Ideas Happen 2004
Inspiring new beginnings
Visa is proud to support the creative spirit and boundless energy of our Ideas Happen winners. We believe that building a better community starts by helping people build their dreams. Our twelve outstanding innovators each received $25,000 from Visa to help them launch their ideas. We can hardly wait to see what they’ll do next.
Community
Vanessa S., NYUgandan Women's Artisan Shop/Community
My idea is to help African women establish a venue to capitalize on their talents and increase their understanding for the small business retail market. In developing countries women have the added burden of large families and poor education systems to contend with. The production of small income generating activities, such as craftwork, allows local women to sustain their families and contribute to an improved quality of life. Located in rural Uganda, the villages of Kyanywara and Iruhuura have created a women's group that works towards poverty eradication in this way. This group currently has 26 members and they peddle their handmade crafts to tourists throughout Uganda. They are unable to fully utilize the tourist trade since they do not have a place to sell and store their products. After having visited and befriended these women I have the desire to construct an artisan shop for them. I am truly amazed at the willpower and strength these women have to improve their economic status. Witnessing their development has instilled me a strong passion to help them achieve their goals. We are ready, we just need a building.
