A small project with high impact
Local Shop Project Ibrahim
Together we can change the world
Building the Future
Small Shop
Big Impact
Ibrahim Jallow’s local shop is a classic example of how important a small business can be to an entire family. The shop was started with a small capital in Kerr Serign in 2015 to not only support his wife and 2 children, but also to alleviate the poverty of the rest of the family who mainly resides in Guinea Conakry (Fouta).
Ibrahim is known as a gentle, honest and hardworking man. The shop, centrally and therefore strategically located on a medium-sized village intersection, was a place well visited by locals, expats and tourists. But the tide turned the last years.
Engaging hearts, equipping minds
We have the cause, you have the effect
From down to up
Not only his sales declined due to the Corona pandemic, it was also the ongoing political tension and violence in Conakry that increasingly forced his family into financial problems and had to ask him for help. To make matters worse, the refrigerator broke down in the shop, which can no longer be repaired.
Although the financial need is (too) high, an analysis shows us that the crisis for the shop is temporary and can be reversed with a small financial injection. It is also that the story of Ibrahim is a classic example of how simply a small local shop can support a large family of almost 20 people. If the company were to fall, the impact would be catastrophic.
An important detail is also: There will be a new asphalt road in front of the shop this year. This will significantly increase traffic, which can only be beneficial for sales and new business ideas; Drive by and fast food for example. We were skeptical about these National Road Authority (NRA) infrastructure plans at first, but further information tells us that they are now going to be pushed through. After all, big roadwork has already started to widen the main road Airport-Bakau.
An additional advantage is that part of the shop will be demolished and rebuilt because the road will also be widened here. This results in a new-build shop with a nice new fresh touch. How to help the Jallow family now and where to start?
Step by step
Phase 1.
With a first financial injection for a refrigerator, it is important to stabilize the business and/or make (modest) profits again. In Phase 1, we will also closely monitor developments or progress with already a strong focus on management, such as e.g. purchasing, purchasing policy and stock control.
Always in good consultation and with mutual respect for each other of course. If we close this phase after 3 months and we can conclude that this project is “viable”, it is time to move on to the second phase.
Note: A refrigerator is urgently needed in the short term. In the sense that drinks can be sold refrigerated again and to be able to keep the food in good condition which is really a handicap now. A good second-hand one is about 10.000 D, but if someone has one to spare, he is of course very welcome.
Phase 2.
In this phase we evaluate the results of this “business booster”. First we compare all experiences gained, then we extend the stock with most wanted or new products. Furthermore in this stage, discussing and striving already to essentially distinguish yourself from the rest can never hurt from a business point of view. Ibrahim already did that by offering omelets, for example.
Phase 3.
In this stage we’ll look if there are more opportunities, like to transform the shop into a supermarket, or to extend with fast food or a drive-in. It is also in the plans to start with the first Gambian home-made frozen food and ice cream range to create more jobs.
