E-Maternity savings

Most women living in low-income countries find it difficult to meet the costs of maternity, layette and nutrition during the postpartum period.
We are developing a digital platform adapted to the reality and the needs of these women which allows them to save for themselves but also to benefit from the contributions of the local and international community for their care from childbirth until 6 months. This could reduce stress for pregnant women and ensure the health of mother and child. A mobile wallet savings system intended for pregnant women in Africa regardless of literacy and digital skills, including in contexts where internet coverage is limited in order to ensure their survival in the postpartum period.

About 90% of women in the DRC do not have a bank account and even those who do, do not have the culture to secure up social savings. This makes life very difficult especially in uncertain circumstances.
Even more when a woman becomes pregnant, several questions related to the costs of maternity, layette and nutrition during the postpartum period begin to arise in families. When the days of childbirth approach and these questions go unanswered, stress increases in pregnant women. Even more serious is that when a mother fails to pay the maternity bill, she is stuck in the hospital for several months sleeping even on the ground until God raises up a philanthropist (politicians or NGOs), This negatively impact the health of the mother and the infant.

Our solution is addressed to low-income women living in the DRC in the first place and other African countries after the evaluation of the pilot project.

Its objective is to save money to ensure the survival of mothers and their children during the postpartum period. This could reduce the stress on pregnant woman and ensure the health of the mother and the child.

The solution is being developed for and by women with the support of a representation of 255 pregnant women in Goma, North Kivu.

This solution will allow these pregnant women to build up savings to ensure their care during the post-childbirth period.

E-Maternity savings is suitable for women in the informal sector who have irregular income and who are excluded from conventional and State insurance.

The objective of the Challenge and the dimension I have chosen is to enable the most deprived populations to build up social savings in order to meet social needs; E-Maternity savings is effectively aligned in the same vision because it seeks to implement a mobile wallet savings system intended for pregnant women in Africa regardless of the level of literacy and digital skills, including in contexts where Internet coverage is limited to ensure their survival during the postpartum period.

At a strategic level, E-Maternity Savings has provided evidence that there is demand for financial services which are quite different from those currently offered by mainstream providers. Less clear from the E-Maternity Savings is whether a viable standalone business can be created to meet this demand or whether it must inevitably form part of an existing regulated provider.

In most cases, mothers who fail to pay their maternity bills are held in hospital for several months until God raises up a philanthropist (politicians or NGOs) to get them out of there. And when the layette is not made up, the mother is forced to reuse unsuitable linens that expose the newborn. Likewise, when the mother does not have access to sufficient and appropriate food, lactation is threatened with adverse consequences on the health of the mother and the growth of the newborn.

On the other hand, E-Maternity will allow mothers to build up savings to meet these needs for up to 6 months after childbirth.

E-Maternity Savings is therefore:

- Insurance for maternity costs,

- A layette insurance,

- Postpartum alimony.

Our solution offers a new business model.

As soon as the contract is established, clients receive their insurance card and participate in the training and education meeting. During this training, they are made responsible for the use of the card and they are informed about the network of providers grouped together by (health institutions, layette suppliers and food suppliers) from whom they will benefit from the services. A toll-free number is communicated to them to help them in their procedures.
When the woman manifests her will through her savings to a minimum, the system publishes her profile to a vast network of local and international philanthropists who can support or contribute to her savings.
Distribution is done through several channels: the website, the mobile application, the USSD, the traveling salespeople with mobile terminals, the points of sale and the agency. Proximity to customers allows regular payment of premiums. Internet is no longer a problem because the USSD system works perfectly and the subscription points work without a network.
Payment of contributions is possible via mobile money or in cash at the branch.

Our theory of change is based on the accessibility of social savings dedicated to maternity for the poorest mothers and on their belonging to a community of philanthropists who care about the well-being of the most vulnerable populations.

E-Maternity Savings is a social network for the protection of the most vulnerable mother and child initiated by the mother herself in order to mobilize the community to participate.

Being an easy-to-use technology, women will appropriate it to make it an essential model. Because even without a mobile phone, a woman will have an electronic card to benefit from the benefits of this technology.

Via APIs, we will interact with mobile access providers for mobile payment as part of digital distribution.

For philanthropists and points of sale, electronic means of payment (Paypal, Visa, Master, etc.) will be integrated in order to facilitate transactions.

The E-Maternity Savings team is considering digital and offline solutions to overcome this difficulty.

The USSD system provides access to all digital functions. We find the same menu on the website, the mobile application.
Itinerant salespeople have a mobile terminal with the same menu as the USSD, mobile application and website.

1. Currently we do not have any served number of people because we still building our technology.

2. In the first year of the project launch, we intend to serve 2 million.

3. In the next 5 years we will duplicate our solution in other African countries with the goal of reaching 15 million.

-December 2020 - Functioning prototype released,

• Establish our product/service in the market the next 12 months;
• Expand the solution to accommodate other devices such as mobile, tablets running both windows and iOS operating systems by the mid quarter 2021.
• Grow the business by growing the network effects from at least 1 million users the 18 months;
• Increase market share by replicating our technology in at least 7 west African countries the next 36 months.

The main risks are:

1) financing.  

2) securing strategic partnerships to offset development and acceptance test costs.

The former can be de-risked significantly through the latter. For the latter, construction or lease of dedicated facilities for one-off or short-term use such as: irradiation facilities; high-power electric propulsion vacuum chamber facilities; We are seeking to work with both public and private partners to gain affordable access to such facilities.

Currently we are working with a total of 3 staff full-time only.

We have experience of more than 5 years as head of schools. More, the skills our solution team has that will enable us to attract the different resources needed to succeed and make an impact:

AS TECHNOLOGIST, we have access to excellent technical and professional networks.  Our peers are available to augment our core abilities.

AS LEADERS, we see where people are "stuck" in their lives and show up in a meaningful way.  We understand the value of being "present" and listening to others.

AS ENTREPRENEURS, we have a passion for seeing and understanding the big economic picture before building previously unimaginable technologies.  In the end, we want to SERVE!

None, we have only 2 working weeks on this solution.

Membership fees deducted from each contract upon subscription and the financial income generated by the investment of the premiums collected.

E-Maternity Savings will remain dependent on sustained grants and raising investment capital until we have passed 250000 customers served mark in any country where we establish a national franchisee. From that point onwards the companies can be financially sustainable. We took a decision to bring it there the 1 next year after launching it.

None.

We are seeking to raise 150.000$ for our solution in grant to scale our business.

The fund will be used as follows:

40% of the prize will cover technologies development

15% of the prize will help for equipment and commodities

5% of the prize will cover indirect costs;

30% will be used to execute the pilot project in the DRC before opening it to other regions;

10% will be used to analyze and adjust the mobile application regarding to the pilot project feedback & reporting.

Fixed Costs/Overhead

Rent:                                            3600$

Utility bills:                                    600$

Phone bills/communication costs:   300$

Accounting/bookkeeping:                 150$

Legal/insurance/licensing fees:       550$

Postage:                                          100$

Technology                                    25000$

Advertising & marketing                  19000$

Salaries                                         13750$

Variable Costs

Materials and supplies                  4500$

Packaging                                    1500$

Customer service                           1500$ Total:                                 70550$

Through Solve global network, we want to learn from and meet with potential partners. We are applying to Solve because:

1.            Solve can help us build sustainable partnership with potential partners,

2.            Better develop pilot studies and clinical trials to collect and analyze appropriate data,

3.            Define go-to-market strategy: first to private facilities, then to public facilities through the government and, 4.            Define how to monetize data and services.

Through Solve global network, we want to learn from and meet with potential partners. We are applying to Solve because:

1.            Solve can help us build sustainable partnership with potential partners,

2.            Better develop pilot studies and clinical trials to collect and analyze appropriate data,

3.            Define go-to-market strategy: first to private facilities, then to public facilities through the government and, 4.            Define how to monetize data and services.

We would like to partner with governments, UNFPA, UNICEF, Public Health Ministry and Clinics financials structures and Telcom operators. To bring their expertise to ensure the innovation is as effective and scalable as possible. They will advise on the feasibility, acceptability and accessibility of the innovation. They will also help to ensure evidence is used to inform policy and practice.