Village to Village

Founders

Chris Mdee (interviewed) and Anna Toner

Profile

We met in my home town of Tanzania in Africa. Anna was doing research for the University of Bradford's Centre for International Development. Local people needed help so we began working together to support them to set up small enterprises. To do this, we needed funding, so we started to work out how we can generate money. In the meantime, I came to England to study a Bradford University Business Economics course and we started our volunteering business from the UK at the same time. Anna knew about Think Business, so we contacted them for support.

Anna and I are now married with a beautiful daughter, Gladness, who has become an honorary part of the Think Business programme.

What does your company do?

Village to Village is a charity offering overseas travel with purpose by living and experiencing life in a village and making a valuable contribution to its development. Our volunteers go to Tanzania to teach at all school levels, do projects to improve sustainability, start and grow businesses, support orphans and people with HIV, and much more.

Our volunteers are interviewed to match their skills to projects. They learn about the challenges and culture in Tanzania and some basic Swahili and are introduced to other volunteers before they go. We book their flights and accommodation and organise someone to meet them out there.

Our market are mainly 6th form, College and University students; corporate bodies wanting staff development opportunities; retired people or those on a career break, but anyone's welcome.

What has ThinkBusiness@Bradford done to help you develop?

The training I've received has been most valuable. I feel very fortunate to have been given this opportunity. Being part of the Eye 4 Enterprise and Regional Enterprise Awards competitions has really improved my presentation skills and now I understand and can confidently talk about my business. I would never have imagined myself doing a radio interview when I started, but all the development made it a lot easier. Also, meeting with professionals has made me think about my business more and get the bigger picture.

What's been your biggest success?

My biggest success has been getting the business known. We are finding it mentioned in lots of different places and the number of volunteers are increasing. We have doubled our volunteers since last year.

What's been the hardest thing you've had to cope with?

Marketing has been a challenge for me. I know it's a weakness but I have tried even though it's been an effort. I would like to employ a marketing expert.

What advice would you give other new businesses?

Don't give up. Don't be afraid of new things and make the most of the support if you can get it. Have a `can do' attitude and make your fantasy a reality.

What plans do you have for the future of Village to Village?

In 2008 we are concentrating on increasing our volunteer numbers and improving our reputation. We have identified someone to help with our marketing.

We plan to help other villages in Africa and take the company internationally. We are working on becoming known as the main provider of volunteer travel opportunities!

What would you like to see from ThinkBusiness@Bradford in the future?

I'd like to see people on the programme get the on-hand help whenever they need it. The administrator has a really good relationship with the businesses and is very supportive. The Financial Literacy course should continue as it's a brilliant skill for the future.`