By Tassia Dickenson
Following recommendations from a friend, 25-year-old teacher Abeda Alexander established her own business, selling sea moss gel and providing Guyanese with this nutritional supplement.
‘The Sea Moss Sanctuary’ was established in April 2023 after a friend of Alexander’s recommended that she starts a business selling it. The budding entrepreneur shared that, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, her uncle in London, United Kingdom, recommended the use of sea moss, as he highlighted some of the incredible benefits.
However, it was not until she conceived her daughter later that year that she began using it after he persisted that she does.
“I started using sea moss in 2020 in the height of Covid when an uncle of mine from London started lamenting on its use and the benefits it provides. I didn’t take his advice at the time, but when I got pregnant with my daughter later that year, he advised me again, and, as such, I started using it.”
“The introduction to sea moss as a pregnant woman was amazing, I literally felt like superwoman. I was always on the go, and didn’t have many of the complications most pregnant women have. I wouldn’t give all the glory to sea moss for that, but the one thing I can attest to is the loads of energy I had.”
“I eventually decided to turn it into a business in April, after I recommended it to a friend of mine that was complaining of feeling drained and overwhelmed all the time. He tried it, and he recommended starting a business selling it.”
As all entrepreneurs can relate, venturing off into the world of business has its challenges. However, for Alexander, her only challenge was sourcing authentic sea moss. She highlighted that there are lots of poorly grown sea moss on the market, but she managed to find a local supplier who retails authentic sea moss imported from St Lucia, and she learnt the method of making the moss from her uncle.
“The only issue I had while sourcing products to start was finding a company that sold real sea moss. Most of the sea moss found in supermarkets is farmed or pool grown, which means that they don’t provide as many nutrients as real sea moss, and pose a threat to our bodies because we don’t know what chemicals are used in the water the sea moss is grown in,” she highlighted.
According to Alexander, in due course, she aspires to be one of Guyana’s largest suppliers of holistic products. She noted that, ever so often, people use tablets and other products to heal simple issues in their bodies, not knowing that there are natural products which can be used instead.
“We can just use natural products to solve the same issues that won’t harm our bodies in one way or the other. In addition to this, there aren’t many outlets in Guyana that provide these products, so my aim is to create one. The one thing our business ensures is that we provide quality products to our customers because we care about their health and wellbeing,” an ambitious Alexander said.
Sea moss is a type of red algae, also known as Irish moss, that consists of 92 of the 102 nutrients and minerals that the body needs to function and thrive. It’s known for providing the body with energy; aiding digestion; boosting your immune system; improving thyroid health, skin, hair, and nails; and a lot more benefits.
At this time, ‘The Sea Moss Sanctuary’ offers only plain sea moss gel in gold, purple and full spectrum, and a wide variety of flavoured sea moss gels. These products are not yet available in supermarkets but are being distributed to Berbice and would soon be distributed to Linden. According to Alexander, after she has worked out the shelf life and proper storage of her products, she would be distributing them to supermarkets countrywide.
“I’m currently working out the kinks in relation to shelf life and storage. So, once that has been resolved, we’ll be supplying supermarkets and other stores countrywide. Distribution to Berbice has already started, and I’d like to start distribution to Linden soon.”
Persons desirous of purchasing from ‘The Sea Moss Sanctuary’ can make contact on Facebook at The Sea Moss Sanctuary, or via WhatsApp at (592) 635-1127.
