– rather than give them bucketsful of fish

TEACHING hundreds of residents in Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice) how to fish their way into business by providing them with the wherewithal to evolve into successful entrepreneurs is what the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN) is all about.

This government-owned financial institution is transforming the lives of many residents in the mining town of Linden who have taken advantage of its many services so they could stop being just another unemployed Lindener.

With the recent allocation of $200M by Central government, the latest of three since 2015, LEN is now in a better position to fulfil its mission, which is to broaden the economic base of Region Ten through economic diversification that will contribute to improving the living conditions of its residents, thereby reducing social tension.

Many have since testified how assistance from LEN has allowed their business to expand tremendously, thus transforming their lives and that of their families for the better. Their ability to make inroads into the business arena in Linden has also had a ripple effect on the town’s economy, since residents no longer have to source certain services externally, hence the money continues to circulate internally.

One of those lucky persons to have been given a leg up the business ladder by LEN is poultry and pig rearer, Abiola Lewis, who, through continuous coaching and financing from the institution is now able to supply both the wholesale and retail markets of Region Ten. At first, she was only supplying retail customers in Linden, but now she is supplying wholesale customers in other Region Ten communities such as Kwakwani and Itun. “I started with one pen at my home, and then I took some loans and I have seen massive improvement. And there will continue to be improvement,” Abiola said. Now she has several other pens filled with meat birds at other locations and has also expanded into pig rearing. From the pig, she processes ham and bacon and pickled pork for her growing markets. She is one of the few persons in Linden who processes ham and bacon, and has now begun to purchase beef and process parts of it as well. Now Lewis has a rented shop in Mackenzie, but because her operation has grown so much, she is looking for a larger and more permanent space, where her customers can enjoy a better service from her. She now also sells other culinary products, as well as wild meat, which she has obtained a licence to do. “When customers come, they asking for other things, and so I had to stock up with more stuff other than meat,” Abiola said, adding: “So now I sell seasonings. And these things and wild meat sell as well.”

MOST SOUGHT-AFTER
She believes she is one of the most sought-after meat sellers in Linden because of the effort she puts into ensuring her customers are eating healthy foods. “I ensure that when my customers are eating, it is proper, healthy things they are eating; not any chemical-laden meat. It must be quality stuff,” Ms. Lewis said.

The LEN beneficiary is encouraging all residents of Region Ten, particularly single mothers who are unemployed, to seek out LEN, get a loan and start their own small business and see it grow right before their very eyes as hers did. “I spoke to a lot of my associates, and I advise them,” Abiola said. “I even went and get couple forms for them to full up. I told them it might look hard, but they need to start somewhere. The first thing is to register their business, and when they get the loan, they need to separate business from pleasure. That is something I had to learn to do; you can’t take the money and do nails and hair; you have to focus on your business. It takes time and sacrifice; you can start with 100 chickens, and you would see how it would grow in front of you.” Lewis’ goal is to be one of the main wholesale suppliers of meat in Region Ten.

ALSO INTO POULTRY
Another LEN beneficiary who is witnessing the expansion of his business is Charles Fredericks, who also testified how making such a decision has helped transform his life and that of his family. Fredericks is also into poultry, but is more focused on layers and becoming one of the major egg suppliers in Linden. He, however, suffered a huge setback recently, after many of his birds died of Duck Flu.

With the coaching he received from LEN, however, and the continuous support, Fredericks was able to break his fall, and stand up even stronger. “We were able to replenish our stock, and right now we are in the process of moving to a larger location on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, because where we are now at our home it is a residential area, and not suitable for poultry,” Fredericks said, adding: “We have already acquired our land; we are constructing our pens, and there our operation is expected to grow even more.” While the operation is currently family- managed, Fredericks related that he will have to seek additional staff, which will also be a plus for Linden. He expects to rear 3000 layers and about 15 pigs.

In describing his relationship with LEN, he said it has indeed contributed to his expansion and continued success. “Despite our losses,” he said, “we have made good income. And we were able to even venture into pigs. We acquired some pigs from GSA; some ‘fatteners’ and some ‘breeders’ for which we’ve already secured markets .”

Pretty much like Lewis, his goal too, is to become the main supplier of poultry products in Linden. He also wants to venture into food processing. His advice to Lindeners is to assess the needs of the community, and to seek out a demand that will enable them to get continuous markets. “You need to study the needs of the community and the country as a whole,” Fredericks said. “People have to eat; food will always be in demand; it will never be too much.” With LEN being pregnant with money to lend for businesses, he is encouraging everyone to strike while the iron is hot, and take up the opportunity. He said that potential entrepreneurs should not look at the negatives in business, as there will always be bad days as well as good ones. But as long as you put your heart into it, if you start small, the only thing that will happen is that you will grow big. “Don’t wait for someone to put out a vacancy,” he said. “Try on your own; you can start with 20 birds, and little by little, you will expand.”

LEN LOANS
LEN provides loans for business initiatives from as low as $50,000 to $1M. The Board of Directors is however considering raising the ceiling for lending, and will submit a proposal to the Ministry of Finance for approval. The proposal suggests that loans can be approved for as much as $7M, and there will also be case-by-case evaluations for much larger businesses.

LEN’s most basic requirement is the submission of working capital. The age requirement is between 18 to 65 years old. LEN’s interest rate is eight per cent across-the-board. Persons do not have to be employed to get their business plan approved, as there are several options to tap into. LEN also monitors the growth of the business, and assists entrepreneurs step-by-step, to ensure the business does not fail.

In 2015, LEN was rebranded and received it’s first ever subvention from Central Government to the tune of $150M. In 2016, it received $90M.