Empowerment Enterprises of Africa (EEA), registered by the Tanzanian Government as a social company, has the long-term goal of significantly contributing to the reduction of poverty in Tanzania by 2015.
In 2008 EEA began work among the women in Gongolamboto and Kigamboni, underserved neighborhoods in the Dar es Salaam metropolitan area.
EEA is increasing opportunities for small groups with per capita incomes under US$1 per day to become profitably self-employed in their own “social businesses” (a term introduced by Muhammad Yunus, father of the Grameen Bank).
The major task for EEA is to empower women and girls to build entrepreneurial skills and borrow, invest, and repay loans, thereby moving a step or two away from hand-to-mouth survival. Examples of businesses.
From inception to today
EEA started with just US$1,500 which has been disbursed to a nascent Grameen Center of five women. Within one year the number of clients increased to 40. There have been no defaults. Many of this women are already in the second or third microcredit lending process.
Currently 200 applicants are waiting for loans, only some of whom can be served from present capital.