Rahel Mohammad is a successful businesswomen and the woman behind the success of supermarket All Mart. Her business admin and accounting degrees obtained in the USA as well as her experience in sales, as a cashier and finally supervisor at the famous U.S. department store chain, Kmart, gave Rahel the motivation that she could do it—and she did and All Mart was born! All Mart began with 50 employees and has gone on to create employment opportunities for 500 employees. All Mart is also highly engaged in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Her father was a believer in giving back to the community. “My dad used to go to rural areas and feed those less fortunate. That…stuck with me.”
With her innate character of supporting the less fortunate, and her husband’s passion for helping those in need, the power couple organized a talent show called All Mart Idol with prominent figures as judges. Of the 150 kids that took part, the top ten were awarded and celebrated at a dinner held at the Sheraton. The winner, a street kid by the name Tinsae Assefa, was awarded 10,000 birr and is still part of the All Mart family. Motivated by their success, the couple with the collaboration of the local government started “Rewarding the Outstanding” program. First launched in 2016, the program is an academic competition in which 12th graders from every public school in the city are given Math and English exams and the top 10 students are awarded cash prizes. The closing ceremonies are held at prestigious venues with the intention of boosting the morale of the finalists.
With the aim of reaching less privileged kids and creating awareness among the private sector about Corporate Social Responsibility, All Mart has undoubtedly set precedent in community work and changed the lives of many young people. Among many other philanthropic activities, All Mart planted 5,000 trees in the neighborhood, provided elderly people around Gerji and Jommo with a month-worth of groceries during the Covid-19 pandemic. All Mart also provides food every holiday and Ramadan.
“I feel blessed when giving to my community,” reflects Rahel. She attributes her success to the blessings and prayers she has received in her life. Making people happy is what makes her happy. Rahel feels her employees are her family and friends. “I empathize with my employees because in the U.S., I also worked as a waitress; I had been ‘there’,” she says. She also points out she has a strict work ethic such as coming to work on time and not missing work unnecessarily. She wants to bring a strong work culture to Ethiopia. Rahel is a shareholder of Keko Coffee, a sister company exporting coffee beans and planning to eventually start coffee roasting. Her business partner, another hardworking woman, is one of Rahel’s role models.
Rahel values health, longevity and changing peoples’ lives. She is a strong believer in having a purpose. Rahel says “If you put God first and put in some hard work, nothing will stop you from achieving your goals.” She is most proud of her marriage, her family and the rewards that came from her businesses. For Rahel, success is happiness and leadership is leading by example while looking at the big picture. Her husband Nur Hussein testifies that Rahel is a strong woman and a great role model.
“I like working with women,” says Rahel, “because I believe we have to excel together.” Rahel attests that AWiB is an organization with a strong purpose. She appreciates AWiB bringing out hidden role models for the world to see. She applauds how AWiB develops the younger generation by involving them within the organization to become responsible leaders.
