Haika Mtei’s quest to eradicate malnutrition

Haika Mtei, the CEO of Dreamlane and Goldenpot, is on a mission to combat malnutrition across Africa by crafting affordable food solutions accessible to all income brackets, advocating for a zero-hunger world.

Established in 2015, Dreamlane, is a marketing agency specialising in enhancing brand visibility through innovative promotional items.

Over the years, Dreamlane has partnered with renowned brands such as CRDB Bank, Azania Bank, Tigo Tanzania, Total Energies, Caleb Security, and many others.

Goldenpot, on the other hand, stands as the sole local producer of breakfast cereals and instant porridge. Harnessing the nutritional potential of staples like maize, soya, wheat, and peanut, Goldenpot ensures every bite is not only convenient but also packed with essential nutrients.

“It’s by God’s grace that I manage to run two companies at the same time, but above all, having the right team means that you have fed your dreams, desires, and goals for them to understand your direction and support you accordingly," says Haika.

Soon after she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Dar es Salaam in 2012, Haika got a job at Push Observer as a media analyst.

She worked with the company for a few months before moving to Oglivy Africa in 2013 as a digital media analyst, where she worked for 18 months.

"I decided to start my own company, Dreamlane, a year and a half before venturing out on my own. During this time, I also had the opportunity to involve myself in agriculture and realised it was the new oil and gold,..that agriculture was the future,” she shares.

 She then engaged herself in maize trading, but after so many attempts at farming with no proper outcome as anticipated, maize lost its value with so many post-harvest losses and the lack of proper storage facilities as a startup.

This led her to ponder the limited utility of maize beyond flour production. She wondered why malnutrition and food insecurity remained a challenge given the country’s fertile land and the fact that a large percentage of the population engaged in agriculture.

“Why do we still have a malnourished society? Why do these farmers, who practice agriculture as part of their day-to-day activities, suffer from malnutrition?” wondered Haika.

Determined to address food insecurity, Haika founded Goldenpot to provide wholesome, affordable food options.

"Malnutrition is not a lack of food but a lack of the right foods. At Goldenpot, we are dedicated to bringing the right foods to every table in Tanzania and then expanding to Africa later in the day to help fill this malnutrition gap we have. This is how I officially decided to register Goldenpot in 2020," says Haika.

Haika has created job opportunities in both her companies and works with over 1,000 female farmers.

Through Goldenpot, these women are empowered with the best agricultural practices like agronomy support and a reliable market for their produce, which helps them avoid post-harvest losses.

In advocating for zero hunger, Goldenpot manufactures products that are ready to eat, nutritious, affordable, and convenient in every bite.

“Our products are natural, with no additives or preservatives added. We use a technology that dehydrates the cereals without adding any preservatives. All our products are fortified with iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and calcium.”

"At Golden Pot, we are dedicated to bringing the right foods to every table in Tanzania and then expanding to Africa to help fill the malnutrition gap.”

Commenting on the challenges she goes through in her career and how she overcomes them, Haika says, it is sad but still true that, as a woman in business, you face a lot of backlash and stereotypes from fellow women as well.

"I have my power P’s that I always remind myself of when things seem to be going south: prayer, perseverance, patience, persistence, and positivity. I always know I have to hold on a little longer," says Haika.

With her 5P's, Haika has her guiding principle, which is respect. She does not compromise or disrespect someone, their work, or the time and effort that they put into it.

"I respect people for what they do, no matter how big or small, and I can never belittle any efforts, big or small. Everyone needs to be respected. It is the little yet so big we can do for humanity," she notes.

On how she deals with gender bias and inequality in accessing leadership opportunities, Haika says there is no better way of dealing with these things than to just hold on and believe in the cause, why you are doing what you do, and continue doing it with so much love and passion.

She emphasises the importance of mentorship in bridging the gender gap in leadership, as it gives women the opportunity to develop their professional skills, build a professional network, and access a network that they did not have before.

Besides, these give women emotional support and encouragement.

According to her, there are very few mentees that groom young females to become better leaders, as well as the existing ones, so as to combat the challenges they are all facing.

“We need more mentees and volunteers to develop various mentorship programmes.”

Haika says that a lack of diversity is caused mainly by gender bias and societal norms and beliefs.

“For women to participate in leadership, we have to discourage all gender biases.

Mentorship programmes that will empower women from a young age, even from school age, will put Tanzania in a good position to create more female leaders; existing female leaders should be mentees and groom groups of females accordingly.”