AfiCom Mobile

About two billion individuals and tens of millions of enterprises around the World lack access to basic financial and business advisory services. 50% of the poor households who are unbanked represent an incredible economic barrier that prevents them from accessing the credit, savings and insurance services essential to the well-being of their families and businesses. For the small and medium enterprises who struggle to secure capital, this creates critical obstacles to their growth, as well as the economic and employment potential they represent. In addition, only three million jobs are created annually despite the thirteen million youths that join the workforce each year. As AfiCom Resilience Group, we are playing the part of large scale innovation through AfiCom Mobile. This is a platform that enables prospective and active entrepreneurs get access to credit, savings, marketing, legal, insurance and advisory services. This shall help ignite, propel and catapult entrepreneurial-ship activities.

In Africa, the youth population is rapidly growing and expected to double to over eight hundred fifty million (850,000,000) by 2040. Only three million formal jobs are created annually despite the thirteen million youths that join the workforce each year. Eighty percent of them that join rebel groups, riots and demonstrations are motivated by lack of an opportunity, thousands of deaths of migrant youths are recorded every year along the Mediterranean sea. Cases of vulnerable employment have also been common which have attracted sexual harassment and over exploitation of the youths. Nevertheless, refugees are also part of the vulnerable societies affected too.

The main challenge is that most of these are financially excluded and lack access to a network that can ignite, support, propel and catapult them through creating opportunities and good jobs.

I started a Resilience Group called AfiCom which is fully defined as African Initiative for Commercialization to be the network accessible and supportful in order to curb the exponentially growing problems. In order to increase our efficiency and reach out to many especially during these days of social distancing, Covid-19, we developed a Mobile application called AfiCom Mobile. We believe that sustainability begins with us integrating collectively.

Our project of AfiCom Mobile through our initiative of AfiCom Resilience Group a Hybrid Organization, was established to reach out to the underrepresented and vulnerable societies especially the youths, refugees and women through training them, extending credit finance, savings, marketing, legal, insurance and advisory in order to create more opportunities and support the existing ones to expand and become more sustainable and efficient.

Such categories of individuals have been reportedly been suffering many obstacles especially in the job market and opportunities. Think about a life where one has the ability to do something but is surrounded by obstacles and there is no one to bail them out, this is what the young youths, refugees and women undergo through. This does not segregate whether one is learnt and educated or not. It is a common obstacle, and especially for those in the rural areas where wrangles on Arable land are still very common, it poses a very big hurdle.

For the past two years since I graduated from High School, many of my fellows were not privileged to have an opportunity and when I interacted with them, the above were the challenges that I discovered which my project addresses.

In AfiCom Resilience Group, with our main target of reaching out to the vulnerable and financially excluded populations, we train these populations through our extension services and programs, this helps to drive away ignorance from such people since it is one of the biggest challenges. We then enroll them to our program where they receive Credit financing that ignites them to creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities, the employees are then also enrolled to our savings program to ensure fair wages and increase our Credit power. Other services like insurance, legal, marketing, and advisory are also essential and this is all done remotely.

The multi-task, diverse, easy and quick, cheap, time saving, instant and simple procedures make the AfiCom Mobile app innovative. 

The platform breaks barriers such as transport costs, time wastage and limited accessibility to essential services required by business managers. These are very essential and vital for successful and effective running of ventures.

Since they have been challenges to many, we believe that through our large scale integration of innovative technology, we shall transform Africa. 

The technology works and reference can be obtained from the link video below AfiCom Mobile Application Operation or the app can be downloaded from the link below AfiCom Mobile

Through the operations of AfiCom Resilience Group, of extending essential services like Business Oriented Learning, Savings, Credit, Marketing, Legal, Insurance and Advisory services. Vulnerable populations and initially excluded societies and communities shall be catapulted into entrepreneurial activities with a net positive impact on their communities which shall also ensure financial inclusion and good jobs creation, which shall therefore reduce levels of unemployment.

As more people receive employment opportunities within our network, they shall be occupied as well as they earn incomes. The incomes shall increase their purchasing power and access to basic services such as shelter, clothing, primary education, food and health services which are key to their well-being, this shall therefore improve their standards of living.

Besides the income, with more people occupied by the employment opportunities, the reduces the levels of idleness which are key to driving people into criminal acts which include joining rebel movements, demonstrations, riots, strikes, theft, robbery, murder and kidnapping. These create insecurity, injustice and directly affects the peace of masses. Therefore, with engaging people in opportunities, so shall be stopped.

In the long run, the operations of AfiCom Resilience Group shall therefore create stability and sustainable futures which are a key to economic prosperity and development of strong Institutions and states, which is of Global advantage if scaled Worldwide.

Our technology could be incorporated into digital identification through the use of passwords and user ID's assigned to each individual who registers to our platform. With the user ID, a digital ID is manufactured after a period of three months with adequate information collected from the National Identification or other agencies like the refugee councils.

With the help of our Lawyers, these shall be strongly regulated.

Currently, AfiCom Resilience Group has trained, mentored and supported twenty(20) Entrepreneurs who are engaged in different activities mainly in the Agricultural and Industrial sectors. These have been able to create about eighty five(85) employment opportunities for their fellows which have attributed to the improvement of their lifestyles and standards of living. These have been induced to the AfiCom savings network which has increased our Credit power. 

In the next one year period, due to the introduction of the AfiCom Mobile App, we want to grow our network to five thousand(5,000) Entrepreneurs whom we shall support to create about forty five thousand (45,000) opportunities of good jobs for employees that shall be subscribed too to our network. The employees are subscribed to our network in order to ensure fair wages and salaries such that they are not vulnerably employed as well as to continue saving with us which increases our Credit power for training and supporting other new Entrepreneurs. 

With good structures and results obtained from the above, in the next five years, we want to grow our network to about three million(3,000,000) Entrepreneurs who shall catapulted to create about twelve million(18,000,000) opportunities of good jobs and employment to other individuals.

As AfiCom Resilience Group through our initiative of AfiCom Mobile, by the end of our first financial year, next year in June, we aim to be a trusted brand within our triangle of operation that is to say in Uganda, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. We want to build a strong team of trainees that is ready to change the lives of many people especially the youths, those in refugee settlements through our services such as extension sessions of training, Business Oriented Learning Resources on our Mobile application, Connection and Chatting via our platform, Credit and finance resources, Savings without necessitating to travel to a Commercial Institution and other advisory services through connecting to experts via our Website. With our target to reach five thousand entrepreneurs as the test base and forty five thousand employees, this shall be a tool that shall measure our progress after the first year of our project implementation with AfiCom Mobile App.

Within the next five years, we aim to have developed an AfiCom Leadership Centre in South Sudan which shall act as our broadcast and training base for all Entrepreneurs and Leaders. This shall be aimed at accelerating and increasing our efficiency of operations. We also aim at being the leading developed and reliable multi-service provider having a one stop point for all the business needs and survival. This shall reduce disruptions among the forthcoming Entrepreneurs and also create a protection for the employees through the bonuses added on savings. 

The main challenges that are stopping us from moving mountains are; inadequate finance, most of the financing has been from my salary and the rotation basis of the repayments from the network that am growing since I offer credit finance with low interest rates to catapult the Entrepreneurs. The second challenge are the high costs incurred in renting and hiring incentives such as housing where my services are based, in our cassava project, hiring vehicles that transport of produce and warehouses to store the products, these have taken a big proportion of our revenue. The third challenge is in Organising extensions and training sessions, this requires a lot of financing to hire a place or reception, tents and public address systems, Such are very costly given our low revenue and when it comes to recruiting more people especially in our savings network to grow our finances, they claim that we are not yet fully branded and there is no reason to trust us. But it all starts with enough finances to fully brand ourselves in advertisements to attract public interest, Organising more and more Campaigns and extensions, Partnering with other Organizations that are on the same cause.

Staffing has also somehow become a challenge for example when it comes to the Professionals such as Lawyers and Counsels for Legal activities, since we don't have enough to pay them for their services, it oftenly backslides our services. Softwares also requires payment for licenses which is also a great challenge for efficiency.

As AfiCom Resilience Group, we are addressing the challenge of finance through encouraging our entrepreneurs to enroll their employees too into the network as a platform where they shall be receiving their salaries and wages, in this we also encourage the employees to maintain them in savings to receive bonus interests over a given period of time, this helps us to manage our finances but for the aim of increasing our impact, we are requesting for financial aid from Donor Organizations, carrying out fundraising sessions, requesting for donations from people of that are willing to create impact in other people's lives. Anyone willing to donate can email us on aficom.r.g@gmail.com for details. Besides that, when we also expand our network we believe that the Network shall be able to sustain itself. For the case of renting and hiring, through what is obtained from the donations and funds raised, we plan to purchase land and construct our head offices of Management, Construct a Warehouse and Manufacturing center for our produce from the Entrepreneurial projects and Purchase our own delivery and distribution vehicles. This shall increase our efficiency and productivity and create more employment opportunities. We also look forward to have our own equipment such as tents, public address systems and transportation that are used in our open Campaigns.

Through Collaboration with Legal Institutions and other mutual goal aimed organizations such as Innovation Labs, we hope to cover the loopholes in Legal services.

What places me and my team well for this, is that;

I, Mr Masuba Aaron holds a Background in Economics and Mathematics and I have developed resilient models for my fellows since I graduated from my High school. I am also currently pursuing a degree in Engineering and Management at Makerere University which shall make me more efficient and productive for this change making process through the innovative approaches of creating opportunities for my fellow youths. 

The Vice President, Ms. Namulema Mary is a Graduate finalist in Business Administration which compels her for the process.

The Executive Director, Division of Administration & Finance; Ms Nabadda Joan is also a graduate finalist in Business Computing which is an essential Organ in the system.

The Executive Director, Division of Policy, Planning & Legal Affairs; Mr Kamya Livingstone is a practicing Lawyer with a degree in Law which positions him for his role in AfiCom.

The Executive Director, Division of Education, Awareness & Training; Ms. Nansamba Caroline is a graduate finalist in External Education & management which makes her suitable for her role.

The Executive Director, Division of Information & Monitoring; Mr. Matanda Pius is a graduate of Engineering which positions him for his role.

The General Secretary; Mr. Kiseka Pius is a Graduate in Commerce

The Head of Supervision & General Duties; Mr. Wanyama Emmanuel is a Diploma graduate in Office and Information management.

We have a team of Agricultural Practitioners, Headed by Mr. Wagana Charles(Agricultural Planning & Management, Makerere, University)

We partner with Futures with Light to extend the knowledge to Secondary School Students, We Are Youths to advocate in the slum areas and far to reach areas, Innovation Labs to increase innovative solutions in agriculture and industry.

Since we are an Integrated Organization, our path to financial sustainability shall include; Donations and grants, raising investment capital through open campaigns and fundraising sessions, charges from services for example interest rates from the Credit section, Blockchain services such as processing and manufacturing, marketing and selling of products and inputs.

We hope that in the Long run, the system shall be able to support itself after this primary stage which is the most difficult.

The first source of funding which ignited everything was from my monthly salary while I was still working as a Supervisor with Mogas. This is the cause of all the functionality of this Project. I would have thought of other luxurious items but since I loved to cause an impact and create an opportunity for my fellow youths, I disregarded all the luxurious life. I used to earn about One hundred and fifty (120) dollars per month and with this I was able to create an opportunity for twenty entrepreneurs in Agriculture and Industry who created about eighty five job opportunities for fellow youths.

The second source of revenue has been from the rotation savings of the employees of the Entrepreneurs, I have always advised them to make savings with my savings group such that they can get bonuses over a given period of time which is often segmented in six months period. This is used to extend more credit facilities to other youths.

I have also received some donations from people especially after my impactful presentation which do not leave them behind.

I have never received anymore than that and this is why I come out to Solve to be catapulted such that I can move for the global impact. 

I seek any one who is willing to make impact on the lives of others especially those that do not have an opportunity like you.  As President of AfiCom Resilience Group, I have believed that one by one makes a bundle and you do not know what the future holds. I began AfiCom with my monthly salary and training sessions helping fellow youths, and now they have been able to move mountains. Therefore if you have either one dollar, two, three or a hundred or a thousand or a million that you would like to give to support my fellow youths, you never know they may be the ones to even support you in turn indirectly. Please reach out to me, you can send the money via swift codes to Uganda, or use pay-pal. Please just reach out to me on my email, aaronmsb29@gmail.com/ aaronmsb29@hotmail.com or the email for the Organization aficom.r.g@gmail.com , or Whats App +256701706694.

For those that prefer to use the bank, the details are here below;

Beneficiary Bank: ABSA Bank Uganda Limited , Swift Address: BARCUGKX , 

For US Dollar Transfers

Correspondent Bank: CITIBANK NEWYORK 

SWIFT ADDRESS: CITIUS33 

ABA ROUTING NUMBER: 021000089

ACCOUNT TITLE: MASUBA AARON

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 6006412333

Any one with a grant, please reach out to us. My PayPal email address is aaronmsb29@gmail.com.

Those offering Equity, please reach out to us on the above contacts. We accept any relevant material items too.

There is a lot to do and all starts with us collectively.

Our Budget for this financial year is about US Dollars, Seven hundred fifty thousand (US $ 750,000) with our aim of building our network to five thousand (5000) youth Entrepreneurs and creating forty five job opportunities to other youths. This is because many youths have lost their previous jobs due to the Corona Virus situation, therefore we aim to make a drastic impact to such individuals, the emphasis is placed also in reducing the costs incurred as a result of implicit and explicit costs. We want to set up our Headquarter offices which shall reduce the costs incurred in renting and hiring. Since our projects that we engage the young youth Entrepreneurs are mainly Agricultural and Industrial, we take the biggest role to see that they are a success and therefore we plan to also obtain three transport and delivery trucks of for the products to reduce the costs incurred in hiring the trucks and drivers. We also want to acquire our own tents, public address system to increase our advocacy levels and three(2) Staff vehicles to break the barrier of arbitrage especially on Organizational duties which involve travelling long distances like from one country to another.

We accept any support inform of anything because a lot has to be done and it begins now. Whether inform of trucks, vehicles that can simplify our activities, we are very thankful because this shall help reduce the budget expenses which we can not afford.

I am applying to in order to be catapulted in my activities especially since I need more funding, I want to get the connections such that I can be able to get access to reliable softwares. I also want to get access to partners and those that can hold equity with my organization, those that are in position to donate and willing to work with us in any way such that we can be able to move forward.

I want to gain public confidence through making it at the Billion Mission Challenge, This shall improve my portfolio that AfiCom Resilience Group is moving boundaries across the World. In developing countries where our operations are running currently, People lack confidence in their own fellows and innovations, but if we receive nomination with the Billion Mission Challenge, it shall truly create confidence in the general public since we are looking forward to scale our operations.

We want to also become Solvers, with the Billion Challenge. We want to be displayed to the entire World such that we are also open to Donors Internationally.

There is much to be done and we believe it will all start from the Solve Platform with the Billion Mission Challenge

Since we are just developing and trying to get ourselves out of the nutshells, we want partners that can strengthen and improve our technology such that it can not be easily cracked since we deal with very delicate section. With the Support of the MIT Software engineering Department, we hope that we shall be able to have the strongest Technology. Anyone willing from MIT please reachout to us on this email aficom.r.g@gmail.com, we shall be honoured.

We also call upon advisors that can provide intellectual knowledge such that we can develop and catch up with International standards. These are welcomed to Board Members and advisors and those willing can email me on aaronmsb29@hotmail.com, we shall be very graced.

All funders are welcomed and those that can expose us to the entire World through media and marketing, we shall be very grateful and many more as outlined above.

We would like to partner with Organizations that are of mutual interest but most importantly, it shall be an honor to partner with the following Organizations;

• World Bank
• Solve MIT
• Elevate MIT
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• USAID
• UKAID
• United Nations (UN)
• Ford Foundation
• Novo Nordisk Foundation
• Stichting INGKA Foundation
• The Rockefeller Foundation
• Walton Family Foundation
• Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation
• World Vision
• United Way
• Direct Relief
• American Humane
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation
• The Kresge Foundation
• Rotary Foundation
• MacArthur Foundation
• Tides Foundation
• New York Community Trust
• American Express Foundation
• Monsanto Fund
• Allen Foundation Inc.
• The Coca-Cola Foundation
• MTV Staying Alive Foundation
• The Zayed Future Energy Prize
• Charles Steward Mott Foundation
• CISCO Global Impact Crash Grant
• Hult Prize
• The ReSource Award for Sustainable Watershed Management
• Microsoft corporation.
• Patrick J McGovern Foundation.

All that i may not have mentioned but are willing to create an opportunity for the youth, we shall be greatly honored to have you.