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The ultimate game changer How Jibu uses franchising for the greater good Jibu is a game-changer if there ever was one. Founded by Galen and Randy Welch in 2012, Jibu uses a franchise model to bring safe drinking water to millions of families in Africa. The company found a way to purify, bottle, and sell water at a price that is affordable to the urban poor—significantly less than bottled water—yet still profitable for franchisees. Jibu is quickly scaling a network of locally owned franchise business owners, starting in urban areas of Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya. Many of these franchisees are young women. The anchor product is affordable, convenient, high-quality drinking water. Their market is the vast millions of families living in communities unable to afford many of life’s most basic necessities. Jibu franchisees make money aiding communities and generating hundreds of new jobs. In 2016, the company was accepted into UNH’s Social Sector Franchising Accelerator
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program, which helps companies refine their systems with help on franchisee selection, motivation and engagement, as well as teaching the skills needed to build a strong sales culture in a developing country. It also exposes university students to the world of franchising through participation as student researchers and assistants. Working in conjunction with the International Franchise Association (IFA), UNH paired Jibu with Peter Holt, CEO of Joint Chiropractic, a member of the IFA’s Social Sector Task Force. Drawing on a wealth of franchising experience, Holt was able to advise the company on issues he had worked through before. “Jibu faced many of the same problems that most commercial franchises do. There was a direct application from the industry in resolving Jibu’s issues,” he says. Learn more at www.jibuco.com —Jill Abrahamsen
