Style Edit: Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Initiative fights malnutrition with fortified flour

Social entrepreneur Felix Brooks-church aims to help the millions of children around the world suffering from malnutrition, one bag of fortified flour at a time. His invention, the “dosifier”, is a simple but powerful machine that adds essential nutrients like iron, zinc and vitamin B12 to flour during the milling process. Crucially, it does this without increasing the price of the flour, making it accessible to the people who need it most.

The watchmaker’s support has helped Sanku establish a micronutrient blending facility in Tanzania. This factory produces pre-mixed nutrients, which are then supplied to mills in Ethiopia. It’s a smart, local solution that reduces dependence on expensive and unreliable global supply chains, making the entire system more affordable and scalable. With this infrastructure in place, Sanku is reaching more communities in Ethiopia with fortified wheat flour, the country’s staple grain.

“This is a dream come true,” explains Brooks-church. “When we install a dosifier and we see that powder come out, and those life-saving nutrients in the flour get packed, sold to a shop and then get sold to a mother – that’s the work I love.”

Many East African communities rely on small, local mills, which is why Sanku’s dosifier was designed to be compact, rugged and easy to operate. The latest version, now used in Ethiopia, even includes a sensor that automatically refills the premix and alerts both the miller and Sanku if levels drop. This is especially important in places where fortification is still new – ensuring consistency and trust from day one.

To date, Sanku works with around 1,500 mills across Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia, reaching over 25 million people. The micronutrient factory now produces enough premix to fortify 3.6 billion meals a year. A second factory is being built in Ethiopia to meet growing demand.