Makini
Dickson Emmannuel is a secondary school teacher in Moshi, Tanzania, who recognized a need in his community. He noticed that some teenagers and young adults were lacking fulfilling economic opportunities and appeared to need something productive to occupy their time.
As motorbikes are used by many in Tanzania, Dickson thought motor bike repair could be the answer, took a chance, and organized Makini’s first class in late 2019. Through flyers and community outreach, he connected with three students, he provided them lunch every day, and after three months of training with a local mechanic, they graduated and were provided a repair toolkit of their own and provided placement with local mechanics already established in order to get them started as motorbike mechanics in their communities.
His passion for this work and students is evident, selecting candidates based on need determined by conversations and home visits. Fostering Frameworks has helped Dickson implement a budget and other metrics using excel, a series of surveys for incoming, current, and recently graduated students, financial support for toolkits, and think about creating a self-sustaining revenue model and plan.
Makini’s class size has grown to as many as 10 students per quarter with a total of 64 graduates, the majority of which are now working as mechanics in the area.
Dickson is ambitious and wants to build on this model. He is exploring carrying an inventory of motorbike parts for clientele, offering other related skills training, and aspires to expand the model to other communities in Tanzania. Supplying inventory will help sustain the day-to-day costs of the program, but the toolkits—which are imported and costly, but necessary for graduates to secure employment—are the main barrier to becoming self-sustaining. As Dickson develops the revenue model for Makini, Fostering Frameworks endeavors to support Dickson by providing him with the entrepreneurial tools needed to develop Makini into a self-sustaining non-profit, and the necessary startup funding for initial inventory and tool kits that can help make his vision a reality.
“Makini programs helped me to achieve my goal of being financial stable and helped my community to get rid of poverty. Through Makini program I am capable of saving what I get and start another business of selling food crops.”
“Makini programs were helpful to me because at first I didn’t have any skills and I was unemployed too but after attending Makini in 2020 I got the skills and knowledge through which I got employment and save some cash which I used them to start my current business.”
Dickson (right) with a Makini student.
Makini Graduates by Year
Left: Students exploring an engine. Right: A student with their new tool kit.