Rita Asamoah - Founder and CEO of Kasdar Company Ltd.
Rita Asamoah was born in 1950 in Ghana. After completing her secondary schooling Rita moved to London to join her family and continue her education. She graduated from Edmonton College began working, primarily with import/export companies. Always an entrepreneur at heart, Rita decided to set up a cosmetic wholesale and retail business when she returned to Ghana in 1996. She has been running her business successfully ever since.
Rita’s experience in the import/export trade industry and her strong interest in processing and manufacturing led her to begin researching just the right business opportunity with the Ghana Export Promotion Council. Processing and packaging desiccated fruit became her passion: “The fact that dessicated fruits are not well known to many Ghanaians as a healthy and convenient snack did not put me off. I want to make sure that every Ghanaian household includes desiccated fruits as part of a healthy diet” she says.
Rita believes that desiccated fruit production will be an effective way to minimize the vast harvest wastage that occurs in Ghana every year, especially with fruit crops. She has developed an innovative relationship with a large system of out-growers who are keen to turn their wastage into revenue. For Rita this will mean enough inputs to produce for export markets as well as the domestic market.
Rita participated in the 2006 Believe Begin Become Competition and emerged as the winner of the Agribusiness category. She has used her Seed Capital and Aftercare Awards for the purchase and installation of the dried mill for the fruits processing, packaging and promotional materials, a sealing machine and other accessories.
‘Bridging the gap’ between entrepreneurs and the financial sector is one of the many advantages of Believe Begin Become. To this end, Kasdar Company Ltd. has successfully secured a $650,000 financing from Ghana’s Venture Capital Trust Fund. This money will be used to finance the company’s expansion plans which include the construction of a new processing factory at Nsawam in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The company has since received the first disbursement, of $8,000 and the rest will be disbursed as the company achieves the milestones set in the deal.. Rita say’s her company has however begun production on a small scale and has distributed samples of her products to several leading supermarkets and convenience shops within and outside Accra. Kasdar Company Ltd is well on its way to success!
Isaac Bohulu – Founder and CEO of Natural Scientific Pharmaceuticals Ltd
“…for Isaac, the Believe Begin Become competition was a door of opportunity that led to crystallizing his dreams into reality…”
Born in 1957 in the Western Region of Ghana, Isaac Bohulu seeks to champion excellence. A Pharmacy and M.B.A graduate, with vast work experience in the health care industry, Isaac seeks to change the perception that herbal medicine is risky and unsafe by “producing, packaging and branding herbal medicine that you and I would be comfortable with.” He has expanded his existing business, Natural-Scientific Pharmaceuticals Ltd, which produces pharmaceutical products from neem leaves and shea butter.
The $15,000 in Seed Capital and $10,000 in After Care Awards Isaac received as a 2006 winner have enabled him to begin expansion. He has purchased processing equipment, raw materials, imported appropriate packaging bottles, developed a logo and also printed brochures and labels for his products.
Natural Scientific Pharmaceuticals Ltd begun production and distribution of Neemfresh, a herbal mouthwash for protection against gum disease. Neemfresh can be found in a few of the major hospitals, dental clinics and several pharmacies, located across Accra, the nation’s capital. Isaac is also working with the Food and Drugs Board on the final certification of two of his other products before distribution on the market.
Believe Begin Become helped Isaac build a bankable business plan and put it into motion. Though there have been challenges, as expected, what keeps Isaac going no matter how tough the road gets is the desire to be a successful graduate of Ghana’s National Business Plan Competition and Entrepreneurship Development Program. He strongly encourages others like him to Believe…Begin…and Become….
Building on the platform that Believe Begin Become provided, Mr. Isaac Bohulu has led his company to successfully secure a $40,000 financing from Ghana’s Venture Capital Trust Fund. This money will be used to finance the company’s expansion plans which include the purchase of additional equipments to facilitate increased production. The company has since received the first disbursement, of $8,000 and the rest will be disbursed as the company achieves the milestones set in the deal.
