History
Dunstan Wai 1947-2005   The World Institute for Leadership and Management in Africa Inc. was the inspiration of Dunstan Wai, who spent the bulk of his professional life at the World Bank where the work he did for the Bank reflected his deep knowledge of and passion for Africa. He is well known for his contribution and his commitment to capacity building in Africa, which he believed to be the most important investment that can be made in support of development. 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

2003

WILMA begins to coordinate its efforts with the African leaders of local/district/regional development trusts, e.g., Forum of Grassroots Organizations of Tanzania (FOGOTA), The Hunger Project in Malawi, Malawi Social Action Fund (MASAF), Ngua Mlambo Development Trust (Taita-Taveta District, Kenya).

With start-up support from WILMA and the World Bank, the Bakili Muluzi Institute for Social and Economic Transformation (BMI) is officially launched in Malawi. Malawi TV news crew interviews Paul Armington.

WILMA helps the Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA) to launch its $5 million Library Capital Campaign and to make useful contacts for CUEA in the USA. Plans are laid to accept CUEA graduates as WILMA business interns.

WILMA signs Agreements of Certification with SVI and the Dar Widows CDA affirming that they have each satisfied WILMA's requirements for assistance as a Community Development Association (CDA).

WILMA continues to make substantial investments in Dar CDA Mushroom Company and begins investing in Ahakishaka Water Bottling Company (partly owed by SVI).

WilmaFund Company Ltd. is incorporated as a nonprofit development trust in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. WilmaFund is intended to work as an African adaptation of the US/UK business model of the Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI). The WilmaFund board represents African organizations serving as WILMA's National Managing Partners as well as two representatives from WILMA.

The people of Ahakishaka, Tanzania, celebrate the second SVI Day. Planned as an annual celebration, the date is moved from February to July to accommodate the travel schedule of WILMA personnel. It's a much larger event than the previous year's, and people from throughout the Region attend, including some government officials. WILMA introduces the concept of the raffle to Ahakishaka during the event, and after some patient instruction, the SVI Day organizers successfully sell tickets and raffle off some solar-powered calculators and a radio to the enthusiastic crowd. Spectators cheer the winner of the solar-powered radio. Winners of the calculators inspect their prizes.

WILMA signs Loan Agreement with the Bukoba Widows CDA to help found the Bukoba Widows Food Processing and Nutrition Company. Later this CDA starts using some of this loan to capitalize their micro-credit facility.

With the death of its director, Stan Bash, Save the World Fund is dissolved, and a new nonprofit organization becomes WILMA's partner in Tanzania: Relief and Sustainable Development Services (RSDS). WILMA signs a Management Agreement with its new partner to set up a Community Enterprise Program (CEP) as a business component of RSDS.

WILMA signs Management Agreement with BMI to set up a Community Enterprise Services Unit within BMI. Paul Armington and Dunstan Wai inspect handicrafts at a BMI meeting.

Women's Community Enterprise Center (WCEC) is founded to be WILMA's National Managing Partner in Kenya. WILMA and WCEC undertake a field trip to Taita-Taveta District of Kenya to investigate application of WILMA's business model there.

In December WILMA retains a Washington, DC, consultancy to refine the Business Plan for WilmaFund and to help raise several million dollars of capital during 2004.