Startup Story
Every parent-to-be knows what an exciting time it is, awaiting the birth of that much anticipated new child. Yet it can also be a very stressful time, requiring lots of specialist knowledge, expertise and advice. In Mozambique, entrepreneur Ana Gonçalves, founder of Magambi – Consultoria, is that specialist service provider that parents-to-be need at this important time.
LoA found out more about this unique business from its founder, Ana Gonçalves.
What does your company do?
Magambi provides services to families during pregnancy, labour and post-partum. Our services include: prenatal courses for mothers and partners, doula services during labour, breastfeeding support consultations and post-partum support to the families, workshops related to parenthood, support groups for post-partum, first-aid training for families, nanny training, and family and educators training.
What inspired you to start your company?
When I was pregnant with my first child, living away from my family, I realized how important it was to have a support network. I needed to have information and training during pregnancy to clarify my questions and doubts, and then needed the breastfeeding and post-partum support in the first days after birth. In Mozambique those services were not available and so after my child was born, I studied and went abroad to attend several courses, including doula training, breastfeeding counsellor, and infant first aid responder. I started giving support to my friends, and then friends of friends, and then slowly the demand increased, and I had to add more services, I had to establish partnerships, all to create the support network I looked for in the first place. So in fact my pregnancy and the birth of my child were my inspiration. Now families that I work with still inspire me.
“When I was pregnant with my first child, living away from my family, I realized how important it was to have a support network.”
Why should anyone use your service or product?
It is focused on the family’s needs, and I provide them with the goal of helping each one on their path. So it's not just a service provided to others, it's a connection that is established in a very important stage of the family’s life, as they grow to receive their baby. It is also a unique service in Mozambique up until now, but the goal is to make it more available to more and more families.
Tell us a little about your team
My team is only me in most services, however I do have partnerships that complete my services with expertise in complementary areas such as:
- early childhood development
- post-partum psychology
- positive parenthood
- therapeutic massage
- physiotherapy
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I started my career as an Environmental Engineer, in Portugal 2001. Working for private and state companies until 2011, moving from Portugal to Cape Verde and then to Mozambique. In Portugal from 2003 until 2005, I also did some work as an independent consultant for short periods. In Mozambique, the first years (2009 to mid-2012) I worked as an employee, but was eager to be my own boss, so in 2012 I created my own company and started providing consultancy services to the public and private sector in the environmental engineering side. Since 2005 I decided to also start training the future environmental engineers by teaching at UEM University, and later that year I founded Magambi to provide services related to parenthood. Since then my work in Environmental Engineering is being reduced so I can have more time and focus on the parenthood services, which are growing every year.
“Magambi provides services to families during pregnancy, labour and post-partum.”
“It's not just a service provided to others, it's a connection that is established in a very important stage of the family’s life, as they grow to receive their baby.”
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
To take Magambi services to more and more families, and help the information regarding pregnancy, labour and post-partum spread to everyone in need. This will take time and a different strategy. I'm planning to make it work.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
The freedom to choose which projects I participate in, the time I spend in each part of my life, and the way I develop the projects.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Get that dream you have, write down a plan, prepare to launch and then go for it. Don't be afraid, I know it's scary not to have a regular income, not to have boundaries, but it's so liberating. And as you write down your plan remember it takes time to get everything working, success doesn't come immediately after starting.
Contact or follow Magambi–Consultoria
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | EMAIL ana.goncalves@magambi.com
Why LoA loves it….
Some of the most successful women entrepreneurs build businesses by harnessing their personal experience and expertise, and also their understanding of key challenges that need solutions. In Ana’s case, she understands the pressures and the real need for specialist support and expertise on the part of new parents-to-be, and she has the depth of personal and industry experience to be able to provide exactly what is needed. This highly specialized business is both solving a need and providing a solution to a health and wellbeing challenge at a pivotal time. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo of Lionesses of Africa