Afripreneur
Opeyemi Adeyemi: Addressing menstruation stigma with her invention, The Flow Game
Opeyemi Adeyemi fondly called dryemz is a Public Health Physician and owner of the sexual health clinic which runs under O and A Medical Center Ogun State, Nigeria. She had her medical training in Sumy State University, Ukraine and MscPH from the University of South Wales. Opeyemi invented The Flow Game in an effort to address menstruation stigma and has written two books on sexual and reproductive health. Her foundation runs the Brave Boys and Girls club which travels around the South western part of Nigeria to provide sex education to children and teenagers in the effort to fight against public health issues like teenage pregnancy, STIs, HIV/AIDS and Sexual assault. In this interview with Alaba Ayinuola, she speaks on her social entrepreneurship journey, The Flow Game and why she is addressing sexual and reproductive health issues. Excerpts.
Alaba: Could you briefly tell us about yourself and your social entrepreneurship journey?
Opeyemi: I am a public health physician who is passionate about sexual and reproductive health. I am also the creator of the FLOW GAME which is West Africa’s first board game that teaches menstrual health. My journey started in 2017 during my NYSC program where I met with the impact of misinformation and lack of access to youth friendly sexual clinics had on teenagers and young people. This led me to the start of The Brave Boys and Girls Club tour around secondary schools where students are given age specific sexuality education free of discrimination and judgment. From touring, it gave birth to menstruation workshops, consent workshops and now creation of board games that are afrocentric and youth friendly.
Alaba: What inspired you to launch O & A Medical Center and The Menstrual Flow Game?
Opeyemi: The Sexual Health Clinic is under O and A Medical Center in Asero, Abeokuta where anybody regardless of your background, gender, sexual orientation or any other status can get care for sexual and reproductive health issues. We offer a wide range of services that are cost friendly for the average Nigerian. The Flow game was created because during the tour, I realized the power of menstruation stigma, so decided to involve the team of expertise and the girls from the club in the creation.
Alaba: What is the core issue you are addressing with the Flow Game?
Opeyemi: Menstruation is a subject that still has a great level of shame attached to it. Some cultures still see menstrual blood as dirty blood. Some girls use harmful products to collect their menstrual blood. The Flow Game is a fun way to teach menstrual health and hygiene. The game covers four main areas: the female reproductive system, menstruation and menstrual related health issues, menstrual products, pregnancy and contraception. Other issues touched on include sexual assault, consent and sexually transmitted infections.
Alaba: How have you attracted users and grown the platform from the start?
Opeyemi: The platform is currently being reviewed as the plan is to take it digital; decided to start with a board game as it is easier with the tours, besides an average Nigerian teenager might not have the resources to play the game online and did not want to miss out on these sets of people. The buzz around the game is increasing, the game was recognized on Menstrual Hygiene Day 2021 by the African Coalition for Menstrual Health Hygiene and the Indian Commissioner of Women Affairs during a conference held in Bangladesh.
Alaba: Data protection is a concern for users of health platforms. Could you explain your data protection policy?
Opeyemi: Right now we are are currently working on our policy but I can assure users that they would be protected besides the data page in design would require nickname, age, sex and email address.
Alaba: Would you expand in the direction of male health (fertility, contraception, etc)?
Opeyemi: Yes, in June, 2021. In a bid of getting a project with an international organization, the Play It Safe board game was created and it is currently being tested in the school tours. The game is for both genders and covers safe sex practices.
Alaba: As a social entrepreneur, what has been your biggest challenge up until now?
Opeyemi: The field I chose is still faced with a lot of stigma, so a lot of sensitization is involved, changing mindsets and cultures associated with it. The second I would say is finances, balancing the cost of production and the ability of the target community to afford the services rendered.
Alaba: The term Femtech is still quite new. What is your opinion of the state of Femtech industry and its growth?
Opeyemi: Femtech has had a massive impact on female health, so many innovative ideas that are gender specific. A good example are period tracking apps which have allowed women to track the menstrual cycle, have a better understanding of their cycle and make informed decision about fertility. I am happy to be in the industry and I know there is still so much more to be done especially in Nigeria.
Alaba: Where do you see the Flow Game and sexual wellness in the next 5 years?
Opeyemi: This is one question I keep asking myself every day, I desire to go beyond the Flow Game. Very few innovations on sexual and reproductive health tailored to the African woman. I would like to be one of the women creating sexual health innovations that are Afrocentric in the next five years.
Alaba: As an inspiring social entrepreneur, what piece of advice would you give to fellow female entrepreneurs?
Opeyemi: Invest in knowledge; learn from those who have done things in your desired field. Also understand that gender is nothing more than a social construct it does not define YOU, whatever you want to achieve is not tied to gender. Dream big and take steps to turn the dreams into realities.
Afripreneur
Embodiment Healthcare: Leveraging artificial intelligence to revolutionize patient care
Embodiment Healthcare is transforming the Nigerian healthcare landscape with an AI-powered telehealth revolution. It’s innovative platform slashes wait times, accelerates clinical decisions, and delivers personalized treatment plans right to your doorstep. In this exclusive interview with Alaba Ayinuola of Business Africa Online (BAO), the Co-founders and Co-CEOs Johnbosco Ifeanyi Chigbo and Peter-Paul Ihenagwa, both trained pharmacists share more insight on embodiment healthcare and it’s solutions. Excerpt.
Can you tell us about your startup, Embodiment Healthcare, and its mission in the healthcare industry?
Embodiment Healthcare is a health-tech startup that leverages cutting-edge artificial intelligence to revolutionize patient care. Our mission is to democratize healthcare by making it more accessible, efficient, and personalized. We are committed to bridging the gap between medical services and patients who need them, using technology to create a more equitable healthcare landscape.
Could you explain your AI platform’s key features and capabilities, and how it sets you apart from other healthcare startups?
Our AI platform is designed with several key features that address the needs of modern healthcare providers and patients. These include:
- Personalized treatment recommendations based on patient history and current health data
- Natural language processing for improved patient engagement and automated documentation.
What sets us apart is our focus on not just one aspect of healthcare but the entire ecosystem, ensuring that our platform can scale with providers and adapt to the changing landscape of health tech.
What specific challenges or pain points in healthcare does your platform address?
Embodiment healthcare is solving the 3 most vicious problems that bewilder healthcare in Africa: Accessibility, Affordability, Convenience and the one-size-fits-all approach that overlooks individual patient needs.. The average Nigerian spends at least 3 hours in the waiting room just to see a GP. It can take weeks to months to see a specialist. We believe that for healthcare to be effective, it has to be convenient.
Existing healthcare is expensive due to scarcity and securing basic healthcare in Nigeria is a daunting task. Our platform streamlines administrative tasks, supports telehealth services, and promotes personalized medicine Our vision is to build an Africa where healthcare is accessible for all, irrespective of insurance or socio-economic status.
How do you work with healthcare organizations to ensure the affordability and accessibility of your platform?
Currently, we are working on partnering with health insurance companies to increase the accessibility and affordability of our services. We also partner with specialist clinics to bring the best treatment portfolio closer to our patient door step. Currently we are working on partnering with a dermatology clinic to increase our treatment plans for dermatology conditions. We partner with healthcare organizations through various models to ensure our platform is both affordable and accessible. This includes subscription-based models, pay-per-use, and even custom partnerships depending on the organization’s needs. We’re committed to working with these organizations to find sustainable financial models.
What measures do you take to ensure the security and privacy of patient data when using your platform?
Patient data security and privacy are our top priorities. We adhere to strict data protection standards. We employ end-to-end encryption, regular security audits, and access controls to ensure data integrity and confidentiality. We employ highly advanced cyber security measures to ensure that our patient data safety is guaranteed. We also vet our doctors and ensure they adhere to strict professional and regulatory standards while handling our patient data.
Could you share the innovations that Embodiment Healthcare is working on?
We are continuously innovating, and some of our upcoming projects include further integration with IoT devices for expanded remote monitoring and implementing blockchain for secure patient data exchange. We’re also exploring the use of AI for genomic data analysis to advance personalized medicine. As well as integrating wearable technology for real-time health monitoring.
In addition, we are working on a partnership with a major telecommunication company in Africa to provide doctor on-call consultation using advanced technology. This will enable our patients to speak to a doctor by just dialing a unique code. We are also working on incorporation Natural language processing NLP, to enable users interact with a doctor in their local language using their mobile phones
What would you say about the growth of health tech-enabled solutions in Africa? And what are the recommendations
Health tech-enabled solutions in Africa are experiencing rapid growth, leveraging mobile technology and AI to improve healthcare accessibility and delivery. Early startups should prioritize user-centered design, understand local contexts, forge partnerships with healthcare providers, and focus on scalability and sustainability to maximize impact and address unique challenges in the region.
Afripreneur
Claire Rutambuka: Showcasing the beauty of diversity
Claire RUTAMBUKA is an entrepreneur and the creator of Akâna Dolls. Beyond her professional background in International Trade, she has always been passionate about the creation of small and diverse objects. During her early childhood in Rwanda, she was fortunate to have toys and in particular a doll that she cared very much about. It was not only a privilege to have a doll but even more so to have one with her skin color.
When Claire Rutambuka became a mother years later, she was surprised that she couldn’t easily find such a doll for her children that would showcase the beauty of little black girls. That’s how the idea of creating “Akâna Dolls” came about. Akâna is a word of Rwandan origin that can be translated as “little child”. It’s also a nod to the founder’s origins.
The brand was born from a mother’s desire to meet a need; namely, giving all children the opportunity to choose a doll they can relate to and adults an additional choice when it comes to gifting. After the first realization of the “Kaliza” doll, the ambition is to gradually expand the collection to include more skin shades and hair textures, so that every child feels represented.
Afripreneur
Hakeem Abogunde: Building Slash, a solution for Africa B2B market
Hakeem Abogunde, CEO Slash Africa. SLASH is a decentralized B2B marketplace where buyers and sellers meet to facilitate and protect their transactions. Buyers can place orders and make payment into “Slash Account”. Slash will hold the fund until item(s) is delivered. In this interview with Alaba Ayinuola of Business Africa Online (BAO), Hakeem shares his journey into tech entrepreneurship and how he is building the solution for Africa’s B2B marketplace with Slash. Excerpt.
Alaba: To start with, could you share your journey into tech entrepreneurship?
Hakeem: Growing up as a kid, I was the type of guy who loved the internet. I spent most of my time reading, studying, and researching information and news on the internet. Most times, I would be on my computer from night till the next morning; that’s how attached I was to the internet space.
My journey as a tech entrepreneur started in 2005 when I dropped out of school to pursue my career as an entrepreneur. I joined my sister in her wholesale business at Lagos Island. During this period, I witnessed how people traveled from different parts of Nigeria to Lagos just to purchase products and resell them in their various locations. This journey was usually stressful, time-consuming, and costly. As an internet expert, I began to think of how I could use the internet to connect with these people and stop them from traveling to Lagos. Unfortunately, the internet wasn’t as popular then, and the only functioning platform available was Nairaland. On Nairaland, I would post some of our products and connect with a few people who were online at that time.
After a few years in the business, I joined a Multi-Level Marketing company where I led a team of over 500 sales reps. In the Multi-Level Marketing company, we usually went offline to meet with customers, sell our products to them, and get paid based on the sales volume. As an internet expert, to increase my team’s sales volume, I started selling the products online using different social media platforms. However, I later realized that most of these platforms were not efficient. It was then that I decided to build my own e-commerce website. Unfortunately, I didn’t know how to write code then.
So, I enrolled in a web programming course online, and as a fast learner, in less than 3 months, I was able to build our own e-commerce site from scratch. That actually increased our sales volume by 10 times. I started falling in love with programming and became a freelancer. I worked as a freelancer, developing mobile and web applications for both individuals and companies for 5 years. After, I decided to build a startup.
Alaba: You are currently building a solution for Africa’s B2B market through your venture, Slash Africa. Kindly tell us more and the inspiration behind it?
Hakeem: Slash Africa is a decentralized B2B marketplace that connects African retailers with suppliers globally and enables them to carry out secure transactions without any intermediary.
I got the inspiration when I was working with my sister in her wholesale business. I discovered a huge economic inequality between suppliers and retailers. For instance, one of the biggest problems Nigeria is currently facing is artificial scarcity perpetuated by most suppliers in other to increase the price of their products. This creates a market environment that heavily favors them, leaving retailers at a disadvantage. Having experienced this myself, I think now is the best time to democratize Africa’s wholesale market. This will give retailers access to varieties of quality products at very competitive prices and also save them more money and time.
Alaba: What sets Slash Africa apart from other Africa B2B market solutions, and how are you positioning it to become the go-to solution for Africa’s B2B market?
Hakeem: We are the first decentralized marketplace in Africa. We allow both small and big suppliers to list their products and enable direct interaction between suppliers and retailers, allowing them to define their terms and conditions of transactions without an intermediary. This will increase the level of trust and transparency and also gives everyone equal access to the market. Additionally, by operating on a decentralized fulfillment management system, we make our operation faster and minimize cost.
Alaba: What have been Slash Africa’s biggest challenges, and how do you overcome them?
Hakeem: Initially, our intention was to build a platform that enables everyone to create their own independent online store in minutes without coding. But we later realized that most suppliers/sellers, after creating their stores, didn’t have the money and skills to promote their stores. As a result, they didn’t make any sales and they would abandon their store. At that point, we decided to convert it to a marketplace, this enables them not just to create their stores but also connects them with potential customers.
Alaba: Raising capital has been one of the major challenges entrepreneurs face. How are you currently fundraising?
Hakeem: Raising funds as a local founder is very difficult if you don’t have any investor connections. Most African investors are not helping the situation either. Imagine this: because an African investor doesn’t know you, they won’t want to have anything to do with you. They also like to copy the US model. Technology in Africa is still at a very early stage, and the level of adoption is still very low compared to the US. Without local experience, getting people to adopt your solution will be very difficult, and this is where local founders have the advantage. So far, we have been funding our project through bootstrapping and support from families and friends.
Alaba: Can you tell us your impression of the current entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem in Africa? How have you seen it transform in the last 5 years?
Hakeem: In the last 5 years, the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem in Africa has been growing rapidly. I see a lot of young entrepreneurs solving problems by leveraging modern technologies. But we need to work more in the area of getting people to adopt these solutions, and that is where local expertise is needed.
Alaba: What are Slash Africa’s priorities/plans for the year, and where do you see this venture in the next 5 years?
Hakeem: This year, our priorities involve raising funds, strengthening our team, scaling in Nigeria and reaching $1 million in monthly sales. In the next 5 years, we are projecting Slash Africa to hit $200 million in monthly sales and become the largest B2B marketplace in Africa.
Alaba: What is your advice to budding entrepreneurs aspiring to go into tech?
Hakeem: My advice to entrepreneurs aspiring to go into tech is to come with the pure intention to solve a problem and not just for the money. Because when you prioritize money, you won’t have the drive to build the business, and eventually, you will fail. Secondly, you also need to love the people you are building the project for because this will also be your driving force.
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