By Margaret Kamba 

Guided by the resolve to find a way to serve his country, Privilege Rimire found the healthcare sector in particular pharmaceuticals as an area in which he could fit into.

Having experience from his five to six years at Premier Service Medical Society, he felt he needed to do more by opening his own business and feed into the health narrative written in the National Development Strategy NDS1.

"Being a beneficiary of the special cadet at the University of Zimbabwe, I was very well aware that Government has programmes for every sector through which people benefit," Cde Rimire said.

"As an avid follower of Government programmes, I read through the NDS1 and found that I could help provide health solutions for the community I live in. This was when my wife and I decided to start a pharmaceutical company, and Health Haven Pharmacy was born.

"We had been asking ourselves where we could get capital and that's when I encountered Empower Bank and they were very much supportive.

"The process seems frustrating but it prepares you for the work ahead. It helps you see if your business is viable."

Cde Rimire added that after the registration process, he and his wife had to decide what to use the loan for since there was a need to stock up the shop. That is when they put the money into stocking up as pharmaceuticals was the core business.

"The loan amounted to US$4000 yet we needed 10 to 15 000 dollars. We had to later engage suppliers who gave us one month accounts and this helped us a lot," he said.

"We also managed to repay the Empower Bank loan before the 18 month repayment period because we thought this would be ideal in case we needed to go back for another loan."

The coming in of the COVID-19 pandemic was one of the challenges that Health Haven Pharmacy faced as some suppliers did not have medicines. However, Cde Rimire says it gave them experience and confidence in themselves.

"We have confidence in ourselves and the environment that we operate in as well as the community in which we live in who have accepted us and we are grateful for that," Cde Rimire said.

"We have said to ourselves we need to offer something unique so our customers are loyal to our brand. Paracetamol is paracetamol in every pharmacy but how you serve it to customers is what makes them choose you over other pharmacies."

Speaking about his company's role in socio- economic development and the Fight against the illegally imposed sanctions, Cde Rimire said being productive is key.

"We are alive to how the illegally imposed sanctions are harming our country and the need for them to be lifted. It is at the National Development Strategy NDS1's health strategy that we come in. His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa says nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. We are the people and have a role to play in providing essential medicine to the people and this is what we are doing because a healthy nation is a productive nation," he said.

"The capacitation of local companies to circumvent the impact of these sanctions is very crucial so as to avoid relying on imports."

Health Haven Pharmacy currently has two well-stocked branches in Kwekwe. Mobile visits to surrounding areas are also offered to widen the market.

"Do not rush into opening a business without doing a business. Conduct a thorough analysis of the market before setting up as this will help your business grow. Have knowledge of the environment and nurture a good relationship with your clients."