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Overseas Reports【Current Activities of a Former Participant】

GK-san sent KITA her report on
the activity to realize the action
plan at home in Kenya.

１）Makoto KOSUGI,

Course Leader

２）Report by Ms. KINYUAH Gladys Karen Wangu(Participant from KENYA)
Jun. 15, 2015
Training Division

Kitakyushu International Techno-cooperative AssociationThe Action Plan report from GK-san, who joined the JICA/KITA training
from Kenya, has arrived.

Here we introduce the action plan status at home by Ms. GK, who had joined theJICA/KITA course of Capacity Development for Entrepreneurs and MSMEs Activation inAfrican Countries (B),” in June 2014.

１．Introduction of the participant, who has given the report

NicknameGK-san

Photo

Name

Country

Period of JICA
Training Course

Ms. KINYUAH Gladys
Karen Wangu

Kenya

2014/05/2 ～014/06/27

GK-sanAbove is the photo of the closing ceremony of “Capacity Development for
Entrepreneurs and MSMEs Activation in African Countries (B)”course, June
26th, 201412. Message from Course leader Mr. Kosugi

The purpose of this course is the promotion of local industries in Africancountries, by which jobs are created, the local communities are activatedand the poverty in the rural areas is eliminated. All the participants inthis course were entrepreneurs and young elite aiming at the promotionof their local community at home. Ms. KINYUAH Gladys Karen Wang,(We called her GK-san for the nickname) is among them, she was afemale senior officer of the Ministry of East Africa Affairs Commerce & Tourism in Kenya.
She had had a feeling of crisis for the low quality of the goods produced in the small andmiddle size enterprises and low ability of export in Kenya, and such a feeling of hers had
driven her to deal with the promotion of local community, enthusiastically. GK-san is a very
active person. She loves to go out or go shopping. While we were in Tokyo during the training
excursion, she rushed to Akihabara after the training for shopping. It was GK-san who
broke the ice and asked questions during the visits of companies or institutes. Apparently,
she played a major role in the course group, leading the other participants. She had a lot ofcreative ideas. She set up a daily product process industry, which nobody had ever expected,
in the work-study where stake holders for business raising were examined. When she wastold an attractive information, she started to look for any likelihood of a new business, forexample, by trying to visit the company where the information had come from. She was thefirst person who expressed high estimation for the efficiency of the solar lantern. It should
be natural that there will be a lot of tasks to be solved before its spread will be realized. Herattitude to make use of any chances to realize the action plan is highly praised, and I would
like to assist her, exchanging information with each other. We strongly hope that she willkeep going to achieve her goal.

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3．Letter from GK-san～～～～～ ◆ To realize Action Plan～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～

１）ACTION PLAN STATUS
I met Mr. Hotta from Panasonic in Nairobi- Kenya and we discussed about the Panasonic solar lantern.
Before meeting him I had done a lot sensitization and promotion of the lantern/lamp among the slum areas
and rural population. It was highly appreciated but the price was limiting. Very few people can afford USD
50 dollars which is the cost of one solar lantern. At the same time there is a lot of competition from otherbrands, which are selling from as little as USD 10 dollars to others for less than USD 40 dollars. Theseother brands are more advanced as they are able to charge 10 mobile phones at once while the Panasonicsolar lamp can charge only one mobile phone at ago. The most competitive brand has three bulbs, meaning
it can be used to light a three roomed house at once for 12 hours. One of the brands has also madearrangement with one of the mobile service provider, which facilitates buying on credit and repayments insmall affordable repayments.
This means Panasonic solar lantern is not competitive in the local market. It’s also not popular as it is madein China and Kenyans don’t trust
Chinese products. They think they
are inferior. I discussed this with Mr.
Hotta, but he confirmed they
couldn’t produce the lanterns inJapan due to labour availability

Note: Solar lantern
・The lantern lights with charged solar
energy. (Handy lantern)
・Panasonic has been making efforts tolet the product known to the local
people so as to raise the number ofareas where the electrical appliances
are fully usedchallenges.

２）SO WHAT DID I DO WITH THE PANASONIC SOLAR LANTERN GIVEN TO ME BY DR. UENO?
I donated it to a rural woman who recently confirmed to me the lamp has reduced her household
expenditure, after saving over USD 15dollars per month, being the cost of paraffin for the lighting lamp. Hereyesight had also improved for using clean lighting.
So the Panasonic solar lantern is good but too expensive for the target population.
3３）ACTION PLAN ACHIEVEMENT TO DATE
～ Market Access for MSE products ～My major issue was market access for the Micro & Small Enterprise (MSE) products. I wish to confirm that
the East African Community, which comprises of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania held aone week exhibition in Kigali- Rwanda where about 1000 exhibitors (from MSE sector) from all the regionparticipated. The MSEs were expected to display improved technology, innovation and improved quality
products which could compete in the global market. The result was, MSE have been able to produce avehicle from scrap metal, a stove that uses one piece of firewood and water and burns for 3 hours, (Seephotos below) among other high quality hand made products.
The exhibition steering committee which I chaired is supporting the introduction of a regional shop/centre
in all the capital cities of East African Countries for displaying and selling of MSE products and also todevelop a website specifically for online marketing for MSE products.

～ Sensitization of MSE on the knowledge gained during the training in Japan ～When I came back from Japan, I didn’t have budget for this activity but my director supported and approved
the activity. I developed a concept paper on the same and the sensitizations were held this year (2015). Somethe topics covered were:i.

How to produce quality and globally competitive products;

ii. Cross-border trade:custom regulations, requirements and cross border administrative procedures;iii. Online marketing; andiv. MSE financing options

４）HOW TO INCREASE EXPORTS FROM KENYA
I continually encourage Kenyans to introduced One Village One Product (OVOP), so as to increase
their exports.
I appreciate all the knowledge I gained at JICA. Thank you Director KITA Kyushu, Dr. Ueno, Mr. Kosugi
and all the course facilitators.
Attached please find photos of what has be accomplished by MSEs in East African Community
Sincerely yours
Gladys Kinyuah (GK.san)4～photos～

MSE vehicle from scrap metal

Hand woven beads office pen holders

Principle Secretary Ministry of Industrialization & Enterprise Development- Kenya admiressome of the women hand crafts during the EAC Annual MSE Exhibition. You could help
market some of these products in the Japanese markets.

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