Out of 350 applications, 81 made it into the SheSustains Accelerator Program (organised by Clean Tech Hub Nigeria). A further 45 pitched their business, and 19 won seed funding.
Chichi Eriobu (Founder, Phronesis Foods) was one of the 19.
Says Eriobu:
A good percentage of our work at Phronesis Foods tackles environmental protection by managing food waste and recycling of Ukwa [African breadfruit] chaff into animal feed.
So when I saw the publicity for the SheSustains Accelerator Program, and that it was focused on female entrepreneurs in the climate change, environmental sustainability and clean energy solutions, I knew it was time to tell our story from a different perspective.
Because you see, there are so many aspects of a business that goes unnoticed because of stories untold.We went through 14 learning modules for about 3 months. It was thoroughly [delivered] by an excellent group of facilitators who indulged our [endless] questions, and painstakingly provided answers. This was why I told my team at the office that if we eventually [didn’t] get the [funding], I [would] be okay with the knowledge gathered.
Phronesis Foods are a processing hub active across several functions:
- Help to reduce malnutrition by introducing affordable plant-based protein food products that cater to the nutritional well-being of our consumers – such as Ukwa Poundo, dried Ukwa and Ukwa snacks;
- Provide food processing mechanisation and automation equipment and resources to small businesses in the Eastern region;
- Provide food processing equipment to control food waste in communities; and
- Maximise local raw materials by creating new food products from them.
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