Katherine Olives
Demo Day is rapidly approaching (May 1st!). In the meantime, wouldnt it be cool to get to know the CCNY startups who will be there? We think so.
Allow me introduce you to dawaCare (formerly Camerhealth), a contender for the 2017 Zahn Social Impact Prize. dawaCare aims to improve healthcare in developing countries, with a focus in Cameroon. When you first meet the leaders of dawaCare–Manni & Danny–they seem like your average outgoing college student. But its not until you sit down with them, and hear the story behind dawaCare, that you realize theyre tackling a global issue.
I sat down with the two behind this venture, Emmanuel (Manni) Pendi and Danny Tsoi. Manni & Danny come from different worlds with differing experiences, but together they make a dynamic duo. Manni has a Masters in Pharmaceutical Science and is pursuing a second degree in biomedical engineering. Hes worked for a startup company in the pharmaceutical industry, but this is his first time as a founder. Danny Tsoi is a freshman planning to study mechanical engineering, but he comes with 8 years of experience in telecommunications and IT, working for both corporate companies and the military.
The Zahn Center: Wow. Both of you bring loads of experience…very different experiences. What roles will the two of you play on your team?
Manni Pendi: Like in every startup, both of us do a little of everything…our responsibilities are very blended. I take the lead on legal and financial aspects, and Danny takes the lead on product. When it comes to customer development, we both share those responsibilities.
ZC: And how did the two of you meet?
MP: Zahn brought us together, right? I watched Hybridia and VERIPAD pitch last spring, and I also went to Demo Day. I had a vague idea, was inspired by some things happening at home in Cameroon, and knew that I wanted to create impact in my community. After Demo Day, I met with Lindsay and spoke with her about my idea. She always told me I can come in to talk if I needed to, and I met with her several times to refine the idea that is now dawaCare.
Danny Tsoi: Zahn definitely brought us together. When I first started at CCNY, I saw someone apply for an internship at the Zahn Center. I applied, didnt get an offer, but I kept hanging around. I just wanted to get a feel for the place. Once I heard about the competition, I knew I wanted to compete, but my ideas were a little all over the place. Then I heard Manni pitch at Idea Jam. Once I knew it could scale, and we could help a lot of people, I wanted in.
ZC: Im sure Manni told you the story about why he wanted to start dawaCare, right? The story always tears at my heartstrings.
DT: Manni, you should tell the story. Its one of the stories that makes you want to change something, immediately.
**Warning, the story may be graphic for some readers**
MP: Well Im from Cameroon. And there was a big news story there. A woman was pregnant with twins and had high blood pressure. On the way to the hospital, the woman passed out. When she got there, hospital staff said she wasnt responsive and pronounced her dead. They pretty much told the womans sister to bring her to the mortuary. Can you imagine? The sister knew that even if her sister had passed, the babies might still have a chance at survival. She knew she needed to act fast, though, and there werent doctors around. She decided to take matters into her own hands, and made a big incision. She got one baby out alive, but unfortunately the baby didnt survive for more than a few minutes.
DT: To put this in perspective, this happened in 2016 in an urban center in Cameroon. The woman took a taxi to the hospital like many women in Manhattan do. This could have happened anywhere. But in Cameroon, along with other developing countries, there are higher infant and maternal mortality rates than in the US. Its not about a lack of information, education, or equipment, its about failed triage. So I wanted to find out how we could use tech to get to the root of the problem, and stop tragedies like this from happening.
ZC: So dawaCare is an app for triage care?
DT: Triage would require a lot of structural changes within Cameroons healthcare system. Right now, healthcare is barely accessible, and less than 1% of people in Cameroon have health insurance. So right now, we want to zone in on follow up care, which is crucial to primary care.
MP: Doctors find it difficult to connect with patients for a follow up, and many patients go to the doctor once, get a diagnosis, and never come back to follow up.
DT: If we help patients reach doctors, and doctors reach patients, we can improve the outcomes of primary care. Patients can take their healthcare into their own hands.
ZC: Empower the patients. Empower the doctors. Its a great idea.
DT: At the moment, we want to work in the clinic space. And on a grander scale, dawaCare aims to improve healthcare in developing nations.
ZC: And why do you think the Zahn Centers competition is the place to accomplish this?
DT: Zahn is the reason im still in school. I really believe in project-based learning, and Im excited to be on this mission with Manni.
MP: I just want to impact peoples lives in a positive way, and I think the Zahn Center will help me do this.
If this story inspired you, chat with dawaCare on social media @dawaCare, or visit them at Demo Day on May 1st!