Payroll Crunch in Rwanda (not E. Falmouth)
Cuz we have to pay the amazing IT women and the Rwandan government
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Project Description
- Wanawake is the Swahili word for women/ladies.
- Wanawake Digital Equity is a social enterprise registered in Rwanda with a mission to respond to East Africa rural women's request for help finding markets. We focus on getting them connected to dynamic information sources through ownable Internet devices--Raspberry Pis.
![Raspberry Pi]()
The Raspberry Pi 4 - Wanawake Digital Equity is headquartered in Kigali, but is for East Africa. I know the info says I am in East Falmouth. That is actually where I grew up and would probably be now if it weren't for being stranded by air trip suspension because of COVID (I was in Tanzania when COVID exploded), and immune system issues heightened because of unpredictability of COVID encounters in my home country. Instead of being gone 3 months, I have been gone 24+ months.
- East Africa holds holds over 1/3 of African's approximately 1.34 billion people and 50% of those are women (approximately 67 million women). It was reported in rural areas that <6 million women in East and Southern Africa reported using the Internet in a 12 month period.
Wanawake Digital Equity customizes Raspberry Pi computers for use in rural areas of Rwanda and East Africa. We concurrently talk with local women about specific needs and assess how to localize the device for their community.
50 Million African Women Speak is a web site where Rwandan women can connect with women entrepreneurs from all over the continent and get ideas on markets, products, etc. As much as 14.5 billion dollars could be added to economies and women if women were participating at a higher rate in e-commerce.
Wanawake Digital Equity is at the place where money is still going out and not coming in so much. This month, I can't make payroll of $2,000 ($900 of which is needed by the 5th of the month). It will go to pay our chief technology officer, a woman and our IT specialist, a woman. I know on the campaign it says that money is needed by the 15th. We need to pay payroll and Rwandan taxes by the 15th.
Updates
The Campaign FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Where are you located?
- Rwanda is a small country in central Africa, but geopolitically is seen as part of East Africa
- Where are you in Rwanda
- We are headquartered in the city of Kigali because of the need for steady electricity and a strong supporting tech community. We plan to open our rural office in Q1 2021.
- Where are you from?
- I was born and bred in the United States to an Air Force father
- Why did it take so long to post the questions?
- Me, the hardest part about doing the work I do is being public. I am a private person by nature. Before COVID, I had some strategies, not strong, but some. Now I have to put myself out here.
- Why does it say East Falmouth in the information?
- In my biography you will see how I came to be in Rwanda. Essentially I am COVID stranded and choose to start my work rather than wait out being able to go back home to the United States for another round of preparation. I am immunocompromised and was in the hospital with low oxygen, pneumonia, acute bronchitis in 2016/2017. Once I was triggered by pollen. Once I think the trigger was pollution. And the third time I had just gotten travel shots--the same ones I have been getting for over 20 years
- What are you doing?
- We are connecting rural women to information needed to participate in e-commerce. This is at their request. Raspberry Pis 4's will be used to accomplish this. Wanawake Digital Equity is about last mile information and infrastructure.
- Why do you need to pay taxes to Rwanda?
- In Rwanda taxes are due by the 15th of the month after salary is paid
- You say you have IT women?
- My dream has been to create an organization that is for women, by women with staffing primarily by women from the local country. It was not easy to find women with the IT skills I needed, but Rwanda is building itself into a tech hub an I found them here
- What salaries are you paying?
- A CTO, an IT specialist, and in the name of full disclosure, a Managing Director--myself. In the history of colonialism and development, the foreigner usually gets the higher salary and perks. I thought to change this pattern since I have SSA money. But I have to pay myself $700 a month and pay taxes of about 30% on that. That threw my salary scheme into chaos.
- When are you coming back to the United States?
- When is COVID going away?The other thing about me is that I don't respond quickly to antibiotics. I actually tried to sneak back into the U.S. for 7 days (see #7daysinDecember on Instagram). But a merger of two African airlines and a bit of misdirection by American Airlines who was partner with one of the two African airlines but not the other, left me with no ticket on the first leg of my journey. It was paid for with donated American Airline miles. Can you imagine--you set up your affairs for a temporary 3 month absence. It has been 24 months and counting since I left the U.S. for those 3 months.
- How will you get the money?
- I am using Stripe. I am well established in the United States. Stripe does not support Rwanda so we are creating a clear money trail which we will post as an update. My friends and family have supported me for years, topping up my Social Security disability/retirement. I need to go beyond them now.
- How do we know you are who you say you are?
- I don't know. I do come from New England where we are taught to keep a stiff upper lip and plow through. I have never led a "normal" life. I lived on Skyline Drive in Lemon Grove, California and Dacian Place in Durham, North Carolina. I worked at the Student Activities office at Duke years ago. I was in the last freshman class of Pembroke College which merged with Brown University. at the end of the year after the Black student protest walk-off to the local church. I know all kinds of things like that where you had to be there.
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