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Can Eight Millionaire Social Entrepreneurs Transform a Ugandan Village?

posted on Wednesday, September 26, 2007 11:00 AM

i-genius partners with Channel 4’s new Millionaires' Mission TV series

Aid and development are surely two of the defining global issues of the 21st century.

Whilst billions has been thrown at the problem, global campaigns have been waged, world leaders have promised action… and then more action, nothing seems to change. Like an itch you can’t stop scratching the Aid dilemma persists and grows.

So, maybe, we need to try a fresh approach to an age-old problem?

i-genius has teamed up with Channel 4 Television in, perhaps, one of the most unusual business challenges to date. Forget Big Brother, The Apprentice, Dragon’s Den… This reality TV series with a difference goes straight to the heart of the debate.

Eight self-made multi-millionaires will swap their five-star lifestyles for a makeshift camp with no running water or electricity. Their mission: to improve the living standards of a remote Ugandan farming community.

Armed with a determination to succeed, a wealth of expertise, a track record of getting their own way and £15,000 of their own money, they will need to use all their business savvy like never before – to tackle head-on the seemingly intractable issue of extreme poverty.

It’s a crash course in economics and business African-style, but can eight business leaders brainstorm ideas, execute viable business plans and work together to help the villagers? And, so far out of their comfort zones, how will they cope with the immediate, urgent and clearly desperate needs of the people?

So, ditch your reality TV prejudices and get with The Mission...

Check Out: Channel 4’s Millionaires' Mission website

Comments
David McQueen
Saturday, October 13, 2007 08:07 AM

As the series finished it still left me feeling uncomfortable about people thinking they can come to a village or area and solve a problem by throwing money at it and not fully understanding the local complexities in that area. What makes for good TV does not neccesarily equal sustainable development.

Ida Horner
Thursday, October 11, 2007 03:41 PM

Csaba- My advice to you would be to decide which African country you would like to work in then go visit that country and get and understanding of how they would react to waht you are proposing. Teh message taht came out of these series is pretty obvious, the community that you intend to work in or are working ahve to want what you are offering take it on board and own it in order for it to succeed. I have contacts in East Africa as a whole but most of the women I work with are semi illiterate.

Peter Ongera
Saturday, October 06, 2007 07:33 AM

I can give 1,000 people with internet access to work on the "Transform Africa". Please contact me at ongerapeter@yahoo.com.

Csaba Biro
Sunday, September 30, 2007 06:16 PM

I started working on a new project called 'Transform Africa' recently. I was inspired by 'Millionares' Mission'. The aim of the project is to provide home-based telemarketing employment for people based in Africa. I provide full training which includes live trainings in online conference rooms. The candidates need to speak English fluently and have Internet access. They are paid on a commission basis which means that each transaction will be worth $1000 (£500) for them (phone costs and other expenses are covered by myself). I heard recently that in a village in Uganda people are earning 5 pence per day. What I pay is £500 per each sale. This means that they have to work 10000 days to earn £500 in that village. 10000 days is around 27 years. Do you think that earning 27 years' of wages with a simple phone call would help? I think it WOULD. As most people in Africa don't tend to have Internet access I am seeking help from charities, companies who could assist me in finding the right candidates and provide local information, contacts etc. Also looking for PR contacts to help spread the word. I've already found a Canadian Charity who would be keen to help me find the right people in several African countries. Let's make this big and transform lives in Africa. Any assistance is appreciated if you're serious about getting involved then please let me know. Csaba 'Chubba' Biro M: 0044-794-7504662

Hakim Lugemwa
Saturday, September 29, 2007 10:54 AM

I think it is great and worth the while, if they need my assistance, readily available is what I am.

David McQueen
Thursday, September 27, 2007 03:30 PM

I like the concept but I cringed at some of the entrepreneurs who had no sense of philanthropy.

Alex Weir
Thursday, September 27, 2007 11:58 AM

fascinating! they will need to take a laptop with the offline contents of http://www.cd3wd.com/CD3WD/ with them - a 13 gigabyte encyclopedia of all 3rd world development technologies. Mr Alex Weir, Conakry, Guinea
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