PSP-One Partners with Freedom from Hunger on Base of the Pyramid Initiative in Ghana

The Abt Associates-led Private Sector Partnerships One project (PSP-One) and the international NGO Freedom from Hunger have just signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines their collaboration on a base of the pyramid (BOP) initiative in Ghana. Freedom from Hunger has recently launched and is piloting a new program called Microbusiness for Health (MBH), which is aimed at increasing access to health products among rural populations while offering a livelihood opportunity to women entrepreneurs.

MBH is an innovative program that uses a BOP approach, whereby rural women sell health products in their communities for a profit. Freedom from Hunger acts as a franchisor, selecting the women, training them on health topics, and providing affordable unsubsidized health products and services linkages for certain health conditions. The women, the franchisees, carry and sell the products in a branded MBH basket, which identifies them in the community. Products currently in the basket include: insecticide-treated nets, oral rehydration salts, condoms, vitamins and minerals, reading glasses, wound care items, and hygiene products such as toothpaste and hand soap. The women entrepreneurs, or HealthKeepers, as they are called, do door-to-door relationship sales as well as conduct "learning parties" in their communities, where they teach other women about different health issues and promote their products. Freedom from Hunger expects to have 300 HealthKeepers by the end of 2008 and 3,000 by 2012, covering 80% of rural Ghana.

Under this partnership, PSP-One is providing technical assistance to Freedom from Hunger on:

• MBH financial sustainability
• Commercial partnerships for products and distribution
• Monitoring and evaluation
• The addition of oral contraceptives (OCs) to the product basket

To date, PSP-One has already assessed the potential OCs to be added to the MBH basket, assisted Freedom from Hunger in selecting a brand, and brokered a partnership between Freedom from Hunger and the OC provider. PSP-One also began providing technical assistance on MBH financial sustainability by assessing its distribution system, proposing strategies for scale up and exploring other commercial partnerships. This collaboration builds on PSP-One's work with Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) in India and its Shakti distribution network.