About the Bongo Entrepreneurship Program

Up to the new year of 2008, Bongo Camping had two visitors (Stine Jacobsen & Nabil Chaykh, members of BDT) who wanted to contribute with their know-how during their stay. Sparring with BDT they knew what to do.
The plan was to develop a business competition for the locals, where the two best defined business ideas would be awarded with free funding to develop their business.
So before going to Tanzania they talked to Kasper and Eddie, the managers of Bongo Camping. They helped them shape the idea to the Tanzanian context and they would announce for the local citizens that a Business Competition would be held the 28th-29th December 2007. Almost 40 locals, men & women in all ages, attended.

Before the business competition short lessons were held about:

• Identifying business opportunities
• Sales & Marketing
• Budgets

The session was concluded with the terms and conditions of the competitions, which meant that all contenders must deliver a business plan including a business idea, marketing plan and budget to be illegible for the free funding. Kasper and Eddie from Bongo Camping translated throughout the session.

Furthermore, the winners must, as a minimum, meet with the managers of Bongo Camping once a week the first month of receiving funding and once a month the following 5 months. The managers at Bongo Camping will also function as financial advisors. 

The winning entrepreneurs are obligated to report their progress in budgets, as a minimum, once each month.

The contest resulted in 23 business proposals, 2 new businesses and lots of inspiration for the participants and “turists”. Surely, a feel good experience and a good example of sustainable development tourism, as promoted by Bongo.