Ghana - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Our project is a social enterprise that uses waste materials like used car tire, woolen materials, discarded jeans and other textile waste in the manufacturing of green footwear in a way to protect the environment and also to create employment.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

Kolics Ventures is a social enterprise that owns the Koliko Wear brand. It provides customers with quality and affordable ladies and gents wear. We produce shoes for all and deliver on our promise. We use recycled materials (used car tire,waste leather bags, pieces of furniture woolen materials, used jeans and clothing) for our shoes because we believe in the protection of the environment through business philosophy. Currently when people want to buy shoes they are mostly made to select from predesigned ones which they do not have control over. They are not able to contribute to how the shoes they are going to wear will or should look like. This is what Koliko Wear provides. The customer can buy from what is already produced or be part of the creation of the shoe. We co-create with customers who come with their designs. We provide customized green shoes for all events on a timely basis.

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

The main problems we are trying to solve with our project are the demand for locally made quality and affordable shoes. Waste management problem – need for recycling to save the environment. Unemployed youth with skills – youth with skill without jobs or business knowledge. Apprentice model to train more youth without skill.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

The major advantages of using our products are as follows: Making quality and affordable recycled shoes for the market – Green shoes Using recycled materials to cut down waste in order to protect the environment. – waste material and car tyre for sole Creating avenues for the youth to be engaged in doing something with their skills or learning a skill for their future

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

The target market for Koliko wear consumers who are in need of quality and affordable shoes. Customers who are environmentally conscious. Using recycled materials appeals to these people which the Ghana shoe industry is not serving. Some are doing it but not in a stylish way. Through our customization approach we also want to serve organization who want to have identical and affordable shoe style for their members. For instance sandals for JHS and SHS students and for organization like the mining and construction sector. Individuals who want shoes for different occasion could also will be our target.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2017-08-17

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

3

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

1

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

1. Christian Karnau: 15 years of industry experience in purchasing, procurement & Supply chain 2.Benny Hammond: 5 years experience in ICT and social media 3. Elsie Mensah Shalders: 7 years experience in Business Admininstration and Sales and Marketing

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

https://www.instagram.com/kolikofootwear?igsh=MW96amJ0emI5dmR0

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

Other: Manufacturing of green footwear

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

Our startup empower or staff as well as our women waste pickers to be economically empowered in other to help earn wages that can help eradicate poverty in their lives and families.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

Our business activities help to create an arable land for farming due to the lessen of textile waste management. These textile waste when decays releases methane gas to the land which is a deep threat to farming crops and living things.

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

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

Through our engagement, our business venture is able to register and enroll our staff on National Health Insurance Scheme and we renew it every year to help them have access to good health care as well as their well being.

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

4

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

Our start up is not a gender bias venture. We employ and train any youth willing and interested to undergo our apprenticeship scheme without discrimination.

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

Per our activity of reusing textile waste in the manufacturing of our footwear we are able recycle more textile waste which have been dumped on the various landfills which could in return pollute the land and our water bodies. Our activity within our community helps to contribute positive towards clean water and sanitation

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

3

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

Our activities helps to create decent work and economic growth within our country in the sense that, the people we help train for free are able to establish their own shoe making business after their period of apprenticeship, this helps them to also train others and in so doing it helps to reduce unemployment and create more income in the society.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

4

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

4

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

4

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

4

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

Our main activity our business seeks to address is climate action. Reusing textile waste materials to create footwear which could have easily ended up at the various landfills to cause all kind of environment pollution has been reduced by our activity of inculcating circularity within our business model to help mitigate the risk of Climate Change.

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

4

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

4

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

4

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

4

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

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

6

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

6

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

3

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

5

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

4

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.08 Justification

Our project idea is unique and innovative in the sense that, there are more people who are producing the same type of product line but we have championed on using waste materials in our manufacturing of our footwear in a way to help protect the environment. In addition, our business operations enable us to engage women waste pickers who are mostly idle but due to our production factors we have helped to bring them our our production line as suppliers of our waste raw materials, this in return helps these women waste pickers to be empowered economically.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

The main potential competitors are shoe makers in Africa and also importers of used shoes imported into the country. What makes kolikowear stand out from our competitors our business model of creating bespoke shoes which are affordable and ecofriendly to our customers. Mostly customers do not have a say of what they wear so far as footwear needs are concern. We are able to co create with our customers in terms of their specific preference and choice. In addition we use their own textile waste to create a footwear on a discounted cost which makes them have a sense of contributing to a worthy course so far as climate action is concern.

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

I give entrepreneurial talks to most graduate and motivate the female to also take up the mantle to be their own bosses I admit female apprentices at our venture and train them to acquire a skill to establish their own business