Social Entrepreneur Spotlight: Arthur Kamoto
What inspired you to start your own business?
I was inspired by hardships that low income women and girls face in producing reusable sanitary pads as a way of addressing lack of access to affordable sanitary pad. Therefore, I innovated a low cost sanitary pad making machine. In order to promote this initiative, I started San Tech Solutions, a Malawian hygiene and sanitation social enterprise that is aimed at increasing women’s access to affordable reusable sanitary pads through production of low-cost pad making machines.
How do you think other low-tech solutions can be used in Malawi to solve problems?
Low-tech solutions can be used to solve diverse of social challenges in Malawi through the following ways; firstly, low- tech solutions can reduce prices of essential commodities in Malawi through mechanization. Secondly, low- tech solutions can support in reducing poverty in Malawi through employment creation. Thirdly, low- tech solutions is an answer to inadequate capital among the startups as they do not require much investment. Lastly, low- tech solutions can support in national development by transforming Malawi from being a predominantly exporter of raw materials to a midlevel exporter of finished products
What are the three biggest challenges you face as a social entrepreneur?
There is low adoption of our sanitary pad making machine by producers and promoters of reusable sanitary pads such as NGOs and private reusable sanitary pad producers
San Tech Solutions has limited capacity to demonstrate to the world on how our low- tech solution can bring a change towards Menstrual Health and Hygiene
There is lack of investment to scale our products and services to new markets
What have you learned from working with Flame Tree Initiative?
I have learned practical skills on how to develop a business idea starting from developing a problem statement, marketable solutions, theory of change, business model, marketing analysis, human centered design, networking and measuring social impact. I have also learned to be confident as an entrepreneur and I made my first public pinch through lessons and skills shared by Flame Tree Initiative. Through my interaction with Flame Tree Initiative members of staff, I have learned discipline and persistence.
What do you want people around the world to know about you and/or about San Tech?
We are San Tech Solutions, a Malawian hygiene and sanitation social enterprise that is committed to increase access to quality and affordable reusable sanitary pads for low income women and girls through production of low-cost and innovative sanitary pad making-machine. 85% of low income women and girls in rural Malawi and most developing nations lack access to affordable sanitary pad. This has resulted into chronic school absenteeism and school dropout. Therefore, we appeal to the world to invest in menstrual hygiene solutions for low income women and girls. We are ready to work with any organization, company and investor which is committed to address pressing challenges of menstrual health and hygiene around the world.
Anything Else?
I would like to thank Flame Tree Initiative for building the capacity of the youth in Malawi to realize their potential. Through mentorship and hands- on training, they have demonstrated to us that Social Entrepreneurship can be a full time and reliable career path.