ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Niti Bhan - Human-centered strategist
Through exploratory and human-centered research, Niti Bhan discovers and makes tangible pragmatic opportunities for sustainable and inclusive value creation.

Why you should listen

Niti Bhan is a global nomad whose life mission is to bridge the gap of understanding between cultures, contexts and continents. She brings a multicultural perspective to innovation for the informal economies of the emerging markets of the developing world. She is the founder and principal of Emerging Futures Lab, a multidisciplinary team of human-centered researchers, designers, engineers and economists who collaborate on design and innovation strategies for social impact and sustainable profit in the emerging consumer markets of sub-Saharan Africa.

Growing up as a third culture kid in the ASEAN of the 1970s exposed Bhan to the British and American systems of primary and secondary education whilst her university education in Engineering (Bangalore University), Design (National Institute of Design, India & the Institute of Design, IIT Chicago), and Business (majoring in Strategy at the Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh) gave her the experience of living and working across cultures and continents. Emerging Futures Lab came to life in San Francisco in 2005, operated between Singapore, the Netherlands, and East Africa from 2007 through 2013, and is now an established SME in Finland.

More profile about the speaker
Niti Bhan | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2017

Niti Bhan: The hidden opportunities of the informal economy

Niti Bhan: Fursa zilizofichwa katika sekta isiyo rasmi

Filmed:
1,222,576 views

Niti Bhan anatafiti mikakati ya kibiashara kwa soko lisilo rasmi la Afrika: maduka madogo, wabunifu walio na ujuzi na wafanya kazi ambao ni injini isiyoonekana ambayo inafanya uchumi wa bara kusonga mbele. Inashawishi kuwaza kwamba wafanya kazi hawa ni wakwepa kodi, wahalifu -- lakini anaelezea suala hili kwamba kipande hiki ambacho kinakuza uchumi ni halali kinafaa kuwekeza. Kama tutafanya, anasema, tutatengeneza maelfu ya ajira. "Hizi ni mbegu zenye rutuba za biashara na viwanda," Bhan anasema. "Je, tunaweza kuanza kwa kutambua ujuzi huu na kazi?"
- Human-centered strategist
Through exploratory and human-centered research, Niti Bhan discovers and makes tangible pragmatic opportunities for sustainable and inclusive value creation. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
The informalisiyo rasmi marketsmasoko of AfricaAfrika
are stereotypicallystereotypically seenkuonekana
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Masoko ya Afrika yasiyo rasmi huwekewa kasumba kwa kuonekana
00:16
as chaoticmachafuko and lackadaisicallackadaisical.
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vile yana kasheshe na goigoi.
00:19
The downsideupande wa chini of hearingkusikia
the wordneno "informalisiyo rasmi"
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Ubaya wa kusikia neno "yasiyo rasmi"
00:21
is this automaticmoja kwa moja grandgrand
associationushirika we have,
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hutokana na jumuiya inayojiendesha ya misaada tuliyonayo,
00:24
whichambayo is very negativehasi,
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ambayo ina mitazamo hasi sana,
00:26
and it's had significantmuhimu consequencesmatokeo
and economickiuchumi losseshasara,
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na ilikuwa na madhara makubwa katika kuanguka kwa uchumi,
00:30
easilykwa urahisi addingkuongeza -- or subtractingkutoa --
40 to 60 percentasilimia of the profitfaida marginPambizo
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kuongeza kirahisi -- au kupunguza -- asilimia 40 hadi 60 ya ukomo wa faida
00:36
for the informalisiyo rasmi marketsmasoko alonepeke yake.
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kwa masoko yasiyo rasmi pekee.
00:39
As partsehemu of a taskkazi of mappingramani
the informalisiyo rasmi tradebiashara ecosystemmazingira,
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Ikiwa moja ya jukumu la kuweka ramani ya mzunguko wa biashara zisizo rasmi,
00:43
we'vetumekuwa donekufanyika an extensivekina literaturefasihi reviewtathmini
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tumetengeneza machapisho kwa kina
00:46
of all the reportsripoti and researchutafiti
on cross-bordermpakani tradebiashara in EastMashariki AfricaAfrika,
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ya ripoti zote na tafiti kwenye biashara za mipakani katika ukanda wa Afrika Mashariki,
00:51
going back 20 yearsmiaka.
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tukirudi nyuma hadi miaka 20.
00:52
This was to preparekuandaa us for fieldworkkazi za nyanjani
to understandkuelewa what was the problemtatizo,
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Hii ilikuwa ni kwa ajili ya kutuandaa kwa ajili ya kazi ya kwenda kutathmini tatizo ni nini,
00:57
what was holdingkushikilia back informalisiyo rasmi tradebiashara
in the informalisiyo rasmi sectorsekta.
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kipi kilichokuwa kinarudisha nyuma biashara isiyo rasmi katika sekta isiyo rasmi.
01:01
What we discoveredaligundua
over the last 20 yearsmiaka was,
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Tulichogundua katika miaka 20 iliyopita ni kwamba,
01:05
nobodyhakuna had distinguishedwanajulikana
betweenkati illicitharamu --
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hakuna aliyeweza kutofautisha kati ya magendo --
01:09
whichambayo is like smugglingbiashara ya magendo or contrabandcontraband
in the informalisiyo rasmi sectorsekta --
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ambayo ni sawa na upenyeshaji mali isiyo halali au iliyopigwa marufuku katika sekta isiyo rasmi --
01:13
from the legalkisheria but unrecordedunrecorded,
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na mali halali ambayo haikuwekwa katika kumbukumbu
01:16
suchvile as tomatoesnyanya, orangesmachungwa, fruitmatunda.
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kama nyanya, machungwa, matunda.
01:19
This criminalizationcriminalization --
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Uhalifu huu --
01:22
what in SwahiliKiswahili refersinahusu to as "biasharabiashara,"
whichambayo is the tradebiashara or the commercebiashara,
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ambao kwa kiswahili unafahamika kama "biashara," ambao ni biashara,
01:27
versusdhidi "magendomagendo," whichambayo is
the smugglingbiashara ya magendo or contrabandcontraband --
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ukilinganisha na "magendo", ambayo upenyeshaji bidhaa usio halali --
01:30
this criminalizationcriminalization
of the informalisiyo rasmi sectorsekta,
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uhalifu katika sekta isiyo rasmi,
01:34
in EnglishKiingereza, by not distinguishingkutofautisha
betweenkati these aspectsmambo,
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kwa Kiingereza, bila kutofautisha nyanja hizi,
01:38
easilykwa urahisi can costgharama eachkila mmoja AfricanAfrika economyuchumi
betweenkati 60 to 80 percentasilimia additionkuongeza
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kwa urahisi inaweza kugharimu kila uchumi wa Afrika kati ya asilimia 60 hadi 80 ukiongezea
01:43
on the annualkila mwaka GDPPATO LA TAIFA growthukuaji ratekiwango,
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katika ukuaji wa pato la taifa kwa mwaka,
01:46
because we are not recognizingkutambua the engineinjini
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kwa sababu hatujambua injini
01:50
of what keepshuendelea the economiesuchumi runningKimbia.
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inayofanya uchumi kuendelea.
01:52
The informalisiyo rasmi sectorsekta is growingkukua jobskazi
at fournne timesnyakati the ratekiwango
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Sekta isiyo rasmi inaongeza ajira mara nne katika kiasi
01:56
of the traditionaljadi formalrasmi economyuchumi,
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cha uchumi ulio rasmi,
01:58
or "modernkisasa" economyuchumi, as manywengi call it.
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au uchumi wa "kisasa", kama wengi wauitavyo.
02:00
It offersinatoa employmentajira and incomemapato
generationkizazi opportunitiesfursa
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Hutoa nafasi za ajira na kuweza kujipatia kipato
02:04
to the mostwengi "unskilledwasiokuwa na ujuzi"
in conventionalkawaida disciplinesfani.
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kwa wale wengi ambao hawana "ujuzi wa darasani" katika nyanja mbalimbali za taaluma.
02:08
But can you make a frenchKifaransa frykaanga
machinemashine out of an oldzamani cargari?
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Lakini, je unaweza kutengeneza mashine ya kukaanga chipsi kutokana na gari bovu?
02:12
So, this, ladieswanawake and gentlemenmabwana,
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Kwa hiyo, hili, mabibi na mabwana,
02:15
is what so desperatelykwa makusudi needsmahitaji
to be recognizedkutambuliwa.
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ni jambo ambalo linatakiwa kutambuliwa kwa shauku kubwa.
02:19
As long as the currentsasa assumptionsmawazo
holdkushikilia that this is criminalwahalifu,
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Ambapo mtazamo wa sasa uliopo kuhusu sekta hii ni uhalifu,
02:23
this is shadowKivuli,
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hiki ni kivuli,
02:24
this is illegalkinyume cha sheria,
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hii si halali,
02:26
there will be no attemptjaribio at integratingkuunganisha
the informalisiyo rasmi economickiuchumi ecosystemmazingira
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hakutakiwa na madhumuni ya kuunganisha mzunguko wa uchumi usio rasmi
02:30
with the formalrasmi or even the globalkimataifa one.
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na ule ulio rasmi au hata ule wa kiulimwengu.
02:34
I'm going to tell you a storyhadithi of TeresiaTeresia,
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Nitawaeleza hadithi inayomuhusu Teresia,
02:37
a tradermfanyabiashara who overturnedkupindua
all our assumptionsmawazo,
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mfanyabiashara ambaye anapindua mitazamo yetu yote,
02:41
madealifanya us questionswali all the stereotypesubaguzi
that we'dtunatarajia gonewamekwenda in on,
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anatufanya kuhoji kasumba zetu zote tulizokuwa nazo,
02:45
basedmsingi on 20 yearsmiaka of literaturefasihi reviewtathmini.
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ukihusisha na ripoti ya miaka 20 nyuma.
02:49
TeresiaTeresia sellshuuza clothesnguo underchini a treemti
in a townmji calledaitwaye MalabaMalaba,
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Teresia anauza nguo chini ya mti katika mji unaoitwa Malaba,
02:55
on the bordermpaka of UgandaUganda and KenyaKenya.
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katika mpaka wa Uganda na Kenya.
02:57
You think it's very simplerahisi, don't you?
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Unadhani ni rahisi sana, au sivyo?
03:00
We'llSisi tutaweza go hangpanga up newmpya clothesnguo
from the branchesmatawi,
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Tutakwenda ning'iniza nguo mpya kwenye matawi,
03:03
put out the tarpTARP, settlekutatua down,
wait for customerswateja,
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tutatandika turubai, kisha kuketi chini, kusubiri wateja,
03:06
and there we have it.
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na hivyo ndivyo inakuwa.
03:07
She was everything we were expectingwanatarajia
accordingkulingana to the literaturefasihi,
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Alikuwa ni mtu ambaye tuliona anarandana na yale yaliyomo katika ripoti,
03:11
to the researchutafiti,
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katika tafiti,
03:12
right down to she was a singlemoja
mommama driveninaendeshwa to tradebiashara,
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alikuwa ni mama mjane anayefanya biashara,
03:16
supportingkusaidia her kidswatoto.
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akilea watoto wake.
03:19
So what overturnedkupindua our assumptionsmawazo?
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Ni kipi kilibadili udhanifu wetu?
03:21
What surprisedkushangaa us?
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Kipi kilitushangaza?
03:23
First, TeresiaTeresia paidkulipwa the countykata
governmentserikali marketsoko feesada
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Kwanza, Teresia analipia kodi ya serikali ya soko la mkoa
03:27
everykila singlemoja workingkufanya kazi day
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kila siku anayofanya biashara
03:28
for the privilegeupendeleo of settingkuweka
up shopDuka underchini her treemti.
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kutokana na kuweka biashara chini ya mti wake.
03:32
She's been doing it for sevensaba yearsmiaka,
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Amekuwa akifanya hivi kwa miaka saba,
03:34
and she's been gettingkupata receiptsrisiti.
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na amekuwa akipewa risiti.
03:36
She keepshuendelea recordsrekodi.
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Anatunza kumbumkumbu.
03:38
We're seeingkuona not a marginalchini,
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Tunamuona asiye hafifu,
03:41
underprivilegedyanageuka,
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masikini,
03:42
vulnerablehatari AfricanAfrika womanmwanamke tradermfanyabiashara
by the sideupande of the roadbarabara -- no.
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mwanamke asiye na uwezo anayefanya biashara pembezoni mwa barabara -- hapana.
03:48
We were seeingkuona somebodymtu
who'snani keepingkuweka salesmauzo recordsrekodi for yearsmiaka;
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Tunamuona mfanyabiashara ambaye anatunza kumbukumbu za mauzo kwa miaka;
03:52
somebodymtu who had an entirenzima ecosystemmazingira
of retailrejareja that comesinakuja in from UgandaUganda
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mtu ambaye amekuwa na mzunguko wote wa biashara za rejareja zitokazo Uganda
03:58
to pickpick up inventoryhesabu;
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hadi orodha ya uchukuaji;
04:01
someonemtu who'snani got handcartsmikokoteni ya mkono
bringingkuleta the goodsbidhaa in,
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aliye na mkokoteni unaoleta bidhaa,
04:05
or the mobilerununu moneyfedha agentwakala
who comesinakuja to collectkukusanya cashfedha
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au wakala wa mfumo wa fedha wa simu anayekuja kuchukua pesa taslimu
04:08
at the endmwisho of the eveningjioni.
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kila mwisho wa jioni.
04:09
Can you guessnadhani how much
TeresiaTeresia spendsinatumia, on averagewastani,
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Unaweza kisia ni kiasi gani Teresia hutumia, kwa wastani,
04:13
eachkila mmoja monthmwezi on inventoryhesabu --
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kila mwezi katika uorodheshaji bidhaa --
04:16
stockshifadhi of newmpya clothesnguo
that she getshupata from NairobiNairobi?
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shehena ya nguo mpya ambazo anapata kutoka Nairobi?
04:19
One thousandelfu fivetano hundredmia US dollarsdola.
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Dola za Kimarekani elfu moja na mia tano.
04:22
That's around 20,000 US dollarsdola
investedimewekeza in tradebiashara goodsbidhaa and serviceshuduma
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Ambayo ni takribani dola za Kimarekani 20,000 zilizowekezwa kwenye katika bidhaa za biashara na huduma
04:27
everykila yearmwaka.
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kila mwaka.
04:29
This is TeresiaTeresia,
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Huyu ni Teresia,
04:31
the invisibleasiyeonekana one,
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asiyeonekana,
04:32
the hiddensiri middlekatikati.
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aliyefichwa katikati.
04:34
And she's only the first rungrung
of the smallndogo entrepreneurswajasiriamali,
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Na huyu ni mtu wa ngazi ya kwanza ya wajasiriamali wadogo,
04:38
the micro-businessesMicro-biashara that can be foundkupatikana
in these marketsoko townsmiji.
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biashara ndogo ndogo zinazopatikana katika masoko ya ya miji hii.
04:42
At leastangalau in the largerkubwa MalabaMalaba bordermpaka,
she's at the first rungrung.
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Angalau katika mpaka mkubwa wa Malaba, yupo katika ngazi ya kwanza.
04:48
The people furtherzaidi up the valuethamani chainmnyororo
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Watu wa mbele zaidi wanathamini mlolongo huu
04:51
are easilykwa urahisi runningKimbia
threetatu linesmistari of businessbiashara,
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na kwa rahisi wanafanya biashara tatu,
04:54
investingkuwekeza 2,500 to 3,000
US dollarsdola everykila monthmwezi.
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wakiwekeza dola za Kimarekani kati ya 2500 hadi 3000 kila mwezi.
04:59
So the problemtatizo turnedakageuka out
that it wasn'thaikuwa the criminalizationcriminalization;
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Kwa hiyo tatizo lilikuja gundulika kwamba halikuwa uhalifu;
05:03
you can't really criminalizecriminalize someonemtu
you're chargingkuchaji receiptsrisiti from.
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huwezi kumtuhumu mtu ambaye unamtoza na kumpa risiti.
05:08
It's the lackukosefu of recognitionkutambua
of theirwao skilledwenye ujuzi occupationsmsitu wa vina.
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Ni ukosefu wa kutambua ujuzi wa kazi zao.
05:15
The bankBenki systemsmifumo and structuresmiundo
have no meansina maana to recognizekutambua them
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Mifumo ya kibenki haina njia ya kuwatambua
05:19
as micro-businessesMicro-biashara,
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kama wafanyabiashara ndogo ndogo.
05:20
much lesschini the factukweli that, you know,
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pasipo kukataa ukweli, unajua,
05:23
her treemti doesn't have
a forwardingkupeleka mbele addressanwani.
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mti wake hauna anuani.
05:25
So she's trappedimefungwa in the middlekatikati.
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Kwa hiyo amebanwa katikati.
05:28
She's fallingkuanguka throughkupitia the cracksnyufa
of our assumptionsmawazo.
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Anaangukia katika mpasuko wa dhana zetu.
05:30
You know all those microloansmidogomidogo
to help AfricanAfrika womenwanawake traderswafanyabiashara?
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Unaijua ile mikopo midogo midogo ya kusaidia wanawake wa Kiafrika ambao ni wafanyabiashara?
05:34
They're going to loanmkopo her
50 dollarsdola or 100 dollarsdola.
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Watampa mkopo wa dola za Kimarekani 50 au 100.
05:37
What's she going to do with it?
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Atafanyia nini kiasi hiki?
05:39
She spendsinatumia 10 timesnyakati
that amountkiasi everykila monthmwezi
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Anatumia mara 10 ya kiasi hicho kila mwezi
05:41
just on inventoryhesabu --
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katika uorodheshaji tu.
05:43
we're not talkingkuzungumza about
the additionalziada serviceshuduma
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hatuongelei huduma nyingine za ziada
05:45
or the supportmsaada ecosystemmazingira.
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au mzunguko wote.
05:47
These are the oneswale who fitinafaa
neitherwala the policysera stereotypeyafufuka
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Hawa ni wale ambao hawastahili kuwepo katika kasumba ya sera
05:51
of the low-skilledchini wenye ujuzi and the marginalizedpembezoni,
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ya walio na ujuzi mdogo au wale duni,
05:53
norwala the white-collarWhite-collar,
salariedwanaolipwa mishahara officeofisi workermfanyakazi
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wala si mwajiriwa, ofisa anayelipwa mshahara
05:56
or civilkiraia servantmtumishi with a pensionpensheni
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au mtumishi aliye na pensheni
05:58
that the middlekatikati classesmadarasa
are allegedlyinadaiwa composedlinajumuisha of.
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ambapo ndipo watu wa kipato cha kati walipo.
06:02
InsteadBadala yake, what we have here
are the proto-SMEsproto-SMEs
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Badala yake, tulichonacho hapa ni mifano ya viwanda vidogo na vya kati
06:06
these are the fertilerutuba seedsmbegu
of businessesbiashara and enterprisesmakampuni
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hizi ni mbegu zilizo na rutuba za biashara na viwanda
06:10
that keep the enginesinjini runningKimbia.
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ambazo zinafanya injini iendelee kutembea.
06:12
They put foodchakula on your tablemeza.
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Vinaleta chakula mezani.
06:14
Even here in this hotelhoteli,
the invisibleasiyeonekana oneswale --
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Hata hapa katika hotel hii, wasioonekana --
06:17
the butchersmachinjio, the bakerswaokaji
the candlestickkinara cha taa makerswatengeneza --
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wachinjaji nyama, watengeneza mikate na watengeneza mishumaa --
06:20
they make the machinesmashine
that make your frenchKifaransa friesfries
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wanatengeneza mashine ambazo zinatengeneza chipsi
06:23
and they make your bedsvitanda.
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na wanatengeneza vitanda vyako,
06:24
These are the invisibleasiyeonekana businesswomenbusinesswomen
tradingBiashara acrosskote bordersmipaka,
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Hawa ni wanawake ambao hawaonekani wanaofanya biashara mipakani,
06:29
all on the sideupande of the roadbarabara,
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pembezoni mwa barabara,
06:31
and so they're invisibleasiyeonekana
to datadata gathererswakusanyaji.
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hawaonekani kwa watu wanaokusanya taarifa.
06:34
And they're mashedKisha kupondwa togetherpamoja
with the vastkubwa informalisiyo rasmi sectorsekta
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Na wanawekwa pamoja katika sekta kubwa isiyo rasmi
06:38
that doesn't botherbother to distinguishkutofautisha
betweenkati smugglerswalanguzi and taxkodi evadersevaders
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ambayo haihangaiki kutofautisha watu wanaopenyesha bidhaa na wakwepa kodi
06:43
and those runningKimbia illegalkinyume cha sheria whatnotwhatnot,
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na wale wanaofanya biashara za magendo,
06:46
and the ladieswanawake who tradebiashara,
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na wanawake wanaofanya bashara,
06:48
and who put foodchakula on the tablemeza
and sendtuma theirwao kidswatoto to universitychuo kikuu.
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na wale wanaoleta chakula mezani na kuwasomesha watoto zao hadi chuo kikuu
06:52
So that's really what I'm askingkuuliza here.
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Kwa hiyo hili ndilo ninalouliza hapa.
06:55
That's all that we need to startkuanza by doing.
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Hayo ndiyo tunatakiwa kuanza kufanya.
06:58
Can we startkuanza by recognizingkutambua
the skillsujuzi, the occupationsmsitu wa vina?
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Je tunaweza kuanza kwa kutambua ujuzi, kazi?
07:03
We could transformkubadilisha the informalisiyo rasmi economyuchumi
by beginningmwanzo with this recognitionkutambua
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Tunaweza kubadili uchumi wa sekta isiyo rasmi kwa kuanza na utambuzi huu
07:08
and then designingkubuni the customizedumeboreshwa
doorwaysmalango for them to enteringiza
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na kisha kutengeneza milango ya wao kupita
07:12
or integratekuunganisha with the formalrasmi,
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na kushirikiana na sekta iliyo rasmi,
07:15
with the globalkimataifa,
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na ulimwengu,
07:16
with the entirenzima systemmfumo.
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na mfumo mzima.
07:18
Thank you, ladieswanawake and gentlemenmabwana.
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Asante, mabibi na mabwana.
07:19
(ApplauseMakofi)
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(Makofi)
Translated by Nelson Simfukwe
Reviewed by Joachim Mangilima

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Niti Bhan - Human-centered strategist
Through exploratory and human-centered research, Niti Bhan discovers and makes tangible pragmatic opportunities for sustainable and inclusive value creation.

Why you should listen

Niti Bhan is a global nomad whose life mission is to bridge the gap of understanding between cultures, contexts and continents. She brings a multicultural perspective to innovation for the informal economies of the emerging markets of the developing world. She is the founder and principal of Emerging Futures Lab, a multidisciplinary team of human-centered researchers, designers, engineers and economists who collaborate on design and innovation strategies for social impact and sustainable profit in the emerging consumer markets of sub-Saharan Africa.

Growing up as a third culture kid in the ASEAN of the 1970s exposed Bhan to the British and American systems of primary and secondary education whilst her university education in Engineering (Bangalore University), Design (National Institute of Design, India & the Institute of Design, IIT Chicago), and Business (majoring in Strategy at the Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh) gave her the experience of living and working across cultures and continents. Emerging Futures Lab came to life in San Francisco in 2005, operated between Singapore, the Netherlands, and East Africa from 2007 through 2013, and is now an established SME in Finland.

More profile about the speaker
Niti Bhan | Speaker | TED.com