Welcome
to the BOSS website!
What does BOSS
stand for?
BOSS is an acronym, which stands for Business One-Stop Shop. The Chimanimani Business
One Stop Shop is the only centre in the area offering a comprehensive suite of
business development services to individuals residing in rural communities.
Who is behind the
BOSS?
The BOSS, the brainchild of Zimbabwe
Opportunities Industrialisation Centres, the Chimanimani Business
Trust, and the
Development Technology Centre, was the result of several
joint planning sessions, collaborations and study efforts undertaken by the
three organisations. The
concept has become a reality through the financial support of the international
donor organisation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and a donation of land from the
local government body, Chimanimani Rural District Council. With the assistance of other local and international
organisations and government bodies the BOSS concept can be replicated
throughout Zimbabwe.
Why did the BOSS
begin?
Zimbabwe’s prevailing
situation, which has been characterised by soaring levels of unemployment,
rising rates of inflation, a weak currency and political instability, has
phenomenally increased both the depth and the extent of poverty throughout the
country. Those characteristics
have, in turn, caused the proliferation and expansion of the informal sector,
which has been in existence for over 30 years.
However, even as the informal economy grows in size, participants still
complain about the same issues: limited access to capital, low levels of
technical skills and lack of entrepreneurship and business management skills.
Informal sector participants in the rural areas have even less
opportunities and experience more hardships.
These individuals are in evident need of assistance and heavily rely on
the services offered by business development and technical support providers to
improve their current conditions. The
BOSS was developed to address their needs.
What does the BOSS
aim to do?
The aim of the centre is to
improve the productivity, economic performance and access to market of existing
and emerging businesses in the Chimanimani district.
It also seeks to permanently reverse many of
the socio-economic problems such as high levels of poverty, high unemployment,
low standards of living, poor access to basic services, and lack of access to
technology often found in the rural communities.
The BOSS seeks to be a beacon of development in the Chimanimani area.
