US embassy cable - 04HARARE1280

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001280 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AID/W FOR AFR/SA; MCOPSON, PFLEURET, ELOKEN 
EGAT/PR; MHANRATTY 
LPA/CL; SUSAN WILLIAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/AOREP 
TAGS: EAID, PREL, US, ZI, VIP Visits 
SUBJECT:  CONGRESSIONAL STAFFDEL VISITS 
TWO BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY CENTREERS (BOCs) 
IN ZIMBABWE 
 
REF: HARARE 01157 
 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Chitungwiza Business Opportunity Centreer 
---------------------------------------- 
 
1.   On July 2nd, Congressional 
Professional Staffers Joan Condon and 
Pearl Alice Marsh, House International 
Relations Committee, and USAID 
Congressional Liaison Officer, Susan 
Williams, were joined by Acting USAID 
Director, Michael Foster, and Econ 
Opportunities Team Leader, Sarah Bishop, 
on a fact finding visit to a USAID-funded 
Business Opportunity Centreer(BOC)  based 
in Chitungwiza, a town with a population 
of overaround one million,  situated close 
to Harare.  The Chitungwiza BOC has been 
open since July 2003. 
 
2.   On arrival at the BOC, the group was 
welcomed by One-Up-Business Training 
Trust, a local NGO who manages the centers 
under a sub-grant from Development 
Alternatives Inc. (DAI).  DAI is the 
implementing contractor for USAID's Access 
to Economic Opportunities for 
Disadvantaged Groups Project.  The BOC 
manager gave a presentation on the variety 
of programs offered, in particular the 
business training modules, and their links 
to HIV/AIDS education programs. At each 
workstation laminated brochures list 
various websites, including local and 
international news (e.g., CNN, and BBC), 
HIV/AIDS education and advisory 
organizations, business, sports and 
training sites. The BOC also offers 
telephone, fax, photocopying and scanning 
facilities. 
 
---------------------------------- 
GOKWE Business Opportunity Centerre 
---------------------------------- 
 
3.   On Saturday July 3rd, the  Staffdel 
/USAID group were joined by Embassy 
Political Chief, WinJohn Dayton, on an 
early start visit to Gokwe Growth Point. 
Gokwe is a thriving rural settlement 
situated over 300 kilometers from Harare 
in traditional communal land, where the 
predominant cash crop is cotton.  Gokwe 
has little or no access to the outside 
world. 
 
4.   The Staffdel was met by DAI and One- 
Up-Business Training Trust staff, and were 
given a tour of the premises. 
Prominent posters of up-coming training 
events and advertisements for New Start 
HIV/AIDS voluntary testing centers were 
displayed around the walls.  Photocopying, 
fax and scanning facilities were available 
for public use. 
 
5.   The Gokwe BOC manager discussed the 
variety of activities offered at the 
Center, emphasizing outreach programs to 
nearby schools.     As at Chitungwiza, the 
Gokwe BOC had a list of websites beside 
each workstation, guiding the users to 
different media websitessources of 
information for news, HIV/AIDS, small 
business, and other sites of general 
interest. 
 
--------- 
COMMENTS 
--------- 
 
6.   The Staffdel expressed admiration for 
the excellent work of the BOCs in small 
and micro-business development and 
support, and in providing uncensored 
access to news and information to the 
public.  USAID/Zimbabwe appreciates the 
interest the Staffdel took in our 
assistance program and, in particular, in 
the BOCs.  We were extremely pleased to 
learn, shortly after the conclusion of the 
staffdel, of the decision of the House 
International Relations Committee to 
release the hold on funding for this 
program.  SULLIVAN 
 
7.   The Staffdel did not have time to 
review and clear this cable prior to their 
departure. 
 
WEISENFELD