Peterson's minibus start-up
Donation protected
Hello. My name is Peterson Mbessa. I am seeking your help in my efforts to raise myself and my extended family out of the dire poverty of daily life in Malawi, Africa. I am a hardworking 28 year-old resident of Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. I intend to use your generous support to purchase a used minibus to become an owner/operator in the minibus transportation industry that provides the only public transportation for people in and around Lilongwe.
The minibus business:
In Malawi, the minibus business can be profitable, particularly in Lilongwe. The industry is growing every year because no public transport system exists in this city of over 1 million people. Government policies are deliberately geared towards promotion of minibus services to support public transport. The demand for minibus services to carry workers to and from their workplaces is very high.
About me:
I am the first born son in my family. I have five full brothers (Botus, Dickson, Mike, Yankho and Emmanuel) and four full sisters (Chinsisi – who has autism, Tadala, Siphiwe and Catharine) from my mother Gracie. There are another 12 half-siblings from my father Wilmont. As the eldest son, I have become the primary supporter of this large extended family from the income I generate from doing piecework. I completed public school but could not finish high school due to my family’ inability to pay school fees and buy the uniforms which are mandatory in Malawi’s public school system, and also so I can support my brothers and sisters. I speak Chichewa and English.
Like many Malawians, I am a natural born entrepreneur. I rent a small plot of land to grow maize and sweet potatoes but almost no rain in the past two growing seasons caused the sweet potatoes to fail and there was not even enough maize to even feed my family. I receive a small income from working as a part-time driver and “fixer” for Dr. Wilson Jere, a Head of Department at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources. I can occasionally supplement this income by driving international visitors to the university throughout Malawi. I am also sometimes hired to drive imported vehicles from Tanzania into Malawi. These jobs have given me the experience I need to import a vehicle and become an owner/operator of a minibus service in Malawi.
The business plan:
I am fortunate to have the full support from my friends and advisors, Dr. Wilson Jere of Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Malawi) and Dr. Kevin Reid of the Ontario Commercial Fisheries’ Association (Canada), to start my own business. We have prepared a business plan to establish Mbessa Minibus Ltd., which is aimed at generating profits to support my family. I am seeking US$10,000 to purchase a good used minibus and start off my minibus service. Mr. Peterson Nachanje, a senior Accountant at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Malawi) who also runs a transport business, will be offering financial assistance to Mbessa Minibus Ltd. All of the above have agreed to offer their professional advice free-of-charge. The business plan is available upon request.
It is my dream that Mbessa Minibus Service Ltd. will allow me to raise my brothers and sisters to afford an education, healthy food, and increase the quality of their lives in one of the world’s poorest countries. The company will also promote green initiatives by following proper maintenance and oil/fuel disposal procedures to avoid damaging the environment.
Thank you so much for taking an interest in my story.
Peterson Mbessa
The minibus business:
In Malawi, the minibus business can be profitable, particularly in Lilongwe. The industry is growing every year because no public transport system exists in this city of over 1 million people. Government policies are deliberately geared towards promotion of minibus services to support public transport. The demand for minibus services to carry workers to and from their workplaces is very high.
About me:
I am the first born son in my family. I have five full brothers (Botus, Dickson, Mike, Yankho and Emmanuel) and four full sisters (Chinsisi – who has autism, Tadala, Siphiwe and Catharine) from my mother Gracie. There are another 12 half-siblings from my father Wilmont. As the eldest son, I have become the primary supporter of this large extended family from the income I generate from doing piecework. I completed public school but could not finish high school due to my family’ inability to pay school fees and buy the uniforms which are mandatory in Malawi’s public school system, and also so I can support my brothers and sisters. I speak Chichewa and English.
Like many Malawians, I am a natural born entrepreneur. I rent a small plot of land to grow maize and sweet potatoes but almost no rain in the past two growing seasons caused the sweet potatoes to fail and there was not even enough maize to even feed my family. I receive a small income from working as a part-time driver and “fixer” for Dr. Wilson Jere, a Head of Department at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources. I can occasionally supplement this income by driving international visitors to the university throughout Malawi. I am also sometimes hired to drive imported vehicles from Tanzania into Malawi. These jobs have given me the experience I need to import a vehicle and become an owner/operator of a minibus service in Malawi.
The business plan:
I am fortunate to have the full support from my friends and advisors, Dr. Wilson Jere of Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Malawi) and Dr. Kevin Reid of the Ontario Commercial Fisheries’ Association (Canada), to start my own business. We have prepared a business plan to establish Mbessa Minibus Ltd., which is aimed at generating profits to support my family. I am seeking US$10,000 to purchase a good used minibus and start off my minibus service. Mr. Peterson Nachanje, a senior Accountant at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Malawi) who also runs a transport business, will be offering financial assistance to Mbessa Minibus Ltd. All of the above have agreed to offer their professional advice free-of-charge. The business plan is available upon request.
It is my dream that Mbessa Minibus Service Ltd. will allow me to raise my brothers and sisters to afford an education, healthy food, and increase the quality of their lives in one of the world’s poorest countries. The company will also promote green initiatives by following proper maintenance and oil/fuel disposal procedures to avoid damaging the environment.
Thank you so much for taking an interest in my story.
Peterson Mbessa
Organizer
Kevin Reid
Organizer
Guelph, ON