Locating and exploring groundwater resources for irrigation and household use is a complex process, but 34 year old Mohamed from Gabes has turned this into a successful business.
At 34 years old and despite the difficulties he has encountered, Mohamed Ibrahim successfully launched “IDROLOG”, a company specialized in coring and hydraulic prospecting that employs 4 people.
Winner of the Start-up Tunisia contest in Gabes in September 2017, Mohamed looks back on his journey as an entrepreneur. Nothing predestined him for this kind of activity, that until now did not exist in the southern region of Tunisia, except his knowledge in the petroleum field and his desire to start his own business in his region.
“I graduated in Physics and Applications in 2008, then I got another degree in Petroleum Engineering in 2012. After that, I started my professional career in in the petroleum sector, working two years as an engineer. I wanted to work abroad but due to visa-related issues I decided to stay in Tunisia.”
After that, Mohamed started working in a mechanical engineering company in Tunis but he soon decided to start his own company and left his job to return to his hometown of Gabes.
“My entrepreneurial journey started in 2015 with the CEFE training. Originally I had the idea to create a petrochemical design office but with all the twists and turns to get funds I decided to give this idea up and started researching other opportunities in this field. I came up with the idea of a project that would involve the evaluation of groundwater for the drilling of wells to meet the needs of individuals and farmers.”
In 2017, and thanks to the Business Center of Gabes, Mohamed discovered the Mashrou3i Project organized by UNIDO and funded by USAID, the Italian Cooperation and the HP Foundation.
“Thanks to the support of Mashrou3i regional expert, I managed to import the necessary machine in record time from the United Kingdom. I was also able to get all the necessary authorizations to go to United Kingdom to take part in a technical training with the equipment supplier. Mashrou3i is currently supporting me to find additional sources of finance for the purchase of a truck that will help me with the drilling of wells.”
“My marketing and communication needs have also recently been diagnosed by another Mashrou3i expert. We are working together on promotional materials that will enable me to raise awareness of my business and its services.”
“Today, IDROLOG has already gained happy customers in Sfax in Tunis. With the tools now in place, I am confident that IDROLOG will become the leading provider in groundwater solutions in the southern regions, which have very significant potential.”
