A Handicapped Innovator Becomes Successful Businessman

By: Aisha Braima

KHARTOUM (Sudanow.info.sd) - Sudanese housewives usually make preparations for the Holy Ramadan two months ahead of the fasting month of foods and drinks that can be stored to free themselves for the fasting worship.

The shops that operate in this business are therefore the most crowded places during the period that precedes Ramadan, especially that of Abdul Halim Sadek in Khartoum's Erkweit neighborhood. The place is crowded all day and is frequented by customers ranging between 500 to 1000 every day. He has spared a lot of effort and time for the housewives by preparing for them the items they need for Ramadan such as the spices, hibiscus (kerkede), baobab fruit (tebeldi) and tamarind (aradaib) as well as onion and vegetables chopping.

Sadek successfully managed to defy a formidable challenge of polio by getting a government accountant in the Ministry of Finance and then seconded to the Ministry of Defense where he stayed for 15 years. Finding out that the salary did not meet the needs of his family of three sons and five daughters, including education and health services, he decided to get a partial job. While still retaining his government job, Sadek started his project by procuring a pea grinder to operate at home so as to raise his per capita income and finding out that his income has increased considerably, Sadek applied for and obtained a leave without pay.

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He then moved to the market and expanded his business by increasing the grinders to cope with the needs of Sudanese families, particularly during Ramadan and he never return to his former post.

Innovative Ideas:

Unlike his peers, Sadek tended to incessantly develop his business and began by inventing facsimiles of imported grinders and managed to manufacture 10 grinders to operate in his place, something which was commended by both local and foreign experts.

He opened branches for his place in different quarters of the capital as well as a number of towns in different states. The talented handicapped is presently installing a tabalde grinder and has introduced a method of cutting onions by machines in commercial quantities.

This new idea saved effort and time of the housewives as onion is the basic for many Sudanese dishes especially the tagaliyah which is consumed extensively in Ramadan and other occasions such as marriage, circumcision and mourning. Sadek obtained a China-made onion cutter and manufactured three similar machines from local materials. In addition to onion, the machine chops carrots, cucumber and aubergine in shapes ordered by customer.

The ingenious handicapped is planning to manufacture a small facsimile of this machine for each housewife to use this comfortable model at home for making the kitchen duties easy, especially to a working housewife.

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He is also planning for another expansion by establishing a spacious room for onion drying with dehydration fans and basins for meeting the growing demand for dried onions on public occasions. This requires a doubled man-power and redoubles the proceeds which helps in maintenance of the machines during recession.

 

Microfinance:

Sadek obtained SDG 1,500 for buying four machines as a first step after which he bought motors for machines he made by himself. In 2010 Sadek got 10 million pounds from the microfinance program for further expansion of his business. Moreover, he thought of purchasing and grinding the spices and onion to sell them in both forms.

He told SUDANOW that he has no competitor despite the presence of similar places in Erkweit and other neighboring markets, attributing this to a flexible policy he pursues with the customers and to his unchanged prices he places for three years, despite the growing prices of the commodities, and, moreover, to the quality of his products.

The successful handicapped businessman used the latest microfinance loan for purchasing large quantities of onion from the central Local Market.

Sadek keeps one of his sons with him to run the various activities while the others pursue high engineering and technological studies.

Sadek's Closing Message:

Abdul Halim Sadek has advised the community not to look upon the handicapped as a burden on it but, rather as an innovative, creative and talented element. The family has to uncover hand back his talents and take him to a proper place for refining his talents and has to instill in him the spirit of taking the initiative, the courage and self-confidence and assist him in determining his career.

He also advised the youths to be self-confident and to move forward with no hesitance and fear from the unknown and has to determine what suits his capabilities.

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MAS/AS

 

 

Sudanow is the longest serving English speaking magazine in the Sudan. It is chartarized by its high quality professional journalism, focusing on political, social, economic, cultural and sport developments in the Sudan. Sudanow provides in depth analysis of these developments by academia, highly ...

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