Episode 21: Mariama's Business Reducing Children's Malnutrition in Ghana

In this episode, Shelly Steffler, HerStart Communications Fellow in Ghana, speaks with Musah Mariama Wunnan, founder of Mari NutriWorld – a social enterprise that produces pumpkin seeds, peanuts and peanut butter to reduce child malnutrition in northern Ghana. Mariama discusses her goal of improving children's health and unemployment in her community and how YCI's HerStart program helped her build her business. 

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: 1:03

Hello everyone, my name is Shelly Stepler and I'm a communications fellow with Youth Challenge International's, her start program in Ghana. Today I'm speaking with Musa Mariama about her business, Nutri World. Mariama is a participant in her Start's Grow Your Social Venture program. The program helps young women entrepreneurs to grow their social and environmental impact through business skills, coaching, mentorship, and training. Mariama is also a recipient of her Starz Catalyst fund. This funding provides women-led ventures with critical funding that can help them thrive. Mariama produces and sells peanuts, groundnut paste oil and nut powder. She sources the peanuts from her parents' farm. She starts by sorting and drying the peanuts. Then she roasts them, peels the nuts, re resorts them and adds more salt. The process takes her 48 hours. She's hired a single mother, a saleswoman, and a driver to help her. Mariama and I are speaking today at the Her Start office in Tamale, Ghana.

Speaker 3: 2:03

What motivated you to start the business? Um, yes, actually, um, I initially I used to work on somebody, but um, I got to realize that the society or my community really needs a lot. That's a small nutrition and, um, malnutrition is something that I really face in my community. I used to teach, um, young children and then comparing the young children to other people or other children in the southern part of the country, you realize that the northern region is the region that is having the highest rate of malnutrition, more nutritional challenges. So, um, what motivated me to get into this is that, um, okay, um, Marie, why don't you start something that is going to also help with, um, the malnutrition, even if it's not going to solve it or if it's going, not going to erase it completely, but it's going, going to reduce the rate at which is, is gray. So therefore, uh, I thought of using peanuts, pumpkin seed, and then the i fruits that is mostly found here. Yes. To come up with a product that, that is very nutritious and then that's can easily boost up the group in children and then even the yeah. Grownups. Yes, it's very good for everybody. How has her start helped you with, with your business? Yes. As they say, um, the journey of thousand miles with the step. Yes. Um, I think Y C has been my first step and then Y c has really done a very great impact with regards to this. My business, if I should say, um, initially I have the idea, but then how to bring it into reality. What I have been able to make sure that my idea is, is put into reality. And then currently I'm so happy about what we say has done for me. Yes. What has the Catalyst Fund allowed you to do? Yeah, the Catalyst Fund has really helped me to do a lot because I would say my raw materials, my equipment that is my roasting machine, my grinding machine, my raw materials, my packaging and everything that has to do with my business. The Catalyst Fund really helped me to start up with this. What impact does your business have now? Um, actually, um, my business is really doing more good than harm, if I should say. My business is really helping with, um, the mal nutritional issue. I'm talking of course, we all know this raw materials I just mentioned, the peanuts, the pumpkin, these are loaded with nutrients and then it is very good for, um, kids and everybody. So I think, um, my products is really helping children and everybody in my community with small traditional challenges. And then I think my business idea is also helping me, um, with unemployment, um, issue because I've been able to have two ladies, one who is a single mother with focus and then a guy who is helping with living. So I think, um, um, the impact my business is doing is helping young children with small nutritional challenges and uh, and also trying to help with unemployment issue in my community. Yes. How did you feel when you started your business? Oh, actually it wasn't easy. It wasn't easy. When I started my business, um, a lot of issues came in. People were like, um, Maria, you are a girl and this 10, um, most of the times, um, ladies are not able to go through with regards to the beliefs we have. When I started my business, actually it wasn't all that easy, but I feel, I feel, um, I really have something I want to achieve and then I should keep the ball rolling. Yes. How did you feel when you sold your first product? I was very happy actually. Yes, I was very happy. I was like, yes, my business idea is really coming to, um, be in reality. And then yes. Yeah, the person who tested my product initially was like, Hey maam, your product is very nice. And I was so happy. I was so happy. Yes. Who has supported you in your business? Oh, I will say my partner did his best, but I would upload all the applause to, um, my Y C I facilitators. They really helped me with regard to my business idea. They really supported. How did your family and friends react when you told them you wanted to be a social entrepreneur? Yeah, like I, I stated that, um, it wasn't easy. Family members were like, Hey Mario, this time you are doing is going to bring you home. People will start to hate you. People would have lot of, um, but yes, I told myself that, um, I can do it. It's not something that I can't, if men, I were to do it in the community, I believe as a lady I can also do it. So yes, a whole lot of, um, I'll say about 60, 70% boy just dis courages. But yes, with the few people around who were like, Mario, you can do it. My facilitators, I'll say, you can do it. Yes, I believe, um, it was really a very good time. And how do your family and friends feel now about your business? Yeah, they're like, ma, hey, you're really making it<laugh>. You're really making it. We never thought we can do it. Keep it up, keep it a lot. I think people are now even encouraging. We who are like, ma, you can't do it. They're not like, wow. Yes, uh, we really didn't believe we can do it, but now we, we testify that, uh, you are really good and then you can, you can, you can go with it. What would you say to other young women who wanted to be social entrepreneurs in Ghana? Yes. Um, I would like to tell them that it's really good. And then the society or Ghana really, um, Ghana really owe us a lot. And then every young girl growing up in Ghana, she'll try to make a change in her, her community where she lives, and then, um, try to make a change. What does it mean to you to be a social entrepreneur in Ghana? Oh, I would say, um, it really means a lot to me. I would say as a young girl growing up, it's more or that easy, but it really means a lot growing up in Ghana and then starting up, um, a business to, um, also help your nation. Yes, I would say, um, it's really means a lot to me. It really means a very, uh, a lot to me. What are your future goals for your business? Ooh,<laugh>. I really have a very good, I really have goals that, uh, I think is attainable and achievable. I think within two to three years to come, I have to be able to employ if more, more than hundred, but about 50% of young girls in my community who are school dropouts

Speaker 4: 9:26

Or maybe who drop out of school because of teenage pregnancies and other, um, financial challenges. Not only girls, but yes, I think I have to be able to employ people to work under me. And then also to not only working, but also learning about the health benefits of the foods around us, the importance of solving community challenges. I think I have to be able to do that. And I think, uh, currently I'm working on, um, um, giving out my products to children, hospitals to give out to, um, children who are malnourished, to be able to see the outcome, outcome of my products. Thank you so much for your time. I'm really grateful.

Speaker 1: 10:23

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 volunteered their time in Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda, who helped create these episodes. Y CIS Hair Innovate. The Future and Fellowship programs are funded through the government of Canada's volunteer corporation program, providing skilled Canadians opportunities to volunteer with global partners and advanced Canada's feminist international assist US policy. Join us in thousands of young people around the globe creating a better future together. Learn more atci.org or.