Nigeria - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

A school for children on the street that provides quality education, free school meals, medical care and vocational training at the cost of an empty plastic bottle a day.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

In Nigeria, especially in cities like Lagos, children from poor families who can not afford education or food end up on the street and highways begging for alms. These children are at risk of physical injury from motor vehicles, sexual violence, illness and psychological trauma and may grow up to become street thugs, thieves or sex slaves. We intend to build a series of schools to provide quality education, free school meals, medical care and vocational training to these children all at the cost of one empty plastic bottle a day. Lagos and nearby states are currently littered with plastic bottles so the children would find it easy to acquire them. These bottles can be upcycled, repurposed or recycled and the proceeds used to maintain and expand the program. This would ensure the children get quality education and nutritous food and so grow up to be responsible members of the society while also ensuring that the streets are clean. All at the cost of an empty bottle a day

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

Thrash Economy aims to solve the problem of "Children on the dirty streets"; this involves Children on the street and Environmental pollution In industrious cities, children whose parents cannot afford to pay for education or provide food for them encourage the children to beg on the streets and highways. This puts the children at risk of physical injury from incoming vehicles, sexual exploitation, illness from contaminated food and water, malnutrition and psychological trauma. These children may also grow to become street thugs, engage in criminal activity or become sex slaves. These same cities are littered by plastic waste especially bottles. These bottles end up in drains when the rains fall and end up clogging the drainage resulting in flooding. Trash Economy intends to counter these problems by providing quality education to indigent children in exchange for one(1) plastic bottle a day hence acting as a safety net for both the children and the environment

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 benefits of this service (Trash Economy) include Quality Education for the children Children in this program would receive quality education for almost nothing as well as skill training to enable grow into responsible members of the society. Nutrition and Health Children in this program would receive nutritous meals, free health check and sanitary pads for the young girls. The school environment would also protect them from the dangers in the society such as sexual assault and ritual killing Environmental Sanitation By requesting for 1 measly empty bottle, the streets end up being clean and the waterways stay unclogged. This hereby protects the environment

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

The main targets of this service are the numerous children mostly underaged who as of now are on the streets and highways of cities like Lagos begging for alms from strangers and at risk of physical violence, rape and ritual killing.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2024-06-18

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.)

Ajibola Grace Ajibola Grace is a pharmacist who graduated from the university of Lagos. She is a patriotic Nigerian who is keen on supporting the underprivileged in the society. She is currently working in 3 IDP camps across Makurdi in a humanitarian response program by UNICEF where she provides essential health care to the internally displaced people. She is also a UI 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?

Other: Education

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

By providing quality education and vocational training to these underprivileged children, we'll ensure the acquire the skills required to thrive in the society which would essentially break the chain of poverty

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

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

By providing nutritous food and medical care to these underprivileged children, we'll reduce the prevalence of malnutrition and ensure the children grow into healthy adults

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

Using food as a magnet, we'll ensure the children are attracted to and retained in school. Hence reducing drop out rates and essentially combating illiteracy in the country

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

The program provides equal access to education for both boys and girls by providing a way for families who cannot afford female education to send their girls as well as boys to schools

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

By extracting plastic bottles from the environment, the waterways would be protected from blockages and flooding

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

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

Trash Economy intends to build a series of schools to provide quality education, free school meals, medical care and vocational training to these children all at the cost of one empty plastic bottle a day. Lagos and nearby states are currently littered with plastic bottles so the children would find it easy to acquire them. These bottles can be upcycled, repurposed or recycled and the proceeds used to maintain and expand the program. This would ensure the children get quality education and nutritous food and so grow up to be responsible members of the society while also ensuring that the streets are clean.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

The program provides equal access to education for all by providing a way for families who cannot afford education to send their children to school

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

6

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

The cities are littered by plastic waste especially bottles. These bottles end up in drains when the rains fall and end up clogging the drainage resulting in flooding. Trash Economy intends to counter these problems by providing quality education to indigent children in exchange for one(1) plastic bottle a day hence acting as a safety net for both the children and the environment

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

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

The cities are littered by plastic waste especially bottles. These bottles end up in drains when the rains fall and end up clogging the drainage resulting in flooding. Trash Economy intends to counter these problems by providing quality education to indigent children in exchange for one(1) plastic bottle a day hence acting as a safety net for both the children and the environment

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

The cities are littered by plastic waste especially bottles. These bottles end up in drains when the rains fall and end up clogging the drainage resulting in flooding and also affecting fishes and other aquatic life Trash Economy intends to counter this

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

2

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

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

2

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.

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.

2

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

3

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

6

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.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.08 Justification

Trash Economy intends to build a series of schools to provide quality education, free school meals, medical care and vocational training to these children all at the cost of one empty plastic bottle a day. Lagos and nearby states are currently littered with plastic bottles so the children would find it easy to acquire them. These bottles can be upcycled, repurposed or recycled and the proceeds used to maintain and expand the program. This would ensure the children get quality education and nutritous food and so grow up to be responsible members of the society while also ensuring that the streets are clean.

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

None really

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

none