PROJECT: Santa Maria Medical Center, Côte d'Ivoire
Healthcare provider in the underprivileged region of Abobo, Côte d'Ivoire.

Lucie Avoaka: "Strength through unity"

In Africa, quality medical care - especially preventive care - can be expensive and difficult to find. Lucie Avoaka's Santa Maria Medical Centre aims to change that by providing a range of medical services at prices which are adapted to the client's budget.

Lucie studied medicine in her native Abidjan and decided to specialize in tropical medicine. She worked in the public health service for over 18 years and then went on to become an independent consultant in public health issues, specifically in tropical medicine and STDs. Her contact with patients in the field has given her a real understanding of the need for quality preventive medicine among poorer communities.

Preventive medecine for the people, by the people

"I spent 10 years working with high risk populations," says Lucie. "During that time, I became convinced that more could be done to improve medical conditions for these people."
At the Santa Maria Medical Centre, clients will be able to consult qualified, experienced professionals, whatever their budget. Prices are adjusted in line with income and a 'health passport' ensures that even the poorest individuals can gain access to high quality medical care.

As well as medical consultations, the Santa Maria Medical Centre will conduct biological analyses and provide training and employment for health care professionals. Abidjan's existing medical laboratories are under-resourced and over worked, so the new center will play a vital role in improving clinical diagnoses. Ten new jobs have already been created and there are plans to expand further.

A fully integrated program

The Santa Maria Medical Centre will also conduct research into public health issues and run educational programs to promote preventive medicine. "Many of Africa's most pressing health issues could be tackled through effective preventive health programs. Social awareness is critical but existing educational programs do not reach far enough," confirms Lucie.

Lucie's approach is rare in Africa, where medical programs aimed at impoverished populations tend to be run on a temporary basis to tackle major problems as and when they arise. She hopes that her preventive approach to health care will result in significant reductions in infant and childhood mortality as well as improvements in occupational and sexual health.

A victory for the whole of Africa

Lucie is aiming high and hopes that the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards will help her achieve her goals. "I was overjoyed to learn that I had been nominated for the final," she says. "Winning would allow me to fulfill my dream of taking the Santa Maria project across borders and setting up similar programs in other African countries."
Before launching the project, Lucie took a higher education certificate in business management but still hopes to benefit from the coaching awarded to finalists. "Being a business woman, especially an African business woman, is a daily struggle for recognition," explains Lucie. "The support of an organization like Cartier will help us to develop and improve our financial and marketing strategies. I hope that the coaches are going to become part of the team!"

PROJECT: Muya Ethiopia, Ethiopia
Collection of clothing and home decoration textile based on the use of traditional weaving techniques.

Sara Abera: "Introducing the world to Ethiopia's cultural heritage"

Fine garments and earthenware are part of the rich cultural heritage in Africa, but craftsmen are often underprivileged and exploited. Sara Abera's project for a handicraft production company aims to change that by supplying quality items to high-end markets in a socially and environmentally responsible way.

Born in Wollega, in south-western Ethiopia, Sara was schooled in Addis Ababa. She followed a fashion design course there before moving to Athens in 1985 to complete further fashion studies. On returning to Ethiopia, she was alarmed to see how undervalued traditional handicrafts, particularly woven goods, had become. This, in turn was leading to a depletion of Ethiopian craft skills, once passed on from one generation to the next.

"At the same time, I realized that there was a potential market for high quality woven products in richer countries," says Sara. It was at this time that she founded her first company, Sara Garment Designers and Manufacturers, a business that now counts Ethiopian Airlines among its customers, in addition to its international clients.

A decent living in a healthy environment

Then, in 2005, Sara created Muya Ethiopia, a handicraft centre producing high-quality clothing, accessories and home furnishings for export to high-end markets. "Prestige brands in the global north already produce African-inspired lines, but these rarely have any benefits for Africa. I wanted to reclaim a segment of the market in which Ethiopia should be more active."

"We're aiming to break into luxury markets in the north by establishing lasting partnerships with agents and importers. We have a rare expertise in using age-old designs and production techniques to produce high-quality contemporary items," notes Sara. "Now, we need to use the expertise of partners to market our products appropriately. This is an area where Cartier and McKinsey consultants can really help us."

The business also has clear social benefits, providing its craftsmen and women with vital employment and quality-awareness training. Already it has 120 employees, working on a clean, safe compound in Addis Ababa. They are provided with raw materials, as well as a subsidized meal every day. A similar, larger site is now under construction, with plans to take on a further 600 weavers and potters in the next five years. Muya Ethiopia's socially-responsible model has resulted in its becoming the first Ethiopian company to obtain coveted International Fair Trade Association membership.

"Our products may be slightly more expensive than other items available on the market, but we believe that the modern consumer will be prepared to pay a premium for the tradition, quality and social benefits that anchor the business," says Sara.

Changing Ethiopia's image

Muya Ethiopia has already taken part in a number of trade fairs in North America and Europe, but there is still a lot of work to be done. "Winning the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards would bring international recognition from a major consumer brand to our project." explains Sara. "We need a strong market strategy if we are to succeed and I hope that the coaching phase will help us to refine our business plan for the markets we hope to enter."

"Recent history has had a negative impact on the world's perception of Ethiopia," adds Sara. "By exporting our cultural heritage and know-how, we hope to show the world that there is much more to our country than drought and food shortages."

PROJECT: Santa Maria Medical Center, Cote d'Ivoire
Healthcare provider in the underprivileged region of Abobo, Cote d'Ivoire.

Audrey Dlamini: "Consultations with patients in my work as a medical practitioner led me to start a skincare business"

Born in Swaziland, trained as a doctor in Kenya, and working in Ghana, Audrey Dlamini has witnessed the side-effects of widespread dangerous skin and beauty treatments across the African continent. Now, she's started a business to respond to African women's skincare needs using the goodness of shea butter, so-called "African Gold", as a basic ingredient.

Either in attempts to reduce hyper-pigmentation, or to achieve supposedly more beautiful, paler skin tones, women in Africa have for years used cocktails of dermatological products. In many cases, chronic use, abuse of steroid-based creams, application of artificial bleaching agents, and even use of products containing mercury, leads to serious medical complications.

"I have seen women suffer tissue scarring, thinning of the skin, hypertension and even renal failure as a result of chronic and over-use of these products," says Audrey. "Despite efforts in consultation rooms, it has proved extremely difficult to get some patients to stop using such harmful skin treatments."

Shea butter: a natural therapeutic alternative

Following extensive research into the various qualities (including skin-nourishing properties) of shea butter, fruit of the shea tree, Audrey set up Bumesaye Naturals. "I started experimenting with different formulae, mixing the butter with various other natural extracts, like aloe, Calendula and other indigenous herbal extracts. We began a limited trial programme, and we are now in the process of receiving approval to market our products from the Standards Board of Ghana."

In addition to meeting the particular skin colour toning requirements of consumers, Bumesaye Naturals products will reduce the visible signs of ageing, help treat acne, and nourish the skin. They will also help treat eczema and the common skin lesions suffered by HIV-AIDS sufferers. "The team comprises medical and pharmaceutical professionals," says Audrey, "and the therapeutic benefits of the products are considerable. We're aiming to show people that there are effective alternatives to the synthetic creams they rely on."

Fruits of the forest

Audre's business, located in Accra, Ghana, is already producing two natural soaps and a cream enriched with shea butter, which is procured from women in shea-nut gathering communities based in the country's northern regions. Audrey intends to continually strengthen development and educational links with these communities.

"The next stage of our expansion involves further research, the automation and computerization of some accounting, production, distribution and quality assurance operations," says Audrey. "Winning the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards would obviously be a major boost to this next phase," she adds.

Audrey first read about the Awards in an online advertisement placed in a Swaziland newspaper. "I'm not sure that women face substantially different challenges to men in Africa when actually running a business", she says. "However, difficulties in raising finance and other forms of support probably mean that the initial establishment of new ventures is more difficult for women. That's why I'm very very happy to be participating in a competition which privileges female entrepreneurship."