UJEAD-AKEZA Washing products

My name is Baseka Vianney Saidi Chief Executif Officer and founder of UJEAD-AKEZA Washing products.

In my community especially Muyinga province, Buhinyuza commune and Karongwe district, many communities have skin diseases because they do not have proper hygienic products to use. They can't even have money to afford clinical treatment for those diseases the are low-income earners. They don't even have access to washing products especially bar and liquid soap. 

As solution my team and I, we believe that disability is not inability. We are 25 three among them includ me we live with disability. We come up with solution of producing locally and affordable high quality hygienic products especially harbor soap for skin treatment, bar soap and liquid soap for washing purpose. We also donate products and kits in rural areas to fight against Covid-19. Soap for washing  hands, hands sanitizers, baskets with tap of water and masks.

Many rural areas in my country includ my village don't have access to washing products. Many women and children have skin diseases because they don't have proper hygienic product to use and they cannot afford clinical treatment due to the poverty they are living in.

The soap industry in Burundi is currently dominated by one company who only manufactures their products in the capital. Due to transport costs, this situation has led to high soap prices in provincial locations, making this Basic hygieic product inaccessible for rural populations. 

The lack of hygienic product especially Soap, proper water and sanitation make the big number of peaple who suffer for various skins deseases.

UJEAD AKEZA Washing products is concerned with preventing the widespread of Covid-19 virus in the categories of vulnerables people who live Karongwe, Kanyosha and Mugoboka area by donating products and kits for fighting against Covid-19 global pandemic.

The youth local organization “Union des Jeunes Engagés pour l’Auto-Développement” UJEAD-AKEZA Youth Union Committed for Sel-Development in English his initiative UJEAD Washing products during this world  pandemic period, produce, provides and distribute with free of charge affordable and high qualité washing products especially liquid, bar soap for washing purpose, hand sanitizer to fight against Covid-19 and harbor soap for skin treatment for communities who have skin problemes. The organization  accepts and promotes knowledge transmission especially to youth and women by training in locally quick soap manufacturing.

We create awareness to local community in the symptoms of Covid-19, self protection and mutual caring of the patients of the Covid-19. With this, we organize community event to explain more about covid-19, distribution of kits to fight against transmission of the pandemic such as masks, soap, hand sinitizer and baskets.

With Burundi currently identified as the third poorest country in the world, Where rural community do not have access to food clean water, hospitals, schools and washing products, the initiative is very needed because it brings solution where it is needed and during a crucial time.  

  The initiative has already started to provide the solution in many corners of the county where it provides liquid soap, bar soap, baskets for dispensing water and hand sinitizers to schools, centers of vulnerable people and people with disabilities and bus stations.

UJEAD Washing product targets communities living rural areas and who are living low-income, people living with disability grouped in caring centers because they are experiencing the lack of proper hygienic products especially liquid soap and bar soap for washing purpose during this world pandemic period of Covid-19 and harbor soap for skin treatment in many rural areas.The washing products are targeted communities who don’t have access to those basic hygienic products. Harbor soap is especially for communities who have skin’s diseases especially women and children who many of them cannot afford clinical treatment. We intend to serve as many as possible communities.

With Burundi currently identified as the third poorest country in the world, Where rural community do not have access to food clean water, hospitals, schools and washing products, where the soap industry in Burundi is currently dominated by one company who only manufactures their products in the capital and due to transport costs, this situation has led to high soap prices in provincial locations, making this Basic hygieic product inaccessible for rural populations,Many of rural communities have skin deseases they lack proper use of hygienic product and they cannot afford clinical treatment because the are low-income earners.

 I Am a young entrepreneur from Burundi and I hold a bachelor degree in English language and literature. I live with disability but am concerned with changing the life of my community in general and youth in particular. I am focused more on local industrialization and manufacturing locally washing products community need in their everyday life such bar soaps, liquid soap for washing purpose.Because I have noticed the challenge children and women living rural areas are facing concerning skin's diseases.

I have innovated my business and brought new soap to reduce those diseases. Skin Care Soap UMWAKAKAt its name. It is 90% natural except caustic soda. It soap made from carottes, honey,milk,moringa,rice flour, potatoes,... Only my company is making this exceptional soap in my country for helping rural communities who are suffering from skin’s diseases.

Not only this, UJEAD AKEZA Company has an initiative which is tackling the global pandemic Covid-19 by donating products and kits for fighting covid-19. It is also UJEAD who accepts to train community in soap making.

Am very interested in creation of opportunies of community by reducing challenges which are doubting their life. With my new soap Natural Health Care Soap, I wish in five following years to treat as much as possible children living rural areas skin's diseases.

The soap initiative requires complicated macheries but the one we are running is local and need most our hands. We manufacture locally washing product in my village in order to make it affordable, available and accessible to the communities living my area and who are in low income. We only need fabricated table which help us to cut the soaps into small pieces which cost 200 BIF or 500BIF.The way it works, according to our expertise, it takes three days to make locally a soap. The first day is to mixe sodium hydroxycid or caustic soda with water and you wait 12 hours. The second you mixe the reaction you obtained with palm oil nuts you wait 12hours and the third is to cut the soap into small pieces accordinf to the need of customers. For liquid soap we use 20 munites produce quantity of detergent. Our product is better than the existing because ours is affordable for rural communities. Manufactured and sold in place without additional cost. 

The soap initiative requires complicated macheries but the one we are running is local and need most our hands. We manufacture locally washing product in my village in order to make it affordable, available and accessible to the communities living my area and who are in low income. We only need fabricated table which help us to cut the soaps into small pieces which cost 200 BIF or 500BIF. We also need a mold to give good sharp a big soap. We need olso an hydrometer to measure concetration of a first solution of Sodium Hydroxcid with water. Within one week, we can produce 14000 thousands of soap, 14000 litters of liquid saop. The way it works, according to our expertise, it takes three days to make locally a soap. The first day is to mixe sodium hydroxycid or caustic soda with water and you wait 12 hours. The second you mixe the reaction you obtained with palm oil nuts you wait 12hours and the third is to cut the soap into small pieces accordinf to the need of customers. For liquid soap we use 20 munites produce quantity of detergent. Our product is better than the existing because ours is affordable for rural communities. 

There are no modern technology I use but in future, I intend to sheft from local manufacturing to industrial manufacturing.

As a young leader living with disability, I have the end in mind of reducing the  problem of lacking washing products especially in community living rural areas like me. Producing locally affordable and accessible hygienic products for skin's dioseases treatment was my hobby because many communities especially women and children have various types of skin diseases. Most of theme are poor and are low-income earners which prevent them to afford clinical treatment. People living with disability grouped in caring centers, are experiencing the lack of proper hygienic products especially liquid soap and bar soap for washing purpose during this world pandemic period of Covid-19.

 UJEAD Washing products initiative during this world  pandemic period, produce, provides and distribute with free of charge affordable and high qualité washing products especially liquid, bar soap for washing purpose, hand sanitizer to fight against Covid-19 and harbor soap for skin treatment for communities who have skin problemes to vulnerable people such as people living with disabilities, orphans and families having a person with a confirmed case of Covid-19.

UJEAD-AKEZA Washing product is a youth local organization engaged in making available, accessible, affordable and high quality hygienic products especially liquid, bar soap for washing purpose and habbo soap for skin treatment in communities who are low-income earners and most them don’t have access to basic washing products afford clinical treatments. The business help to fight against the propagation and transmission of Covid-19 in rural community and creating awareness in sanitation and hygien by producing affordable soap, where the products are not accessible and available. Washing regulary your hand with water and soap lead you tob e secured from transmission of Covid-19 according to WHO. 

 Actually, 34654 are being using the products and service producted by UJEAD, from 60540 households. This  yearb 10342 Household with more than 52832 people who live my Karongwe, Kanyosha, Mugoboka area will be using our products. 45834 people will be served impacted with bar soaps, liquid soap and are safe from the transmission of covid-19 because they wash regulary their hand with proper water and soap. The washing products are also targeted communities who don’t have access to those basic washing products. Harbor soap is especially for communities who have skin’s diseases especially women and children who many of them cannot afford clinical treatment. We intend to serve as many as possible communities in five years. Because Muyinga province have 276989 houses. We intend to serve then in the next five years. This will be possible because now we are serving 60540 household and in year one we served 40500 households. 

The main objective of UJEAD AKEZA Washing products is to change the lives of low-income earners communities especially those living in rural areas by manufacturing locally affordable and high quality hygienic products for skin diseases for those who cannot afford clinical treatments. This will go with making washing products available, accessible and affordable for communities who hadn't access to washing products especially bar soap and liquid soap. During this global pandemic Covid-19, we have the initiative where we donate products and kits to better protect rural community by washing regulary their hand with proper water and soap, wear masks and hand sanitizers.

For the next five years, our long term miles is to sheft from local manufacturing to industrial manufacturing. This will help to cover the whole province of Muyinga and impact the all 276989 houses. In five years, in my village Karongwe, Mugoboka and Kanyosha, there wan't be people having skin diseases. 

The most barriers that prevent us for accomplishing our goals in the next year and in the next five years are:

- The problem of finance: UJEAD AKEZA Washing products is not supported or financed by individual or organization operating in Burundi. We financially supported by its team. When we start the non-profit organization UJEAD-Burundi bw'ejo, members accept to put together a small contribuation and we start the soap business. In 2017, six members have accepted to increase their contribution and the non profit organization has given birth the company UJEAD AKEZA. Till now we experienced the problem of finance in our business and this prevent us to reach our objectives.

- Technical problem: This is also linked with the problem of finance. We manufacture locally the washing products and the hygienic products. This prevent us to produce good products with estetic shap, big quantity, and impact good number of community.

- Problem of raw material and adequate infrastracture and equipment: In our country it is not easy to get raw material for making soap. You cannot even get machines for soap making Burundi. To get raw material for liquid soap, to get the raw material you need to go in East Africa Community's country.

Those are some of the barriers that prevent me and my team to accoplish our dreams but we are doing our best.

What UJEAD AKEZA is doing is to build a strong network with other organization and companies. We believe on the 17 UN Goal: Partnerships for the Goals. By networking with other institutions, We get to know where we can purshase raw material. The company has partnership with Musalama company, an initiative of young Kenyans who provide washing product Mombasa. With this partnership, it become easier for the company to buy raw material Kenya and reach Burundi with out any problem.

UJEAD AKEZA is also in partnership with Hild Care Nusery an initiative based in Uganda and lead by Innocent Mbine. With this partnership, we can get machines and equipments for soap making. The leader of the initiative has a partnership with Alibaba a company known by online selling who accepted to conect UJEAD to this company to online order the machine for soap making.

For the financial problem, we believe that when you are engaged in impacting community, you have to pass through such problem but because as young people, we will do our best and continue to sell the products. We will also target new customer with new products and service. We will ask for government support if available, local, national and internation organization or companies who can support our solution.

A great team committed towards attainment of our company’s objective in running of the project. My team comprises of 6 members of which 3 are women and 3 are males. The three women have been at the forefront of marketing and sales while the three males are responsible for documentation and building collaborations and partnerships etc. With such a great team, within 3 months we have been able to do door to door promotions to create awareness on our products thus having stand by orders from individuals and now planning to start activations. 

UJEAD AKEZA Company is made by a team of six people. Three are women and they play a significant role in the company.  In UJEAD- AKEZA they are responsible of sales, marketing and scaling the products at various places of Muyinga.  Three others are males and without them, the company couldn’t get products to offer at the market. They are responsible of manufacturing products, delivering the products to customers, resourcing raw materials and efficiently use the local machine to better produce washing and hygienic products.  Al the 6 have a fixed salary with contrat and 25 past time workers

Three are women play a significant role in the company in general a. In UJEAD- AKEZA they are responsible of sales, marketing and scaling the products at various places of Muyinga. One is Graduated in Chemistry, skilled in Computer, marketing, trained in leadership and communication. She has deep knowledge in soap production in different categories of our products after being trained in UJEAD-AKEZA. She controles selling and products delivery.

Without those three women, UJEAD-AKEZA couldn’t exist because it cannot make revenue and cover the expenses. They are responsible for target as much as possible customers segment.Three are women and they play a significant role in the company in general and in project pilot in particular. In UJEAD- AKEZA they are responsible of sales, marketing and scaling the products at various places of Muyinga.

Three others are males and without them, the company couldn’t get products to offer at the market. They are responsible of manufacturing products, delivering the products to customers, resourcing raw materials and efficiently use the local machine to better produce washing and hygienic products with high quality. The founder with responsabilities of managing company's activities had been traines in many fields and had participated in many training like YALI RLC, TEF, YWS and entrepreneurship workshops.

The three males are responsible for documentation and building collaborations and partnerships etc.

UJEAD AKEZA is in partnership with two initiatives. One is Kenya initiative named Musalame venture lead by Mr Dancan from Mombassa. The initiative is tackling the washing products issue in Mombassa. The term of the partnership is based in sharing skills, experience, raw material and opportunities. With this partnership, we easily get raw material available in Kenya and raw material available in Burundi.

We are also in partnership with Child Care Nusery, an initiative from Uganda lead by Innocent Mbine. With this partnership, we share information on how we can innovate the business with adequate machine. 

UJEAD AKEZA Washing products is a Social Business Model Canvas by the fact that it is inspired by the Business Model Canvas and created by the Social Innovation in rural areas. The principal goal is not to earn money but to support rural communities experiencing the washing issues and those having skin diseases who can't afford clinical treatment. the initiative focus on the impact it creates for beneficiaries rather than creating profits.

The goal is to support rural community during this global pandemic Covid-19 by designing the products and kits poor and vulnerable communities can offord especially bar soap and liquid soap, to help them regulary wash their hands as advised by who in order to prevent them from contamination and propagation of Covid-19. 

The UJEAD AKEZA as Social Business Model Canvas is following these aspects:

• The component ”Segments“ is divided into “beneficiary” and “customer”. This supports the aspect that beneficiaries often do not pay anything but are crucial for the business model.
• The Value Proposition consists of the elements “Social Value Proposition”, “Customer Value Proposition” and “Impact Measures”, which define how we control our social impact.
• The type of intervention which describes the type of product that will deliver the value.
• Besides partners, the canvas includes the key stakeholders that are / should be involved in our program.
• The component “Surplus” describes where we plan to invest our profits.

Financial sustainability is understood as the ability of public administrations to continue now and in the future current policies without causing the debt to rise continuously.  The profit we make from products and service sold helps measure how a company uses its revenues and controls its expenses to generate an acceptable rate of return. The are four ways to make a sustainable finance of a business:

1. Access to Capita: To access this capital, you can either self-finance (What UJEAAKEZA had done when starting the venture), fund through equity infusion, take a loan out at a bank  or work with a specialty finance agency .

Thus, you’ll need initial startup capital to get your staffing firm up and running, ongoing working capital to maintain your day-to-day operations and investment capital to put back into your company and support growth.

2.  Profitability. When it comes to profitability, balance counts (and there can be negatives on each side). If your profitability is too low, it may have a negative impact on your cash flow and increase stress throughout your organization. This is the UJEAD AKEZA case, the profit is too low. Low profits leave no room for revenue or expense fluctuations and limit your ability to reinves. If the profitability is too high, it may open you up to undercutting by lower-priced.

3. We have also a revenue which come from the trainings fees from people who come to be trained in entrepreneurship activities by UJEAD AKEZA.

My name is Baseka Vianney Saidi, am from Burundi one of the
 intend to impact most vulnerable people, people living with disability and mostly at the very risk location for Covid-19 transmission especially where meet big number of people by producing affordable product and kits for fighting Covid-19. We apply for this opportunity to boost our social business by supporting the business. Because we are young leaders, we believe on power of networking,we apply to solve as a tool of building new business familly. We will interlact with new group of people and who have various knowledge in business. We will learn from them and they will learn from me.

We apply also to solve to emplify the problem most vulnerable community for Burundi in general and from Kanyosha-Mugoboka in particular, most risiks location including schools, bus station and centers of people living with disability have due to the lack of products and kits for fighting Covid-19 during this time of the global pandemic. We are sure and conviced that solve will support our started initiative.

UJEAD AKEZA as social business believe on the power of partnership because it enables action through collaboration. It has been said by many entrepreneurs that “Actionable customer experience is best achieved and sustained through effective business partnerships”.

 “partnership” is: “A partnership is an arrangement where parties, known as partners, agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.”

 The power of partnership is that it can and will enable action through collaboration. Trying to influence across an organisation alone is difficult – if not impossible. Influencing as a partnership of people throughout the organisation is far more effective. So, if you are charged with transforming your organisation to become more customer-centric, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do we have a defined customer experience strategy, detailing our desired customer experience?
2. Do I know how my organisation is structured?

Because UJEAD AKEZA value the power of partnership, we need to partn with Concordia. The organization organize annually a Concordia summi where, both organizations in 2017 collaborated for a plenary session titled “Harnessing Technology, Arts, and Culture to Solve Global Challenges,” which explored the role of cross-industry cooperation and the need to cultivate talent and ingenuity from across the world. For UJEAD AKEZA, our solution will reach the needed community because this partnership will add a value in both financially and skills. Because Solve’s core values, which include optimism, partnerships, open innovation, and human-centeredness, align with Concordia’s mission of fostering innovative partnerships to achieve positive and actionable social impact. To connect Concordia to UJEAD AKEZA would be to catalyze his good impact.

The Elevate Prize Foundation has announced the launch of the inaugural of the prize competition created by business leader, philanthropist and author Joseph Deitch to empower and celebrate people around the world who can spark movements, mobilize people, and catalyze positive, transformational change. That includes solutions that can help communities around the world prepare for, detect, and respond to emerging pandemics and health security threats, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As a young leader, entrepreneur who live with disability, from the most poorest country, I decide to include my solution into the price competition. It helps most vulnerable rural community and people living with disabilitty to have access to affordable products and kits to use for fighting Covid-19. Not only this, the initiative avail washing products and hand sanitizers to high risks locations include schools, bus station and centers of people living with disability with free of charge. 

The soap industry in Burundi is currently dominated by one company who only manufactures their products in the capital. Due to transport costs, this situation has led to high soap prices in provincial locations, making this Basic hygieic product inaccessible for rural populations. Many  rural communities have skin deseases they lack proper use of hygienic product and they cannot afford clinical treatment. UJEAD AKEZA is concerned with preventing the widespread of Covid-19 virus in the categories of vulnerables people . Our initiative is the only one who is tackling skin diseases issues, lack of washing products in rura area and Covid-19 disease.