Kenya - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

SOWENA Limited Private Company was registered in July 2020 with the purpose of it operating as internet service provider by using public hotspots but it has not started its operations yet due to lack of capital.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

SOWENA Private Limited Company was registered in July 2020 but it has not been able to start its operations due to lack of capital.Its main purpose is to operate an internet service provider through use of public hotspots especially in rural areas and marginalized places that can not access the internet since most of the internet service providers are located in urban centre's.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Most internet service providers in Kenya are located in urban centres hence most people from rural areas can not access the internet.Most internet infrastructure are concentrated in urban centers hence residents in rural areas experience very low network speeds hence they can not access the internet effectively. SOWENA Limited Private Company aims to provide internet services to Kenyans in rural areas and marginalized places through use of public hotspots. Most internet services in Kenya offer their internet services at costly exploitative and expensive rates hence most Kenyans can not use the internet due to the high internet charges. SOWENA aims to offer internet services at fair prices and rates so that most Kenyans can access and enjoy internet services. Most Kenyan internet services offer limited internet services with an expiry hence their data packages can expire without fully being utilized hence it leads to loss of moey.SOWENA aims to offer unlimited internet services.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

The major benefits of the internet are:The internet helps people get information right away.Most people use Google and other websites to get information that they want and these websites require internet for them to be accessed. The internet is a great place to learn new things. The internet has enhanced easy communication through facebook;whatsapp and E-mails. The internet has enhanced socializing of people from different racial backgrounds through Social media. The internet has become a great source of entertainment. People use several social media platforms to entertain others and these social media platforms require the use of the internet. The internet has enables people to shop and pay their bills online. The internet is used to send and receive emails. Most banks do e-banking which requires the internet. Through the use of the internet,most business are able to market their products and services to a larger group of people online.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

The targeted beneficiaries of SOWENA.NET are residents from rural areas,banks,offices and students.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2020-02-05

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

1

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

1

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

Karani Wafula Allan-Graduate of the Great Lakes University. -I.T expert -Chief Operations Officer Skills set:Data analyst :Information systems :I.T project management :HTML :Web designing :Technical analysis and support :Python :A.I and machine learning. :Networking issues :Virtualization

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancywekesa31

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

h) IT (digital services, equipment and software)

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

SOWENA Limited was registered as a company which aims to grow and become a big company not only in Kenya but also in Africa hence when it grows,it will provide employment opportunities to many unemployed Kenyans.So many Kenyans are educated but they are languishing in poverty due to lack of employment opportunities in Kenya .SOWENA.NET aims to create more employment opportunities for Kenyans hence in the process we will be ending poverty in Kenya.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

SOWENA.NET aims to create employment opportunities for Kenyans hence they will be able to afford their basic needs like food.Due to lack of employment;most Kenyans languish in poverty hence they can not put food on the table.When SOWENA Limited grows as a company and it is able to provide employment opportunities for Kenyans;then atleast those Kenyans will be able to earn salaries which will enable them put food on the table.

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

6

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

The internet is a great source of providing information that is needed hence Kenyans can use the internet to research on how they can keep their bodies fit and in good shape and which food they can avoid that can contribute to ill health.There are so many online websites that provide information and teach people on various issues regarding their bodies and general well being.There are websites that demonstrate on physical exercises that help keep the human bodies fit and in good physical conditions.The internet is needed to access all these websites.

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

Most people in Kenya are doing online learning without attending classes physically. Some opt for online learning which requires the internet because they can not afford the high fees that comes with attending classes physically.Some people work in remote areas and they would like to upgrade their studies to a higher level hence they opt for online classes since they can not be able to attend the classes in person. In 2020 when there was CORONA and students had to go home;most schools were able to finish their syllabuses by using online learning. The internet contributes to quality education in that those who are not able to attend their classes physically due to various reasons;they can do so through online learning. There are Apps like ZOOM that are used for online learning and they need internet to be accessed.

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

SOWENA.NET aims to give equal opportunities to both men and women regardless of their background.SOWENA Limited will not entertain any form of gender discrimination.

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

5

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

No company can grow without the support of the local community hence it is our quest that we give back to the society when we have expanded by providing clean sanitized water to the locals through harvesting rainwater to reduce waste of rainwater and developing sanitary water treatment .Our quest will also be drilling borehole for locals who have challenges with accessing water due to various issues.All this will be done as a way of giving back to the society.

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

5

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

As a way of giving back to the society when we have grown and expanded;we shall also try and connect our locals to affordable and clean energy like the Solar power system.Most Kenyans do not have access to clean and affordable energy .We believe that a company or an organization should not be all about making money but it should also try to improve the lives of other locals.Helping locals access affordable and clean energy through use of the solar powering system will also enable them access our internet services since most Kenyans use phones and for those phones to be of use they need to be charged.

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

We are hoping that SOWENA Limited will grow as a company both in Kenya and abroad hence it will be able to provide employment opportunities to Kenyans since many Kenyans are educated but they are tarmacking due to lack of employment opportunities.At the same time it will also contribute to Kenya's economic growth by paying its taxes.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

7 - Strongly Agree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

SOWENA.NET aims to provide the fastest ,reliable unlimited internet services in Kenya at fair rates to Kenyans by investing in network and internet infrastructure especially in rural areas so that all Kenyans can be able to access faster internet speeds regardless of their location.

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

In Kenya right now,all internet service providers are majorly located in Cities and urban centres .They have also largely concentrated their infrastructure in urban areas hence neglecting rural areas which has many residents. Most people in rural areas experience challenges when they try to access the internet due to slow internet speeds because of very poor network connections.Hence we find that there is inequality between urban and rural areas when it comes to internet access.SOWENA.NET aims to reduce this inequality by investing in internet infrastructure in rural areas so that residents in rural areas also can enjoy faster internet speeds at fair rates.

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

5

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

SOWENA will partner with the government and non government entities to provide safe and affordable housing to Kenyans especially those living in Urbam areas and in slams.It is our goal as a way of giving back to the society we shall try to do away with slams by building safe and affordable housing. We shall also mobilize the local residents to dispose off waste materials safely and in proper places where the waste can be recycled instead of littering waste and dirty everywhere. We shall also make sure that our locals have proper drainage systems to avoid dirty stagnant water everywhere. We shall create campaigns to encourage Kenyans to commute in a sustainable way like by the use of bikes or public transport to avoid traffic congestion. The company will also partner with the locals to take care of public spaces by trimming trees ;planting trees and organizing a cleanup.

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

4

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

N/A

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

6

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

As a way of giving back to the society;SOWENA will be committed to protecting and conserving the environment as a way of combating climate change by planting trees,creating awareness and campaigns against deforestation,encourage Kenyans to switch to sustainable transport like using electric vehicles and also encourage Kenyans to invest in renewable energy.

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

4

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

N/A

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

4

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

N/A

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

6

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

For any company or organization to prosper ;there must be peace;justice and strong institutions in the society.SOWENA.NET will contribute to peace,justice and strong institutions by encouraging coexistence amongst people and also teach the locals to respect each other regardless of their background and ethnicity.For peace to exist in any social setting;there must be coexistence and respect for each other. SOWENA.NET will also create platforms to encourage people to speak up incase they feel an injustice has happened.These platforms will encourage people to report corruption cases and also support activists who are vocal about human rights and by doing this,strong institutions will be created.

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

SOWENA Limited with partner with governments and non governmental entities to eradicate poverty and non employment for sustainable development. For any place to have sustainable development;there must be employment opportunities that enable people to earn a living.We shall also partner with governments and non governmental entities to provide education for people and children that can not access education to access education. Education contributes alot to sustainable development

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

4

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.08 Justification

Most Kenyans use the internet for various activities. So many Kenyans use the internet for entertainment,online banking and shopping,communication ,paying bills online,getting information ,online education and there are those who work online from home. SOWENA aims to improve on the existing internet services by offering internet services at fair rates,by offering internet services to those in rural areas because most internet service providers are concentrated in urban centres. The current internet services have not met the demands of the customers.Most of them still offer expensive and exploitative internet services and there is still poor network connection in rural areas hence most residents can not access the internet effectively.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

The main potential competitors are Safaricom,Airtel ,Telcom ,Zuku , Safaricom is very exploitative and their internet services are very expensive.SOWENA Limited aims to offer their internet services at fair rates that are not exploitative. Airtel has very poor network connection especially in rural areas hence people face slow network and internet speeds .SOWENA.NET aims to invest in internet and network infrastructure in rural areas so that people from rural areas can access the internet without any network challenges. Most of these internet service providers are concentrated in urban areas overlooking the rural areas.SOWENA.NET aims to offer internet service to both urban and rural areas.

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

N/A