Meet GES Delegate:Naomi Tulay-Solanke
Name: Naomi Tulay-Solanke
Twitter handle: @communityheal10
Country of Origin: Liberia
Organization Name: Community Healthcare Initiative
Organization Website: www.chiliberia.org
Brief Description of Organization:
Background:
Community Health Care Initiative-Pad for Girls is a social enterprise dedicated to increasing access to healthcare, freedom and dignity to everyone across Liberia - especially women regardless of race, ethnicity and sex. CHI-Pad for Girls is addressing the menstrual management needs of girls in rural and under-privileged communities as a causal factor behind the increase in the number of female drop-outs across Liberia. Made from local and reusable textiles, the CHI-Pad for Girls kit provides an incentive for increasing girls’ retention in schools, improving their health, and contributing to their communities through Eco-friendly solutions.
What inspired you to start this organization?
My life experience of being a teenage mother at 14 years is my inspiration for establishing Community Health Care Initiative-Pad for Girls. Despite the ordeals, I could go on to acquiring a Master’s Degree 14 years later and thereafter founded this venture as a visible action to help young girls attain quality education. CHI-Pad for Girls is my life commitment to ensuring that young girls lead, live healthy lives and attain quality education by addressing the problems affecting them in a timely and affordable manner.
What is the next big step you hope to help your organization reach?
Despite its level of innovation, CHI-Pad for Girls has yet to reach 15% of girls in school across Liberia. Our next big step is securing capital investment through grants or equity loans to ensure the procurement of 200 sewing machines and training of 25 women cooperatives in pad production. At a production rate of 5,000 pads monthly, we will ensure the decentralization of our products and opening of a marketing channel of distribution to empower small women business cooperatives. Through this, we hope to reach 85% of girls in school by 2018 thereby increasing retention rates at the macro level.
What has been your biggest obstacle as an entrepreneur?
Access to start-up capital has been my biggest obstacle in my entrepreneurial journey. I have always wanted to question conventional ideas and explore novel and practical solutions. Yet, it becomes increasingly frustrating and challenging to neither see a unique idea being piloted nor grown due to lack of start-up capital. Overtime, I have learned unique approaches to designing sustainable models and bringing ideas to action. Learning to start small and scale up gradually has helped break the donor-reliance cycle and the design of CHI-Pad for Girls testifies to this.
What advice would you give to other emerging entrepreneurs?
My advice is to never underrate your own value and the value of confidence and passion. Go and do whatever your idea or your passion is. For CHI-Pad for Girls, I just went and did it. You got to take the risks. If you believe in your idea and are willing to work hard, sooner or later that dream will be a reality.
