A41. Laboratory management (ROPE-FAST) in
Uganda
The ambition is to empower the laboratory management and accreditation of advanced laboratories and ensure financial viability through selling laboratory services. The collaboration with Senexel in Burkina Faso began in 2020 and with St Michaels in Uganda in 2024. Both laboratories s attended HR&S training in 2021, after which the HR&S Network of Technicians was initiated. The ActionInvest FAST is empowered by the Network.
Knowledge sharing, consultation by HR&S Expert advisers, and internship arrangements by HR&S Branch Burkina contributed to the accreditation process at Senexel. The first phase of the collaboration was concluded in 2021. We remain in contact through the FAST Network.
Uganda
St Michaels Food Laboratory and Consultancy Ltd
St Michaels Food Laboratory and Consultancy Ltd. This a food testing lab located at Plot 68B, Prince Charles drive, kololo, Kampala, Uganda. They do testing for food microbiology and chemistry. The lab was started in 2016, its UNBS recognised and currently preparing KENAS accreditation. They are currently seeking for funding to expand their scope of testing to include nutritional and proximate analysis of food to fully meet the needs of their customers. The lab has a big potential for expansion given its big clientele base including UN, supermarkets, industries, hotels, SMEs and USAID. With this we are assured of their ability to pay back on ActionInvest loans and sustainable development (Atwine).
St. Micheals Food Lab was among the first attendees to pay for our webinar series on access to scientific equipment. The webinar was successful. About the credentials of the lab, they are undoubtedly capable of benefiting positively from HR&S vision. Secondly, they are already established in the industry. One of our lessons learnt from previous partners was that it’s not a very good idea to deal with startups, and also, not a good idea to offer them suggestions/solutions. It is good to know that both the ambition, outcome challenge, activities & outputs emanate from the partner, not HR&S. As guided by Anders, let the lab share a business plan. Make a case of the demand of the analytical services, and ability to pay back the loan . As team Uganda, we already have a wonderful example in SENEXEL BurkinaFaso, where we can learn from shared experiences on how to support the lab to succeed (Moses).
From ActionTalks 2 March 2024
– Mr. Atwine Ambrose from Branch Uganda presents a food testing laboratory, the St.Michaels Food Lab and Consultancy, which was founded 2016. They started very small but they could expand. The laboratory already provide analyses for the UN and for Supermarkets and Hotels. They can test food, water, beverage and cosmetic. The business is scaling, they are increasing the number of customers, get more support from business communities, work with larger projects, and can thus expand their income. They also have a consultancy and management system, and support small businesses, other large industries and also governmental organisation. One of the big projects is that they got selected to make test for the UN Uganda. One Challenge is access to equipment, so that they can expand and handle all the big projects. For the work they are doing they need loans but the different financial institutions in Uganda has a high level of interest. So the challenge is how are we able to grow by using those loans, why the they are requesting if they have support from HR&S Action10 to procure more equipment.
It was noted that this activity has similarities with our programme with Senexel in Burkina Faso, so knowledge can be shared, and also that those two projects can empower the HR&S Network for Technicians. Mr Karim Yankine who is working at the Senexel laboratory explained that this laboratory is doing environmental analyses of water and soil and more. He shared that right now it is really tough because of the fragile security situation in Burkina Faso and the danger with collecting samples from the gold mining area. it was agreed that HR&S shall support if we can.