Denisa Fainis’s dream to redistribute unused food to the needy will soon be a reality. She just won herself over Dh50,000 to start this business at the recently concluded “Philadelphia Creativity for a Cause” annual campaign, which provides a platform for women across the Gulf to develop their ideas and give back to the community by offering them financial assistance. Fainis beat 340 women to secure top spot.
“I have had this idea in my mind since I was working in Afghanistan as an American military contractor. We were granted free meals and I saw a lot of the food from the canteen going waste. While travelling around I also saw how the locals were struggling with lack of basic comforts and food,” says Fainis, business development executive at 3SC World.
In 2009, Fainis landed in Kabul because the firm she was employed at — Unity Logistics and Supply Services — was working on various projects there including construction, supply delivery and manpower.
She recalls “base hopping” across Afghanistan during her three months stay. “The office work was 24x7 and there were no days off. My parents were not surprised that I had agreed to go there, as I have always taken risks and done my own thing,” says Fainis.
In 2013, when the US military began pulling out of the war-torn country, Fainis left Afghanistan, but the memory of the time spent there never left her. “With this experience in mind, I began doing some research and found a group in the US called Food Recovery Network. I got in touch with their founder Ben Simon and was able to pick his brain. They collect unused food from colleges and universities and deliver it to churches, orphanages, shelters, etc, with the help of volunteers,” says the 26-year-old Romanian.
Fainis plans to start her business by targeting the hospitality sector and then expanding on to the airline industry, malls and catering places. The unused food will then be delivered to labour camps, initially, within Dubai. “I only plan on collecting food that’s acceptable to be donated and is not easily perishable,” she says.
So is the prize money enough to start the business? “I think it is enough to get the ball rolling and may be cover a few months. I will need investors and I’m so thankful my company 3SC World has also decided to do a partially matching contribution.”
Fainis is expected to launch her business within the next four to six months. Her journey from start to finish will be captured into a documentary.
Shahana Raza is a UAE-based freelance writer
