Zimbabwe - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Coldlink projects is a business aimed at curbing post harvest losses by provison of chiller lorries and containers with refridgeration in ranks and or farming centres in Zimbabwe. The containers are recycled by being given second life with refridgeration.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

Much post harvest losses are incurred as the farmers transport their farm produce from the farm to the market. That is where we come in as Coldlink to bridge that gap. By merely providing transportation services to fresh meat, fruits and vegitables, we strive for making the customers happy by providing them with quality products. The recycled containers that will have coldroom like features at every farmer's market around Zimbabwe will be a storage space for the farmers to store their produce while waiting for potential clients. This is coming in handy as much produce is being lost during the transportation to the selling point across the nation(>60%).By use of alternative energy supply to power these 'green' containers for the storage of perishables, we ensure that farmers are guaranteed that their produce quality by suffering no compromise from the electricity disruptions amongst other issues. Safety by all means will be guaranted as specific identification tags will be given out.

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

We seek to adress the issues of post harvest losses that these farmers are facing by bridging the transportation factor which is inclusive of cold storage facilities in designated places around the country. We also seek that by such provisions we would have empowered our customers(farmers) to produce more as they are guaranteed that quality is maintained across. Many farmers are being held back due to lack of storage spaces for their produce which will have them giving away their produce for less than the intended income just to maintain breakeven and to be done away with the risk factor of having them decay whilst in their hands. This also will get to address pricing of the famers markets in favour of the farmers since most of it was based on the perishability of the product hence the issue of farmers compaining of produce hodders which was a major threat in the farming business. We seek to also disrupt against produce cartels that were holding the farmers ransom making them slaves

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

Benefits from this intervention are prices that will favour the farmers and the perishable products proprietors. This is coming in as they will be able to store their produce and get to demand a fair price that that which will be given to them due to the fact that these will be having a limited shelf life. Henceforth our product is making sure that the farmers risk of lossing their product is lessened by +70% making them have value for money invested initially into getting the produce and that intended to be derived from sales of the same product. There are no disruptions from electricity which will therefore ensure products maintain their quality throughout the storage using our product. Safety being at our core, we will ensure that the products stored with us will return to their owners without blemish or pelfering. Affordable hence value for money, this is such a competitive advantage we seek to provide with the hope that we meet our customers needs to the fullest and leave them ok

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

The small to medium scale farmers that are without necessary tools for use in making their produce( meat, milk, fruits and vegitables. After these we also intend to serve the community schools and institutions who have nutrition gardens who we can get to offer such services. In this we also seek to put those private companies who are into perishables production too.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2024-01-10

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

2

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

1

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

1)Tanyaradzwa Adrial Dendera Founder BSc Hon. in Agriculture (Crop Science) 2)Chipo Dendera C.O.O Stores control and Management Cambridge Diploma 3)Michael Muchenge Dendera Manager BSc in Education (English and Communications Studies)

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

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

l) Agriculture

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

By ensuring that their produce reaches markets in good condition. The farmers are not only stimulated and perpetuated to grow in greater quantities but also that there is promotion of them getting a good and fair price of their produce due to the fact that they have mantained quality. Their standards of living are thus improved from the mere fact that they will have to get money from the intial investments without much loss being incured at the grassroots. More so there is also issue of them selling without rush. In this they will have best price offers than them offering their hard work to hodders and cartel buyers by their respective market places who inturn will be making money 'hand over fist by forcibly getting them to sell at a low price due to perishability factors among other quality compromise issues. By curbing losses productivity is increased. This increased productivity inturn means money to be made. The same money hence circulates into the economy hence they win at the end

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

Yes it strongly contributes to it by maximizing them to have high productivity over the land from which they are producing from. In so doing, by improving all odds that were against them starting from grassroots which is the production site to the secondary sites which are markets, the loss reduction in ensured quality through refridgeration means will thus also mean much of the produce is going to reach its end users intact and in perfect shape. Due to many losses that were being uncurred, the food would end up decaying and not fit for human consumptions. This means thus the produced was thus ending up dumped but with such intervations we will be bringing the SDG will forever be perpetuated and justified. With this program even the least of producers are going to be guaranted that they will be reaping from their hard labours without them being reaped off from losses and these aviatable risks. Henceforth we are ensuring a zero tolerance to hunger by controlling what can be justified.

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

6

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

By it promoting quality products reaching the end users, it promotes health and well being of the customers. The well being is promoted in that if the customers access their products fresh, diseases are lessened as well as dumping of the produce due to decay and perishability. The dumping off is by far the most diseases promoter especially among our towns and cities as it promotes flies breeding and transfering and contaminating foods across. The curb and promotion of lessening diseases like cholera which is still affecting us as a country is something that needs intervention and that is where we are coming in to bridge such gaps.

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

3

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

2

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

2

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

3

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

6

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

Yes it does by repurposing the disposed and of no use containers and breathing life into them and using them for a higher purpose of bringing about quality into produce by maintaining their temperatures hence slowing the metabolic reactions in them. These are thus being made with a fusion of energy provision tools (panels) hence these are thus infrastructure that is sustainable and durable for resilience and sustainability.

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

2

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

Responsible consumption in that it ensures that for that which is produced, that which is expected to reach the end user there are minimilised losses along the way. This is key and this project is addressing this. By meeting half way productivity

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

2

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

2

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

4

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

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

2

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

2

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

6

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

6

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

7 - Strongly Agree

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

6

05.08 Justification

This an intervention which has been used by other countries in africa but hasnt been welcomed yet in our own country. With that the technology is not entirely new but is somewhat new to this sphere of influence and the way it is to be implemented is very new and disruptive in nature. We seek to make use of this in helping serve all post harbest losses which are being incurred in the food systems value chain.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

We have private players who are being hired to ferry the perishables for individuals who are into production of such limited shelf life goods. We also have the exporting campanies who have the state of the art materials and tools to meet the needs and wants of their customers. We will thus stand out as we are looking out to bridge for the small to medium scale farmers amongst other potential clients. These are thus a big number since they are the players who cater for local supply of food across the country. The solution we are bringing also is there to make sure that the farmers markets there is storage capacity to prevent losses. This on its own is a unique and new disruptive way that hasnt been introduced into the country. It is thus a new phenomenon and in that this seperate us from the rest.

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

Yes l am. I have been advocating this within the youth league of my country. As we meet up with the members across the cells, we speak thus for them to have programs that vouch for women independence, emancipation and inclusion. Since it has been of old to have many woman being looked down upon as a result of our patriachy system we have recently pleaded with the President of Zimbabwe to start grassroots projects in the form of poultry, nutrition gardens, youth goat and cattle projects among others. This is a recent advocacy stride l have been doing in my farming community in Karoi. I have been on this for empowerment sake. I have also been an active member of the SAYWHAT organisation going for the peer education on the reproductive health coaching and education. In this also l did advocate for more lady peer educators so that there wouldn't be gender bias in the education and enlightenment strides. This was when l was in teratiary doing my degree program but haven't stopped since.