Cameroon - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

The ARK Daycare center assist parents take care of their children while they are away in a clean, educative and friendly environment. We also aim at providing families with highly trained and background checked nannies.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

The ARK is a start-up childcare center exclusively for kid ages 3months to 5 years. The center dedicates its efforts and resources toward ensuring top-rated caregiving services coupled with a high-quality activity-based learning environment tailored for children in these age groups. The center responds to the needs of its parents and kids with excellent care-giving and instruction, flexible programs, local community involvement, and business partnerships.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

The quality child care services we offer supports children's healthy development, allows parents to provide for their families, and strengthens the economy both by getting parents back to work in the short term and supporting children's success in the long term.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

Most parents face a lot of difficulties when it comes to childcare. Some women even go to the extent of resigning from their jobs to become full stay at home mothers. Our center is here to rescue these parents by offering a safe and educative space where their children are well taken care of while they go back to work and focus on their daily activities. The young ladies who we train and provide jobs for also benefit from our program.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

The Ark Daycare center which is presently located in Bonamoussadi, focuses on offering its services to its community and neighbouring communities (Makepe, Kotto and Logpom) which are new upscale community developments within a 2 square mile radius, boasting over 100 new homes. We also plan on opening another center in Bonabéri in the nearest future. Our customers are single parents, working class, business inclined families, middle-class families who value the quality of education and childcare we provide for their children.

01.05 When was your company established?

2021-09-13

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

1

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

1

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

The ARK Daycare center is a privately held corporation run by its owner, Laurantine Endah Tatah. She 33years old and a single mother of 2 She is holder of the GCE advanced level. She later studied Chemistry in the university of Yaoundé 1 but dropped out in the second year after she became pregnant with her first child. Her love for children pushed her into the elementary educational field where she worked for 3 years as a teacher. She later went through a training, obtained skills in office management and has worked as an administrative assistant for more than 10years. Her organizational skills is one thing that has kept her outstanding in almost everything she does. Her drive comes from her passion for kids. She being a working class mother (single mother) understood the importance of a reliable childcare provider and decided to become one herself. She is presently committed and works full time at the daycare.

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

https://www.facebook.com/thearkdaycarecenter?mibextid=LQQJ4d

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

j) Public services

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

4

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

- We train and provide jobs as nannies for young women - The services we offer help take off some of the burden of childcare from parents permitting them to focus on their jobs, business and other activities which is their source of income

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

2

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

Children’s wellbeing is the main focus of childcare. The daycare is aimed at making sure that children are in a safe and friendly environment. We ensure that the children under our care are well taken care of and are in good health both mental and physically.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

Early childhood education which is what we offer is very important. When young children are provided an environment rich in social emotional learning, language and literacy interactions and full of opportunities to play, listen to and use language constantly, they can begin to acquire the essential building blocks for learning how to socialize, interact and read.

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

All of our employees and trainees are women

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

5

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

We have 5 full time employees and have trained and offered employment to over 15 young female Cameroonians aged between 21 & 32

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

6

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

3

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

3

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

6

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

5

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

5

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.08 Justification for my startup

There are already existing daycares around here but I believe the quality of services we offer is better. The childcare market is large one which needs to be improved and expanded.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Ou potential competitors are elementary schools who offer daycare services. We offer the traditional daycare services where kids feel like they at home and are not confined to a particular classroom or area. We offer these kids an entire space which is safe and convenient for them

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

Yes, this will enable me train and employ more young female (especially the internally displaced ones).