How this Sierra Leonean woman is rebranding honey production in Sierra Leone

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Last updated: 2022/08/24 at 6:54 PM

By Abu Bakarr Jalloh Published August 24, 2022 322 Views 5 Min Read

5 Min Read

In Sierra Leone, West Africa, a young female entrepreneur who quit her high-paid job to establish her own company, Lyoa Sourced Co Ltd – a company that source, brand and distribute locally made honey to hotels; restaurants; and supermarkets, is on the move to rebrand honey production and local produce and products in Sierra Leone.

Honey production in Sierra Leone is one of the oldest businesses in the West African country. Honey has been used since ancient times as both a sweetener and medicine. The business is predominantly done in the rural areas of the country by mostly old people who have never been to school. For young people, the business doesn’t fancy them as they eye white collar jobs only. But for Juliana Sesay, a young and energetic Sierra Leonean woman who has established his honey production business, Sierra Leone needs a rebrand of locally made honey.

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Born in Kailaihun District, one of the most populous districts in Sierra Leone, Juliana Sesay attended the prestigious Annie Walsh Memorial School in Freetown and later got an admission to the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) – the University of Sierra Leone where she graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Financial Services. Upon graduating from IPAM, she eventually got a job as Admin and Finance Officer for a Private owned company and worked for three years.

Juliana saw the need of rebranding our locally made honey and local produce and products. “I could have gone into any business but at the time, there was a need for properly branded local produce and local products. And with an increase in the rate of diabetes, pure honey, with the right branding, was the way to go,” She told Salone Messenger, a global multimedia and Public Relations Firm. Juliana thought of an idea of how she could rebrand some of our local products like honey into a more fancy product that everyone would want to buy and use. So she set up her own company, Lyoa Sources Co Ltd to achieve this goal. But rebranding is not the only thing that inspired her to set up her company, she told Salone Messenger. “My target audience is everyone who cares about their health and tries to look for an alternative to processed sugar, nowadays diabetes affect people of all age, from teenagers to adults not just older people”

Diabetes, one of the world’s deadliest diseases, is the ninth leading cause of death with an estimated 2 million deaths directly caused by diabetes worldwide. In 2020, 1.96% of the total deaths in Sierra Leone are caused by diabetes. This is widely caused by excessive intake of sugar amongst Sierra Leoneans. Owing to these unhealthy facts, many people are now turning their eyes to honey because of its several benefits and this is why Juliana Sesay rejuvenates her innovative entrepreneurship ideas to produce local honey that has less sugar and contains more nutrients that have dozens of health benefits.

Juliana further stated that honey can be use for several purposes. “Besides substituting it for sugar, honey is a very versatile food, it can be used in the kitchen, for skin, for hair, as sleeping aid,” she added.

As innovation is something that has no endpoint, Juliana Sesay doesn’t only produce honey, her company also makes scented candles, and professional souvenirs for weddings and birthdays. Her company targets the young, middle age and old. Their products are tested and proven, eco-friendly, health risk-free, and beneficial to the human body and its immune system.