Tutorial:

IEEE CSI Business Development Workshop

Introduction to Torchbearer Foundation for Missions, Reconciliation and Development

Martin M. Niboh, Ph.D. (nuclear physics)Professor Emeritus of Physics and Mathematics

Founder, President and volunteerTorchbearer Foundation for Missions, Reconcilation and Development

Failure of “trickle down”

• “Trickle down” development has failed in Africa• This failure is because trickle-down development efforts

hardly come with a long-term commitment:

1. To educate and mobilize Africans at the grassroots to accept responsibility for solving Africa’s problems

2. To empower Africans at the grassroots todevelop the character, competence, and the tools needed to solve Africa’s problems.

3. To connect the haphazard and isolated developments efforts in Africa into an integrated system for more effectiveness

The Forgotten grassroots (BOP)

Grassroots

Modern Art

Science

Technology

Business

Personal dignity – the unspoken issue• How do we affirm the dignity of the

indigenous people of Africa?

Torch formation

• Challenge identification• Prayer mobilization• Project conception• Seed-money contribution

Discipleship metrics

• Prayer-hours• Bible (study)-hours• Work (Volunteer)-hours• Membership fees• Seed-money contribution

TBF Income (profits) Distribution Funds

• Project Fund 50%• Jerusalem Fund 20%• Judea Fund 15%• Samaria Fund 10%• Global Fund 5%

The Torch

Pedagogy Forum

BusinessIncubator

DiscipleshipInstrument

Facilitator

Teacher

EntrepreneurShepherd

Each Facilitator oversees about 10 Torches

TBF Departments• Gospel Communication – What is the content of the gospel that Africa needs? • Spiritual – what does spiritual development mean in the African context?• Leadership – What of leaders does Africa need and where do we find them?• Business – micro-business and small-medium enterprises• Economic - Infrastructure• Intellectual – What is the development curriculum that Africa needs? • Professional (Vocational) – Why is technical education is absent when Africa

needs it so much?• Health – what kind of health practices and policies are good for Africa?• Social – The role of women and other minorities?• Environment and Disease prevention – What effort should Africa put in

disease prevention?• Cultural – What cultural practices are good or bad for Africa?• Civic – What governance practice are best suited for Africa ?

Education and Training

• At independence Africa inherited, and continues to perpetuate, systems of education that were designed to serve the colonial interests.

• Education in Africa tends to alienate the “educated” Africans from their own people without equipping them to deal with the problems at the grassroots

• Africa needs a new product in the education market, designed to meet her development needs

Farm-Schools

• Train Facilitators, technicians and leaders• Must be self-sustainable• Start small and be Community-driven• Must develop a K – 16 development

curriculum for Africa• Must identify and develop local, national

and international markets for products made at the grassroots

Farm-Schools

• Students must work in exchange for training• Students admitted must submit a concept

paper• Students will develop concept paper into

business plan• Upon graduation, students will implement

business plan in partnership with TBF• Students will return to Farm-school for

Continuing education