The IFA Foundation is not a charity or an aid organisation in the accepted sense. It is a non-profit organisation committed to transferring the knowledge and experience gained by its members over decades of industrial experience to existing and start up businesses in Sub Saharan Africa.
Every project proposed has a commercial base and must stand or fall as a legitimate business designed to make a profit and grow. It must provide employment to local people while being majority owned and run by local people.
The average per capita income in Sub Saharan Africa is less than two dollars a day - more or less as it was for Henry Ford and others when the west was "industrialising", and the same as it was for much of Asia more recently. No business started under these conditions can afford to pay current western prices for capital equipment and for the skilled support required. This Foundation does not want a situation where one or two western engineers take home more than half the payroll of a company employing hundreds of locals who carry out only unskilled work. We do not want a situation where the capital costs of equipment required are impossible to repay at normal local market prices, or need Western Bank finance with Government guarantees just adding to the debt of already debt burdened countries .
This Foundation sources and provides affordable equipment, machine tools and experienced engineers to assist start ups and train locals to take over. That is our reason for being and these costs we must bear without distorting the economic base of the companies we are creating or assisting. Therefore we will not provide one penny of aid money or capital finance to any initiative - that is for local banks and any local or western investor that wants to invest their money for a normally reasonable risk and return.
What we do need to do is to support our members while they find the plant and equipment needed. We need to pay their travel and location expenses and we need to pay the instructors and administration costs.
Our men are older and more experienced than most - they are not young white people on what amounts to paid exotic vacations driving fleets of NGO Assault Vehicles (brand-new AWDs with big radio antennas) to hundred-dollar-a-night hotels for feasts of steak and lobster. If our man needs transport - he will hire a local taxi at local rates - if he needs food and shaving gear he will purchase his needs from the local market and take it to his local accommodation.
We need as much help as we can to achieve these goals. Any support or donations will be gratefully received and well used, If you want to help then please use one of the above options to donate!
Send a money order/check in any currency to
"Industries for Africa Foundation" to:
Industries for Africa Foundation
Amalia Jönssons gata 25
S-421 31 Västra Frölunda,
Sweden
Or contact us directly:
Andrea Lennberg
Office: +46(0) 31 753 01 10
Cell: +46(0) 735 34 11 13
"The race of mankind would perish did they cease to aid each other. We cannot exist without mutual help. All therefore that need aid have a right to ask it from their fellow-men; and no one who has the power of granting can refuse it without guilt."
Walter Scott 1771 - 1832
Industries for Africa Foundation Amalia Jönssons Gata 25 42131 Västra Frölunda
Copyright © 2006 -2009 Industries for Africa. All rights reserved.
"The race of mankind would perish did they cease to aid each other. We cannot exist without mutual help. All therefore that need aid have a right to ask it from their fellow-men; and no one who has the power of granting can refuse it without guilt."
Walter Scott 1771 - 1832
