Alumni Spotlight. Abae Mohamed
By: Mowgli Mentoring
Tags: Innovation, Kenya, Mentorship, Entrepreneurship, Mentoring

Country: Kenya

Mowgli Mentoring Programme: Imarisha Mentoring Programme

In July 2019, Facebook Developer Circles held a hackathon at the TechBridge Invest Hub Mombasa encouraging innovators to develop solutions to community problems using technology — the solutions had to be aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). As a third year Business Information & Technology student from Mount Kenya University, Abae Mohamed jumped at the opportunity. Applying what he was currently studying at the university and his passion to develop innovative solutions for his community, he emerged the best in the health-tech category. This was the birth of Huduma Fasta LLC, the company behind Fastisha Emergency Service Mobile Application — an emergency service mobile application linking Mombasa residents to emergency service providers within the county quicker and more efficiently..

“We found that a big percentage of the people who died as a result of fire incidents, burglary cases, accidents caused by gang-related crimes or even health related cases within Mombasa County in 2019, lost their lives because they couldn’t access emergency assistance in a timely manner. My team and I sought to develop an emergency service framework that provides an end-to-end solution for healthcare practitioners, emergency service providers and users to offer, and access these services easier, and more efficiently within the shortest time possible.”

Abae Mohamed explaining his Fastisha App solution to Ms. Susie Kitchens — Former UK Deputy High Commissioner to Kenya, Mr. Anwar Ahmed — Mombasa County ICT Director among other dignitaries at the TechBridge Invest Hub in 2019.

How has Covid impacted you and your business?

“Covid-19 has changed the way we do things at Huduma Fasta LLC, and I believe the entire business landscape has changed as well. With government restrictions on movement, I was stressed about how this would impact our business. Mentoring session with my mentor Japheth Munyoki have helped to stay focused on the purpose of the innovation, and come up with ways to stay afloat during this tough period. One of my biggest challenges was figuring out a pricing model for the services on my app. With COVID-19 disrupting businesses, I thought the best way to attract and retain clients was to make all my services free. Japheth helped me realise that there were other services I could offer without risking the sustainability of the business. He told me, as much as what I am offering is something good for the community, I should always think of the sustainability of the business because if we can’t stay afloat, then we won’t have anything to help the community with.”

“Although our mobile app still requires a lot of development, we have gained a lot of traction since our soft launch earlier in the year. We currently have 400 users, 90 percent of whom are based in Mombasa and its environs. We are finalizing some important aspects before the official launch and are looking at the bigger picture on what we could offer within the app, post COVID-19.”

“Through mentoring, I have learnt that everyone is going through a rough time, don’t assume that you are the only person having problems. Be kind and supportive, one good word could save someone’s life.” Abae Mohamed

Abae, his mentor Japheth and other Imarisha mentoring programme participants recently graduated from the programme. Though conducted virtually, the graduation gave participants an opportunity to reflect on their mentoring journeys, lessons learnt and celebrate successes. We can’t wait to see what Abae Mohamed and fellow graduates achieve in the coming years, and wish them all the best!