We spent the day visiting different projects in Khayelitsha, Capetown's largest township. Martha has already written about the beginning and end of our day. Sandwiched in between, we spent the afternoon visiting two young African entrepreneurs both of whom had won competitions and obtained financing for their ideas.
The first was Iyeza Express which started out as a medicine delivery company. Public hospitals in South Africa are extremely inefficient with long queues for everything including picking up medicine that chronic sufferers might be taking on a daily basis. One can spend all day in hospital just to see the doctor or pick up a prescription. One bright, enterprising young man experienced this everytime he went to pick up meds for his diebetic grandmother. He saw an opportunity and offered to pick up meds for his neighbor for a small fee. His neighbor jumped at the offer and passed the word around and soon people were calling him and asking him to pick up their scrips. His business slowly grew until be hired more people to do deliveries for him and he now has five couriers on bikes delivering all over the township.
The second and more lucrative branch of his business now includes a self-testing rapid result AIDS kit called I-Test which he has partnered with a pharmaceutical company to brand and distribute. South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV prevalence and infection rates in the world and there is still a social stigma associated with being HIV postive. The hospitals are set up with little regard for privacy and thus many people don't get tested. I-Test allows people to determine if they are HIV positive in the privacy of thir homes. In addition, if negative, it then allows them to take Prep which is an HIV prevention drug also distributed by Iyeza. I joked with him that I suspected that he would be able to retire in two years. He is only 24 years old.
Out next visit was to The Spinach King , who Bailey and Donato had been looking forward to meeting since before we left the US. The Spinach King had a similar story to Iyeza. In an effort to incorporate and bring more awareness of a healthy lifestyle and better nutrition, the Spinach King began baking gluten free spinach bread, and using the local grocery store chain to distribute it as well as door to door delivery. As his business grew he built his first brick and mortar location and now has a second branch which is the one we visited.
He also met Richard Branson and Virgin Active (a large fitness chain owned by Virgin) built him customised spin bikes that can be hooked up to make smoothies while you bike. Thus the emphasis on exercise and healthy eating in one shot. We sampled his spinach smoothies and spinach bread all of which were tasty. We were also entertained by a song which had been prepared just for this occasion, sort of like a Spinach King jingle.
It is quite exciting to see these examples of enterprise flourishing and renews my belief in the essence of the market system. One thing I have noticed is that people here are generally so vibrant, positive and friendly. Even the scores of migrants from impoverished African countries who have made their way here and are earning a living by selling crafts in the market place. Martha and I have spent time wandering around the arts and craft markets and chatted with people from Congo, Mali, Malawi, Senegal and many others. Even though they pitch a hard sell and we bargain , at the end they call us their sisters and give us hugs before we leave. They are all supporting families back in their home countries and let's just say that we are doing are best to help them out : ). Students have been visiting these markets as well. In fact our hotel opens out onto the main market square, so when they bring back their crafts and souvenirs , you should know that their purchases have helped families in need all over the continent. The best kind of gift!!
I'll end on an update for the families. Wednesday May 10th is our free day and the entire group with the exception of one had planned to go shark-cage diving. We just found out that it had been canceled because their are killer whales in the water that have driven away the great white sharks (yes great whites are not the top of the food chain!) and it is too dangerous. Understandably students were dispointed and have had to make alternate plans. About half of us are going Para-gliding for part of the day. I'm sure you'll hear about how they spent the day from your kids.
