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2021 Marked the 10th Anniversary for OneLove | Here is our story
 ... and we have only just begun ...
Come join our team and be part of making the difference!

2010

  • OneLove founder (Suzanne Dane) accompanied a group of university students to Tanzania for four months. While there, she was asked by a health organization to delivery business start-up training to 48 women in remote villages.

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2011

  • Suzanne returned to evaluate the original 48 businesses. All were still in existence and thriving. Recognizing the positive impact, OneLove was officially born and became a registered NGO/charity in Canada.

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  • Suzanne travelled to Mombasa and shadowed loans officers from a large microfinance institution (MFI) to learn more about microfinance, the associated processes and impact to rural African communities.

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  • Suzanne (in collaboration with one of her daughters) established 10 women in soap-making businesses. The option for establishing micro-franchises was considered.

 

2012-2015

  • The Biashara Village Ventures program (including train-the-trainer) was developed with materials in both English and Swahili.

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  • Suzanne continued to visit Tanzania once or twice a year and deliver the training to groups of 30 women.

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  • Developed partnerships with five other NGOs who use the Biashara Village Ventures program to further support their work.

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  • Canadian volunteers (university students) completed an on-the-ground evaluation project to determine the impact of the Biashara program.

2016 - 2018

  • Requests for training support continued to grow significantly. A team of trainers (local Tanzanian) was added to the OneLove family.

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  • Ongoing monitoring and evaluation.

  

  • Expanded the program to include training, facilitating, and supporting the development of VICOBA groups after participants finished the business training.

 

2020

  • Adjusted the Biashara program for delivery in an online platform. Worked with a community coordinator to facilitate the start-up of a co-op in an isolated Maasai village.

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  • Established OneLove as a registered NGO in Tanzania. Opened an office in Moshi in partnership with another NGO (KELASO).  

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  • Received donated bikes from Bicycles for Humanity. These bikes were offered to the program graduates on an interest-free loan basis; given to families and children most in need; and, most importantly, provided funds for OneLove to purchase three acres of land.

 

2021     

  • Expanded the Biashara program to include (or expand on) topics identified by past graduates.

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  • Broke ground on the 3-acre parcel of land – the Summit Samaki Centre. A fish farm that will also include a large building to be used for business and skills training, a women’s empowerment program and a business/community resource centre for all from surrounding villages.

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