female entrepreneur - Women of Rubies

In Interviews&profile May 8, 2023 By Women of Rubies

Tomilola Majekodunmi Is Driving Financial Inclusion In Africa With Bankly

Tomilola Majekodunmi is a visionary entrepreneur and co-founder of Bankly, a fintech platform that is driving financial inclusion in Africa.

With the aim of providing access to financial services for all, Bankly is making it possible for people to make payments, save, withdraw, and transfer money to other people, particularly in locations where physical banks are difficult to access.

In Africa, traditional banking systems can be a challenge to access, particularly for those living in rural areas or low-income communities. This is where Bankly comes in, offering financial services to those who need them most. By leveraging the power of fintech, Bankly is helping to bridge the gap between the unbanked and the financial system, driving financial inclusion and improving the lives of millions of people in Africa.

Bankly’s platform is designed to be user-friendly, accessible, and secure. Users can open an account quickly and easily, using their mobile phones, and start accessing financial services immediately. The platform is built on modern, secure technology, ensuring that users’ transactions are safe and their personal data is protected.

One of the key ways that Bankly is driving financial inclusion in Africa is through its agent network. Bankly agents are entrepreneurs who operate small businesses in their communities, acting as intermediaries between Bankly and its users. These agents are trained to provide financial services to their customers, including deposits, withdrawals, and money transfers. By working with agents, Bankly is able to extend its reach and provide financial services to more people in remote and underserved areas.

Another way that Bankly is driving financial inclusion in Africa is through its focus on savings. Bankly offers a variety of savings products, including group savings and savings plans, that help people save for their future. By promoting a culture of saving, Bankly is helping to build financial resilience and security for its users.

In addition to its core financial services, Bankly also offers value-added services, such as bill payments, airtime purchases, and loan applications. These services make it easier for people to manage their finances and access the resources they need to improve their lives.

Tomilola Majekodunmi’s work with Bankly is making a significant impact on financial inclusion in Africa. Through its innovative fintech solutions, Bankly is helping to bring more people into the financial system, improving their access to financial services, and promoting economic growth and development across the continent. With Tomilola’s leadership, Bankly is poised to continue its growth and expand its reach, making a positive difference in the lives of millions of people in Africa.

In Inspiration March 14, 2020 By Editor

A Woman entrepreneur creates jobs with dried fruits for other women

Yasemin Korkut started selling dried figs, grown in her father’s garden, on social media outlets. As demand grew, she decided to enlarge the venture by adding more products. She lives in the western province of İzmir.

She has even experimented with other dried fruits, such as pineapples, bananas, kiwis and even eggplants.

Strong demand for her products grew more and she entered a local competition, titled “Young Women Empowering,” winning second place with her project.

She created jobs for 30 women from her village and established a facility that included a cold storage depot. All this with the help of100,000 Turkish Liras grant from the Small and Medium Industry Development Organization (KOSGEB),

she is now shipping her products under the label “Bilara,” named after her neighborhood’s former name, to a number of cities across Turkey.

She is currently expecting to receive orders from Germany this year.

“We annually produce some 100 tons of dried fruits and vegetables. I want to increase the capacity to create more jobs for women. I want to enter foreign markets,” Korkut said.

According to her interest from local consumers remain strong so they could hardly meet the demand. That is why she wants to build a new 800-meter-square facility.

“I am an ambitious person. I get what I want. We started out with one woman, now we are 30 women working here. Women must believe in themselves. Women can achieve anything if they really want to,” she said.

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In Interviews&profile January 25, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

ENTREPRENEUR CREATES DOLL COLLECTION TO HELP BLACK GIRLS OVERCOME DEPRESSION

TiffanyJ, an artist and entrepreneur, suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts when she was young. So, in hopes of helping young Black girls that are battling depression, she has created an avenue to boost their confidence and self-esteem through a new superhero doll called “Super Beauty”.

At 12-years old, TiffanyJ started to experience depression that is considered common to young Black girls. At 14-years old, she realized that she can share her feelings through songwriting. But by the age of 24, she became self-employed and became the author of her first published book titled It All Starts With Me: An Interactive Guide To Discovering Self and Loving.

Through her book, she shared her own experiences and gave some advice to those who have been battling depression like how she used to be. She also held an annual Beauty, You Are Boot Camp. It was such a great advocacy and she saw that she can do more to reach more.

“For a while, I had been on a mission with self-esteem advocacy, but that book did not reach the audience and mentees I had that were young girls,” she told Black Enterprise.

Now, she has created Super Beauty Pep Talker, a speaking doll that says positive and inspiring messages such as “Nobody Do Me Better Than Me.” She hopes to let young Black girls know that they are unique and beautiful.

TiffanyJ hopes to sell the Super Beauty Pep Talker in Wal-Mart and other retail store chains.

In self development November 3, 2018 By Editor

“MY HUSBAND ENCOURAGED ME TO START MY JUICE COMPANY” – TEMILOLUWA BALOGUN

Temiloluwa Balogun is fulfilling that dream by following her passion by changing the narrative unhealthy food consumption, She is the CEO of DawnJuice, a fast rising organic fruit juice and smoothies company in Nigeria. The young budding entrepreneur earned her degree in Microbiology from Olabisi Onabanjo University. Temi is strong advocate for healthy lifestyle. She continues to promote healthy living and lifestyle by carefully creating recipes to meet her family and clientele demands; encourages young people—especially women to choose healthy meal options.

She has supported and partnered with several organizations to drive the message of healthy lifestyle home , while she also runs her beauty and lifestyle outfit MO’s Crib Ventures on the side to further help women with their day to day lifestyle as it relates to beauty and make-up.

Temiloluwa who is happily married with children is also a certified Air hostess , In her words “ If I wasn’t into Juice business , I would have been a very successful air hostess because I commit myself to everything I do and give it my all”.

She shares her story with Esther Ijewere in this interview and shed more light on the need to eat and stay healthy.

Childhood Influence

I wouldn’t say Yes or No. But, all I can relate is that the church we attended back then fruits was always the order of the day,invariably I got introduced and exposed to fruits very early in life in varieties.

Meet Temi

A mother of three, who loves caring for her home. An entrepreneur and business woman who owns both Mo’s Crib and Dawn Juice (beauty and healthy lifestyle). I love caring for people around me, love togetherness, working with my team especially in areas of support and supervision. I’m very hardworking, humble, fun person, down to earth, takes responsibility and shares authority amongst workers accordingly. Happy to protect and serve her home, the people around her and give back to the society.

Inspiration behind Dawn Juice

I got inspired by a handful of thoughts, just to mention a few; I recall that fast foods and drinks was the order of the day for my generation while growing up. It was trendy and a breakaway from the normal home food making. Little did we know that like everything it has its own side effects. I wanted to change the narrative, and that’s where the inspiration for Dawn juice came from, I started with my immediate family and friends , moreso the society needs more awareness about living, eating and staying healthy, so since eating is one of the behavioral functions of humans for living, what goes into the esophagus should be healthy and 100% clean, organic and fresh. Our products are from natural fruit and vegetables contains no artificial preservative or additives which guarantees healthy lifestyle. To help the World in reducing sickness and diseases resulting from unhealthy eating and passing the healthy lifestyle culture to the incoming generation.

Challenges of running Dawn Juice

Dawnjuice deals with fresh, organic farm produce which are personally sorted for in a good state. The most dreadful challenge is when the fruits all get spoilt/rotten before used or when already processed and bottled up for sales and been kept in the fridge but the generator or fridge and or PHCN decides to give up at the same time and it all gets sour. It’s heart breaking and no juicing company wants to experience it. Luckily, we have been able to adjust by not relying solely on PHCN but also solar electricity

Another challenge is trying to change the narrative by breaking the cycle of unhealthy food, apparently most people are used to that, it’s also challenging that prospective buyers are always skeptical about the content of healthy drinks either because of previous experience with other brands or out of fear Thankfully, three of our products are NAFDAC approved, so quality is always guaranteed.

Another bottleneck is pricing. Most people may find it convenient to buy a N100 or N200 unhealthy drink than to buy a N600 to N1000 healthy drinks- juice or smoothies of the same Litres.

Cost of business in Lagos is quite high, ranging from electricity bills, transportation, licensing etc. this will definitely affect the price. However, we have worked so hard to keep the overhead costs so low while maintaining its quality recipe that the pricing is almost equivalent to do-it-yourself cost at home

Plans to hold a walk

Dawnjuice is working on starting up a walk campaign which will be held once every year or depending on the outcome of the first program when it commences. The campaign is a Walk against Disease, which is one of the major reasons Dawnjuice was birthed, we are also open to give support to and partner with any organization or company that gives back to the society.

Reward

Our greatest reward so far is been referred too with good and positive feedback. Our customers satisfaction is our main priority and we are also ready and happy to serve those buds with our healthy and hearty recipes.

DawnJuice in 5 years

In today’s competitive world, it’s our job to stay true to our product, quality, quantity and remain humble, stay friendly with our customers and remain consistent with them and have their satisfaction as our main goal at all times. With that been said our customers can only make it work with continuous demand from them and supply from us. I’m really excited about the future cause it takes drops of water to make an ocean, with continuous hard-work, teamwork and determination dreams do come through. Nothing is impossible if we put our minds to it, Dawnjuice moves in a steady pace, gradual is he that want to eat fat, so establishing branches in the various locations in Lagos and then other states to spread our vision throughout the country. Healthy eating is no longer expensive.

I will keep pushing against all odds

There’s hardly anything you set to do that someone else isn’t doing and that alone can get you thinking on how you’ll start and meet market standard and the thoughts of not been capable of sustaining in the market. At the beginning not having the necessary and right machinery to make work faster, effective and efficient. I almost gave up but with great support and encouragement, I went back to drawing board evaluated what exactly I needed and wanted to do. A lot of things can discourage one from attain success but with determination, set mind and focus all will be the thing of the past sooner or later.

My husband is my Inspiration

I got inspired by My Husband as I get to prepare Juice for him like every other day, as healthy living is a long term and continuous commitment and he was very conscious of his diet with the Juice added. That birthed the dream. Continuous attempts paved way for learning, exploring and researching into the World of Juicing, the juicing in small quantities been made, started growing progressively by the day and boom DAWNJUICE here I come.

More inspiration came as I get to influence people around me to living and eating better and healthy by adjusting their diet plan by adding Juice or smoothies to their meal plan.

Being a Woman of Rubies

I believe as a woman being independent goes a long way for us, our kids and the society at large, we need to wake up from the Mentality of keeping ourselves in the wall of our homes, care for the household and not mix and mingle with the ongoing events around us and our surroundings.

We have lots of talents and things to offer to the society, starting from been supportive to our husbands in every ramification, raising our kids and instilling good habits in them, been our sisters keeper at all times and helping fellow women instead making her feel inferior.

Are Nigerians well informed on the need to eat and drink healthy

Yes! Almost everyone is into one thing or the other it’s either you hear of Exercising (fitness club) or the Keto diet, smoothies cleansing etc. Everybody wants to live long in good health and so in achieving that they fall on any of the mentioned above. Staying in shape is trendy thing now – exercising and having a good diet, everything and anything at all that can make the old look younger. Farming is also beginning to resurface as fresh and organic crop product are more save and reliable to consume.

Why we support charitable causes

Dawnjuice loves to support and promote other business the little way we can cause we all need each other to grow, it gives us more exposure and opportunities and help reach our prospective customers , giving them an insight and knowledge about DawnJuice.