Walk into a pharmacy, small shop or supermarket in Abidjan, the largest city in Cote d’Ivoire, and you’re likely to see Marie Konate’s brightly coloured children’s cereals for sale. Marie’s company Protein Kissèe-La (PKL) gets feedback from customers bi-annually but most don’t comment on the fact that they contain 11 vitamins and seven minerals.
Women going to the market in Cote d'Ivoire. © Unsplash
"Customers might feedback that the cereals are too sweet, or not sweet enough," she says. "Or parents who buy our cereals for under-fives comment on how they can see their children growing, but they don’t mention the vitamins and minerals."