Peter Massawa, founder of Pillar Technologies during an interview in Nairobi on September 3 2013. His business revolves around creating a platform for empowering Kenyans to make a living. PHOTO|ANTHONY OMUYA NATION
In Summary
It is the lack of opportunities for young people that informed Peter Massawa’s decision to resign from his job as a banker to start Pillar Technologies Limited.
In what the entrepreneur calls the direct intervention programme for empowering Kenyans through distribution of mobile phone airtime, Mr Massawa seeks to cut the number of jobless Kenyans.
However, I discovered that most problems facing jobless people in all this countries were almost similar.
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By FRANKLIN AKHUBULA
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The rising rate of unemployment is a global problem that is sending economic planners back to the drawing boards.
And eradicating poverty by way of creating job opportunities has been tipped as the best option for many governments and leaders around the world.
While many people lack permanent jobs, self-employment has become a rewarding alternative.
Most people believe that self-employment is the only remedy to their problems.
However, for young people yearning to start new investments, inadequate capital and resources has been a major hindrance.
It is the lack of opportunities for young people that informed Peter Massawa’s decision to resign from his job as a banker to start Pillar Technologies Limited.
His business revolves around creating a platform for empowering Kenyans to make a living.
In what the entrepreneur calls the direct intervention programme for empowering Kenyans through distribution of mobile phone airtime, Mr Massawa seeks to cut the number of jobless Kenyans.
The programme is a business ownership by each subscriber through what he claims to be a state-of-the-art technology system partnership with Telkom Kenya, the firm that runs the Orange network in Kenya.
So, why did he choose the Orange network over the other telecom firms in Kenya? “We found Orange network favourable and interesting because it has strong systems,” says Mr Massawa, who before starting his firm was a manager at Standard Chartered Bank.
“Before I started this initiative, I had worked for Standard Charted Bank in Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria.
However, I discovered that most problems facing jobless people in all this countries were almost similar.
“Though I had a bright future as a banker, having worked for 13 years, I thought the best thing I would do was to start Pillar Technologies Limited to create jobs,” he says.
However, his idea of creating jobs for the unemployed was threatened when many employed people joined his company to make extra income by earning commission by way of selling airtime through his company.
“I was surprised that many people who joined the business were employed, meaning that most of them were underemployed and want to make more money to meet their daily obligations,” he adds.
Started five years ago, the company had two members and one employee (himself). This number has grown to 50,000 members who today in one way or another depend on the company.
His firm has hired 10 professionals who earn not less than Sh30,000.
Mr Massawa says that some members generate between Sh50,000 and Sh100,000 weekly, depending on how hard they work selling airtime.
In five years, he hopes to employ 100 personnel on permanent terms and attract five million members who will depend on Pillar Technologies.
Minimising damage
He says a major challenge when starting up a business is finding the right people to assist. “I thank God because I have good workmanship which has the capacity to make Pillar Technologies thrive.
My staff is trained in various fields, like marketing, information technology, and customer-related services. The best resources any employer should have are good employees.
The better the staff is trained, the better able they are to face challenges in a positive and constructive manner, thereby minimising damage.”
Individuals are usually recruited for free and are encouraged to recruit more dealers to sale airtime on behalf of Pillar Technologies.
The profit made is usually shared among the sellers and therefore the more chain of sellers one has, the more the commission earned.
Mr Massawa is considering accepting a deal from two foreign companies in different countries who have approached him to implement his idea elsewhere.
He says he believes the idea will grow because the good profit of the company has seen partners and members own their businesses.
“Our monthly turnover has moved from thousands to millions and that alone justifies how fast the business is growing.
Our next destination would be venturing into Benin, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe,” he says.
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