Diaspora Matters

Our Facebook Page of 29,000 was specifically formed in order to provide a platform for our members to discuss business issues. We realised that a lot of Facebook Pages that exist only cater for adverts with few tackling issues such as business discussions or enabling members to ask for advice and getting it.

Below we feature an inbox message from a member seeking help and we have posted the responses from our members.

 I own a restaurant in Zvishavane. Iam selling a plate of sadza for  dollar per plate. I have two employees who help in running the business. My rent is $200 a month, my employees get $100 each per month. On average, I sell $ 60 plates excluding week ends . My revenue ranges from  $80 to $100 a day.

My problem is that I have never received profit from this venture. I keep on pumping money especially for the employees but am not getting profits to  justify my continued investment.

Responses from the ZBIN Community

Fidelity Nkomo why achiti haasi kuita profit, of which his average sales per month are around 1800 and his monthly wage bill and rent combined is around 400 not including his own though, so pa 1400 inosara anoita sei nayo, does he buy raw materials worthy that much every day

Teacha Mudzana you can’t balance the overhead expenses unless &until you get access to his financial books but as a small accountant I will preview firstly on lack of financial discipline as someone said but remember we are talking of 60 plates equivalent to $60 ,so in essence the bill might be slightly higher than expected

Nyasha Mat Jax Jay Max Twosixthree hupfu 10kg is 7.09 the cheapest which is silo, cooking oil 2litre is 2.85, bundle mavegi is 1us you need 2 or 3, onion 1us, tomatoes 1us 4 20 you need aleast 40 tomatoes for the soup, kaylites , salt etc trust me I understand this fella been there you get 10/15us profit after a hard day work

Netcle Trish Mhlanga Look to getting cheaper ingredients and pa chicken ye $ 1 how many pieces do u serve per plate? Wher do u get ur beef? Do u buy wholesale hindquarter or whole mombe? Chickens u cn rear ur own…. buy bulk …

Tori Elles Mum I think this kind of business will only give you profit when you rear your own chickens, buy a whole cow from kumamusha, stop buying raw materials from supermarkets but from wholesalers and manufacturers, use gas if you were using electricity etc. You should have listed your expenses in detail though, hidey. If you have competition find out their source for raw materials. Also get a “contract” with companies to supply lunch and get paid end of week or month. That way you may realise some profits that’s if you lacking financial discipline from getting cash daily.

Comfort Maeresera The profit margin is very low in that king of business. Deal with the supply side, buy maize instead of mealie meal, slaughter your own beasts and rear your own chickens and train your employees properly

Lorriet Wekwa Madore Iwe huku 1 vanhu 20 wakaita sei usavape bacos

Makadho Norah Ngwarira vaseenzi avo. Be very very carefull. Vanogona kunga vachiba chikafu Chisatichabikwa, Oro kutotengesa dziri 100 plates iwe uchifunga its 60 Check mumabin pasi pasi vanoviga imomo. Fire them and get new ones and train and tighten.

Tawanda Maphosa part if not all of your solution can be found from answering two questions: Question 1: Are you making any profit per every plate sold? If No, then you may need to work on reducing your direct overheads e.g costs of ingredients, try finding cheaper sources, If YES, then move to the next question, Question 2: Are you breaking even? If NO, then you may need to check the varience & calculate the number of extra plates you may need to sell to break even and eventually make a profit, If YES, then it’s most likely you are misappropriating the funds, what you would then need to do is to make sure your personal finances​ are kept separate from your business finances​, keep proper business records, account for each and every business transaction (even mushandi akatenga domasi rimwe re 10 cents record it down), reduce costs by all means but also maint

Watson Midzi Budai pachena. Tipeiwo cost echikafu tione kuti muri kusara papi. Ndimi here kana kuti vashandi venyu vari kuita maths. Tsvagai a cheaper place. Or also cut manpower to one and yourself. Do you have a record of your sales cost and sales gaining quality standards (kwete kuzo cutr macosts kusvika pakutengesa mbodza nekuda kusaver gas) this is jus a bit i could help with, i hope t helps you grow your business well. All the best

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Hydroponics is the art of rearing plants in a soil less media, what does this really mean?. Well this simply means growing a plant without the use of soil, the technique has been used for more than 3 decades in the developed world and has only been introduced in Zimbabwe not more than a decade ago tailor made specifically for the tobacco industry by Kutsaga Research Station Tobacco Research Board with tremendous results. This week we shall be looking at this technique in greater detail and learn how to use this technique particularly for those of you who are into nursery production business and specifically tobacco farmers.

If you have grown tobacco before then you must be well aware of the time consumed taking care of the tobacco seedlings which translates to a lot of labour days and huge wage costs. What if I tell you that there is a way in which you can cut those costs by 65% at the same time producing quality seedlings which will in turn create a great reputation for you if you are into seedling production or translate to a great crop establishment if you are into tobacco production? In this article we shall dwell on tobacco seedling production using this method since most farmers are already preparing to sow in their seedbeds in the next few days or weeks also mainly due to the huge email requests on the topic.

This method involves the use of trays which made of kaylite which are able to float in a specially made pond with water. The water will basically have a special liquid fertilizer added to it to in the process providing adequate amount of nutrients to the growing seedling which will be in pine bark acting as the soil.

Advantages of using this type of method

It uses fewer chemicals and in smaller quantities, it employs economical integrated management of diseases and pests, it uses less water and fertilizers ,it produces superior and more uniform drought tolerant seedlings, it offers additional flexibility in planning following pulling, it facilitates easier field management arising from a more uniform crop, it has a permanent seedbed site and there is no need for rotations, trays can last for five or more years if kept properly

What do I use in place of soil ?

Pine bark, washed river sand and water mixed in the ratio 1; 1; 0.5 by volume are used as the growing medium for the 200 cell trays. For 242 cell trays use 100% pine bark and water and mix in the ratio 1:0.5, or mix pine bark, sand and water in the ratio 3:1: 0,5 by volume. The ratio of the water may be reduced or increased depending on the moisture content of the other constituents. The pine bark used is supplied by Flora Pine Bark Produce (Pvt) Ltd in Mutare and Nyanga. Large pieces of pine bark or sand are removed by screening through a 6mm sieve.The pH of the pine bark should be maintained at 5.5.The sand can be a source of weed seeds, pathogens and nematodes and so it should be solarised, steamed or boiled before use. Limited amounts of amended composted pine bark are available at Kutsaga as Gromix.

How do I water the seedlings?

No need to worry about watering your seedlings remember the trays will be suspended in water all the time meaning that the seedlings are always in nutrient rich water. All you have to be aware of is making sure that the ponds are filled with water to a depth of 10 cm all the time.

Since the seedlings are in water how do I harden them before transplanting?

Seedlings should be sufficiently hardened so as to survive the difficulty of transplanting under difficult conditions experienced in the lands. Hardening is done by ensuring that the seedlings utilize most of the nitrogen early in the growth and that little remains in the water during the last two to three weeks before transplanting. Clipping also has a hardening effect. For further hardening remove the fertilizer solution from the waterbed, and replace the solution with water only for the last week of production.The simplest test for “hardness” is that a seedling should be able at least to be bent over without snapping.

Common challenges

Algae Growth, actual harm to the seedlings is unusual.Cover as much as possible of the surface water with trays so as to exclude sunlight on water, which encourages algal growth.It can also be controlled by delaying the fertilizing of the float bed to 14 days after seeding, this allows the seedlings to germinate and grow above any algal growth on the cell surface.As a preventative measure apply a Quaternary Ammonium Compound (QAC) or copper oxychloride in float water at sowing. Copper oxychloride is applied at the rate of 0.012 g/L and Pentakill at 0.18 ml/L for one hectare.

Others

Dry Cells: Water fails to move up the cell by a process called “wicking” due to loose compaction of media in cells. No wicking means no germination. Follow the tray filling and handling procedure correctly.

Cold injury: The float beds should not be allowed to get cold. The June sown nurseries need to have both cropgard and plastic tent and a greenhouse.

Salt Injury: Greyish salt deposits on substrate surface. Severe cupping of seedling. The possible solution is to water with a knapsack sprayer thoroughly to leach the salts from the surface. Also cover with Cropgard or a sterile mulch plus plastic cover at night.

For a more detailed guide please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Emmanuel D.N Dube is the senior agronomist at Agro Aid Trust and Chief Agronomist at ZIBN. If you have any questions you can email him agroaidtrustzimbabwe@gmail.com /+263783 495 396

We bring you an interesting approach to organisational development-the  Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) approach. Important to organisational development practitioners involved in change management and capacity building initiatives.

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Call for Applications: Youth Empowerment and Transformation Trust (YETT) Youth Leadership and Development Course – Winter School 15 – 22 July 2017
Deadline: COB 30 June 2017

The Youth Empowerment and Transformation Trust (YETT) is looking to develop young leaders aged 18 to 25 years who have an interest in community development? If you are a young woman or man within that age cohort, this is an opportunity for you to participate in the Youth Leadership and Development Course (Winter School 2017). If you are interested in taking part in this year’s Winter School, don’t wait, apply now!

This year’s Winter School shall commence from the 15th to the 22nd of July 2017. The venue and logistics for the course shall be disclosed to successful applicants.

To apply
To  apply for the 2017 Winter school complete the application form here and email to: winterschoolplus@gmail.com

Hard copy applications and reference forms can be posted to  7 Capri Road , Highlands, Harare.

Female applicants; participants from rural Zimbabwe aged 18-25yrs are encouraged to apply. Winter school alumni from previous years (2005- 2016) are not eligible to apply for this year’s winter school.

For enquiries contact Samantha or Emilie on 04-496 889, Mobile / Whatsapp 0775320238, +47 91701240  or 0772 993 779 or email: winterschoolplus@gmail.com

The best performing sector in Zimbabwe is arguably the Mining Sector-all you need to do to confirm this is to look at the exports receipts where the Mining sector has done well ahead of the Agriculture and other sectors such as Tourism.

So what does this mean for the Diaspora community? It means that you too can participate in the economy and one way to do this is through the provision of mining trucks and equipment! There is a shortage of mining equipment especially by the small to medium scale miners.

One therefore needs to carry out a market survey of the needs of this sector and then ship the equipment to the country. This is much better than shipping material that may be hard to sell in the current environment. Some are even entering into partnerships with local miners who lack equipment but have access to mining rights and mines. One needs to carry out thorough research and one way to do this is through joining mining forums that exist on social media such as ZBIN Mining group.

Formed in February 2015, our forum has been at the forefront of providing free business opportunity information to Zimbabweans. With a membership of 29,000 followers on Facebook and 5,000 on our Whatsapp platforms, ZBIN has provided an excellent platform for Zimbabweans to share business ideas and also network.

When we formed the forum, we had these issues in mind:

Lets assume you are based far away from home like Perth in Australia, where are you going to get information about opportunities in Zimbabwe?

If you are based in London and would like to know the daily takings that kombis bring, where are you going to get the information?

So we basically formed the forum so that our members and followers can access opportunities information free of charge. We created a platform for members to obtain information for free rather than reliance on one source of news! Every minute there are business discussions going on the ZBIN forums especially our Whatsapp groups, every minute someone is getting assistance from members or looking for information from this site.

ZBIN Initiatives

With no other forum providing information for free, our forum has managed to reach out to thousands of Zimbabweans who are locally based and those in the Diaspora. We have also managed to conduct a number of business meetings, trainings and business tours. We have also promoted a number of innovations from the forum such as the Poultry Market App that helps to link farmers of poultry and buyers.

ZBIN History

Yesterday we made history by being the first business forum in Zimbabwe to carry out a Facebook Live Broadcast! Facebook Live Broadcasts have taken Zimbabwe by storm and they have been popularised by the UK based socialite Olinda Chapel. ZBIN however is the first forum to see value in terms of networking and unlocking opportunities in the business sector.

Looking ahead we hope to make follow ups and use this facility responsibly to help in delivering our objectives of access to business information, assisting members to have access to capital and markets. We hope to carry our capacity building of the small sector businesses, carry out Diaspora Conferences, Meetings and webinars, forum key events and many more.

This is going to assist the forum in creating a solid network of members despite the fact that most of our members are located across the globe. We will however limit the number of live broadcasts with perhaps one per month as this is still a fairly new facility with most people still to appreciate it.

We therefore would like to thank the 250 viewers who were part of the live broadcast, you were part of history in the making!

Closing date: 5pm, Friday 14 July 2017 (Bonn, Germany time)

• Are you an environmentally-conscious, socially-aware journalism student?
• Are you passionate about the health of the planet’s environment and have an interest to communicate about it?
• Do you want to make a difference and engage the youth of today to care about the future of tomorrow?

Then join us at the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) 8^th General Assembly (GA) from 9 to 10 October 2017 in Vancouver (Canada) and report on the issues at the forefront of responsible forestry. 

Young people are at the centre of a sustainable future, and FSC is looking for a passionate youth correspondent who can engage their peers by covering this important event with originality, accuracy and inspiring reporting.

Background

The FSC GA 2017 is FSC’s highest decision-making body. Eight hundred participants from 70 countries – representing social, economic and environmental interests from the Global North and South – will meet in Vancouver to discuss a sustainable future for the world’s forests and the people that inhabit them. To find out more about FSC International go to https://ic.fsc.org and for more detailed information on the FSC GA 2017 go to http://ga2017.fsc.org

Two journalism students will be selected by the FSC Communications Unit to attend the GA and act as FSC Youth Correspondents – reporting for youth, by youth.

To ensure full coverage of the FSC GA 2017, roles and responsibilities for the youth correspondent could include:

• Writing, editing and feeding stories about the activities and outcomes of the FSC GA 2017, and its side events, into international, regional and local media networks and communities (ensuring equal regional media coverage).
• Attending events and roundtables in order to interview and profile key guests and delegates.
• Reporting throughout the event – getting comments and opinions from delegates that can be broadcast on various channels.
• Using a variety of tools and techniques to keep articles and other related work engaging – including taking photos and recording sound and video.

Criteria for Selection

The ideal candidate should:

• Demonstrate excellent writing skills in English.
• Be enrolled in an accredited college or university pursuing a journalism/communications degree at the time of application. Students in forestry/environmental sciences related degrees with the above required writing skills are also encouraged to apply.
• Be between the ages of 18 to 26.
• Not be working as a professional journalist at the time of the event.
• Have a good working knowledge of English (Spanish, or additional languages desirable).
• Be available to travel on and around the dates of the FSC GA 2017 (9 to 13 October 2017).
• Be in possession of a valid passport, which does not expire before 31 October 2017.
• Not have any legal reasons to be denied a visa to enter Canada.

Desirables:

• Journalistic experience (student newspapers, online contributor etc.), especially in environmental, social issues, social policy, or business reporting.

Application should include:

• CV or resume including full contact details, education, volunteer and working experience (max. 2 pages).
• A brief cover letter in English detailing why you want to be the FSC Youth Correspondent 2017 and how your experience would help you to achieve the deliverables (max. one page).
• Copies of, or links to, three examples of your work (articles, blog posts, videos etc.), preferably on environmental issues.
• Desirable: A letter supporting your application from a teacher, professor, mentor, professional journalist etc.

Closing date: 5pm, Friday, 14 July (Bonn, Germany time)

Please send all applications to communications@fsc.org with ‘FSC Youth Correspondent 2017 application’ in the header, or post your application to:

FSC Youth Correspondent 2017 Application
FSC International
Communications Unit
Charles-de-Gaulle-Straße 5
53113 Bonn Deutschland / Germany

The successful applicant will receive:

• Return flights on economy class to Vancouver
• Reimbursement of visa application fees
• Accommodation (sharing) in a hotel in Vancouver
• All meals and a small stipend will be provided

The good news from Harare is that the Government is finalising the Diaspora Strategy, this strategy will guide the government on how to engage the Diaspora, how to assess the needs of the Diaspora and ensure a win win situation. The Diaspora benefits by having their needs met, the country benefits by having formal structures to engage the Diaspora.

The Diaspora has been on average remitting close to $1Billion dollars a year. There has been a slight decline and this has been attributed to fluctuations of major currencies such as the Rand. We have written extensively about the Diaspora because the $1Billion that is being remitted is just a fraction of the potential that exists, the community has access to credit, access to markets, access to technology and access to rich networks that can benefit the country.

The $1Billion can easily rise to $2 Billion or more if the Government engages this community and acknowledge the importance and influence that they have in the country. It is also interesting to note that remittances has surpassed Direct Foreign Investment, so the community should be viewed in the same way that we view foreign investors.

We should have Diaspora -friendly policies that helps to attract more remittances in the formal channels. The Diaspora Strategy is still to be finalised and be launched but we firmly believe that the country has taken a great step by acknowledging the importance of this important sector. The National Budget has been an average of $4 Billion, the Diaspora has been providing $1 Billion, these statistics surely point to an important sector which is helping to oil the economy! The Diaspora also wants a conducive environment for investment, security of investment, rights to voting and clarity on Dual Citizenship-these issues can be ironed out through engagement.

The local television reported that a high powered delegation will be in South Africa to engage the Diaspora and this is great news. We encourage our members to attend and meaningfully engage the government officials. Its a great platform to hear of the plans that are in place to help the community by the government. We hope to see fruitful dialogues that result in more remittances and  more investment opportunities being unlocked for the betterment of Zimbabwe and the Diasporan Community.

Here  is great news for members and followers of the Zimbabwe Business Ideas and Network(ZBIN), we now have offices! We have been operational since 2015  but had no physical offices of our own. We had to rely on hiring venues for meetings and conferences but now we have secured a place of our own!

Located at Rokpa Centre in Monavale, opposite the former Italian club in Harare, our offices have access to 2 resource centres which will come in handy for hosting conferences, meetings and expos by our forum of more than 30,000 members.

Open Day

We have already put in place plans for our official open day for the forum and will update our members in due course. We would like to thank our subscribed members who made the opening of offices possible.