BY ABEBE WOLDEGIORGIS
In the developed world, the ideas of trade and business have more value than any commodities. The reason is the society understands that creative ideas have high opportunity to be changed in to projects that can have financial outputs. That is why people value ideas than other things. Nowadays, new ideas are emerging and supplied to the market. Above earning financial income, those who generate applicable ideas, could attain high social status through selling their better ideas.
The society encourages people with new business ideas and supports them to supply their ideas to the market through competition and to that end it is creating enabling environment.
There are institutions established by law and provide prizes to the winners of creative ideas’ competition. In addition to that, they support the owner of the idea to change the theory into practice or encourage others to sponsor them.
Recently, with the cooperation of the Master Card Foundation, the Federal Job Creation Commission prepared a creative business ideas competition which is acknowledged as a bright deed by many sectors.
The objective of the competition was to encourage the youth to engage in addressing various problems of the nation through their creative ideas. The program will last for three years.
Out of the 356 competitors those attended the competition in various disciplines, 70 of them have gone to the final competition and lastly 20 of them won the prize and received a 20 thousand Birr award each. The competition entertained entrepreneurs from across the country. Out of the winners received the prize; one is from Wolayta Sodo town, sixteen from Addis Ababa, one from Durame town and the rest two from Debre Markos town.
According to the Federal Job Creation Commission, among the winning ideas; five of them were fully presented by women’s organizations whereas in the rest 15, women participated partially.
Among the business creative ideas three of them focused on manufacturing, one on construction, two on creative arts, one on service, two on health, four on Information Communication Technology, four on agro-processing and on renewable energy.
Apart from encouraging competitors, the competition program intends to inspire the youth to make efforts to raise their creativity. One of the creative ideas that received the prize is an enterprise of Ranta tomato processing trade business from Kembata Tembaro zone Durame town of South Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR).
Getachew Dinkneh and his friends are the owners of the creative idea. Getachew is a BSC Degree holder graduated in applied chemistry. He had been working in various factories by his Profession and gained good experience in the field. He also got the chance to know shortcomings of each factory and had a dream that one day he might come up with viable idea which could be a possible solution for the industries’ problems.
To this end, he with his friends always used to observe things in the surrounding areas in advance he resorted to think about the new business ideas.
Then after they proved that there is abundant river water which flows year after year and fertile land possible could be utilized for irrigation in the Durame town and environs. They also understood that the area is convenient to grow tomato. In addition, they recognized that the tomato has high probability to be spoiled unless it gets sufficient market just after its harvest. It is understood that because of the absence of tomato processing firms in most parts of the country, the nation is forced to import canned tomatoes which incurs hard currency in which the nation badly needed.
Following their observation, Getachew with his friends Abel Admasu who is a civil engineer by profession and Eyerusalem Hailu who is a marketing officer have generated the idea helpful to process and pack tomato that can be supplied to the domestic market.
Though the idea was better, they were forced to import ingredients such as Mitel-paraben and sodium benzoic acid chemicals vital to keep the raw tomato fresh for long time. But to change the idea into practice they thought that the matter is hard for them and even to the country.
Moreover, they understood that the chemicals intended to be imported might cause diseases such as cancer, diabetic and blood pressure then they generated new ideas helpful to substitute by local products which can be derived from organic material.
After they made a profound study on the characteristics of the two chemicals, they made their repeated experiments by using various spices such as garlic and other materials. After their 11th test, they could produce the chemical which can keep the raw tomato for long and not harmful to the consumers’ health.
Later on, the new material is proved healthy in the laboratory test by the Ethiopian Standards Agency.
Currently, the new creative idea mentioned above is proved by the Ethiopian Job Creation Commission (EJCC) that it could be changed into practice and can substitute imported packed tomato products. For the initial phase the project requires up to 250 thousand Birr.
The created business ideas after its implementation with in one year by the year 2022 can earn 8.5 million Birr with the profit of 5,769,300 Birr.
In addition, in the coming 5 years the project could create job opportunities to 600 people in various levels including agriculture production, marketing and daily laborers. The product will be purely organic enriched by elements such as anti-oxidants and magnesium. It also never causes any disease.
Currently, in order to minimize risk resulted in from shortage of raw materials’ supply when the production begins; preparation is underway to produce tomato in a mechanized farm with the cooperation of the Federal Job Creation Commission. To this end, land is obtained from the zone administrative unit and tractors and water pumps are availed.
They also planned to get 250 volt electric power from the pertinent institution so that they allocated the necessary finance.
The Federal Job Creation Commissioner Nigusu Tilahun said that in the coming years, with the cooperation of public and private entities, efforts will be exerted to implement best creative ideas so that, changing the lives of millions will be possible.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD AUGUST 18/ 2021
