Ghana - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

My project is to use recycled plastic waste to fashionable beads which will be used to make jewelry and bags, and also be used to design footwear and dresses.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

Jorie's Ventures is a business entity that deals with the collection of recycled plastic wastes which will be processed into beads for fashionable necklaces, earrings, bracelets, bags, tissue holders, and key holders. Some of the beads will also be used for designing dresses, and footwears. Our vision is to make the environment safe from plastic waste and empower women through their looks. This project will give some people, most especially females the opportunity to learn some craft which will be their source of income. The project includes the collection of recycled plastic waste, sorting and recycling of the waste into beads, making jewelry and other accessories, marketing of the products, and sensitization on proper waste management. All these processes will create jobs for the youth and women in the society.

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

In Ghana, one of our major environmental problems is caused by plastic waste, through rapid urbanization, insufficient waste management infrastructure, and changing consumption patterns. This crisis has environmental, social, and economic consequences including biodiversity loss (life below water), public health risks (malaria, diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid just to mention a few), and economic disparities. People dispose of waste improperly, most of it ends up in our water bodies and the rest ends up choking our gutters. These problems caused by the improper disposal of waste, in the long run, affect climate change negatively, making the environment unsafe for us.

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

1. This project will educate people on the importance of proper waste management, and also provide waste management infrastructures. 2. This project will provide jobs for people directly and indirectly, that is, the collection of waste, recycling the plastic waste, making the products, marketing the products, and sensitizing the community members. 3. This project seeks to train people on how to make beads and other fashionable accessories.

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

Students (because we will be going to schools to educate the children on how they can recycle plastic waste), cooperate and market women, fashion designers, boutiques, expatriates, gift shoppers, and, ethical and sustainable consumers.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2021-08-01

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

1

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. Rose Otukuo Tetteh is in her final year reading BSc Computer Engineering, she has one year of experience in training kids how to code using Python. She is hard-working, a good team player, able to analyze data, has good critical thinking skills and is a graphic designer.

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

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

e) Secondary commodities (cars and parts, consumer durables and apparel, retail)

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

This project will provide at least 100 direct jobs and 200 indirect jobs.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

6

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

Our products will include packaging materials, such as air-tight containers, reusable bags, and shopping bags, this will help with food conservation.

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

The collection of plastic waste will make the community safe, there will be fewer/ no choked gutters, and dirty beaches to breed mosquitoes, thereby preventing malaria, and other water-borne diseases.

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

6

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

Most of the employees will be females, they will be taken through the whole production and marketing process. They will also have a fair representation in the management team.

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

6

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

The project will educate people on proper waste management, provide waste infrastructure, collect plastic waste which will be recycled into beads, and award communities that are able to manage their waste properly.

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

4

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

5

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

This project will provide job opportunities, most especially for the marginalized, that is women and persons with disabilities, in the communities. The project will also support local artisans and small-scale enterprises involved in bead production, thereby contributing to sustainable economic growth.

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

3

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

5

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

Through the collection of waste, the communities will become safe places to live in, when there are no choked gutters, it will reduce humans' contribution to flood making the community sustainable, and when the people know how to practice proper waste management, there will be sustainable communities.

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

5

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

Recycling plastic waste into beads for jewelry helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change by keeping plastic waste out of gutters and other water bodies. this also helps protect natural resources and ecosystems by cutting down on the need to extract raw materials for traditional jewelry production.

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

The waste in the water bodies makes it difficult for life below water to survive, collecting the waste from the water body, will make it safe and habitable for life below water.

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

3

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

6

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

We will partner with the District Assemblies to train the youth in the society

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

4

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

4

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

4

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

6

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.

6

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

5

05.08 Justification

While most bead-making projects are only focused on profit-making and most of them are made by just one person, my bead-making project will not only make use of plastic waste but it will involve the youth in the community. In a country like Ghana where the rate of unemployment is high, these youth will obtain skills to start up their businesses which will enable them earn some money to provide their basic needs.

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

Trashy Bags Ghana and The African Creative Collective. What makes Jorie's Ventures stand out from these businesses is that we will sensitize the community members on proper waste management practices, provide stories behind the artifacts made, and award communities that practice proper waste management.

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

Training women with some skills to generate more revenue, like soap making, cream making and ointment making.