Monthly Archives: September 2020

Africa, Armed Conflicts, Crime & Justice, Development & Aid, Economy & Trade, Education, Gender, Gender Violence, Headlines, Health, Human Rights, Humanitarian Emergencies, Inequity, Peace, Sustainability, TerraViva United Nations

Opinion

Mabingue Ngom, Regional Director, West and Central Africa Region, UNFPA and Shoko Arakaki, Director of Humanitarian Office, UNFPA

NEW YORK, Sep 21 2020 (IPS) - The countries of Central SahelBurkina Faso, Mali, and Nigerface an unprecedented crisis, marked by violent extremism, forced displacement, and rising insecurity. The sharp increase in armed attacks on communities, health centres, schools and other public institutions and infrastructure has disrupted livelihoods and access to social services. The impact on affected people is devastating.

As the international community responds to the crisis, we must meet immediate needs, and invest in long-term development. We must also work on shaping peace together, the theme of this years International Peace Day.

In Central Sahel, shaping peace together requires the full participation of women and young people. Engaging, employing, and empowering women and young people offers the best hope for peace, stability and recovery.

While the responses to address this complex crisis to date have centred on humanitarian and military interventions, collective investments are required simultaneously in all sectors including humanitarian response, economic and social development, and peacebuilding to foster a sustainable and resilient society.

As a priority, governments and partners must take action to reduce massive human suffering. It is important not to lose sight of the centrality of protection in our collective response to this crisis. Of 63 million people, more than 13 million, about 1 of 5, need humanitarian assistance. More than 1.5 million people are displaced, fleeing from non-state armed groups in the Central Sahel region and from neighboring countries, and violence is taking a massive toll.

Assistance is needed to address gender-based violence, lack of basic health services, growing food insecurity, rising poverty, and COVID-19. In Central Sahel, as in countries around the world, women and girls bear a disproportionate impact during crises, and face increased risks of sexual exploitation and abuse. During COVID-19, reports of violence against women are rising.

Given overstretched health systems and health worker capacity, it is vital that frontline responders are equipped with personal protective equipment to prevent the spread of COVID-19, respond to the needs of survivors, and provide much needed services.

An estimated 12 million girls in the Sahel are out of school due to the pandemic, which puts them at greater risk of sexual assault, child marriage, and early pregnancy, according to the Sahel Womens Empowerment and Demographic Dividend (SWEDD) programme.

Launched by the United Nations and the World Back Group in response to a call made by Sahel governments, the ambitious SWEDD programme, led by UNFPA with the West Africa Health Association and partners, is a benchmark initiative to reduce gender inequality and convert population growth into an economic dividend.

To move forward, the vulnerabilities and violations of women, adolescents and youth affected by the crisis must be addressed to avoid a disaffected and dependent generation, from which to draw young people (and young men in particular) to armed groups and extremism.

It is time for collective action to put women and young people at the center of efforts, support social reform, and invest in social services while responding to the pandemic. Dynamic partnerships between governments and humanitarian agencies could provide women and young people with opportunities and support protection, health including sexual and reproductive health, and education.

Enabling women and youth to develop their skills, receive training, and earn an income would foster social cohesion, reduce economic dependency and extreme poverty, and promote peace, resilience and recovery in a more sustainable manner. Building more inclusive and healthy communities diminishes risks such as early marriage and early and unintended pregnancy.

Enabling women and young people to become self-sufficient creates an atmosphere of ownership and empowerment.

To drive progress, there is a need to develop economic incentives for private sector companies to employ young people, including young women. A strong partnership with the private sector will allow governments to spur innovation, progress, and a more diverse funding base supporting longer-term youth employment strategies. A win-win with young people is one where companies can find a balance between philanthropy and business, and young people can achieve financial goals and independence as they transition into adulthood.

To succeed, the governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger should lay the institutional and structural foundation for youth employment by promoting programmes and partnerships for skills training and establishing small and medium-sized enterprises. This is especially important in remote communities to benefit young people and the communities in which they live.

Efforts should reflect the rights, and drive to self-determination and economic prosperity, of young women and men, and promote gender equality, social cohesion, and access to quality health services and care, including psychosocial support and family planning.

Given growing funding constraints, the UN system must demonstrate new and innovative ways of working and efficiency in doing more with less. A complementary humanitarian, development and peacebuilding approach is the only way to address the complexities of the Central Sahel crisis. Investments across these three pillars can address immediate needs, root causes, and fund efforts to build back better with women and young people at the centre.

Read the original:

Central Sahel - Shaping peace together with women and young people Statement for International Peace Day - Inter Press Service

On Thursday, Sept. 17, Kean's Pan-African Student Union (P.A.S.U.), along with the National Pan-Hellenic Council and National Council of Negro Women, Inc., held a virtual student panel, where participants had personal conversations about racial identities from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Zoom.

Diversity Speaks: The Black and Brown Experience provided students a way to have their voices heard on issues pertaining to ethnic disparities.

This open forum gave students the confidence to speak their hearts in a comfortable space where courage was welcomed and support was given. The Diversity Speaks platform has a goal of educating the community on diversity through a series of student-led discussions.

"We want to change Kean University for the better," said Malcom Moreira, president of P.A.S.U. "This event was needed to express our thoughts and feelings."

When asked about the event's turnout, Moreira was confident of the outcome.

"It turned out well. During this event, we made all the problems on campus well known. Our organization went through the problems, spoke about them with everyone giving their opinions," continued Moreira. "Our moderator mediated the discussion correctly by letting all participants express themselves freely."

Malcom gave a bit of insight on how the forum was put together.

"The Black and Brown Experience had so much planning. Taylor Williams came up with the idea," Moreira continued. "She helped us so much. Taylor is a professional and understands the experience that comes with being a person of color in her field. It gets difficult."

Moreira mentioned that President Lamont Repollet, Ed. D., the 18th leader of the university, stopped by.

"He spoke at the event by saying that he is doing his best to make the university as great as it was," said Moreira.

Kean P.A.S.U. is doing its due diligence by fortifying the university's title of the most diverse campus in the nation.

"Our organization is working to assist students of color on campus along with showcasing black excellence," Moreira mentioned. "Exposing the student body to our history, consisting of various cultures, lets them know that we are all connected."

Moreira feels such events such as The Black and Brown Experience is crucial to student development.

"Having these events that are based on our culture and history will help students of color understand where they're going," said Moreira.

The Pan-African Student Union is a cultural organization at Kean that unites all students of African descent with the knowledge of self by providing empowerment through its programs and events.

More information about P.A.S.U. can be found on Cougar Link. For any questions, comments or concerns, P.A.S.U. can be emailed at pasu@kean.edu.

Read the original post:

A Discussion About the Black and Brown Experience - The Cougar's Byte

BACKGROUND

Triggerise is registered in Kenya under the Kenya Companies Act with a Certificate of Registration Number PVT/2016/025180 dated September 16th, 2016 as a subsidiary of Triggerise BV.

Triggerise Kenya Limited has its main office in Nairobi but carries out its operations in various counties in the Republic of Kenya.

Consulting services are being sought by Triggerise Kenya Limited from a recognized consultant to undertake mapping of Technical Vocational and Education (TVET) institutions and health facilities in the counties of Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu within sub-counties Triggerise implements programs in.

1. SCOPE OF WORK (SOW)

This SOW is being developed to support the implementation of a youth empowerment program focused on improving sexual and reproductive health outcomes and social-economic well being of the youth within informal settlements in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu

The main aim of the assignment is to ensure that Triggerise Kenya Limited does a market landscape mapping of all NITA accredited TVET institutions and master craftsmen and health facilities(Public, faith-based and private clinics and pharmacies) within specific sub-counties within the areas of program implementation. The mapping will include assessment of the services and products available at the facilities in line with the project deliverables, capacity of the institution based on client flow or student capacity, updated premise license and accreditation (NITA for TVET, NHIF for health facilities) confirmed interest in participating in the program and facility contact person details. We expect accurate geography mapping with GPS coordinates for all facilities and individual mastercraftsmen and defined by county, sub-county and civic ward. The following are the expected outputs of this consultancy:

Mapped NITA accredited TVET institutions offering project courses.

Mapped NITA accredited mastercraftsmen offering project courses

Mapped health facilities , both public, faith based and private(including franchise network members) offering project SRH services

Mapped private pharmacies offering project SRH services

Mapping of public facilities should cover all public hospitals, dispensaries and sub-county hospitals. The private and public clinics mapping should be split into three categories;

a) Category 1- Franchised clinics which include Tunza Clinics, Amua Clinics, MSK clinics, FHOK clinics & any other (most of these are branded from outside with the franchise colours)

b) Category 2- Individually owned clinics- Any other Private Clinic located in the areas of interest which meets criteria 3 above.

c) Category 3- Public and faith based facilities in the areas of interest

The mapping exercise will require picking GPS coordinates for all health facilities and pharmacies as above

Drawing their position/locations on a map with a colour ramp showing the different categories

Location of services

2. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The qualified firm should exhibit the following:

Demonstration of experience and expertise of similar assignment with similar organizations by availing a personal/company profile.

Provide an activity plan of actions to achieve the objectives of the assignment, specifying budgeted hours, timelines and sequence for its consultancy procedure and level of staff to be assigned;

Incorporating a brief CV's of the proposed professional staff of the core management team for the engagement and the authorized representative submitting the proposal. CVs should demonstrate relevant experience in mapping works

List of current and past clients where the bidder carried mapping exercise along with the name of the organization, contact person, designation, and a contact number,

Registration Certificate if a company

Other relevant Certificates

3. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Proposals will be evaluated in two parts.

The technical proposal weighted at 70%

Financial proposal weighted at 30%

Proposals should make clear about the relevant skills, experience and capacity of the participant, in respect of this particular SOW. It must contain the details of the proposed approach to be adopted in order to deliver the service in accordance with the SOW. Proposals should clearly indicate whether or not bid participants have the capacity to meet the requirements of the SOW

Functionality evaluation criteria

1. Experience, Skills and Ability of consultant

This will include

Past experience in similar work of this nature.

Team member experience (accompanied by brief CV's).

Bidders track record.

The ability of the bidder to fulfil the requirements

Score: 40

2. Technical Approach and Execution Plan

Proposals must contain the details of the proposed approach to be adopted in order to deliver the service in accordance with the TOR. The proposal should contain a work plan, showing tasks and timelines. Did the bidder submit clear proposed timelines for this engagement?

Score: 30

3. Financial Capacity

Proposals should clearly indicate whether or not bid participants have

the financial capacity to meet the requirements of the TOR based on

the previous value of similar work done.

Score: 30

Terms of performance for the services

The consultant will be required to provide a report to the management of Triggerise on the work accomplished. This will be in the form of the management report and will specifically include the following:

The final presentation of maps for all the above outputs

GPS coordinates for all health facilities mapped

Originally posted here:

MAPPING OF TVET (TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING) INSTITUTIONS AND HEALTH FACILITIES - ReliefWeb

Once a year, as part of its programme of activities, Circostrada tends to organise a professional field trip outside Europe, so as to foster international collaborations between European and non-European key players in the circus and street arts fields. As such, in recent years, the network members have been able to connect with professionals from Japan, Korea, Ethiopia, and Mexico[1].

Indeed, back in 2018, Circostrada and Fekat Circus jointly organised a dedicated seven-day programme for the networks members in Ethiopia. Fifteen delegates came to Addis Ababa to take part in the second edition of the African Circus Arts Festival, an initiative that gathered many circus professionals from all over the African continent. A rich and intense week of meetings and artistic shows in Addis Ababa allowed Circostrada and Ashara[2] members alike as well as several artistic companies invited to the festival to get to know each other better, engage first-hand with current contemporary challenges in both Europe and Africa, and create a space for fair cooperation. As a concrete result, a bountiful series of exciting projects between Ethiopia and many European countries France, Spain, UK, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands to name a few stemmed out from this trip: artistic collaborations, capacity development activities, peer-to-peer exchanges, and more. Very recently, back in March 2020 during the last edition of the RICAs and in the frame of an activity co-organised by the RICAs[3], MASA[4] and Circostrada several African organisations decided to launch the creation of an African federation for the development of circus arts and Fekat Circus was the first Ethiopian member to join such organisation.

Following this professional journey to Ethiopia, the network decided to produce a short field report with the intent to inform all its members of the meetings and discussions held during this one-week trip and more largely to create a tool capable of starting conversations and engaging in future collaborations. The publication that came out and which is available free of charge in both English and French was however never intended as an academic research paper presenting a broad, exhaustive or conclusive panorama of the history of Ethiopian circus. The report among other pieces of information and knowledge humbly provides a glimpse into the history of circus arts in Ethiopia and its most recent development, while especially focusing on the role and actions of Fekat Circus, one of the most dynamic key players in the field and a member of the network.

Two years later, two circus professionals and agents based in Australia and operating in Ethiopia Jasmine Straga and Sosina Wogayehu felt and claimed this publication was not reflecting the richness and diversity of Ethiopian circus arts, pointing out some sensible issues that were not understood or acknowledged in the report, but also promoting their own stories and experiences since these were not portrayed in this publication. Thus, two open letters were simultaneously shared on their personal Facebook profiles, as well as on the Circademics Facebook group, a space dedicated to anyone interested in the nexus of circus arts and academic inquiry; subsequently their open letters were also published on the CircusTalk website. Sadly enough, the coordinator of Circostrada Network never received those letters directly and was only informed by CircusTalk about their existence. One cannot help but wonder about the ethical bases for such behavior and also about the strategic time in which these open letters were published. As a matter of fact, a mere week later, a project aiming at developing two venues dedicated to circus arts in Ethiopia was shared online by the very same people who wrote these open letters.

These two texts contain many serious and unfounded accusations against Circostrada that the network clearly refutes; moreover, these allegations represent an offense to the network ethics and values. It must also be stated that it was never the intention of the network to silence voices or rewrite histories. Since then, Circostrada has carefully proceeded to a review of these claims and the network will take into consideration some of the sensitive issues that were brought up and will also address certain inaccuracies and omissions by updating the current publication. It goes without saying that this work will be done in close collaboration with Fekat Circus, the co-organiser of this activity back in 2018.

Out of sheer clarity, it should be noted, however, that the article that concentrated the most negative and aggressive critiques was written by a young and talented woman Sarah Bushra who is a multidisciplinary artist from Ethiopia, as well as a creative worker; back in 2018 she was also the creative communication officer of Fekat Circus. Circostrada will not silence her voice or her name, for that matter as suggested in these open letters, but will have editorial notes added to her text to avoid any further misleading arguments.

Beyond the content of the publication itself or the reactions it spurred, one might argue that it is often a troubling sign when the safe space for the plurality of voices and the diversity of opinions feels no longer safe; or when stories are pitted one against the other, as if presenting one would inevitably invalidate the other, however valuable this other story may be. In line with the values it embodies, Circostrada and its members consistently strive to ensure openness and diversity and to provide a fertile ground for discussion, exchange of experiences and mutual growth. Very much aware that living up to these values is an on-going collective process as individuals, organisations, and sectors as a whole the network stays open to constructive criticism and true open dialogue. Most importantly, the core mission of Circostrada is and will always be to further the development, empowerment and recognition of circus arts and street arts at European and international levels.

[1] Due the current pandemic, this last field trip was transformed into a full digital experience.

[2] Ethiopian network of contemporary circuses created in April 2017 by 6 Ethiopian circuses: Circus Arbaminch, Circus Bahar Dar, Circus Debre Berhan, Circus Dire Dawa, Circus Hawassa, and Fekat Circus.

[3] Rencontres Interculturelles du Cirque dAbidjan.

[4] March des Arts du Spectacle dAbidjan.

.

Related content: Two Open Letters about the State of Ethiopian Circus

Since 2003, Circostrada Network works to develop and structure the fields of Circus and Street Arts in Europe and beyond. With more than 100 members from over 30 countries, it contributes to build a sustainable future for these sectors by empowering cultural players through the production of resources and actions of observation and research, professional exchanges, advocacy, capacity-building and information.

Read the original post:

Statement from Circostrada in Response to the Open Letters of Jasmine Straga and Sosina Wogayehu - CircusTalk

In September 2014, sisters Mahlaqa Shaukat and Noor Shaukat returned to Pakistan from the UK to conceive a fitness movement, led by women, for women. Their movement materialized in the form of Aimfit, a leading platform that, presently, provides fitness classes to females belonging to the well-off segments of Lahore and Islamabads population.

But that is only what it started off as. Over the past six year, Aimfit has gained serious momentum, and now its founders have secured $1 million in seed investment. Where did the money come from? The oversubscribed round was led by Indus Valley Capital, a Pakistan-focused fund started by LinkedIns former VP of Growth, Aatif Awan.

With an increasing base and a million dollars to play with, Aimfit has become the first VC backed fitness startup out of Pakistan. But the beginnings of Aimfit were not as grand as its current position, and the sisters think Aimfit has what it takes to be bigger than a regular startup. Their vision sees Aimfit not as a startup, but as a prospective nationwide fitness movement that could possibly be a lucrative business at the same time.

The need for Aimfit

For anyone with the bare basic cognitive skills, regardless of gender, it is obvious that Pakistan has a problem giving any kind of attention to women when it comes to social activities like fitness.If youre returning from a more developed country, where gyms, yoga studios, pilates, and jogging lanes are everywhere and not a luxury, the contrast will be even more stark for you.

There are certainly no dedicated spaces for women to achieve their fitness goals. That is, of course, an opportunity with the trends towards fitness favourable globally. It wasnt, therefore, unlikely for two Oxford University-graduated women with a passion for fitness to do something about it and cash-in on the opportunity.

For countries like Pakistan, thinking about physical fitness is expensive, and thus usually an upper class endeavour. The seedy gyms that do exist in the underbelly with iron cast dumbbells and tin cans filled with concrete as weights are not usually places welcoming to women. But even in the upper classes, the opportunities for women are limited.

Aimfits presence is currently in Lahore and Islamabad only. They have three fitness studios in Lahore, two in DHA and the other in Garden Town both posh neighbourhoods, and one fitness studio located in Bahria Town in Islamabad. The platform boasts over 5,000 active members across these four locations in two cities. And this entire time they have been bootstrapping meaning they have only used existing resources and made no outside investment since 2014.

With $1 million in seed investments, Aimfit was set to expand and become bigger than ever. But as with so many stories these days, just as things were looking towards infinity and beyond for the fitness organization, the pandemic came, meaning suddenly all four of their locations were closed and classes cancelled.

The sisters responded, like every other business, to the online model, providing fitness classes online, to keep the revenues coming in. And like every other business, Aimfit too believes that online is the way to go, with the Covid-19 pandemic providing the impetus to expedite the plans.

Mahlaqa, the co-founder and CEO of the fitness startup says that Aimfit was offering online training sessions pre-Covid as well, and with the $1 million in seed investment, plans are to double down on the online model, along with increasing the physical studio footprint.

Aimfit founders and sister, Noor and Mahlaqa Shaukat

This is particularly important because Aimfit is not without competition. While Pakistan ranks 149 out of 150 countries for recreational physical activity by participation in 2018 measured by the Global Wellness Institute, the market for fitness institutions is picking up pace, and Aimfit is not the only organization looking to cash in.

As co-founder and COO of Aimfit, Noor Shaukat, admits, the last five years have seen a boom in the fitness industry in Pakistan. This is also why the online model is important. We are proud of the role AimFit has played in enabling this ecosystem of independent fitness studios. While there isnt a direct online competitor focusing on a scaled, online fitness solution for women, there are multiple individuals and brands in the market, says Noor.

We are excited to see this growth since the biggest challenge is to encourage more people to take up a healthier lifestyle. The more players there are in the market, the more our target market is educated on the need for our product. On this level, Aimfit is well supported by Indus Valley Capital as well, which agrees with Aimfits methods and goals.

At Indus Valley Capital, our mission is to help founders build the most transformational companies in Pakistan. We believe that AimFit will transform the country in an incredible way by bringing fitness to millions of women in their homes, says Aatif Awan. Being able to achieve fitness goals as part of a community is truly empowering and has a spill over effect into improving other aspects of life, including family, work and mental health. Were thrilled to partner with AimFit in revolutionizing female fitness in Pakistan.

Changing targets

For any consumer-facing business, growth and scale cannot be achieved unless the product or service is targeting the mass market, which in this case can potentially be 101 million females, or 49% of the total population of Pakistan, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) data of the latest census.

Compared to that, 5,000 members is not a large number. It is, in fact, a tiny number. But Aimfit has not really planned to reach out to the mass market, until recently. Since its existence, Aimfit has been targeting women from the wealthy upper-middle and elite classes of Lahore and Islamabad (as evident by the locations of their studios). These women can afford to pay Rs8,000-16,000 per month based on what one is looking for from the wide assortment range in the fitness menu, and has always remained oversubscribed, as they claim. This means that the demand shot through the roof but they did not have enough capacity to serve that demand. Hence the plans for expansion.

A user can get an unlimited pass, which is a little bit of a more expensive box. If youre going for 10 classes or eight, it will be cheaper. If you get a membership, you come as many times as you want in the month, but you have to book classes in advance online. Others can come and pay per class. We do not think that we are super expensive or catering to the elite only. We have different prices to cater to a wide market, Mahlaqa Shaukat told Profit in an interview.

Rs8,000-16,000 is a little expensive in a country where the average monthly household income is only slightly above Rs40,000. This price and income equation is perhaps what drives Aimfits focus towards an online-to-offline (O2O) model, where a low-income consumer can subscribe to Aimfits service online for as low as Rs1,000 or even Rs800 per month, with offline services available to those who can afford the Aimfit experience at the physical studios.

Were trying to position ourselves to think of our studios as experience centres. The idea is to have anchor studios across major cities, eventually even in tier two cities, where people have these experience centres to come and get a taste of the brand, says Mahlaqa. For that, you really have to establish the tone and the personality of your brands for these centres. But then we have to reach the mass market through some home workout solution, which is possible only online and also which obviously has a much higher distribution.

It is perhaps the community experience more than fitness that Aimfits customers pay for, indulging with people who share the same ideology, women empowerment and fitness in that. From the get-go, Mahlaqa explains that women in Pakistan have always felt that Aimfit was like a space that was exclusively catering to them. Aimfit provided them a unique fitness experience, making it their happy place. And it is perhaps because of this community experience that Aimfit caters exclusively to females, providing them with a niche that has remained unserved for a long time.

Concepts like community experience may sound like so much mumbo jumbo on the surface, but they have a real world impact on businesses and people. In a recent study by Business Insider, reporter Irene Jiang went inside an urban sweat lodge a prison-style workout taught by former convicts, and full-body cryotherapy. Her takeaway? Im not sold on the idea of sweating or freezing my way to a better body but it quickly became clear that what they really had to offer its customers was a sense of community. They also focused on self-improvement and reaching personal fitness goals rather than exercising to attain a certain body type, read her report.

In another example that shows how fostering community has increasingly become a selling point for fitness studios and gyms, and how consumers are aligning their fitness venues of choice with their personal identities more than ever before, consumers of US-based fitness companies SoulCycle and Equinox decided to sever ties with the company when they learned of the owner of both companies, Stephen Ross ties to President Donald Trump and the fundraiser he had announced for the president. The values of the community simply did not align with that decision.

Aimfit follows the same community model as SoulCycle. So if any decision of the company is against the ideology of the community that the company caters to, it risks losing all these consumers that form this community. That is also why Aimfit has never turned towards catering to the male segment of the population and does not plan to do it in the future either.

We actually started off with classes for men as well. Even though the focus was on bringing this service to women. However, our community grew and bonded very quickly, and started defining what our values are for us, Mahlaqa tells us. And now we actually hear all these women referring to AimFit as their happy place. So we have really evolved to become that and strive to be that for as many women as possible.And we really embrace that personality trait.

But with the seed money and their new goals to expand fresh, does Aimfit have a plan to scale to the mass market and still make money? Aimfits packages have already been discussed above and the management of the company did not disclose revenue or profit numbers.

Based on the information disclosed to Profit, for 5000 members paying between Rs8,000-16,000 per month would yield Rs40-80 million in monthly revenue, and Rs480-960 million in annual revenue. The management further disclosed that from the four studios, the EBITDA margin is 40%.

Talking about the healthy margins, Mahlaqa said that is what has actually driven the organic growth of the company so far. What makes these margins possible? You have to deliver a certain quality in the studios when you have to create an experience. But because our fitness themes do not require gym machinery, we have very lean equipment so our studio CAPEX (capital expenditure) is low. This (margin) number is we are really proud of. Our studios make money. Now we have an opportunity online for us.

How is it going to work online?

To reiterate, Aimfit is not a gym. The founders like to call it a fitness facility, providing a broad range of fitness programmes, which incur research and development expenses to create those programmes scientifically to improve fitness, all done by a team dedicated for that purpose.

From dance to yoga to pilates and really anything that is suitable for women, we develop programmes accordingly. We develop choreographies, in-house programmes, just like the curriculum at schools. We call this our fitness curriculum that how our instructors are going to do this, feedback, monitoring and quality control, she says. We also have a fitness academy because fitness is not that widespread that you can just go out and hire people. There is a lack of depth in fitness training all around. We feel that is essential for our clients. We from the very start, we train our instructors and that is what differentiates us actually. Now our fitness academy trains even people from the outside.

Now because online is largely a different segment where the startup will be serving lower economic classes with low incomes, the model is going to look completely different. The programmes that are being or will be developed according to fitness goals of individuals will be scientifically crafted and then be made available to masses online on the Aimfit application for a low monthly subscription of, say Rs1,000. The model is similar to that of popular fitness training application Freeletics that has custom programmes for users with varying fitness goals. Various fitness programmes are available on the app for a little over Rs1,000 per month, charged on a quarterly basis. The application is online only and because there are no fixed costs associated with physical studios, the overall cost of customer acquisition is low and hence the low price.

Aimfit would perhaps be following the same model, with custom programmes designed for a different segment with different fitness goals. And because the expenditures would be incurred once on creating these programmes, they could be made available on a low rate to low-income demographics in Pakistan.

We are looking at a market size of $5.5 billion. It is largely because we would be targeting a larger wallet share that includes healthy meals, outfits etc. But that comes later. Right now the business case in front of us is going online, says Mahlaqa.

For the purpose of growing further, Aimfit has raised $1 million in a seed round led by Silicon Valley-based Pakistan-focused Indus Valley Capital.

With the funding round, the management identified opening up new anchor studios, programme development and growing programme development team as focus areas for future expenditures.

There are three things that the money will be deployed towards. One is the product build for the online workouts. We want to obviously have a really good product out. The second is, you know, we have, like I was saying, we have a really strong programme team that serves the studios that is going to serve the online workouts. And its like all about the content that we are putting out there, the sisters tell us.

So theres going to be expenditure on growing the programme team. Thats what we really feel like is our IP. We actually do research and development on which workouts are burning how many calories and all of that. The third is establishing two anchor studios.

The company provided an estimated timeline of one year for utilization of these funds, with eventual plans of going for a larger round in a years time.

Excerpt from:

After six years of bootstrapping, Aimfit is ready to grow online with $1 million in recent funding - Profit by Pakistan Today