Chance brought key members of Blu Acciaio to Malawi and Lilongwe City back in 2012. Curious as ever, we were anxious to explore the city and the beautiful areas surrounding it. In our search for rental bicycles and local know-how we were lucky enough to cross paths with Richard. He provided us with bicycles and took us to beautiful places, such as Kamuzu Dam and the Bunda Mountain.
During our rides it became clear that Richard's ambitions extended well beyond guided bike rides for adventurous tourists. Since long Richard had seen a need in his community for internet cafes and basic services related to information technology. He had the business plan ready, but lacked equipment and funding to put his plan into motion.
By way of solid entrepreneurship and modest backing from Blu Acciaio & Friends, Richard has managed to bring his plan to life. It was with great excitement and expectation that founder and head of Blu Acciaio Norway recently revisited Lilongwe to have a look-see at Richard's feats. And he was not disappointed! With trusted associates Richard has managed to build a blooming and sustainable business. He now has several computers at his shop, providing ICT services to his community.
We recognize that development aid is a complicated area, packed with dilemmas and complex dynamics. What we are doing here is however not develoment aid. This is simply about sharing a tiny bit of our abundance, without paying attention to the big picture. This kind of approach will certainly not solve the problems of poverty at scale, but nevertheless it will make a difference. If you share that view and have ICT equipment to spare, let us know. Richard needs more equipment to grow his business. We try to transport any equipment we can get our hands on once each year.
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