Episode 19: Hadia's Nutritional Powder Business in Tanzania

In this episode, Danielle Serge, HerStart Program & Partnerships Fellow in Tanzania, speaks with Hadia Mbarouk Saleh, founder of Khamasa Lishe – a social enterprise that creates nutritional powder for pregnant women and young children.  Hadia discusses her goal of improving poor nutrition in her community and how YCI's HerStart program supported her entrepreneurship journey.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:04

Welcome to Youth Challenge Internationals Hair Start Hair Story podcast series Youth Challenge International O Y C I launched the Hair Start 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. Y CI's Hair Start Innovate. The Future program is funded in passed by the government of Canada to progress Canada's feminist international assistance policy. Learn more@yci.org or hair.org.

Speaker 2: 1:02

Hello, my name is Danielle Serge and I'm a program and partnership fellow with Youth Challenge International's, her start program in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Today I am sitting with Heidi in her home Asana for inviting us. Um, and we're gonna be discussing LIC products. Heidi is in the G Y S V program, grow Your Social Venture, and she's also a recipient of the Catalyst Fund.

Speaker 3: 1:29

This is Jessica and today I'm here with Ilham and we are gonna translate the interview for haa.

Speaker 2: 1:36

So would you start by sharing with us your full name, job, and occupation?

Speaker 4: 1:44

My name is, I am 31 years old and I am working as a volunteer health worker in my community and now I have this work of making the nutrients powder.

Speaker 2: 1:59

Would you share a little bit about what your business is?

Speaker 4: 2:04

My business is to make the nutrients powder, which involves after being trained about entrepreneurship by looking at the challenge of my community that faces pregnant women and children within five years.

Speaker 2: 2:21

So why did you start this business?

Speaker 4: 2:27

I started this business after getting the Hasad training that was facilitated by Madam Nema and Rahma there I got to come up with this business idea. Since I am community health worker in the place where I got to provide the health services, there is a problem that is a challenge in the community that lacks nutrients. That is where I come up with an idea of creating the nutrients powder. The government always sounds their voice that there is is poor nutrition to pregnant women and children under five years. And the World Health Organization fights against the poor nutrition for children and pregnant women.

Speaker 2: 3:13

Can you share a little bit about how your business operates on the day today

Speaker 4: 3:19

I operate my day-to-day business by supplying my products. I also found a youth who helps me to supply too. However, at the healthcare unit where I provide the services, I sell these products and even at home I sell to the individuals and I also supply my products from Zan Ziva from[inaudible] to Pam.

Speaker 2: 3:43

And would you mind sharing with us how you create your products?

Speaker 4: 3:48

It creates my products by buying the various grains including mace, millets, and soybeans together with ground nights where I crack clean and dry them and grind them in a machine. After that, I finally make a full package for the nutrients powder with

Speaker 5: 4:07

The stick.

Speaker 2: 4:09

Would you share with us some of the challenges you are facing? This could be personal, family or community challenges.

Speaker 4: 4:17

The challenge that I face is there is no specific place for putting my business products like a shop where I spend much time to supply the products and I leave my family at home. Another challenge is about grinding machine where it got an electric shock and balance. So these are the challenges that face my

Speaker 5: 4:40

Business.

Speaker 2: 4:44

How has her start helped you reach your personal and professional goals?

Speaker 4: 4:49

Helped me to reach my goals First. I didn't have education on entrepreneurship skills, but after getting education from her, I empowered myself to make the nutrients products and also help me more by empowering me through giving the grants so that I can continue with this project of making the nutrients powder.

Speaker 2: 5:13

What accomplishments are you most proud of so far on your journey?

Speaker 4: 5:17

My accomplishments that I'm proud of is to have my own business that helps to earn income that I can accommodate for my life together with my family. In the case of educational accomplishment, it is to gain the entrepreneurship skills by managing it and creating my business, which is nutrients.

Speaker 5: 5:39

Would

Speaker 2: 5:40

You share with us which individuals played a role? Example, any mentors that really stuck out to you?

Speaker 5: 5:45

What

Speaker 4: 5:46

The people that support my business are, firstly my husband who supported me and didn't disappoint me till today. I continue with my business from the first two weeks to two month that we have been told to start our business before being granted. So he gave me the capital to start my business till I get the grants to continue with the business. Therefore, that was a person who supported me till today. I didn't give up any completed two to six and he still supports me so that I can continue with

Speaker 5: 6:22

My business.

Speaker 2: 6:24

And how do you want to expand and grow your business? What do you envision for the future?

Speaker 4: 6:31

Expectations To expand my business by getting a specific shop to supply my nutrient products. Also to get more education on making different nutritious food in which a person who doesn't want nutrient powder can use those nutritious food to solve the same problem of poor nutrition. However, my envision for the next two years where my business will grow by getting more customers is to own various business of making nutrition, food, and become a popular person of making nutrition, food, and gain more income from people. My success.

Speaker 2: 7:16

Do you have anything else you want to share or anything else you want to add?

Speaker 4: 7:23

Should go tos who help me gain education as well as by granting me funds today. My business also, I advise my fellow women not to be their husbands, to have them all, not wait for the government to employ them. If they hear about opportunity in any NGOs or any area, they should show up to empower themselves as we have been.

Speaker 5: 7:55

Thank

Speaker 2: 7:55

You so much. Um, we are so grateful for your time and sitting with us and learning about your business and where it's about to go. And we're so excited to follow your journey. Asante,

Speaker 1: 8:11

Thanks for joining us today and learning about how you challenge International has partnered with young women to advance gender equality globally and create a social entrepreneurship ecosystem with a positive impact for all. If you enjoy this hair, start innovate the future podcast episode. Please subscribe and share our episodes on social media. A special thanks to the fellows that volunteer their time in Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda, who help create these episodes, Y CIS Hair Innovate. The future and fellowship programs are funded through the government of Canada's volunteer corporation program, providing scaled Canadians opportunities to volunteer with global partners and advanced Canada's feminist international assistance policy. Join us in thousands of young people around the globe creating a better future together. Learn more@yci.org or heads.org.