Geography
Yellow – topics students must look into their books to find more on because we will be moving quickly through the
material
Red – Students do not need to write down
White – good information
I did it this way because I ran out of time and wanted to touch on the topic in 1 day but give the students an idea of what
they should look into on their own using the textbook. They will be tested on some of the info.
Ch 21
Micro-entrepreneurs: Women’s Role
in the Development of Africa
21.1 Introduction
Micro-entrepreneurs – small business
• Many women of Africa start these small
businesses to help their families
• Programs help with loans to get started
21.2 The Geographic Setting
Most of Africa is developing – 21 of the 30
poorest countries come from Africa
• Most live on less than $1.00 per day
• Most live in poverty and are undernourished
• Disease is a big problem – malaria
• Drought
• Civil War
21.2 Continued
Women face added challenges – traditions of
Gender Based Division of Labor
• Men work for money, Women take care of the
family
• Poor women need to work but most are
uneducated (can’t read), no jobs for them
• Women can find money in the Informal Economy
(exchange goods & services) EX: childcare for
firewood, sell bread at a local market (no license
& do not pay taxes)
21.3 Grinding Peanuts in Rural Mali
Mali – is one of the poorest countries in the world with
most of the people living in rural villeges
Peanuts & Grains – women work hard to make meals
Machines are making this easier
Multifunctional Platform – can be used for many things
(pg. 314 picture)
Used to take 3 days to grind 100 lbs. of peanuts, machine
takes less than an hour
Sanankoroni Womens Association (SWA) – collected half
the money and the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP) gave them the other half
21.3 Continued
SWA – now have people pay a fee to use the
machine & the women earn money
Business owners have learned new skill from this
machines such as:
1. How to run the machine
2. How to maintain the machine
3. Scheduling
4. Learn how to handle money, buy fuel & pay
workers
21.3 Continued
Machines like these improve the quality of life –
more than 300 villages have their own (HOW
CAN IT IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE?)
• Women have more time to do other things
than grind peanuts all day
• Improved attitude towards education has
changed
• Electric generators have been brought in &
used to light the village
21.4 Selling in Uganda’s “Poor Man’s
Market”
Kalerwe Market – has bargain prices, draws
people from Kampala, the capital of Uganda
• These markets are common, they help provide
opportunity
• Informal economy, do not pay taxes
Section 21.4, Continued
Margaret Saajjabi – runs several microenterprises
• Sold soda and soap to get her start
• She owns land, rents space to tenants, owns a
parking lot, started a savings club
CAN HER SUCCESS HELP OTHERS? HOW?
21.5 Cooking Up Comfort Food in
Botswana
Kgosi lives and works in Gabarone, capital of
Botswana
• Missed comfort food from home, only fast food
was sold in his area, traditional food for
affordable prices (Why are the prices affordable)
Women have opened street-side restaurants
• Must buy a caravan, convert into a restaurant
(usually borrow money to buy)
• Need to find a place to park
21.5 Continued
Creating Jobs Along with Food – as business
grow the women can expand and hire people
to work for them (usually family or friends)
21.6 Beginning to think Globally
What are problems for women to start
businesses?
1.Finding the funding (Banks do not like to loan
money to the poor & women
Does good come out of this?
• Saving clubs
• Micro-credit organizations
• Employment for family