Chapter 7 Action Guidelines
A. For Persons with Disability
To succeed in business, there is no substitute for hard work. If members in a cooperative IGP are not prepared to work hard, it is best they do not start business at all.
In starting to put a project on the ground, PWDs must start with their own resources first. They must first risk their own assets before they call on the assets of others.
They must learn from the experience of the tontines, the Biika Weguze and burial societies.
They must start projects modestly, and then build upwards, rather than start big and then fall.
Whether it is an individual or a group project, a team spirit is essential for success. In a cooperative it is the team spirit of its members. In an individual enterprise, it is the team spirit of its workers that the manager has to induce. All production is social; there is no individual in society who can produce on his or her own.
They must not confuse between money and capital. Often enterprises fail because they use up the capital for purposes of consumption (beer parties, expensive clothes, houses and cars, etc.) rather than for production.
Production is a function of the application of "real resources," such as land, labour and enterprise. No matter how much money we have, if the "real resources" are not wisely used in production, money cannot save the situation.
Credit or revolving loan schemes are an innovative way of raising collective funds. But they are not "free riding" public transport to success. Unless there is commitment on the part of the members to return loaned money back into the pool, the schemes cannot be sustained.
B. For IGOs and NGOs working with PWDs
IGOs and NGOs are generally only providers of money-capital. But that is not enough. They should facilitate the putting of the projects on the ground during the implementation stage by closely monitoring difficulties that could arise during this phase.
Providing for training in management skills is often a better investment than capital put into purely purchasing equipment, raw materials and consultancy.
Putting money into a Credit Scheme is a good idea, provided the scheme is well managed either by the PWDs themselves, or by a commercial bank or some other responsible and accountable institution.
Some Issues for Further Discussion
What explains the "Donor Dependency Syndrome" (DDS) among some groups engaged in IGPs?
A related question: How do enterprises in the "informal sector," burial societies, tontines and the Biika Weguze survive without depending on donors?
Are good managers "born" as such, or can they be created through training and experience?
Why is "money" not a resource? What is the difference between "money" and "capital"?
Is the Entebbe recommendation on the "revolving loan scheme" (see Appendix) realistic?