Empowering Melanesian Women Through E-commerce

Good day ladies and gentlemen. My name is Wewo Kotokay, founder of PAPUAmart.com LTD. In actuality, PAPUAmart.com LTD is a company established in Papua, New Guinea. However, for the purpose of this speech, I'm representing GoMELANESIA.com, an organization aimed at developing and promoting e-commerce for women across the Melanesian archipelago.

You'll agree with me that online shopping is growing really fast mainly because of factors that support both the buyers and sellers such as increased speed and convenience. According to statistical analysis carried out in November 2019, it's believed that the year witnessed about 1.92 billion digital buyers and eCommerce sales alone accounted for 14.1% of retail purchases worldwide. All the same, it's quite unfortunate that even in this digital or modern era the Melanesians in the South Pacific are still currently faced with three (3) outstanding problems that hinder the free flow of trading and economy as a whole. These problems include geographical issues, Socio-cultural issues and political issues. The truth is that most of the villages and islands situated here are scattered, remote and underdeveloped with poor infrastructure and almost no mobility. But then, despite all these we are forced into the modernization process and indeed we cannot stay outside the process. This is where our organization comes in and why your presence here is highly valued.

Consequently, the internet technology provides the possibility for everyone in the world to communicate, interact and trade with each other while still staying in their own places of origin. For this reason, programmes such as MELANESIAmat.com, GoMELANESIA.com, CHEAPHosts.us, MELANESIAstore.com, and other online products that PAPUAmart.com LTD provide are created mainly to help connect Melanesia and Melanesian people with the rest of the world and at the same time facilitate their trading with each other and the global market.

It might interest you to know that Mobile-based applications and Online platforms are the key products of PAPUAmart.com LTD and their functions are basically to promote connectivity and accessibility of many villages and islanders in Melanesia. In a word, what our organization advocate for is e-commerce and mobile-based or internet-based cash-less economic activity that will trigger Melanesian Women entrepreneurship both online and offline. We intend to achieve this by creating online store, online marketplace, offline store for retailers, online store with offline counters, offline store as outlets of online stores and marketplace, barter of specialty products marketplace, foods and grocery delivery services (Online food and goods delivery), pick up and delivery of cargo, domain registration and webhosting services, online airline ticket and hotel rooms booking and issuing, and finally online point of payment (PoP).

Well, generally it's already known that starting an online store requires little or no finance aside from a smartphone or a computer connected to the Internet. On the other hand, starting one complete set of online store with offline store/ counter/ outlet, as well as physical store building fully owned by the company means alot. The minimum investment required is about Indonesian IDR3,000,000,000.00 which is equivalent to PNGK737,351.00, equivalent to the Solomons SBD$1,781,002.50, equivalent to Vanuatu Vt.24,904,249.80, equivalent to Fiji FJD$469,012.39, equivalent to AUD$312,017.68, equivalent to USD$214,600. On that note, we can't actually achieve any of this without your support and like I said earlier on, your presence here is of immense importance.

Due to the complexity of this project, we are requesting for the sum of $305,000 for this campaign. Now, this sum is to cover up for one offline store that will be called MELANESIAmart.com with a layout that is exactly like modern Circle-K Style store or 7-Eleven store. The slight upgrading difference this particular store will have from the rest is that we'll make provision for rasta colours. Also, one set of store requires at least one online store having one staff, one offline store with minimum of four (4) staffs (that is the manager, cashier, waiter and security). In terms of arrangement, the building must be equipped with at least one (1) TV and Computer Screen for products browsing and advertisements, and a counter or outlet. The amount is to enable us put in place all the necessary things needed for the successful completion of the first phase of this project in 12 months. Actually, to complete one set of the business, we need at least 12 months, and then to run it to full self-funding business will demand a minimum of 5 years.

Finally, this is not just a call for support but a service to humanity at large. One that can transform the lives of millions of people, especially the women across the Melanesian archipelago. Anyone who contribute to this project will automatically become part of our Melanesian families, adopted into the families of the mothers running the business unit, and after 10-15 years, the contributor will make a new agreement to determine whether his or her contribution should be dedicated to the next or new entrepreneur who wants to start a new unit, or to invest to gain profits in the existing unit. In fact, there's also an opportunity for such a contributor to write off the contribution and be paid back by the family/ clan/ tribe of the mothers who run the business unit. We promise to keep our donors updated with our advancements in the project through progress report on our websites. We will also send reports on regular basis to our investors. Lastly, we will organize visits and communications between tribes who receive contribution and those who made contributions to build personal, family, clan, or tribal relationships. Thank you once again and do have a wonderful day.

Best regards

Wewo Kotokay