Social Entrepreneur Spotlight: Wezi Chatinkha Mjathu
What is the name and purpose of your enterprise?
Umodzi Green Collect (UGC) is a Social Enterprise working in waste management supply change. We create value from solid organic and recyclable municipal waste to produce briquettes, organic manure, organic fertilizer, biogas, and paving blocks. We work with women groups who are trained in making these products and then we sell them.
When did you first decide to be an entrepreneur?
I have been an entrepreneur for a long time. UGC was started in 2017 and registered in November of 2020 with the Government Of Malawi under the Company Act. The idea for this enterprise came from the growing awareness of how our natural environment is being depleted by the use of firewood and charcoal for cooking fuel and the increase of plastic waste that is not being properly disposed of and is causing potential health hazards.
UGC started by empowering economically challenged women in briquet making which can reduce the challenges of insufficient cooking energy. Later, we trained women in fertilizer making in order to improve their crop production. Our first products were briquettes made from office waste and organic fertilizer made from animal waste. These women now cook using these briquettes which are more economical than other forms of cooking fuel. We are currently selling our products, the briquettes and fertilizer, and we continue to modify and improve both over time.
Has your time working with FTI helped you to formulate or focus your enterprise, and if so, in what ways?
I joined FTI by joining the DELab in 2021. Through the trainings, we have been encouraged to proceed with additional products which were previously still in the idea stage. For example, we are now producing beeswax candles and biogas fuel. These additional products will help me to reach out to more people both in town and in the rural areas with much better models. Biogas will not only provide energy, but can also be used for irrigation. Biogas is especially valuable to more affluent Malawians who may not like to use briquettes.
Through my training with FTI, I have been so motivated that I am now working on modifying my septic tanks into biodigesters. I am now an entrepreneur with direction.
Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your enterprise?
COVID-19 has affected us so much. Our production of briquettes was at a standstill because of the restrictions due to the pandemic. Women working with us could not produce any products. Income has decreased so drastically over the past months that some women can no longer make ends meet and have stopped working with us all together.
What goals do you have for your enterprise in the coming years?
Our Goals for the coming years are:
To produce organically made manure and fertilizer using both agricultural and animal waste
To provide alternative clean sources of energy that will mitigate environmental degradation
To add value to organic waste for commercial purposes
To provide an alternative source of income for environmental management and commercial purposes
To expand the marketing of our products
Non-carbonized briquettes made from office waste
How does your work affect your local community?
Our Work benefits the community by providing an affordable source of energy that is environmentally-friendly and effective. Instead of venturing out to fetch firewood where abuses cannot be avoided, women are easily and safely able to access our briquettes as needed for use in their homes.
Our fertilizer has helped to improve production of nearby crops at a cheaper price than was available before, and its organic nature means that our fertilizer will benefit the soils over time if continuously used.
Once our new products are ready for market, I believe more families will be able to use them for cooking and for irrigation, increasing production of crops even during the dry season.
Do you have anything you would like to share about being a woman entrepreneur?
Being a woman entrepreneur is a blessing because you are able to generate income for your family without relying on men for your needs. I stand as a role model for young entrepreneurs, that they should not always be dependent on employment but can themselves create jobs for the jobless. The entrepreneurship sector is always looked at as a men’s field. By venturing into this field, I will motivate more women and ladies to also join.
There is untapped gold at waste. Let’s mine it.