Stories from EQWIP HUBs Mwanza - Mselem Said Mselem

When it comes to perseverance, dedication, and innovation, one doesn’t have to look much further than Mselem Said Mselem. Mselem applied for the Youth Innovation Fund in round 3 but unfortunately, he didn’t make it. This sparked the idea for his food stand, Juice na Bites, which was located in Buzuruga. Business was good but the competition was tight and Mselem had bigger dreams for his food business. He decided to apply for the fourth round of the innovation fund and he was successful. This birthed his canteen Mteja Kwanza Food Point.

The canteen was opened on the campus of Kangaye CBE. He is one of four other canteens in the area, one of two on campus. You can spot his workers coming in one of their three uniforms: red, grey and brown. He did this because he noticed that the competition’s staff don’t wear uniforms and he wanted to stand out. The grand opening of Mteja Kwanza Food Point was on July 1 and on that day, he served over 70 people. On the next day, the numbers increased to 10. On the morning of the third day alone, he served more than 110 customers.

All of this success can be attributed to the uniqueness of his food. Not only is it delicious, but he offers certain food that the competition doesn’t like pilau, biryani, and chapatti which is cooked with very little oil.

With such a strong start to his business, Mselem plans to use the rest of the fund he’ll receive in the second installment to expand his space which currently only holds 50 people. He says the Youth Innovation Fund has given him the ability to turn his obstacles into opportunities.