The African Diaspora Marketplace contest recently awarded $50,000 to $100,000 to 14 immigrants to the United States from African countries to help them start or expand businesses in Africa. Some of them share how they plan to use the money on the New Enterprise blog.
Joe-Lahai Sormana
In Sierra Leone, crude palm oil is an essential ingredient in traditional dishes. Between 30,000 and 40,000 metric tons of palm oil per year is consumed in the country. Over 95 percent is derived from palm fruit through traditional methods that are labor intensive and inefficient.
That wasn’t always the case. But during the civil war, all palm-oil processing mills were either destroyed or became inoperable and, to the best of our knowledge, none of them have been re-established or re-started.
I have established a company called Palm Fruit Processing Company Limited with the primary goal of producing palm oil in a modern mill. My local partner, Aloysius A. Beah, is negotiating contracts with palm plantations to provide us with a steady supply of palm fruit. In the future, we plan to develop our own plantation.
Palm Fruit Processing company’s logo
Our oil will carry health benefits as it is cleaner and has a lower level of saturated fat. But the company will be selling it at a discount relative to local prices. We will be able to afford it because of greater efficiency of our processing mill, which will allow us to produce significantly more palm oil from the same quantity of palm fruit than traditional producers will ever do. Our company’s pricing strategy and product quality will give us a competitive advantage from the start.
The company will create jobs, thereby contributing to the economic development of the country and to improvements in the standard of living in the local community.
A win in the competition validates our business model and value-proposition. Grant funding will be used to purchase equipment and develop the necessary infrastructure to house it. We already have selected sites, bought land and obtained the design of the mill.
The importance of oil in our dailly food process is unquestionable and particularily , the palm oil stands first in firsts. I have regular user of this product and the benifits are many fold. Health wise and cost wise It is super and it is recommended to all with no exceptionl
I very much appreciate your relentless effort to embark in a project that will improve the “Diet” most especially in the area of Cholesterol Reduction in the lives of Sierra Leoneans. Hope and pray that others will see this as ideal and welcome you as you facilitate the process.
Wishing you all the best as you put in action this wonderful initiative that will enhance the processing of “Palm Oil” in the land that we love – our Sierra Leone.
Dr. Sormana,
I applaud you and your partner on undertaking such a daunting intiative. I believe your vision and hard work will be beneficial to all Sierra Leoneans at home and the diaspora. Excellent and informative blog! Good job.
That is a great proposal..I which you the best in the execution of the business plan and the speedy process of Palm Fruit..As a Sierra Leonean my self living in the U.S, Lord Knows our people needs it. Please don’t fail them. Congratulation..
I am from the Philippines and I want to invest in your Company. How much will be my ROI per annum and how will I do it?
Dear Joe-Lahai Sormana:
Congratulations for your dream and reaization process. The Palm fruit processing through improved process is one of the best economic empowerment efforts for Sierra Leone & Sierra Leoneans.
Thank you for sharing this initiative with me and several others interested in the self-reliance of Sierra Leoneans in food security & health.
Please net me know when you are ready to share the location of your processing plant because I am very interested in such service in the Taiama-Njala Area.
Best wishes for the New Year!!
S. H. Pieh
Great idea. Keep the ball rolling. I like the idea of having your own plantation. More stability in that direction.
Mr. Joe-Lahai Sormana, please send me a contact information, so we could talk.
I am very interested in your project and I could be a potential business partner if you are open to partnership.
Cell Ph: 845 797 1166.
Thanks and looking forward to hearing from you.
Minks
Joe lahai & Co.,
I am very delighted about this project. This is the kind of development undertakings we expect for our sierra leone–this will benefit all and beyond. Thanks very much.
“MAY ALLAH ABUNDANTLY BLESS YOU”
Fodei
Congratulations Joe and I wish you the best. I hope to meet you soon and also to talk about the possibility of generating power from the wastewater created from palm oil processing. I will also be intersted in investing in your business.
Bravo Joe Lahai, that’s a wonderful project, I’m really impressed. I pray that God will take control over it.
Stay bless