Ifrah Mohammed is a young and vibrant person who believes that those closest to the problem are the closest to the solution. She is a highly energetic, adventurous and enthusiastic individual, with a range of entrepreneurial experience and passion. Ifrah is an Echoing Green Semifinalist, Anzisha Prize Fellow,winner of the Ye! Pitch Competition held in Nairobi and the winner of the Ye! (Young Entrepreneur) of the year award Kenya 2016 at the UNCTAD 14 ( United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) youth forum.
She is a marketing genius having successfully organized and marketed three sold out events, engineered multiple partnerships and led several community projects. She is extremely outgoing, social and in addition to her incredible abilities, her passion for her work, her ability to connect with people and attract help and resources.
She is the founder and CEO of Supermom,a social enterprise which is committed to enabling and empowering women from marginalized communities into a sales force to close the last mile distribution gap.
Having grown up in Garissa county in North Eastern Kenya I experienced first hand the devastating effects of under empowerment of women and the few opportunities women had to succeed.
Joining high school in 2010, she noticed the lack of essential lifesaving products that existed in the city. They include basic necessities such cooking oil, matchsticks, salt, scratch cards,cosmetics, vegetables and fruits.
She therefore decided to tap into this initiative of low income women from marginalized communities and turn them into a sales force that distributes these essential products within their communities. (Watch her story here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O84DGhiHBQM )
She therefore decided to tap into this initiative of low income women from marginalized communities and turn them into a sales force that distributes these essential products within their communities. (Watch her story here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O84DGhiHBQM )
WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT?
I am passionate about bringing change and a difference for a better world to live in. I am also very passionate about the empowerment of women and other disadvantaged groups in the society.What drives me is the desire to improve the lives of the women I work with by helping them to access clean and healthy life saving products. I also want them to improve their living standards by enabling them to earn an income.
HOW HAS THE JOURNEY AS AN ENTREPRENEUR BEEN SO FAR?
My journey as an entrepreneur so far has been fulfilling and challenging at the same time. There are many challenges such as lack of capital,labor and managing time between school and the social enterprise but my end goal of being able to empower millions of women in Kenya at the same time providing communities with these products that would otherwise not exist there drives me to work harder each day.
WHO ARE YOUR MENTORS AND WHY?
My dad is my mentor. Growing up he instilled the values of hard work and perseverance in me and my siblings.Even with his disability, he worked hard everyday to provide for me and my four siblings and proved to us that disability is not inability and anything is possible so long as you put your mind to it.
WHAT IS YOUR PARTING SHOT TO WOMEN WHO WANT TO BE HIGH ACHIEVERS?
My parting shot for women who want to be high achievers is to never give up. So many challenges will be faced in your journey but never ever give up. Work hard and always keep on keeping on.