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Rukssana Saide, transforming lives through agribusiness in Mozambique

March 17, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Rukssana Saide

 

LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY


 

Dream Agrobusiness Lda, a high-impact business empowering local communities through an agri-value chain.

Rukssana Saide is the founder of Dream Agrobusiness Lda in Mozambique, an impact-driven business established in 2016 and employing 30 people. She balances life as a mother, woman, and entrepreneur. Rukssana has a degree in accounting and auditing and a master’s degree in business management, but with a passion for land and community. Throughout her professional career, Rukssana worked in financial areas, but it was her passion for agriculture where she felt the sense of contributing to transforming lives. Currently Rukssana works with the community and in the community looking for solutions for a prosperous future for future generations.


Rukssana Saide, mãe, mulher e empreendedora. formada em contabilidade e auditoria e mestre em gestão empresarial, mas com uma apaixonada por terra e comunidade. ao longo do percurso profissional rukssana trabalhou em áreas financeiras, mas foi a paixão péla agricultura aonde sentiu o sentido de contribuir para transformar vidas. actualente rukssana trabalha com a comunidade e na comunidade procurando soluções para um futuro prospero nas gerações vindouras.

Lioness Weekender spoke to Rukssana Saide about her passion for agribusiness and her ambitions for her business in the future.

What does your company do?

Production, marketing, and assistance to small producers. Dream has a production field, produces its own production, buys surpluses from small producers and provides assistance to small producers. My products are grains, oilseeds, and cereals.

Produção , comercialização e assistência aos pequenos productores. a Dream tem campo de produção, faz a produção própria, compra excedentes dos pequenos productores e da assistência aos pequenos productores. o meus productos são os grãos, as oleaginosas e os cereais.

What inspired you to start your company?

The passion for the land, the duty to contribute to the transfer of knowledge to those who do not have access, the demystification of the paradigm of small-scale agriculture for less educated people, and commercial agriculture for foreigners. and the desire to develop the community and leverage others.

A paixão pela terra, o dever de contribuir na transferência de conhecimentos a quem não tem acesso, a desmistificação do paradigma que a agricultura em pequena escala e para gente menos instruída, e a comercial e para estrangeiro. e a vontade de desenvolver a comunidade e alavancar o próximo.

Why should anyone use your service or product?

Equity, youth employment, innovation and a production approach aimed at the industrial market. These bold aspects make our brand indelible. We work in communities where women do not have a voice, but we are breaking protocol by making the impossible possible through concrete actions on the ground.

Equidade, emprego a jovens, inovação e abordagem de produção virada ao mercado industrial. estes aspectos ousados tornam a nossa marca indelével. trabalhamos em comunidades aonde a mulher não tem voz, mais estamos a quebrar o protocolo fazendo o impossível se tornar possível através de acções concretas no terreno.

Tell us a little about your team:

Our team currently consists of 30 employees, with a tendency to increase in the coming months in the implementation of other projects. We currently have 21 young people and 9 gentlemen, of which 50% are women and 50% are men. Of this team, 18 are natives and residents of the community and 12 are spread across our offices in Maputo and Niassa.

A nossa equipa actualmente e composta por 30 colaboradores, com tendência a aumentar nos próximos meses na implementação de outros projectos. actualmente temos 21 jovens e 9 senhores. dos quais 50% são mulheres e 50% são homens. desta equipa 18 são nativos e residentes na comunidade e 12 espalhados pelos nossos escritórios de Maputo e Niassa.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

My first business experience was in 2014, with the creation of Dream Consultores. To add value to what I knew how to do, I started by creating Dream Consultores, and I always thought that wasn't the only thing I wanted to do, that's when I created Dream Agrobusiness. I have 18 years of experience in managing large companies, or sectors where I have worked, which served as a school for me. I chose to do a master's degree in business management in order to complement my knowledge.

A minha primeira experiencia empresarial foi em 2014, com a criação da Dream Consultores. para agregar valor ao que sabia fazer, comecei por criar a dream consultores, e sempre achei que não era só aquilo que queria fazer, foi quando crio a dream agrobusiness. levo experiencia de 18 anos de gestão de grandes empresas, ou sectores aonde passei, e que serviram de escola para mim. para não andar as cegas optei por fazer o mestrado em gestão empresarial a fim de complementar o meu conhecimento.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

The peak of my company will be the materialization of my dream. the industrial complex, the processing factory, warehouses, residence and all the necessary conditions for comfort and attraction of employees and interested parties in our project. And I have been working on assistance projects for small producers to increase productivity.

And as a woman entrepreneur, the goal I have set is to transform the lives of 10,000 producing families by 2028. As a mother and daughter, I have been able to reconcile work and family, creating conditions for the sustainability of future generations within my family because I care about those around me, and in the future, my plan is to restore agricultural fields through reforestation with 20,000 fruit trees. Project to start this year.

O auge da minha empresa será a materialização do meu sonho. o complexo industrial, a fabrica de processamento, armazéns, residência e todas as condições necessárias para aconchego e atracao dos colaboradores, e das partes interessadas no nosso projecto. E tenho estado a trabalhar em projectos de assistência ao pequeno productor para o aumento da productividade.

E como mulher, e empreendedora a meta a por mim traçada é de transformar vidas de 10000 famílias productoras até 2028, como mãe, e filha tenho estado a saber conciliar o trabalho e a família criando condições para sustentabilidade das gerações vindouras no seio da minha família. porque me preocupo com os que me rodeiam, e no futuro, o meu plano e de restaurar os campos agrícolas através do reflorestamento com 20000 fruteiras. Projecto a iniciar neste ano.

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

Seeing the lives of my employees transformed, my community developing and my children happy with my achievement. The recognition I have received across borders also motivates me to continue working towards collective well-being.

Ver a vida dos meus colaboradores transformada, a minha comunidade a desenvolver e os meus filhos felizes com a minha realização. o reconhecimento que tenho tido alem fronteiras também me motivam a continuar a trabalhar em prol do bem estar colectivo.

What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

Before opening a business, think about the impact it can create on those who pass by you. From the time you open the business, it stops being yours and becomes the property of everyone who benefits from it.

Antes de abrir o negocio pense no impacto que pode criar a quem por si passa. e a partir da altura que abri o negocio deixa de ser seu e passa a ser de todos que se beneficiam dele.R1


Find out more:

E-mail: dreamagrobusinesslda@gmail.com

Website: http://groupdream.co.mz

Facebook: http://web.facebook.com/DREAM-AGRO-Business

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dreamagrobusiness/

YouTube ou Vimeo: 

https://youtu.be/H0ze21GLyy4?si=dH4wkSbIAzsuJ4AP

https://youtu.be/SWD7-8HwA50?si=wrWZZsxezLZnntXb

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In Cover Story Tags Mozambique, Agri-business
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