Cameroon - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

ELEMBA CAMEROUN Sarl is a young company committed to the development of "zero waste" African cities through effective and efficient waste management framed by strong, authentic, adapted and eco-responsible initiatives for a greater good of communities.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

Once households and establishments have been informed of the existence of the service through various channels, they will be registered by our marketing agents on our platform and in our databases. Waste is collected at least twice a week, depending on the volume produced. The waste will be stored for a very short time at intermediate sites, then taken to the main storage sites before being transported by lorry to the packaging sites. The categories of waste are distinguished by the colours of the bin bags, and a second sorting is carried out by automated machines with human assistance. After this more specific sorting, the materials are cleaned and packaged for further processing. Clean" waste will arrive on site and pass through various machines to meet the requirements of private individuals. The raw materials from this stage will be destined for the energy, agricultural and manufacturing sectors.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Our company is trying to solve two major problems first: the waste of materials in landfill sites and the widespread lack of hygiene in towns and rural areas.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

One of the primary benefits of this project is that it will immediately put Cameroon's predominantly young population to work by creating jobs with spin-offs in a number of areas, including agriculture, energy and industry. This will stimulate the economy and the processing of recyclable materials, while also reducing production costs. There could also be a global change in attitudes to environmental protection, which could improve the country's ranking on the list of the world's greenest nations.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Elemba's methodical waste collection service primarily targets households of all sizes and schools ranging from nursery schools to universities. The initiative aims to reach at least 2,000 new secondary school pupils in urban and/or rural areas, and around 400 new households, i.e. a minimum of 1,600 people, including at least 800 women, each year. The recycled products will be sold to households, businesses and other institutions, depending on the specific needs identified.

01.05 When was your company established?

2022-03-14

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

2

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

2

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

Fabienne TCHOULI, co-founder of the Elemba project, is a civil engineer who is particularly involved in water and sanitation projects. She is the second owner of the project. She has three years' experience in the field of sustainable construction and uses her expertise to put together an agile proposal tailored to the context. Her many skills, particularly in external relations, fund-raising and planning, have enabled the company to forge key partnerships and secure some of the funding needed to start up its activities.

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

https://www.facebook.com/elembarecycle/

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

Other: Waste management and recycling

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

4

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

5

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

Elemba's recycled products include organic angrais. These will enable ecological agriculture to be intensified at a lower cost, which in turn will lead to the appearance of more quality products on the market to combat hunger.

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

6

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

By taking action against insalubrity, and particularly the proliferation of uncontrolled rubbish dumps, Elemba is helping to create a healthier environment, improving living conditions for local residents and reducing the breeding grounds for diseases such as malaria and cholera.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

3

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

5

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

Elemba de base was created by two young women who care about gender balance. Within the company, men and women are strictly entitled to the same opportunities and benefits in terms of work regardless of the position they are applying for.

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

5

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

5

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

6

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

Elemba's recycled products include organic angrais. These will enable ecological agriculture to be intensified at a lower cost, which in turn will lead to the appearance of more quality products on the market to combat hunger.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

4

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

4

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

The full deployment of Elemba will improve sanitary conditions in our living environments through effective and efficient waste management and constant awareness of better behaviour. These conditions are absolutely necessary for the construction of the sustainable cities of tomorrow in the face of the challenges of an unprecedented demographic boom. To this end, the company has set itself the objective of covering the entire Cameroonian territory after 10 years. This will be visible through the existence and operation of 360 intermediate storage sites, 59 collection sites, 10 treatment sites and at least one processing site; all distributed among the 10 regions according to the need.

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

Through its educational process, Elemba raises awareness not only about better waste management, but also about a more responsible consumption of products. It also impacts industry by producing materials whose transformation will be less expensive than raw material.

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

With material recycling, Elemba saves on raw materials, reduces certain industrial processes and thus reduces CO2 emissions. This contributes to the preservation of the ozone layer for a better climate.

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

6

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

Marine life is generally endangered by the industrial and domestic waste that ends up there. Elemba makes a major contribution to reducing this effect, firstly by raising people's awareness of the need for more eco-responsible behaviour, and secondly by increasing the number of controlled waste disposal sites.

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

4

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

3

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

5

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

Recycling companies generally require a lot of capital at the start-up, because the volume of material to be processed grows rapidly. Moreover, Africa is still in its infancy in this area. Some states do not always have financial resources, especially when it is necessary to implement solutions at the national level. This is where international collaboration will come in, so as not to jeopardize the exponential growth of the company. It will be necessary, not only for financing but also for the exchange of technological and technical resources for their implementation.

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

5

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

4

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

6

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

3

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

6

06.08 Justification for my startup

The originality of our solution lies in the win-win contract we sign with our customers. We do everything we can to support our customers and help them adopt behaviours that will only contribute to their well-being. For example, no company other than ours offers its customers free bin bags and bins, as well as an application that allows families to track their waste production and win prizes. Schools, which are the driving force behind national education, are also one of our primary targets, so that we can quickly integrate eco-responsible attitudes into the habits of future generations.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

In view of the recent problems with waste management in Cameroon, a number of private initiatives have been set up to meet the growing need for household waste collection. However, most of these companies operate illegally, lack the resources they need to expand their business, and offer a lack of long-term vision and mediocre customer service. In addition, there are a few companies that focus solely on recycling, such as the Roger Milla Foundation and NAME RECYCLING. The biggest competitor is HYSACAM, the company that won the waste collection contract for almost all the urban communities. Established for several years, they are sufficiently equipped but do not offer anything concrete in terms of recycling to municipalities. This is where Elemba stands out, by combining collection and recycling in an almost perfect symbiosis, while contributing to the education of the population.

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

Not yet.