Apoia um Empreendedor

Túnel de Santa Catarina, São Tomé e Príncipe

How does it work?

1 / Escolhe

os empreendedores ou as organizações que acreditas ter um maior potencial multiplicador

2 / Doa

de forma rápida e simples no botão "Multiplica Já" ou lê de forma mais detalhada informação de cada negócio no botão "+ Informação"

3 / Acompanha

o progresso para o objectivo final de cada angariação de fundos na barra de financiamento para cada empreendedor

4 / Efeito Multiplicador!

Chegámos a 100% do financiamento necessário para o empreendedor e a campanha de fundos está fechada

Funding goal achieved - what's next?

Multiplica:

Compramos ativos essenciais ao negócio

Compramos ativos essenciais ao negócio.
A totalidade dos fundos angariados é utilizada para comprar um equipamento essencial para o empreendedor otimizar o seu pequeno negócio.

Segue o efeito multiplicador

Deixa o teu e-mail no formulário de doação ou na secção de contacto no site para receberes atualizações periódicas sobre o desenvolvimento multiplicador dos empreendedores que escolheste doar. Ou segue o nosso instagram @multiplicasocial

Intermediamos o pagamento

Efectuamos o pagamento da compra e do transporte do ativo essencial financiado, garantindo que o ativo é registado em nome do empreendedor

Confirma o efeito multiplicador do teu contributo.

Tem acesso directo aos dados de efeito multiplicador para o qual o teu donativo contribuiu através do nosso relatório de impacto.

You:

BIO BAGS PLUS transforms banana tree trunk waste into sheets of vegetable paper, banana fiber paper bags and biodegradable crafts (bags, wallets and eco bags). The business is constantly developing in order to improve production techniques, perfecting the products that are launched on the market, as banana fiber is a resource with enormous potential, versatility and abundance on the island of São Tomé. Catalog available here

Henos Martins

Business

"We have organizations interested in our product but we do not have the production capacity to respond to this demand and thus scale our business. At the moment, our products are the result of artisanal work done by me and my wife, inside our home in the hours available between our work and caring for our children"

Currently, the banana trunk is reused for pulp using a domestic processor, which produces 15kg of pulp per day (60 vegetable papers). This pulp is what allows banana fiber to be transformed into biodegradable vegetable paper, and consequently an infinite number of possibilities: Bags, cards, invitations, etc. - all alternatives to using paper.

Among interested organizations the product, there is a chocolate producer that is interested in all packaging being BIO BAGS PLUS, to be later exported to Japan.

“We also have an order from an hotel to make lamps out of banana fiber. However, we are unable to respond to these and other requests as we have completely artisanal production.”

Problem

With this machine, BIO BAGS PLUS would not only contribute to the empowerment and training of vulnerable women and young people with lower incomes in its community, but would also be an active part of a greener, more sustainable future that generates value for São Tomé. This machine will have a multiplier effect as the business wants to involve the community where it operates, so that production is local and impacts the families of local workers.

As such, we need a machine that helps you produce faster, more efficiently, and in greater quantities so that you can scale your business. “After a lot of research on the internet, we discovered the incredible Hollander Beater machine, which processes banana fiber into pulp. With this machine, we will be able to produce 90 kg per day, which will give 3600 vegetable papers (70cm x 40 cm). This would represent an increase in our production capacity of 600% (!!!), which will allow Bio Bags Plus to meet its demand and contribute solidly and consistently to an autonomous future for our community, by encouraging dignified and productive local work.

The cost of the machine at € 5.503 is unaffordable for us and the banks in São Tomé don't lend to small businesses like ours.”

The machine for processing banana fiber into pulp is valued at €3,533, plus €1,500 for transport from Cameroon to the island of São Tomé and finally to Henos' home

Solution

Multiply

The campaigns closed at:

Elisio Nunes

Business

After finishing his degree in Agronomy, Elísio Nunes began to think about how he could apply his knowledge to something that would be useful to the country. There were several ideas and among them was to produce an ecological charcoal using coconut shells as raw material."In 2016, when the idea started to be put down on paper, I didn't have the means," but that didn't stop him from using his savings to get started. In the backyard of his house, he began to build what is now his production center.ECOBLASA is a brand that prides itself on producing and selling 100% ecological charcoal made from coconut shells and organic waste, which aims to protect the environment by combating deforestation

Problem

"Charcoal is an essential commodity in our homes in São Tomé, even more so for those living in poverty" - it is estimated that 1 in 5 homes in the country use charcoal as their main fuel. To sustain the population's energy needs, São Tomé and Príncipe consumes 12,500 tonnes of charcoal a year, which corresponds to 50,000 trees felled annually. Deforestation as a result of the indiscriminate felling of trees for commercial charcoal production is damaging the environmental balance, contributing to the climate change increasingly felt on the island and jeopardizing the habitat of animal species. "Despite ECOBLASA's enormous potential to transform the production of highly polluting charcoal on the island of São Tomé into something 100% organic, I don't have the necessary tools to scale up my production." At the moment, Elísio uses a kiln he built himself, which only allows him to use coconut shells for carbonization in small quantities, producing just 2 tonnes of charcoal a month, which is much less than the demand he receives on a daily basis.

Solution

A semi-industrial kiln will make it possible to carbonise other types of agricultural waste (sugar cane straw, stone husks, elephant grass) which are abundant on the island of São Tomé but impossible to reuse with ECOBLASA's current machinery. Reusing agricultural waste other than coconut shells would allow ECOBLASA to scale up production to 5 tonnes of charcoal per month, but above all it would drastically reduce the unit cost of each bag of charcoal by 25%.

The industrial furnace with the capacity to carbonise this waste is valued at 4,527 euros, plus 4,500 euros for transport from the factory located in China to the port of São Tomé and Príncipe and from there to Ecoblasa's facilities.

Multiply

At the moment, ECOBLASA finds it difficult to compete with polluting traditional coal, since the selling price is the decisive factor for most of São Tomé's impoverished communities. By lowering the cost of production and, consequently, sales to the public by 25%, ECOBLASA's ecological charcoal would be accessible to a large part of the archipelago's 200,000 inhabitants, who would be able to use charcoal created from organic waste as an energy source in their homes instead of charcoal that has led to the felling of even more trees. "This kiln will make it possible to maximize carbonization and thus increase production on a large scale, reducing the price of the product and making ecological charcoal available to a large part of São Tomé's population."

The campaigns closed at:

Why should I donate to an emerging crowdfunding platform (like Multiplica) when there are already so many other crowdfunding platforms supporting other social causes?

What a great question! Yes, it's true that the crowdfunding space is nothing new, but it's also true that: (1) it could be much more inclusive and accessible to small businesses in Portuguese-speaking countries; (2) there are few cases where donors have access to concrete data on the impact of their contribution; (3) raising funds is only part of the challenge to access funds. Our mission is to ensure that every donation is multiplied in monetary and social value for Portuguese-speaking communities. To do this, we work very closely with verified entrepreneurs to share the impact story of their business, identify capital needs, estimate impact potential, support asset purchasing and transport logistics, monitor defined impact indicators and report on the social or environmental impact achieved with each crowdfunding campaign.
How are the funds raised managed?

The funds raised for each entrepreneur are allocated exclusively to that entrepreneur; in other words, donations are not put into a common fund. The funds raised are automatically transferred to a Portuguese bank account, where the money will be held until each entrepreneur's funding target is reached.
How are the funds raised transferred?

The funds raised are 100% used to buy an essential asset for the business, pre-defined by the entrepreneur. We prefer to deliver this asset directly to the entrepreneur rather than transfer the funds for three reasons: 1) A significant percentage of these funds would be lost in international financial transaction costs, especially in the countries where these micro-entrepreneurs operate. 2) In most cases, these entrepreneurs don't have access to financial mechanisms, such as a bank account to which we could transfer the funds. 3) We want to guarantee our commitment to you, as a donor, and make sure that your contribution has been used following what was established in the crowdfunding campaign.
What happens if we don't reach the entrepreneur's funding goal?

Although we aim to fund the capital needs identified in each crowdfunding campaign in full, we may fall short of the amount needed to buy the asset for the entrepreneur. We are committed to developing partnerships with other organisations (foundations, companies, etc.) to cover the need for capital in order to achieve the funding goal.
Does Multiplica charge a percentage for each donation received?

We don't charge anything for each donation we receive. We are a non-profit organisation and all the work and investment made so far has been done by the team. The organisation that manages the donation campaigns and payments (Donorbox) charges a percentage of 1.75% for each donation plus a 2.3% charge from Stripe to process your card payment, but each donor can choose to cover this amount - and we encourage you to do so :)
What will happen when the entrepreneurs are funded?

It's important to clarify that at the moment we're focusing on São Tomé, an island off the west coast of Africa with no deep-water harbour. This means that from the time we buy the asset until the entrepreneur receives it, we'll have to wait around 2 to 4 weeks (possibly longer). From then on, if you have shared your e-mail address in one of the different forms, you will receive updates from the entrepreneurs (photos, videos, statistics) and, later, an impact report. Follow our instagram @multiplicasocial for more frequent updates.
What does "multiplier effect" mean?

Small businesses are a country's development multiplier: they create wealth, job opportunities and transform the communities in which they operate. The "multiplier effect" occurs when entrepreneurs are given the financial means to build a business that solves a social or environmental problem.
Why should I donate?

Firstly, donations are an important financing mechanism for micro-entrepreneurs. In many cases, these micro-entrepreneurs don't have access to traditional banking services due to their limited assets or lack of a credit history. Donations bridge this financial inclusion gap, allowing them to invest in their businesses and create growth opportunities. Secondly, donations are not just one-off financial transactions; they have a profound multiplier effect. When micro-entrepreneurs receive funds, they can invest in their businesses, buy the necessary equipment and hire additional staff. This growth leads to an increase in productivity and income generation, creating a domino effect that uplifts not only individual micro-entrepreneurs but also entire communities. Finally, by facilitating direct contributions from individuals and organisations, donations have the potential to support the democratisation of finance. By providing a grassroots approach to financing, a small contribution to a small business allows people from all walks of life to participate in the economic development of low- and middle-income countries. This approach not only allows each contribution to make a tangible difference but also promotes a sense of global citizenship.