Food For Life
Food For Life is a branche of CTA( Centre des Technologies Appliquées ) and a company that is working in food industry to improve the alimentation health of African and Congolese in particular. Furthermore the company is manufacturing a new product called SUPER ENERGY FARINA to fight malnutrition for children from 1 to 5 years old, this product is used for adults as well. The new product is the mixture of Maize, Wheat, Soya, Sorghum, Rice and sugar. This mixture of cereals contains proteins that allow children to grow up in a healthy body. The Super Energy Farina is usually used for porridge, in the manufacturing of cookies and breads.
Malnutrition in childhood and pregnancy has many adverse consequences for child survival and long-term well-being. It also has far-reaching consequences for the economic productivity, and national development overall. According to the World Food Program, 6 millions of children under the age of 5 are suffered from chronic malnutrition in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Regarding the issue, Food For Life provides a fresh high quality product " SUPER ENERGY FARINA " to address the problem and fight the malnutrition in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
SUPER ENERGY FARINA is obtained by peeling and milling grains of Maize, Wheat, Soya, Sorghum, and Rice. After, we mix flour by adding some sugar in, then we pack the product.
Vitamins that contain in the SUPER ENERGY FARINA are essential for children to get a sustainable growth. Food For Life helps parents with low income to care about their children by fighting the malnutrition. No matter in which social class we belong in, we all deserve the same chances. Children are the future of tomorrow.
Food For Life customers are mainly families with low income. Thus parents pay the product for their children so, these are end-users.
The fixed price to acquire 1kg of SUPER ENERGY FARINA is USD 1.5$. In the first year we will reach 5,200 customers per month and in five, 998, 400.
The advertisement is made via radio and TV stations, moreover brochures are designed to distribute to customers. The product is available in wholesale stores and retail stores of the place.
We are combining both Demographic and geographic segments to reach customers, we are using a vertical supply chain what makes us in relationships with local farmers, retailers and wholesalers to maximize resources. We are selling both SUPER ENERGY FARINA and also the waste of our raw materials to make money. In the first year we will be selling 5,200 kg per month and in five, 998,400kg.
- Create scalable economic opportunities for local communities, including fishing, timber, tourism, and regenerative agriculture, that are aligned with thriving and biodiverse ecosystems
We Selected create scalable economic opportunities of local communities because our project matches with that. We are actually in relationship with local farmers. We buy for them their fresh harvested raw materials in order to manufacture SUPER ENERGY FARINA. In return we use to sell our product in local communities. The malnutrition is effective in that area. Once we find necessary resources we are projecting to grant these local farmers seeds and fertilizers so they produce more and sell it to us. It's always good for someone to produce while knowing already to whom supply.
- Pilot: An organization deploying a tested product, service, or business model in at least one community.
Our organization is at Pilot stage development. We started small due to limited resources and we decided to be focused on 2 communities instead of reaching out the whole province. Our production is limited and we selected a sample in order to see our it will respond to our product
As I said before we are combining both Demographic and geographic segments to reach customers, we are using a vertical supply chain what makes us in relationships with local farmers,
- A new application of an existing technology
Food For Life promotes customer values by involving them in the production process, it's also in partnership with local farmers to facilitate the acquisition of raw materials in order to increase the productivity. What makes us different from others is that, we grew up in an extreme poverty and our childhood was very tough. Getting food was a privilege, So we want to give the chance that we didn't get to other children to grow up in a good environment.
- Manufacturing Technology
- Pregnant Women
- Infants
- Rural
- Poor
- Low-Income
- Refugees & Internally Displaced Persons
- Congo, Dem. Rep.
- 1. No Poverty
- 2. Zero Hunger
- 3. Good Health and Well-being
- Burundi
- Rwanda
- Tanzania
- Uganda
We are actually producing a small quantity due to limited resources. We are producing 20kg per day. Our mission is to produce 200 kg per day in the first year then is automatically 5200 kg per month in the first year and in five 998, 400kg
We started since 2019 and we have not even the machine to mill our product ourselves. If you can take a look on our Facebook page you will see how we started. The package was not really attractive. As we progress we changed the way of doing things. Actually we have a small machine, we changed the package style. We are also adding vegetable flavors. We were producing 10kg per day, today is 20 just because we don't have resources. We could produce more and attain more customers.
- For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models
We have 5 full-time employees and 5 part-time employees. We are 3 Co-founders.
We are coworkers who are skilled and very organized to the improvement of the organization. As the CEO, I Serge MWAKA was graduated in business administrations, management concentration. I'm dedicated to the organizational goals thus I the founder. My workers are also committed to achieve a good work. We are from different culture and we have different beliefs. But when we are together we are as one. We found a way to work together despite our beliefs. We are not too productive but when everyone takes his responsibilities and is conscious that the company belongs to each and everyone of us then it's easy to go forward.
Leading people is not easy. But as human we are called to live together. At Food For Life we promote employee's development. I mean everyone is involved in the decision making process. When we have to do something we decide together for the right of the organization. Despite the financial decision must to be made by the CEO but he has the duty to hear from his employees. In the improvement of the organization we also use to decide together what is right or not for the organization.
- Individual consumers or stakeholders (B2C)
I'm applying to Solve, because I want to further improve my leadership style, my business model, public relations, product and Service distribution and so many other things. I like challenges and here I am at the right place to be trained on how to help people in need in return. I wish to get necessary tools to tackle problems in my community.
- Business model (e.g. product-market fit, strategy & development)
- Financial (e.g. improving accounting practices, pitching to investors)
- Public Relations (e.g. branding/marketing strategy, social and global media)
- Product / Service Distribution (e.g. expanding client base)
Becoming an perfect entrepreneur takes times, efforts and energies. It's a step that can not be covered in just one second. So I'm here expecting to be well trained and then I will also be able to bring that knowledge in my company and train my employees in return.
any company that can help us to achieve our goals, we will be delighted to get in touch with. Especially Solve members.
- No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution
- Yes, I wish to apply for this prize
The work we are doing is for the benefit of people with low income. We want that everyone can enjoy the product no matter how he or she is regarding their income. SUPER ENERGY FARINA was designed in a such way that it is affordable to everyone. We want to supply for a huge number of people living upcountry, refugees. Those people mostly affected by the malnutrition.
- No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution
- No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution
- No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution
- No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution
- No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution
- Yes, I wish to apply for this prize