Tanzania - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

The Ubungo pharmacy is a pioneer pharmacy in the likely anticipated chain of pharmacies project across the city of Dar es salaam and Tanzania at large. The demand of the medicines, skin care products , suppliments makes a potential market for project.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

The Ubungo pharmacy project idea basically started last year, 2023 as I was doing my internship as a pharmacist at Muhimbili National Hospital. Where I learned the demand for medicines and skincare products is so high that people had to travel miles to come to Muhimbili only to access just essential or basic medicines. So I did my homework. Learned the business from friends who already own pharmacies and still learning of course. So had to really save, hoping to come-up with a startup capital. After my internship, I had a strong study of different areas that had potential for the business considering the amount of rent I was willing to pay. I came up with 5 beautiful locations and the Ubungo-maziwa site was favorite considering that I also live here at Ubungo. So I paid 4 months rent and started my interior innovations to meet the regulatory specifications Happy that the 1st and 2nd site inspections were successful. So the project is up-running and of course promising.

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

The main problem we are solving is first, availability and accessibility to essential medicines to the general public to be specific the people of Ubungo. In addition to that, promoting the rational use of medicines and medical products to prevent deaths or serious illness. Promotion of better health life style by proving lifestyle and nutritional advice and supplements is also a key focus of the project. Minimizing public costs and burden to travel or walk miles for something that should have been at their door steps, products like anti pain, sanitary products , medicinal lotions & creams and nutritional supplements. We operate 24 hours to see that we also carter for the emergencies and incidents that might occur at the times that most other retail pharmacies are closed and hospitals are far and more expensive. Services like first aid to fainting, bleeding or poisoning of snake or insect bites.

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

Benefits of using our products and services First and foremost making available and accessible to all, essential medicines, sanitary products, skin care products, medical equipments and dietary supplements to the general public and to be specific to the people of Ubungo . We offer human medicines , sanitary and skin care products that are regulated by Regulatory bodies in Tanzania like TMDA and TBS. We provide free professional advice to all our patients regarding all matters within our jurisdictions such advice like proper use of the medicines, proper diet for different age groups and chronic disease conditions like diabetics. We have a follow up system to all our patients especially those with chronic illness to ensure adherence, compliance and effectiveness of our products and facilitate improvement. Planning to have a chain of pharmacies across the city and the country which will help our patient anywhere the may be.

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

Our startup products and services aim at the general public. The areas being surrounded by residential area, female saloons and 3 hotels one being Moveck hotel for example which operates 24hrs everyday makes it ideal for all kinds af people started from the teens of both gender, pregnant women , babies, the elderly and generally everybody So we put all the basic and variety of product line to carter for anyone that might come across our premises. We are also building a strong social media platform (instagram, facebook and tiktok ) to help reach more people especially at our cosmetics sections , sanitary section and dietary supplements sections. We have opened an instagram page @ubungo_pharmacy and tiktok page @dar_medics and we are working at boosting them for more followers and interactions.

01.05 When was your company established?

2024-03-01

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

2

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.)

My elder sister, Grace Gregory Mihuba who is currently a PhD student in Telecommunications in China is part of the business, she has greatly contributed both financially and encouraging wise. Since the capital was not really enough . So she knows and believes in my abilities, she has also been inspired by the pharmacy business from her friends who own pharmacies too. She also participated and understood the visions and mission of the project so decided to be part of it as soon as I approached her regarding this project as source of funding.

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

https://www.instagram.com/ubungo_pharmacy?igsh=MWo4Y2dqNDI3bjAxNw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

f) Healthcare (healthcare equipment and services)

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

The project contributes in various ways; First, keeping the whole community around healthy and upstanding making them strong and ready for work which in-turn increases their income. Making available all essentials medicines at their local residents cutting transportation costs to reach out to hospitals besides saves time for productivity Making all essential medicines and other products affordable to all populations by really proving minimal costs of all our lines of product. The project plans to directly employ a number of employees reaching up to 20 across all the our expected branches besides many more indirect jobs that will be created in the supply chain. Monthly payments and bonuses will also be available hence help alleviate poverty amongst our employs and the community at large.

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

The projects promotes zero hunger in many ways such as; Providing dietary advice to various populations age groups, chonic illness patients and pregnat women hence promoting a balanced diet to the public Presence of various dietary suppliments at our premises including glucose, multivitambin suppliments and varoius mineral nutrients some of which are given for free to our needy patients to improve their well being. All these efforts aim at eradication of hunger to reach the Zero hunger goal. the project also improves ease access to health care services particularly proffessional nutrition advice to all kinds of age groups.

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

Good health and public well being is our primary goal through Creating awareness of how best to use medicines and medical products including correct drug for correct diagnosis, correct dosing and dosing frequency, correct route of administering the drug. Providing education on effective ways to prevent various diseases that may erupt in their communities. Provide education on best ways to combust and eruption of disease Provide dietary education to various age groups and disease conditions or pregnancy Offering quality medicines, medical devices, sanitary and skin care products that do not harm the public. based on our regular data analysis and interprettion we also can pre determine of any risks of disease eruption based on the frequency of same kind of patients that visit our premises. this will help us report to higher authorities and providing necessary alerts and precautions to our sorrounding communities.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

The projects provides first had professional information to the patients and general public regarding the use of our products and services. We as the team also encourage our selves on the continuous professional development so as to be up-to date. We also discourage most of our patients who self treat themselves using just information they obtain from social media and google instead they should seek the information from health professionals.

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

The project of-course is laid on the gender balance issues as the Partnership is a mix of gender besides the pharmaceutical assistants Hawa and Suba is a mix of gender too. We further serve both males and females equally providing extra ear to any burning or critical issues risen by anyone regardless of their gender

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

The project totally aligns with clean water and sanitation by providing selling clean bottled water for people patients and workers. We provide free education on best local and medicinal ways of water treatment to the public and all across our socail media platforms. We also sell water treatment remedies like water guard at a very very low prices that anyone can afford We further sell a vast line of sanitary products of all gender and age to promote clean body conditions and our environmental surrounding at large. We above all provide education of the health benefits of clean water and cleanliness or good sanitation to our bodies and the surrounding environment

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

6

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

The project supports the use of affordable and clean energy by of course using the affordable and clean energy to operate in its day-to-day operations but greatly encourage the communities around to also utelise clean and affordable energy for their health wellbeing. We further discourage the use of energies that both harmful to our bodies and to our mother earth.

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

The Ubungo pharmacy project aims at creating decent jobs to both health proffessionals like pharmacists, pharm technicians and non health proffessionals line cleaners, security people and those that deal with logistics. This will help reduce the government burden for employments and also help a number of families earn a living legitmately hence reduce the risks of illegal dealings due to lack of decent jobs. we strongly condemn illegal behaviuors snd dealings that might put our people at risks of detoriation of health and permanent disabilities.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

7 - Strongly Agree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

The ubungo pharmacy projects aims at providing best reliable medications and hence encouraging brands that have minimal side effects to our patients. this will greatly improve better treatment adherence hence promotion of industralisation in the medical sector.

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

The project absolutely reduced inqualities amongst and within countries by making available all essential medicines that are helpful and are universal. This will hence make harmonization of the health care system that regardless of the countries but the same medicines and medical products are also available here in Tanzania and specifically at Ubungo Pharmacy. we value all our patients and provide the best health intervation and medical advices to all our patients equally without dicremination based on gender nor age nro race nor financila status.

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

We provide better health services that emcopasses medicinal education, disease control and prevention schemes, best nutritional advices and on top of it all make available the best medicine options, nutrional suppliments and sanitary products all at affordable prices.

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

As a business, we encourage and practice a relative proportion of consumption and production we stand with minimizing the running costs whilst encouraging more productivity through utilizing the scare resources at out premises and environment. This education goes down to all our employs and associates hence increasing financial growth that is inclusive

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

The Ubungo Pharmacy project is a pro environmentalist project through provision of health environmental education to her community by educating on better disposal methods, encouraging recycling of waste products, recalling of expired or faulty medicines and medical products for proper waste disposal by regulatory bodies.

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

We encourage conservation and sustainable use of the ocean and marine resources by participating in the regular cleanliness organized by different organizations NGOs and radio stations. We further look forward to starting our own beach cleaning programs or sponsoring such activities.

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

The Ubungo pharmacy project is against all forms of land degradation and all activities that endanger the survival off our ecosystem. this goes hand in hand with the project vision to-make the world a better place to live.

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

7 - Strongly Agree

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

The project is against all forms of violence and injustice to all gender, races and age groups. At our community, we encourage peace and peaceful conflict resolutions to both our employs and associates.

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

The project belief is that two heads are better than one. So, we are built on partnerships and encourage and are open to more partners so as to help smoothen the goals achieving process. This is witnessed by how brilliant and easy it was to establish the project layout as it is always unity is strength and power.

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.

4

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

4

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

7 - Strongly Agree

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

6

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

7 - Strongly Agree

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

6

06.08 Justification for my startup

The projects focus is on quality products and services therefore it is the function of making available of all essential medicines, better brands with minimal side effects and shortening time of treatment. Besides that, we also provide education based on individual needs to both skin care products but also nutritional products. by doing that we respond to both demands that other entities satisfy but also take a step ahead and meet those demands that other pharmacies dont satisfy for example drug adminstration for free, staying 24hours open and many more

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Our main competitors are the wholesale pharmacies that sell these products at relatively cheaper prices making it hard to compete to certain degree. That has been overcome by putting in place better medical and skin care brands, providing health care education for free to the public, giving free professional health advice to the patients and taking longer time with patients to help understand the underlying causes and help solve various challenges they are facing

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

Gender balance is key foundation of the project. This is witnessed as one of the CEOs is a female but also we have gone further and encouraged more females to invest in the expansion project. we have further encouraged our employs and associates to work harder and save some money so as they just dont depend on one source of income. we most times encourage women to start their own businessess so as to reduce the discrimination women always face from men when they do not work or own a business.