Startup Story
Doreen Michelo is the Founder and Managing Director of Mzala Enterprise Ltd in Zambia, a business founded in 2018. She is a serial entrepreneur and business leader focusing on enhancing local community capacity growth and sustainability by growing and producing high quality farm produce for the local market that is not only accessible but very affordable. Empowering the local community through Agriculture Skills training and knowledge dissemination through the skills hub/centre is another major focus of the business as it aims to leave a lasting positive impact on the community supporting its operations. The business has employed 9 permanent workers and 20 seasonal workers. Doreen has 9 years business work experience as a professional in various industries.
LoA spoke to founder Doreen Michelo about her journey to becoming an agripreneur and her mission to make a positive impact in people’s lives in her local community.
What does your company do?
My business, Mzala Enterprise Ltd, is an Agri-Business, focused on growing and producing high quality farm produce for the local market that is not only accessible but very affordable.
“What inspired me to start my business was the desire to help alleviate poverty in local communities by contributing to the production of affordable food.”
What inspired you to start your company?
The desire to help alleviate poverty in local communities by contributing to the production of affordable food and thereby addressing a basic human need.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Our business is special because getting access to food and nutrition is a basic need, it’s not something anyone can choose to forgo.
Tell us a little about your team
I have a small team of very committed and dedicated youth. They work independently, are result oriented and goal driven. They understand the problem the business is contributing to solve and are committed to helping others. My team is everything! I wouldn't be able to do half the things I do without them. Start-ups face a lot of challenges setting up and accessing finance to keep workers on payroll when the business is not recording good profits. We have had to make a lot of sacrifices to sustain ourselves such as me taking up other full-time jobs to help fund the business and pay workers. It’s not been easy, but my team has stuck with me and have become family over the years and thats the best thing about my team.
“Our business is special because getting access to food and nutrition is a basic need, it’s not something anyone can choose to forgo.”
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
My journey is one with many stories - stories of struggle, determination, challenges and success. Starting up anything is never an easy feat, but you have to start anyway and that is what I did. I had always been interested in farming and food production. We come from areas where land is a major resource, but which is not being utilized to benefit the community in the way it should. I started this journey knowing the reason was due to lack of access to resources to derive benefit from the land, so with what I had I bought my first piece of land in 2017 and never looked back. We started with growing seasonal rain crops such as maize, sunflower and groundnuts, to later venturing into poultry, and now garden crops such as cabbage, onions, okra and tomatoes. I do not come from an entrepreneurial background, the majority of people in my family are employed.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
Our future plans and aspirations include:
1. Improve the conditions of service/pay for my workers
2. Start packaging our chicken and supply branded products to supermarkets
3. Value addition (preservation of tomatoes)
5. Maintain a constant supply of the various products we produce
6. Become an established skills training centre to support youths and young women in skills development and help them start up in business.
“Knowing that I helped put food on someone's table, even if it’s only a day’s meal and that they didn't have to walk miles to find it, is a pretty good feeling.”
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
Knowing that I helped put food on someone's table, even if it’s only a day’s meal and that they didn't have to walk miles to find it is a pretty good feeling. They say "if you eat today you should thank the farmer", and I feel and hear the many thank you’s, even when they are not spoken.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Don't give up on your passion, it's darkest before dawn. Your dreams, ambitions and goals are valid, it won't be an easy road, but I guarantee you it's all worth it.
Contact or follow Mzala Enterprise
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | LINKEDIN | EMAIL Mukanzala1991@gmail.com
Why LoA loves it…
Doreen is an inspirational and impact-driven entrepreneur on a number of levels. Not only is she enhancing local community capacity growth and sustainability by growing and producing high quality, affordable farm produce for the local market; but she is also creating and sustaining much needed jobs. Her tenacity and her drive to make this business an impact-driven success is to be applauded, and she needs to continue to get the attention and support she deserves in order to grow this important, sustainable business. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa