Non Governmental Organisations

Comitato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo dei Popoli - CISP

BISC is part of CISP (an Italian NGO working on Project Malawi) and which provides business training to beneficiaries, from a number of microfinance institutions and in particular Malawi Savings Bank.  By providing free training to these beneficiaries, BISC aims to increase the ability of the beneficiaries to repay their loans whilst increasing the whole sustainability of microfinance and micro business within Malawi.

• Design and write staff manual, covering three areas of economic intervention: Business Information Services Centre (BISC) aimed at SMEs, Income Generating Activities (IGA’s) for co-operatives, and Village Savings and Loans (VS&L).
• Develop operational and marketing strategy for CISP and specifically the BISC, with the aim of opening new customer markets and achieving operational sustainability.
• Design and write an integrated 3 level business management training manual, to be used in the training of beneficiaries at VS&L, IGA and BSIC.
• Sold, Business For All training manuals.

“BFA is looking to do much of the same work that we are; as such the manuals are very relevant for us.  We were impressed in the content and have adopted many of the ideas into our own training sessions and materials.”

Francis Saka - BISC Manager

Neno Smallholder Farmers Macadamia Association -NESMAC

NESMAC is an association of smallholder macadamia farmers in Neno (Southern Malawi).  The infrastructure has been put in place over a number of years, and in the next few years, yields will be such that significant amounts of money will be generated and NESMAC will no longer need donor support.

• Financial modeling and business planning for Carbon Offsetting program.
• General business consultancy and training.

“With the association growing, we realized we need the financial systems and training to be in place to cope with the additional income.  BFA helped us update our constitution and importantly set processes and procedures in relation to internal loans and savings, as well as some basic financial and business management training.”

Nick Evans, project manager

Community Savings and Investment Promotion - COMSIP

COMSIP is a co-operative union and now independent from their mother organization Malawi Social Action Fund (MASAF).  As part of the structural reorganization, there was need to redesign the business management training manual.

• Facilitated business management manual writing workshop.

Tithandizane Smallholders Farmers Association - TISFA

TISFA is a farming association of 300 farmers, plus a youth group of 50 boys and girls.  As part of the process for the organization to grow, it was necessary to have the correct accounting structures in place to deal with retail sales of their products.

• Developed (through training) a constitution incorporating VSL&A.
• Business training – including design of business plans.
• Developed simplified accounting system.
• Advice on writing project proposals.

National Smallholders Farming Association Malawi - NASFAM

NASFAM is the largest farming association in Malawi.  There are over 100,000 members and has complete country coverage.  Part of the mission of NASFAM is to change the mindset of the members from thinking of themselves as business farmers, rather just farmers.  To this extent there are a number of business orientated training programmes.

• Edited and made recommendations on content and structure of “Farming as a Business” training manual.

Total Land Care - TLC

TLC helps farmers from a business standpoint whilst ensuring environmental sustainability as one of its core goals.  Casava is one of the main natural resources of Malawi and TLC are looking to train those farmer entrepreneurs who have the ability and foresight to see how to agro process casava, specifically looking at the demand for starch.

• Advanced business management and business plan training for cassava agro-processors.

Hope Missions Missionaries - HMM

HMM is a Christian missionary organization.  It helps members of all faiths in improving their economic conditions through business training, literacy courses and “buying” shares (for start up capital) in co-operatives.

• Introductory business training for income generating sewing co-operative.