Episode 18: Mary's Health-Conscious Moringa Oil Business in Ghana

In this episode, Sheilagh Newland, HerStart Communications Fellow in Tamale, Ghana, speaks with Mary Abapale, founder of REVIVE Enterprise – an innovative social business focused on producing low-cholesterol moringa oils to promote healthy lifestyles in her community. Mary discusses how her business supports local moringa farmers and tackles health issues in her community and how YCI's HerStart program supported her entrepreneurship journey. 

Transcript

Introduction: 0:04

Welcome to Youth Challenge International's HerStart HerStory Podcast Series. Youth Challenge International, or Y C I, launched the HerStart Innovate the Future Program in 2020. As part of our initiative to advance women's equality globally. Our goal is to provide 10,000 women in Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda with the resources and supports they need to successfully launch and grow their social businesses. We are sharing real stories of young women who are leading change in their communities. YCI's HerStart Innovate The Future Program is funded in part by the Government of Canada to progress Canada's Feminist International Assistance Policy. Learn more at yci.org or herstart.org.

Interviewer - Sheila: 1:03

Hello everyone, my name is Sheila Newland and I'm a Communications Fellow with Youth Challenge International's, HerStart program in Ghana. Today I'm speaking to Mary about her social enterprise, the REVIVE Enterprise where she produces and sells low cholesterol moringa oil. Mary is a participant in the HerStart Grow Your Social Venture program. This program helps young women entrepreneurs to grow their social and environmental impact through business skills, coaching, mentorship, and training. Mary is also a recipient of HerStart's Catalyst Fund. The funding provides women-led ventures with critical funding that can help them thrive. Mary and I are speaking today from the YCI office here in Tamale, Ghana. Thank you Mary for joining us today. Could you please introduce yourself and your business?

Interviewee - Mary: 1:54

Okay. My name is Mary, a student of UTS Tamale Campus, CEO of the REVIVE Enterprise. The REVIVE Enterprise is in to produce moringa oil using moringa leaves and the seeds. With the seed we extract the oil from the seeds, but with the leaves we use the already existing oil to produce another oil with the aim of using the leaves to reduce their cholesterol level in the existing oil.

Interviewer - Sheila: 2:25

I am just wondering what inspired the name The REVIVE Enterprise

Interviewee - Mary: 2:30

With the aim of using moringa to produce oil is to enhance in some health conditions and the name REVIVE is to strengthen to bring back. So as a result of um, reducing or managing the particular diseases or any other sickness, we are strengthen lives like that. We are are bringing back life. So that came out the name the REVIVE Enterprise.

Interviewer - Sheila: 3:04

What motivated you to start the REVIVE Enterprise?

Interviewee - Mary: 3:08

The motivation behind this enterprise is that I've realized most people are suffering from so many diseases, so many sickness and they have become health conscious as a result of that. But what will help them to ensure that consciousness in their health? So I came up with the idea of producing the cooking oil that will help them be health conscious and also help them manage their health conditions.

Interviewer - Sheila: 3:38

Is there any diseases or health conditions that you're focused on?

Interviewee - Mary: 3:43

Yes, I'm focused on heart diseases. The moringa help to reduce heart diseases. It also help in reducing cholesterol level and many other diseases.

Interviewer - Sheila: 4:02

Why is this important to you?

Interviewee - Mary: 4:05

It is important to me cause the health of individual, the life of individual is important to the whole nation. When when someone is at a good health condition, the person help to bring out good things that will help the nation. But when someone is sick, the person wastes much money in treating themselves and as a result of that, it brings down the growth and development of individual.

Interviewer - Sheila: 4:36

With the moringa seeds, where do you get them?

Interviewee - Mary: 4:39

I get, my moringa seeds from farmers. People are into moringa farming, so I contact them and people also sell and buy from the farmers to sell. So I contact them to buy from.

Interviewer - Sheila: 4:54

And how do you lower cholesterol levels in the oil?

Interviewee - Mary: 4:58

I lower the cholesterol level in the oil by mixing the moringa leaves with the moringa, with the existing oil. With that it reduces the cholesterol level. Then when I mix, I apply some heat to it for it to be reduced.

Interviewer - Sheila: 5:17

So the actual process of applying heat and extracting it, how do you do that? What is the process of making the oil?

Interviewee - Mary: 5:26

With the help of a machine. With that, you just need to crack your seeds, remove the nuts from it. Then you put it inside the machine to extract for you. But with the leaves, that one is manual, so that is where you have to grind your leaves. After they are dried, then you measure the quantity that will be suitable for the reduction of the cholesterol in the mo- uh, existing oil.

Interviewer - Sheila: 5:56

And how long does this process typically take?

Interviewee - Mary: 6:00

It takes about 20 to 25 minutes.

Interviewer - Sheila: 6:04

I was just wondering a little bit more about your process of making the oil. Where do you work from? Do you work from home? Do you have a shop?

Interviewee - Mary: 6:14

I work from home where I stay. That is where I do the business.

Interviewer - Sheila: 6:22

Do you work alone? Do you have any employees?

Interviewee - Mary: 6:25

I don't have employees yet, but I know with time all the business grows I'll need people to work with me.

Interviewer - Sheila: 6:33

And who is your targeted customer?

Interviewee - Mary: 6:38

My target customers are people that are health conscious, women and everybody. Everybody needs to taste it. Everybody needs to enjoy from my product.

Interviewer - Sheila: 6:52

Do you think you could help people outside of Ghana improve their health with this product?

Interviewee - Mary: 6:58

Yes, it can help people outside any part of the world because it's not only Ghanaians that are suffering from diseases. It's not only Ghanaians that are, um, consuming foods they were not supposed to. So I think it'll help.

Interviewer - Sheila: 7:18

I heard that you participated in a entrepreneurship competition. Could you tell me a little bit more about that?

Interviewee - Mary: 7:25

I participated in B I I C competition, which is always usually organized by UGS every year and have experienced a lot from it. And I think the training I had from the Catalyst Fund helped me to eh, apply for that competition and I was able to reach the finals.

Interviewer - Sheila: 7:53

What was your biggest takeaway from the competition? My biggest takeaway is that I came up with a, a different idea that links with moringa. I'm coming up with the idea of produce moringa tea bag, the moringa powder. I put it in a tea bag with some other ingredients, then it becomes a tea. That's really cool. Could you tell me what a green enterprise and social enterprise means to you?

Interviewee - Mary: 8:27

To my understanding, social enterprise is about bringing a business into existence that will help the individual in the society, but not only you, but others should profit from it.

Interviewer - Sheila: 8:42

What impacts have you seen with your own enterprise?

Interviewee - Mary: 8:46

The impact I've seen with my own enterprise is that it has helped the health conscious people to get what they really want to eat in the society, which will help them in their health conditions

Interviewer - Sheila: 9:00

Going forward, what impacts do you hope to see?

Interviewee - Mary: 9:04

The impact I hope to see is for my products not to be benefited by only Ghanaians, but the whole world at large.

Interviewer - Sheila: 9:15

What challenges have you faced since starting your business?

Interviewee - Mary: 9:19

There are so many challenges. Sometimes some people don't understand the benefits of moringa and you need to take some time to explain to them, to understand it before they patronize you. And sometimes to the price of the product drives people away from buying it even though they wanted to buy, but because they can't afford to pay is something.

Interviewer - Sheila: 9:49

How has HerStart helped you on your journey? How has the Catalyst Fund and the trainings helped you?

Interviewee - Mary: 9:58

It has helped me by teaching me how to go about business. At first, I used to think you just get up and start anything, but I've realized that you have, when you have the idea, you have to know how to manage it well so that your business can be sustained. And with the Catalyst Fund, I was able to start the business. I was just working with the idea without funds to start, but with the Catalyst Fund, I was able to bring it into reality.

Interviewer - Sheila: 10:32

What has been your favourite part of this experience?

Interviewee - Mary: 10:36

My favourite part of this experience is the trainings after the farm because I've realized that taking the money, even if they leave me with the money, I'll not be able to do anything with it. But with the training, it has helped me to know how to manage the business, keeping records and other things, marketing the product

Interviewer - Sheila: 11:02

Long term. What do you hope to see happen with the REVIVE Enterprise?

Interviewee - Mary: 11:07

I hope to see REVIVE Enterprise grow big, not only in Ghana, but it should the, the product should reach the whole world for everyone.

Interviewer - Sheila: 11:21

Do you have any plans on how you hope to expand your business?

Interviewee - Mary: 11:26

Okay. I'm planning on registering with Food and Drugs Board, which will help me advertise the business and also it'll help to import when people from outside Ghana see the advertisement and they need it.

Interviewer - Sheila: 11:43

Well, thank you so much for joining us today. Do you have any final comments that you would like to share?

Interviewee - Mary: 11:51

I'd like to say this program shouldn't come to an end because it'll really help young ladies like me, which who also have their ideas but are finding it difficult to bring it into reality. Thank you.

Interviewer - Sheila: 12:08

Thank you.

Speaker 1: 12:15

Thanks for joining us today and learning about how Youth Challenge International has partnered with young women to advance gender equality globally and create a social entrepreneurship ecosystem with the positive impact for all. If you enjoy this HerStart Innovate the Future podcast episode. Please subscribe and share our episodes on social media. A special thanks to the fellows that volunteered their time in Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda, who help create these episodes. YCI's HerStart Innovate the Future and Fellowship programs are funded through the Government of Canada's volunteer cooperation program, providing skilled Canadians opportunities to volunteer with global partners and advance Canada's Feminist International Assistance Policy. Join us and thousands of young people around the globe creating a better future together. Learn more at yci.org or herstart.org.