Oxfam Novib is proud to announce the winners of the Oxfam iSME Green Superstar competition. The bar was set high this year, as we received over 100 excellent applications from Egypt, Somaliland (Somalia), Nigeria, Uganda, Vietnam and Pakistan. Jury committees in each country selected 30 winners in total. The winners will receive grants and tailored technical support for a total value of EUR 210,000 to implement their green business idea.
The Green Superstar winners are great examples of ambitious impact-driven businesses that show strong potential for scaling their environmental impact. There was a wide variety of green solutions presented by applicants, including waste management, reduction and recycling, enhancing the sustainable management of natural resources and increasing energy efficiency and reliance on renewables.
Please see below for a list of winners of the competition and details on their innovative solutions.
In the coming months, we will continue to send updates on the progress of the selected winners and the impact of their projects as well as the competition. Keep your eyes peeled for that!
If you would like more information on Oxfam Novib’s iSME development program or you are interested in investing in Green Superstars, contact eline.arnoldy@oxfamnovib.nl.
Special thanks and appreciation to the Oxfam offices and partners in Egypt, Somaliland, Nigeria, Uganda, Vietnam and Pakistan for their hard work and making the Oxfam iSME Green Superstar competition a success.
The winners of the Oxfam iSME Green Superstars competition:
Nigeria
Pad-Up Creations Limited is a social company that produces Nigeria’s first certified washable and reusable sanitary pads as a sustainable solution for girls and women in Africa.
Chanja Datti Ltd is a waste recovery and recycling social enterprise based in Abuja Nigeria. Since its inception in 2015, Chanja Datti has been able to create over 200+ green jobs and divert from uncontrolled dumpsites almost 4,000 tons of recyclable waste.
Pakistan
CYBER TOR is an organization striving to prevent Child Pornography and Digital Harassment through custom made Scripts, Tools and Apps.
SOCH is a gen-alpha group organization that focuses on providing result-oriented and cost-effective consultancy, training and services geared towards Environmental, Occupational Health & Safety (EOHS).
H&A BOTS is developing Electronic Vaccination Administrator & Manager (EVAM), an android application and server that integrates with a fingerprint reader to take finger/footprint data of newly born children (1-18 months). H&A BOTS intends to address the high fatality rates of expecting women and newborns.
The Catlerz provide cattle, goats, chicken and eggs. They are creating an online market portal to provide a safe environment for women to sell their animals and produce from their homes. The Catlerz also plan to collect dung and organic waste and it converts into heat and electric energy through a biogas plant.
Tech*Built provides a cross-functional employment platform to students and graduates from diverse fields of study. The company aims to curtail prevailing student and graduate unemployment in Pakistan.
CanTex aims to produce eco-friendly, sustainable, recyclable, and biodegradable packages. They intend to replace single-use plastic with their lower cost and abundantly available products made from Bagasse fibres and other recycled fibrous agriculture waste sources.
Shahruh uses a Sharing Economy model in endeavours of facilitating small farmers to acquire labour and equipment on a wadge/rental basis by connecting them with established landlords and other farmers.
Glometrics (Pvt. Ltd) is developing ‘E-bag’, a new concept that aims at minimizing single-use plastic by providing bags made out of industrial waste cloth. The concept aims to sustain itself by charging corporates for their branding/advertisements on these reusable bags.
Merlin Sight is working on a software tool, ‘Seer’, that is focused on the agricultural sector. ‘Seer’ is envisioned to strengthen farmers in Pakistan by providing crop productivity logistics, trading and monitoring.
Denim core produces low-cost jeans from rejected fabric. without compromising on quality. Denim core purchases rejected fabrics from various manufactures, processes them and produces good quality jeans, cotton chinos, shirts and school uniforms.
Uganda
Destiny Farms Limited is a poultry business striving to grow an integrated (farm to fork) poultry operation in Uganda.
The company grows, sources, processes, and distributes high-quality arabica and robusta coffee around the world. We source coffee from 30 coffee cooperatives that are 3,000 members strong. Our coffee is in the range of Green Coffee Beans, Roasted Coffee & Ground Coffee.
GO5 packaging Uganda Ltd was established in 2015 during the first polythene ban in Uganda by Najimah Katuramu and a small team of 4 people to provide Ugandans with a cost-efficient packaging option that replaces polythene bags. The company makes non-woven bags that has now become the preferred choice for single-use packaging at retail outlets across the country.
Egypt
Chitosan-Egypt has come to be known for designing & manufacturing premium chitosan-based biofertilizers and biopesticides.It delivers high-performance formulas utilizing 100% EU-approved ingredients for a completely organic experience with a 0% pesticide residue for organic & export growers.
In Agrona we make wood panels, from agri-residues, without cutting a single tree. We are not only protecting forests, but we also save the earth gruesome amount of GHGs emissions by stopping burning agricultural residues, to turn them into wood panels to be used in furniture and Construction applications..
Plstka is the first gamification mobile app in Egypt with Internet Of Things (IOT) Supply Chain System swapping your solid trash by discounts and vouchers coupons for various life services such as food, soft drinks, medical and transportation services and you can buy products with prices lower than their market prices.
Scarabaeus Sacer is a homegrown Egyptian social advocacy streetwear fashion label that specializes in sustainable, ethical, premium quality streetwear. Crafted from 100% Organic Egyptian cotton, our products are both exceptionally soft & light to the touch, with vibrant colours and graphics, a relaxed fit and creative designs.
Somaliland (Somalia)
Plastic venture is a recycling company that recycles all kinds of PET plastic bottles and LDPE plastic bags, turning them into affordable, durable, and sustainable building tiles. The company’s primary target audience is construction companies since we produce interlocking tiles.
Wadani Milling Factory is a factory that specialized in processing, packaging and distributing high-quality sorghum flour to Somaliland families.
Bullale Farm’s mission is to raise the best tasting and finest quality fruits and vegetables for the local community. Bullale Farm uses only natural and sustainable farming methods, free from pesticides or fertilizers.
Vietnam
DACE is a company specializing in the production of organic spice products: ginger, chili, turmeric, garlic and lemongrass. DACE wants to develop business by offering a fair deal to all involved.
MITECOM is a research, production, trade and service organization for microbiological technology products in Vietnam, aiming to directly improve the rural areas and increase the farmer’s quality of life.
Vien Minh currently has a business model going from researching and applying folk medicine, Melaleuca herbal products to building melaleuca raw material areas and building a distribution channel, encouraging consumers to take care of their health by using medicinal products.
An Bien Food is a social enterprise accompanying farmers, experts and customers to build a sustainable agricultural ecosystem to bring safe, natural and useful agricultural products to the community, environment and society.
Minh Hong Essential Oil Production Company Limited specializes in the production of natural essential oils. The company hopes to bring the most natural, purest products from nature that offer great health benefits to their customers.
Duc Khoi Ngoc Chan Co., Ltd. is a small business operating in a poor area of Yen Binh district, Yen Bai province, where many ethnic minorities reside. They are determined to accompany farmers to create safe and sustainable fruit production areas, timber, medicinal plants.
Pun Coffee focuses on high-quality green coffee (speciality coffee group) and end-to-end roasted coffee. Pun Coffee works with local ethnic minority farms in Huong Son, Huong Viet, Tan Lien towards the production of clean coffee.