Growing Entrepreneurs Rapidly (GER) Initiative

CHF International
www.chfmongolia.org

In September, the GER Initiative helped to improve or expand 25 businesses, created 7 start-up businesses, and generated a total of 28 new jobs. Also this month, the GER Initiative matched 90 Ger area residents to jobs.

Financial services

GER facilitated 34 loans valued at $39,223 with local partner banks, and one USDA-funded Capital Augmentation Fund (CAF) loan of $391 was disbursed through a local bank.

Training and Consulting Services

GER conducted 33 trainings with 32 clients participating, and 22 consultations were provided to 18 clients.

In Choibalsan, GER delivered computer-based bookkeeping training. Three clients attended the training and with a further follow-up consultancy to each of them, they will be able use MS-Excel for their record keeping.

At the request of the Norwegian Lutheran Mission (NLM), GER provided the “Vegetable Preserving” practical training for NLM’s clients in UB and remote districts of UB, Nalaikh and Bagakhangai. NLM works with low-income, single-mother headed families to help them build skills and improve their livelihoods, teaching them how to process felt and produce felt products and how to grow vegetables to generate family income. A total of 45 clients attended the training and the training at each site lasted six hours. The clients were taught how to make six different types of pickles, jams and dishes using common vegetables and waste parts of carrots and beets that were previously discarded.

GER organized a “Chicken Raising” training for six Ulgii clients from Ulaankhus soum. The training included how to raise, maintain, feed, house, breed and vaccinate chickens.  As a part of the training, the clients visited two chicken farms. The technical part of the training was conducted by a GER client, who has his own chicken farm.

GER organized a “Vegetable Preserving” training in collaboration with the “Suman Gun” LLC, which expanded its business as part of a vegetable preserving workshop last summer. “Suman Gun” made an agreement with three GER vegetable business groups to buy fresh cucumbers that the groups have grown. A total of 27 clients attended the training and they learned how to make 17 different types of pickles and preserves. As a result of the training, the clients will be able to keep their vegetable products for a longer period and also to sell their value-added product at a higher price.

Information Services

GER provided 205 information services to 139 clients during the month of September.

Employment Services

GER matched 90 clients to jobs, and 26 clients graduated from various vocational trainings at partner vocational training centers and large employers such as Solongo, Abuka and UB Carpet. Eight employment trainings were held with four clients. A total of 28 jobs were generated.

GER collaborated with Khan-Uul and Sukhbaatar districts’ Labor and Welfare Offices on employment matching and vocational training. This month, at the request of Khan-Uul District’s Labor and Welfare Office, GER delivered the “New Start” employment training for 22 unemployed clients registered at the Labor Office. The training lasted 15 hours and covered topics such as the Labor Law, Writing CVs and Cover Letters, Preparing for the Job Interview and Soft Skills.

Darkhan GER organized an “Employment Campaign” in September in order to promote employment matching services for two weeks. During the campaign GER advisors met with the local SMEs, such as “Bulgan Jamgan” LLC, “Darkhan Security” LLC, “Policom” LLC, “Tushig-Uul” LLC,  “Urgats Khuns” Bakery, “Golden Pyramid” Construction company, SOS children’s organization, “Darkhan Setgemj” Partnership,  and “Haraa”, “Darkhan” and “Urtuuchin” hotels, and introduced the registered job-seeking clients' CVs to them for consideration. To date, 15 clients were matched to the jobs for the positions of site engineer, accountant, cook, waiter, assistant worker and cleaner.

Linkages and Trade Fairs

GER facilitated linkages between businesses worth approximately $30,643 this month.  New linkage relationships were established with two geology companies; Polo Resources LLC and Khaan Resources Inc.

Days of Autumn –2008” Trade Fair in collaboration with the Food & Agriculture Department of Darkhan-Uul aimag, Darkhan Soum Governor Office and Ag Bank. A total of 88 businesses participated in the trade fair and 60 of them were GER clients from Darkhan, Orkhon, Khongor, Sukhbaatar and Shaamar soums. During the trade fair a variety of fresh grown and preserved vegetables, and fruit jams were marketed along with berry bushes and trees, dairy products and farm animals. The trade fair is famous among Darkhan farmers and GER has been organizing it annually since 2004. It is very beneficial for the clients, not only for supporting their sales, but also for gaining a lot of experience in marketing and promoting their products. This time many clients washed and packaged their vegetables for sale, as well as “salad in a bag” vegetables that were washed and sold as a bulk unit, which were in high demand during the trade fair. Total sales income of the clients was $11,071 and sales orders were $7,196. The organizers awarded medals and prizes to 25 successful Agriculture business clients of Darkhan-Uul aimag, in the categories of “Best Cattle”, “Healthy Food” and “Golden Autumn”. Twelve GER clients were awarded prizes.

As a new school year starts there is a high demand for flowers. In order to support the flower-growing clients’ business, Bayangol BDC organized a mini flower trade fair in front of Minj plaza in the 3rd and 4th micro district area, where residents have relatively higher buying power. A total of five clients participated and made sales worth $346.

Business Groups Development

GER worked with 96 active groups this month. No new group was formed and no groups disbanded. “Darkhan Noos Cooperative,” a wool handicraft cooperative completed an order of 100 pairs of wool socks for exporting to the US.  The total sales amount was $991.  Erchim, the Erdenet ger rope spinning business group have registered officially as a formal business.