DEVELOPING TIMES: Trashy Bags-our bags are trash

Welcome

Mission Statement
Rural Empowerment Initiatives (REI) mission is to collaborate in the reduction of poverty through investment in rural areas and training of local people.

Vision Statement
REI's vision is to treat every created being with dignity, respect and love. We strive to work with those most in need by empowering people to recognize their God given talents, enabling them to make the world a better place and providing them hope for the future.

Our Principles
REI believes that all people are created equal.
REI will develop small to medium businesses (SMEs) as one approach to reach those most in need by creating jobs that build the economy in rural areas.
REI's partner businesses will be led, managed and majority owned by local people.
REI will always seek a triple bottom line of economic, spiritual and social transformation.
REI seeks to build sustainable community-oriented business models.
REI's focus of support is to the economically disadvantaged.
REI will seek attractive market and growth opportunities.
REI will incubate pilot projects with capable management.
REI believes in collaboration. We seek partners whose strengths complement our own in an effort to build well-rounded projects of lasting economic value for the communities in which we work.
REI is inspired by the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, and is therefore rooted in the Christian faith.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Trashy Bags-our bags are trash

While in Ghana for a few days, we visited a very unique and much needed business.
One thing I quickly realized on my first visit to the Gold Coast, is that the trash is limited compared to the other parts of Africa I have been.
Maybe one reason is this company has collected over ten million water sachets (they sell water on the street in these convenient plastic bags) all over Accra.
They pay women a certain price for large bags that are full of these sachets. Income opportunity number one.
Then they are washed and sorted all by hand outside of this modest little factory/building.
Then they are washed and trimmed to specifics with a scissors...by hand. I think you get it here.
These bags are all by hand and are cleaning up the environment and turning trash into jobs and profit.
Its been one thing that has been on mind since first arriving on African soil...there has to be some way to make something out of all this plastic?
There is so much plastic in Africa, that Uganda has banned them.Plastic is interfering with water penetrating the soil as they have become a liner. Every little thing you buy in Africa, they want to give you a plastic bag...
Then we saw the sewing process and so on at Trashy Bags. Very impressive.

Hopefully this can spill over to other countries and provide more work and income so people can be self supportive. GO TRASHY BAGS!

If you want to order these they will be available in the US on this website in about two weeks...http://www.business-connect.net

You can go to Trashy Bags website here