We always talk about giving back to our community, but only a few would go miles to work for it and make it happen. It is for that reason that we sat down with Menna Shahin, the founder of many initiatives contributing to our society today, like TeKeya and She Travels. We are discussing sustainability and entrepreneurship, along with other dynamic projects up her sleeves.
What made you think of coming up with Tekeya?
I believe that all of us are aware that food is getting wasted in our country. It is not something new to anyone. Personal story – we experienced it before when we were having a late dinner at a Japanese sushi restaurant and saw the staff throwing away large amounts of food around eight at night. I asked the employee if there is anything wrong with this food, to which he replied, “No, it is completely fresh but we are closed for the night, and it is the restaurant policy to throw away the food we were not able to sell during our opening hours.”
We felt we needed to do something to tackle this problem so we started searching for more information about food waste and came across some staggering numbers. For example, in Egypt, it is estimated that around 73kg of food per person is getting wasted per year. For the wider MENA region, it comes down to 250kg per person a year. Not only does this put a burden on the environment but it also shows how silly this problem is when we saw that at least 30% of the Egyptian population is living below the poverty line! Both my husband and I decided to take a firm action, and we started a company together under the name of TeKeya.
What is the primary purpose of the Tekeya food app?
Our mission is to create a community across all layers of society, but we are mainly fighting food waste and using our services to help save surplus food. We seek to increase awareness about food production and consumption, and preserve the environment by reducing the emission of CO2.
You reach out to numerous restaurants and bakeries for collaborations to minimize food waste. Can you tell us about some of your fruitful partnerships?
One of our pioneering partners is Sea Salt Bakery in Zamalek, a bakery that sells only sugar, fat and gluten-free products. They liked our idea a lot, and we were able to save over twenty meals over the last two months. Other partners that we are collaborating with are Dix Neuf, cuts and nuts, Tayer ya Fatayer, and many other groceries, restaurants and bakeries.
Did you come across any difficulties because of the Coronavirus?
Indeed, we did. We saw many providers who stopped working during that time because of a lack of customers due to the restrictions applied. That is why we had a plan to back up our cause regardless of the dreadful circumstances.
What are some of the stands you took as a platform during such times?
When we saw the impact of the Covid-19, we shifted our focus to 100% donations of food products. Therefore, we created two campaigns in February and May 2020. The Challenger Campaign and the Ramadan Campaign together called for close to 2500 meals that were donated. Our Challenger Campaign lasted from late February to early April, where we challenged restaurants to donate meals. We enabled the donation of over 1000 meals to healthcare workers, the elderly and orphanages across Cairo using our application. Whereas, the Ramadan Campaign aimed to revive ‘Maadat Rahman’ and introduce the first online Maada since it was impossible in the usual manner due to Covid restrictions. During Ramadan, we know that the food waste averages spike from 30% to 60% so we had a plan on the table.
How are you making sure that all the surplus food is fresh to be donated?
That is a crucial question because it holds the highest priority for us. We covered this liability in our collaboration contracts that food providers sign. Besides, the app features specific tools such as added expiry dates and storage conditions. Lastly, in our selection criteria, you will find that TeKeya only partners with food providers who have food safety and hygiene at the top of their agendas.
Do the contributing hotels and restaurants get training to use Tekeya?
From the moment of signing the contract with a provider, our operations team visits the venue. The staff gets hands-on training where they go over the technicalities of uploading surplus food on the application, as well as a reminder about TeKeya’s specific company profile. And through this collaboration, they are working for a greater good, which is fighting food waste in Egypt.
When you founded She Travels, why did you create a podium dedicated to women in particular?
Women in our community have many capabilities, and they only need some guidance and support so they can fly to other places. I personally suffered to convince my family to travel by myself. I am thrilled I did eventually because travel changed my life. I felt that I wanted to support other women to go and explore the world by themselves.
What do you believe is the value that travel holds for women?
When women in our region aren’t usually experiencing different life situations, they miss much about themselves and their capabilities. When they travel, they don’t only learn more about other cultures and people outside of their common circles, but they also learn mostly about themselves. That happens naturally when they are being exposed to so many situations that they need to handle on their own. That’s how they get to know themselves better and become braver and tougher.
You are a mom to be, and the balance formula is easier said than done. How do you tackle that?
I am actually answering this question while my baby is only five days old. I had an early delivery. The balance comes when you have a great support system, and you always keep in mind that you will need to ask for help. We, as women, sometimes think that to be capable is to do everything alone, by ourselves, but asking for help is possibly one of the most powerful things a woman can do. Also, having a very supportive and smart husband definitely makes a difference. We approach life as a team, more than just partners.
