Tanzania - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

I add value to precious and semi-precious gemstones mined in Tanzania by making beads out of them and creating hand made jewelry like bracelets, earrings and pendants out of them.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

I perform value addition to precious and semi-precious by turning them into beads, cabochoned and faceted cuts and making them into different types of jewellry like bracelets, pendants and earrings, because I am a certified gemmologist I also offer educational details to Tanzanians and foreigners which helps the mineral sector in our country to grow.

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

Investing in our gemstone jewelry business not only fuels economic growth in Tanzania's mineral sector but also empowers the country's youth. By focusing on value addition, jewelry making, designing, and gemstone identification, we create sustainable employment opportunities that directly benefit Tanzanian youth. Your investment not only supports our business but also contributes to the development of local talent and the expansion of Tanzania's gemstone industry.

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

Authenticity and Origin: Gemstones sourced and processed in Tanzania guarantee authenticity and traceability, ensuring customers receive genuine natural gemstones with a known origin and not cheap fakes like glass. Supporting Local Communities: By purchasing our gemstone jewelry, customers contribute to the livelihoods of local miners, artisans, and businesses in places like mererani and geita. Ethical Sourcing: Jewelry processed in Tanzania comes with assurances of ethical sourcing practices, including fair labor conditions and environmentally responsible mining methods. This ensures that customers can enjoy their jewelry guilt-free, knowing it was produced responsibly.

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

My startup targets to put the gem and jewelry business back in the hands of as much Tanzanian youth as possible because as of right now most of the gem and jewelry companies and shops are owned by foreigners in Tanzania, Im also using the gemological knowledge I have to raise awareness to Tanzanians and people of the neighboring countries like Kenya and Uganda on the Importance of wearing natural gemstones and the healing powers they posses because most of the consumers for natural gemstone jewelry are currently white people who are not from the African continent.

01.05 When was your company established?

2023-01-01

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.)

Amina Pelle is a final-year undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Insurance and Risk Management. She is fluent in both English and Kiswahili and has a solid background in customer service. Amina also has experience in education, having taken a gap year before starting university to teach. Her diverse skill set and multilingual proficiency equip her well for roles in insurance, risk management, and customer relations.

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

https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/g/11vym16kp7&hl=en-TZ&q=Nick_Jewels&kgs=04cefd3f161c70c2&shndl=30&shem=lnole&source=sh/x/kp/osrp/m5/2

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

Other: Gem and jewelry industry

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

My startup up aims to put as much jobs and knowledge into the hands of unemployed youth in Tanzania in all the all aspects of my startup (gemology, lapidary, jewelry designing and jewelry making) which is big problem in Tanzania right now and even now though we don't make much a percentage of a profits already goes charity for ophans at Faraja orphanage in Arusha, I know with some help will be able to help more of these children with better living conditions, better education and so much more which I know will improve their chances of not falling into poverty is the grow older.. My startup will also help boost the Tanzania economy in the mineral sector

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

Community Development: Investing in sustainable agriculture and food security initiatives benefits local communities by improving access to nutritious food, increasing income opportunities for farmers, and reducing poverty. By supporting local agriculture, the company can contribute to community development and poverty reduction, fostering social stability and economic growth. Ethical Sourcing: Supporting sustainable agriculture and fair trade practices ensures that the company's supply chain is ethical and responsible. By sourcing raw materials from farmers who adhere to ethical and sustainable farming practices, the company can promote social and environmental responsibility throughout its supply chain, enhancing its reputation and appeal to consumers. Long-Term Sustainability: Investing in food security and sustainable agriculture is essential for the company's long-term sustainability and success.

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

Employee Well-being: A healthy workforce is essential for the company's productivity and success. By prioritizing employee health and well-being through safety measures, access to healthcare, and wellness programs, the company can enhance employee morale, reduce absenteeism, and improve overall productivity. Community Health: Supporting community health initiatives, such as access to healthcare services, disease prevention programs, and sanitation facilities, contributes to the well-being of local residents. By investing in community health, the company can help reduce the burden of disease, improve health outcomes, and enhance the quality of life for community members. Supply Chain Integrity: Ensuring the health and well-being of workers throughout the supply chain, including miners, processors, and artisans, is essential for ethical sourcing and responsible production practices.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

Community Empowerment: Access to quality education empowers individuals and communities by providing them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to pursue their goals and aspirations. By supporting education initiatives, the company can contribute to poverty reduction, social mobility, and community development. Workforce Development: Investing in education and training ensures a skilled and knowledgeable workforce, essential for the company's success and competitiveness. By promoting education, the company can cultivate talent within the local community and provide employees with opportunities for career advancement and personal development. Innovation and Creativity: Education fosters innovation, creativity, and problem-solving skills, essential for driving business growth and competitiveness. By promoting education, the company can cultivate a culture of innovation within its workforce, leading to the development of new products, processes, and solutions.

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

Social Justice: Promoting gender equality ensures that women and girls have equal access to opportunities, resources, and decision-making processes, regardless of their gender. This fosters a more just and equitable society where everyone can thrive and reach their full potential. Diversity and Innovation: Gender equality fosters diversity in the workplace, which is essential for fostering creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. By valuing diverse perspectives and experiences, the company can drive innovation and improve its competitiveness in the market. Community Development: Investing in women's empowerment benefits entire communities. Women often reinvest a significant portion of their income into their families' education, health, and well-being, leading to improved outcomes for future generations. Economic Empowerment: Empowering women economically contributes to poverty reduction and economic growth. By providing equal employment opportunities, fair and wages.

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

Water Use in Processing: Gemstone processing often requires significant amounts of water for cutting, polishing, and cleaning. By promoting sustainable water management practices, the company can minimize its water consumption, reducing its environmental footprint and preserving water resources for future generations. Community Health and Well-being: Access to clean water and sanitation is essential for the health and well-being of local communities. By supporting initiatives to improve water access and sanitation facilities, the company can contribute to reducing waterborne diseases and improving overall quality of life for community members. Community Relations: Supporting water and sanitation projects can help build positive relationships with local communities and stakeholders. By addressing community needs and concerns, the company can foster goodwill and cooperation, which is essential for maintaining a social license to operate.

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

Operational Efficiency: by supporting clean and affordable energy we enable the company to maintain consistent production levels, minimize downtime, and meet customer demands effectively Cost Reduction: By supporting sustainable energy sources such as solar or wind power, the company can reduce its energy costs over the long term. This frees up financial resources that can be reinvested in other aspects of the business, such as technology upgrades or employee training. Community Development: Access to modern energy services improves the quality of life for local communities by enabling access to electricity for households, schools, and healthcare facilities. This contributes to economic development, education, and healthcare outcomes in the surrounding areas. Long-Term Viability: Access to affordable and sustainable energy is critical for the long-term viability and competitiveness of the company.

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

Social Responsibility: As a corporate citizen, Nick Jewels has a responsibility to contribute positively to the communities in which it operates. Supporting economic growth and employment opportunities helps alleviate poverty, reduce inequality, and improve overall living standards. Invest in education and training The world is short on jobs and social inequality is growing. Investing in education and training is an important strategy for promoting decent work and economic growth, as it can help to create more productive and efficient workers, increase employment opportunities, and improve living standards.

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

Funding finance projects that have the goal to build roads, schools, business This initiative will help less developed areas to thrive, building infrastructure that allows innovation and technology progress. Nick Jewels through some of its profits can sponsor the building of an e-learning centre or fund a social enterprise. Investing in innovation and new technologies: As it takes time and effort to develop new technologies, investing in innovation will help to make progress affordable for everyone. In other words, Nick Jewels will help to reduce the cost and make it possible for less developing areas in Tanzania to adopt. Investing in research and development: Our businesses can also invest in research, on our own or in partnership with Governments, contributing to develop and deploy products, services, and business models to deliver sustainable and resilient infrastructure.

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

We help reduce in equality buy work with people based solely on their skill and knowledge over particular industry and not the color of their skin, their gender or who they know this helps provide equal opportunities to t the people who deserve them. Also if we had the ability to provide access to education to most of the underprivileged children in Tanzania it would help significantly in the removal of inequality as it would level the playing field for opportunities for people or youth of the rich and the poor class.

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

By launching of funding projects like the building of affordable housing so everyone could have access to a place to live also this can be done by investing in public transport and infrastructure as well as funding the police in order to increase security in the Streets as well as the funding of public greens spaces. Investing in the improvement of Urban planning and management is also one way we can achieve sustainable cities and communities in Tanzania

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

Transparency: Maintaining transparency throughout our supply chain by tracing the origins of our gemstones and disclosing any treatments or enhancements they undergo. This empowers consumers to make informed decisions and promotes trust in the Nick Jewels brand. Environmental Conservation: Implementing eco-friendly practices in our manufacturing processes, such as using recycled materials, reducing water and energy consumption, and minimizing waste generation. Promotion of Sustainable Jewelry Design: Design and promote jewelry pieces that incorporate recycled materials, responsibly sourced gemstones, and innovative techniques to minimize environmental footprint. Educate consumers about the importance of sustainability in jewelry production and encourage them to cherish and care for their pieces for years to come, this may involve Innovative Techniques, Design Aesthetics, Material Selection and Longevity and Durability.

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

Reducing Carbon Footprint: By prioritizing sustainable practices in material sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution, our startup minimizes its carbon footprint. This includes sourcing gemstones from ethical and environmentally responsible mines, using recycled metals, and optimizing transportation and packaging to reduce emissions.

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

Ethical Sourcing: By sourcing gemstones from reputable suppliers who adhere to responsible mining practices, our startup can help prevent environmental degradation in aquatic ecosystems such as rivers and oceans. This includes avoiding gemstones mined using destructive methods like dredging or cyanide leaching, which can harm marine life and habitats. Reducing Pollution: By Implementing environmentally friendly practices in the production process, such as minimizing water usage and properly disposing of waste materials, we prevent pollution from entering water bodies. This reduces the risk of water contamination and helps maintain the health of marine ecosystems. Innovation in Packaging: By minimizing plastic packaging and utilizing sustainable materials for packaging we help prevent plastic pollution in oceans and coastal areas.

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

Our gemstone jewelry startup contributes to the Life on Land goal by promoting ethical sourcing practices for gemstones from mines that use ethical practices in there day to day operations Reducing Pollution: By Implementing environmentally friendly practices in the production process, such as minimizing water usage and properly disposing of waste materials and recycling what can be recycled we prevent pollution to life on land.

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

Our gemstone jewelry startup contribute to the Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions goal by ensuring fair labor practices in their supply chain, including transparent sourcing of gemstones and ethical treatment of workers. By promoting transparency and accountability within their industry, they can help combat corruption and promote trust in institutions.

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

Responsible Sourcing: Ensure that gemstones are sourced from mines that adhere to fair labor practices, environmental standards, and respect human rights. This can help build more transparent and ethical supply chains.

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

1 - Strongly Disagree

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

6

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

6

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

6

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

7 - Strongly Agree

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

6

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

7 - Strongly Agree

06.08 Justification for my startup

The gemstone jewelry business is not very well know by people outside of the industry because most Tanzanian's need to be educated on it Most of our jewelry is made out of gemstones beads, while making jewelry out of gemstone beads is not something that's an heard of it is definitely something that's not done by most jewelry companies in Tanzania and very few people know there's such a thing as gemstone beads outside of the gemstone industry, we can also term our jewelry as an improvement on cheaper plastic bead jewelry that most Tanzanian's wear Apart from this we offer gemstone cutting and polishing services in cabochon and faceted jewelry in oder to bring in a wide variety of clients, we offer professional gemological knowledge to our customers and let them know which type of gemstone jewelry are a better investment to have According to research we also known that gemstones come with a variety of spiritual, mental and healing benefits that can help out customers just by wearing

06.09 Competitive Analysis

As a gemstone jewelry start-up in Arusha we have our fair share of competitors from the local artisan jewelers to the the established jewelry stores like the tanzanite experience as well as global brands like Tiffany. In spite of the competition we face there are a number of factors that help the Nick Jewels startup to stand out like the fact that I am a certified gemologist, lapidarist and jewelry maker this helps me in giving our clients a better understanding of what we Gemstones are and the benefits of wearing natural gemstone jewelry which helps us make more sales and we also work with some of the local artisan jewelers turns them most of them into allies instead of competitors. Ethical sourcing and community outreach through charity work whenever our profits allow it is something that give us edge over our competitors.

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

Yes I am, I work with different groups for Impowering women in the mineral sector like TAWOMA and TAUMIVA and also my business partner is a woman.