As part of efforts to promote entrepreneurship, The Ghana Report Foundation on Friday, December 23, supported the first runner-up of the Zongo Shark Tank Business Reality Show with an amount of GH¢10,000.
The first runner-up of the competition, Khadija Osman, is the founder of Oskhalim Food Processing, a company that produces healthy organic foods that focus on solving healthy nutritional requirements.
The Zongo Shark Tank project was borne out of the need and realisation to support young people within the Zongo community who have great business ideas but lack the financial capacity to promote their business.
The founder of Oskhalim Food Processing emerged as one of the finalists after a rigorous selection process with over 150 participants.
In addition to the cash donation, the beneficiary will receive mentorship from the Chief Executive Officer of The Ghana Report Foundation, Rashida Saani Nasamu, who also happens to be one of the judges during the competition.
She pledged to support the finalists after witnessing impressive ideas from the young entrepreneurs.
The presentation was done by the General Manager of The Ghana Report, Yayra Akpetey, on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer of The Ghana Report Foundation, Rashida Saani Nasamu.
Providing more details about the business idea that won her the GH¢10,000, Madam Osman said like every great business she identified a problem and thus the need to solve it.
“What we do is we have an infusion, that is, a tea bag, and we realised that there are problems with iron deficiency, and we wanted to solve them by using a naturally produced haemoglobin.
“And we realised that in our community there is a lot of naturally produced haemoglobin, but people are unaware, that is Turkey berries. So, we decided to add value and produce it in the form of a tea bag. We have Raw Turkey Tea bags; for some, we added ginger, and for others, we added turmeric. And we have approval from FDA and GSA,” she indicated.
But for every entrepreneur, the journey has not been easy. The Oskhalim Food Processing founder said her biggest challenge has been market access and equipment.
“The biggest challenge now is access to a ready market. You go to the supermarket, and they will tell you that your product is good, but if you know someone who will link you, that will be best.
“And some would also say that you should give them the product so after 120 days then you receive payment, but being a startup and having to wait for 120 days to receive payment is difficult,” she added.
She intends to invest the cash donation received from The Ghana Report Foundation into her business by buying more equipment to ensure work is done expeditiously.
Madam Osman couldn’t hide her excitement and gratitude to The Ghana Report Foundation for the cash donation received.
“I will say thank you very much. May Allah reward her [CEO, Rashida Saani Nasamu] and the organisers of the program [ZongoVation Hub]. It is only Allah that can reward them. I am overwhelmed; I don’t know what to say, but only Allah can reward them,” she said.
After one year of its inception, she hopes the Oskhalim Food Processing will soon become a home brand for every household.
She urged the teeming youth to embrace agriculture, as it has several untapped opportunities waiting to be explored.
Currently, Oskhalim Food Processing has over six employees, and she hopes to bring more people under her wing.
The Chief Executive Officer of ZongoVation Hub, Mahmoud Jajah, organizer of the Zongo Shark Tank project, also expressed his gratitude to the foundation for such a kind gesture.
The ZongoVation Hub, established in May 2018, he said, is an innovation and entrepreneurship organisation dedicated to accelerating the application of social capital and technology for economic prosperity in Zongo communities across Ghana.
The Hub is a place for technologists, entrepreneurs, and the youth from Zongo Communities to co-create new solutions to the many socio-economic problems in the Zongo communities.
“We established it to help young people in the Zongo community. You are aware of cybercrime; that is Sakawa. We realised that most of these young people have never had any form of training in computer science or technology—nothing at all, but they are constantly going to cafes, and they are able to manoeuvre their ways.
“So, we realised this was a negative trend and we needed to turn it into something positive. So, until we provide a better alternative to something that they are already doing, you can’t solve the problem, so we decided to venture into software development.
“It’s easy to develop a software developer, and unlike medicine, you don’t need a certificate to do that, hence the software development initiative. And then we also observed that at the end of their training, it is difficult for them to start their business; sometimes some of them get internship opportunities and others get employed.
“But for the majority of them, it was difficult to start something on their own so we said no, let’s start giving them support. That is how the Zongo Shark Tank project started. We asked those with ideas to come and pitch their ideas, but we didn’t narrow it down to only our trainees. And now it has become one of our flagship programs,” he explained.
Mr. Jajah said the team is determined to change the narrative around the Zongo Community with innovative projects that are dedicated to developing young talents.
He said the program can boast of training over 500 people in a span of five years.
About The Ghana Report Foundation
The Ghana Report Foundation was set up to help provide solutions to some of the problems highlighted by theghanareport.com.
In the few months since the news portal started serious operations, it has encountered people in society who need real help.
Some readers of our stories have come together to support such people in diverse ways. One of the latest beneficiaries is Mavis Ayamdo, a past student of the St Joseph Seminary at Asante Mampong. She obtained 6As in the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and had no hope of furthering her education because her wages at a bakery could barely sustain her. She is on her way to the university with full funding after her story was told by theghanareport.com.
The Foundation has been set up to among other projects ensure that such persons do not have to rely on spontaneous benevolence from readers but have sustainable funding for them. Beginning with our own resources, we wish to be able to expand in the future in order to provide support for needy persons and institutions beyond those featured in our reports.
