridging Gaps workshop held by our partner Afri-Youth Network in Bidibidi, Uganda, Sabri applied for a microloan to start his project "Salaam Charging Station", a power system for charging phones.
An important part of Bridging Gaps entrepreneurship workshops is to understand the system participants wish to operate in as well as the challenge they want to solve and their target group. Here is what Sabri found out:
"I was surprised to see many people with phones but without sufficient access to charging stations."
Once understanding the system and before going into details of their business plan, workshop participants define their vision. Sabri explains:
"My vision is to bring sustainable power close to the community.
Shortly after participating in the workshop and applying for a loan, Sabri found his "microloan match": viacero, a German climate and energy consulting firm. As Sabri's project aligned with the goals of the company, they decided to make a donation and empower him to start his project. This was not only special for Sabri and viacero, but also for Bridging Gaps, as this was the first ever microloan project that officially kicked off our initiative. Sabri says:
"Coming to this group was like a dream. I never would have imagined that someone will come to me with such an idea that helps me fulfill my dreams. I had been thinking about opening a big charging station here in the camp before, but there was no way, no capital at all. I would have loved to take out a loan but no bank would consider me for one."
Just a day after receiving his loan from Bridging Gaps, Sabri started constructing his solar-powered charging station.
"I'm just so excited to be part of this journey and I'm hoping that it will come to pass with great achivement and impacts to the community that we are living in. I promise to give my best and work as hard as I can, so I can pay back the loan and my group members can start their projects as well."
Stay tuned for Sabri's journey and updates on his project.
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