Tell us a little about yourself …
I am Vera Osei-Bonsu an entrepreneur and founder of Start Right Nutrition Limited, small food business in Accra, Ghana. We sell two types of cereal porridge – a mix with orange maize and carrot; and a mix with legumes and seeds. We also have a cookbook of nutritious meals caregivers can provide at each stage of development, using locally sourced and affordable foods. I am also the founder of the Start Right Infant and Child Nutrition Network which does community education and outreach to women and caregivers at all income and education levels.
What got you interested in nutrition?
As a mother of two, I did a lot of research on what to feed my children as I was starting to wean them off breast milk. I found that most of the examples of nutritious, complementary foods were based on European or American recipes and ingredients were often difficult or very expensive to obtain. I wanted to create healthy meals using local, familiar and affordable food so all mothers and caregivers could make nutritious meals for their children. So, I founded Start Right to share simple meal plans and to create products that were both convenient and healthy.
What do you work on, and how does it relate to public private engagement for nutrition?
At Start Right, we sell two packaged food products - yellow corn and carrot powder and a legume mix - as well as our cookbook. When I was setting up my business, I worked closely with the Ghana Standards Authority to ensure that my products met food safety, quality and nutrition standards appropriate for children. I also work with local NGOs to do community education and advocacy with low-income mothers to empower them with the knowledge of how to feed their babies well. Through these networks, families can access my free videos and recipes online and we also give out free cookbooks and products to low-income families.
What is exciting about your work?
I think good nutrition is the foundation for a good life – it’s important for health and education and overall development. Across Ghana and Africa, malnutrition is a big issue, especially for women and children. I love my work because I feel like I’m making a positive contribution to improving the diets and health of infants and children while also empowering women. Not only do mothers receive community education to help stimulate positive behaviour change, but also we work through thirty saleswomen which provides them with additional income.
What is challenging about it?
One big challenge we face as a small company is the challenge of scaling up, which could help us meet the growing demand for our product while also reducing costs so more families could afford them. When I started, I had to import the machinery from China and my packaging from Nigeria. These initial investments and high ongoing operation costs mean we have to sell our products at a price point that is not affordable for many low-income families. As a result, I am competing with international companies to attract middle and high-income consumers through the quality of my products, as well as appealing packaging and marketing. Another challenge we face as an independent business is establishing formal partnerships with the government, which could help us reach more vulnerable families and communities in Ghana and increase our impact.
Has this work made you change your mind about anything?
Establishing Start Right Nutrition Limited has made me realise that there are many opportunities around us in Africa that can be turned into something tangible to impact lives positively. It has also made me see the readiness in Africans to embrace innovation and ideas that are locally influenced.
What’s the latest news or a recent success?
In September 2019, the First Lady of Ghana, H.E. Rebecca Akufo Addo, asked me to represent Ghanaian nutrition businesses at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF). This was a very big honor and an important recognition from the international food and nutrition community that my business was making a small but important contribution to tackling malnutrition.
What’s next?
We are planning to expand so our products are available in all regions in Ghana, and ultimately we would like to expand to other countries in West Africa. We will increase our efforts to do community engagement so we can help educate low-income families about how they can incorporate local, affordable and nutritious foods to prepare meals for their family.
If you had to have a slogan, or a strapline, for this work, what would it be?
At Start Right we say “Our Babies are Our Pride” and we believe in “Eat Well and Live Well!”
What is your favourite food or meal to share with your family?
Ghanaian Jollof with vegetables and sweet potatoes balls made with Start Right Chubby legume mix powder. We mostly include lots of local vegetables and fruits in most of our family foods to create a great taste.
Find out more about Start Right Nutrition
Website | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
In the news: Women leaders in Africa vow to end malnutrition using best tested strategies (Scaling Up Nutrition) | Raising strong children: Vera Osei Bonsu of Start Right Nutrition leads the way (My Joy online) | Gifty Anti, others named Ghana’s Most Inspiring Women (My Joy online)
Note from the editor: Nutrition Connect aims to share examples of partnerships and collaborations that result in positive nutrition outcomes. We seek examples that objectively demonstrate the potential of public private engagement, in particularly those which are underpinned by sound methodology, including evaluation. However, Nutrition Connect and its funders do not endorse any specific company, government or partnership, and in all cases a single example may not reflect the institution’s overall impact on food and nutrition security. For more information, the Editorial approach sets out our policy for content management, including case studies. Any related queries should be sent to nutritionconnect@gainhealth.org.
All photos courtesy of Vera Osei-Bonsu.