Bih Adelaide, a social entrepreneur in Cameroon bringing healthcare to people in need — Lionesses of Africa

What inspired you to start your company?

While doing identification of internally displaced persons for the Afrogiveness center, I came in contact with a young lady who had 5 little kids, I was worried about how she managed with them. So, I tried to inquire more. Of the 5 kids, 3 of them were hers and 2 had recently lost their mother to an illness (malaria) due to lack of finances to consult a physician. A death that could have been prevented with as little as 5 USD had the illness been tackled in time. I was devastated and felt the need to establish a platform to meet the needs of these people, thus the birth of AIHRP.

Why should anyone use your service or product?

AIHRP brings together a team of professionals healthcare workers who devote their time and skills to providing quality, pro bono health care services to the victims of conflict and low-income persons who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford for the services. Also, AIHRP gives them a non interest health loan. Through AIHRP’s partnerships, IDPs and low-income persons have the opportunity to get educational supports and vocational opportunities to help better their lives.

Tell us a little about your team

Our team is made up of 10 health care volunteers that cut across the medical field (3 medical doctors, 3 Clinical Biologists, 1 dentist, 1 nurse, 1 psychologist and 1 public health specialists), to service in the provision of optimal, timely pro-bono health care services to internally displaced persons and low-income persons.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

As a social entrepreneur, after realizing the needs of the internally displaced persons and very low-income persons, I established a facility to meet their health needs.

In order to make it sustainable, we opened it to the general public and use the funds to subsidize the healthcare of those in dire need.