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Celtel goes rural
By
Ephraim Munthali - 18-12-2002 |
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Mobile phone service provider, Celtel (Malawi) Limited will in January next year open small cellular phone firms in 15 rural areas countrywide to be managed by the communities themselves as one way of economically empowering the poor.
Celtel managing director Tim Bahrani disclosed in Blantyre on Tuesday that the company has already ordered 15 units at US$400 each to be sold to the communities through interested companies.
Once acquired and planted in the areas, rural people will be providing phone services and airtime sales in the areas. The villagers will retain the profits generated from the business, according to Bahrani.
“We want people to stand on their own feet and not depending on handouts during hard times like food shortages as is the case now,” he said.
“So we are liaising with local companies to buy these phone units and donate them to the rural people and let them take charge of their own destiny instead of giving them maize and other commodities which will be consumed and end there. This, I believe, will be the best gift of all,” said Bahrani.
The units, to be dispatched in areas where there is coverage, is expected to generate a profit of K5,000 or more a month.
Bahrani said Celtel will provide the people with training in the operations and business skills in addition to back up services for the units.
Meanwhile, Celtel has donated 500 bags of maize each weighing 5 kg to 500 families through Chipini Health Centre at Chingale in Zomba to ensure the availability of seeds in rural areas.
Speaking at the symbolic presentation ceremony in Blantyre on Tuesday, Bahrani said the seeds were a follow-up to appeals from the area that due to poor harvests, the villagers did not keep any seed for this season.
He said Celtel has concentrated its assistance in the area because scattered aid does not usually have an impact on the recipients. Recently, Celtel also donated Likuni Phala to the same community.
“Imagine every company in Malawi adopting a particular village which it assists whenever it can and whenever need arises, can’t we assist the rural poor better?” Bahrani said.
Village headmen from Chingale and officials from Chipini Health Centre received the donation on behalf of Chipini villagers.
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