Crowdfunding for a greener Ghana | Global Ideas

Summary

Sylvester Aisi of crowdfunding platform Frankly Green visits a Ghanaian company, Goodroll, aiming to produce eco-friendly bamboo toilet paper. Despite construction delays, Goodroll plans to employ 200 people and support regional farmers in bamboo cultivation. Frankly Green, focused on sustainability and climate protection, seeks to bridge the financing gap for green projects, with Translight Solar successfully raising funds for solar panel leasing. The platform welcomes private investment, from small to large amounts, to support sustainable ventures.

Takeaways

• 🚀 Sylvester Aisi is visiting companies on behalf of the crowdfunding platform 'Frankly Green', which focuses on sustainable projects.
• 🌳 A company named 'Goodroll' is seeking investment through Frankly Green to produce eco-friendly toilet paper made from bamboo.
• 🏗️ The factory for Goodroll is still under construction, with challenges such as weather and generator issues causing delays.
• 💰 Frankly Green's funds are intended to augment the company's working capital, with the expectation that the factory is ready to produce.
• 🌱 Goodroll plans to employ 200 people and work with regional farmers to produce bamboo, a fast-growing and sustainable resource.
• 🌿 The bamboo used will be unbleached, maintaining its natural purity, and Ghana has a large area of bamboo that can be utilized.
• 🌱 Goodroll is providing seedlings to farmers to grow more bamboo, which they will later buy back for production.
• 🌊 Goodroll's wastewater will be treated in their own plant and partly reused, aligning with Frankly Green's sustainability focus.
• 📈 Frankly Green is a new platform aiming to grow within Ghana and internationally, addressing a financing gap for green businesses.
• 🌞 Another company, 'Translight Solar', has successfully raised funds through Frankly Green, offering solar panel leasing to combat energy crises and promote green energy.
• 💼 The international climate initiative has funded the development of Frankly Green, which is open to private investment ranging from small to significant amounts.

Q & A

What is Sylvester Aisi's role in the story?

Sylvester Aisi is an individual associated with the crowdfunding platform Frankly Green, who visits companies seeking investment through the platform.

What is the purpose of Frankly Green's visit to the toilet paper company?

The purpose of the visit is to observe the progress of the company's factory construction and to see if it is ready for production, which is a prerequisite for receiving funds raised through Frankly Green's platform.

What challenges has the toilet paper company faced during construction?

The company has faced challenges such as weather conditions, generator issues, and workers falling sick, which have delayed the construction of the factory.

What is the significance of using bamboo for the toilet paper production?

Bamboo is a renewable resource that grows quickly, which helps protect Ghana's woodlands from deforestation and is part of the company's sustainable production plan.

How does the bamboo supply chain work in this scenario?

The company provides seedlings to local farmers, who then grow the bamboo. The company later buys back the bamboo from the farmers for use in their toilet paper production.

What is the expected employment impact of the toilet paper company's operations?

If all goes well, the company hopes to employ 200 people, including regional farmers who will produce the bamboo for the toilet paper.

What measures are in place to ensure the sustainability of the production process?

The company plans to treat all wastewater in its own wastewater treatment plant and partly reuse it, which is a prerequisite to receive financing via Frankly Green.

Who developed the Frankly Green platform and what is its central focus?

The platform was developed by Tobias Ponofin, with sustainability and climate protection as its central focus.

What is the current status of Frankly Green in terms of listed companies for investment?

Frankly Green is a few months old and currently has only one firm listed for investment, but it aims to grow both within Ghana and beyond.

How does the Translight Solar company utilize Frankly Green's platform?

Translight Solar leases solar panels to companies and private households that otherwise could not afford them, promoting green energy use and helping to solve the energy crisis in Africa.

What is the International Climate Initiative's role in the development of Frankly Green?

The International Climate Initiative funded the development of Frankly Green, supporting its mission to provide alternative financing for green projects.

Outlines

00:00

🌱 Eco-Friendly Toilet Paper Production Challenges

Sylvester Aisi, from the crowdfunding platform Frankly Green, visits a company in Ghana that is working on producing eco-friendly toilet paper. Despite the company's foundation being laid, the factory is still under construction due to various challenges, including weather and generator issues. The company, Goodroll, aims to use the funds raised through Frankly Green to augment their working capital, with the expectation of being ready for production. The project also involves regional farmers who will grow bamboo, the raw material for the toilet paper, which is a renewable resource that grows much faster than trees. Goodroll plans to treat all wastewater in their own plant, a measure required by Frankly Green for financing. The platform, developed by Tobias Ponofin, focuses on sustainability and climate protection, and aims to fill the financing gap for green businesses, especially in Ghana.

05:01

🌞 Transition to Green Economy with Solar Energy

The script introduces Translight Solar, another company in Ghana that has successfully raised financing through Frankly Green. Translight Solar leases solar panels to companies and households, helping to save costs and address the energy crisis in Africa while promoting a transition to green energy. The company was initiated as part of the international climate initiative and has received support from the international community. Frankly Green's platform is open to private individuals for investment, with no minimum or maximum investment limits, making it accessible for a wide range of potential investors. The script highlights the need for alternative financing for green projects, especially in target countries like Ghana, where there is a significant financing gap for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and green businesses.

Keywords

💡Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a method of raising funds by seeking small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. In the context of the video, the crowdfunding platform 'Frankly Green' is used to raise funds for sustainable projects, such as the eco-friendly toilet paper company 'Goodroll'. The script mentions that funds raised through the platform will be used to augment the company's working capital.

💡Eco-friendly Toilet Paper

Eco-friendly toilet paper refers to toilet paper made from environmentally sustainable materials and processes. In the video, Goodroll is seeking to produce toilet paper from bamboo, emphasizing the use of a renewable resource that grows quickly, which helps protect Ghana's woodlands from deforestation.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability in this context refers to the ability to maintain processes or conditions so that they can continue over the long term without causing environmental harm. The video's theme revolves around sustainable practices, such as using bamboo for toilet paper production and treating wastewater, which are highlighted as prerequisites for receiving financing via Frankly Green.

💡Deforestation

Deforestation is the process of clearing large areas of forest land, often for agriculture or development. The video discusses how using bamboo as a raw material for toilet paper can help prevent deforestation in Ghana, as bamboo grows much faster than trees, thus reducing the need to cut down forests for paper production.

💡Renewable Raw Material

A renewable raw material is a natural resource that can be replenished at the rate it is consumed. In the script, bamboo is presented as a renewable raw material for Goodroll's toilet paper production, emphasizing its quick growth rate and the environmental benefits of using such resources.

💡Wastewater Treatment Plant

A wastewater treatment plant is a facility designed to remove contaminants from wastewater, making it safe to reuse or release back into the environment. The video mentions that Goodroll plans to treat all wastewater in its own plant and partly reuse it, showcasing the company's commitment to sustainability and environmental protection.

💡Financing Gap

A financing gap refers to the difference between the amount of capital needed by businesses and the amount they can access from traditional financial institutions. The video discusses how Frankly Green aims to fill this gap, particularly for green businesses that may struggle to secure funding from banks or private investors.

💡SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises)

SMEs are businesses that fall between large corporations and small businesses in terms of size and revenue. The script highlights the financing gap for SMEs in target countries, including Ghana, and how platforms like Frankly Green can provide alternative financing options for these businesses.

💡Green Economy

A green economy is one that aims to improve human well-being and social equity while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. The video mentions the transition to a green economy as a reason for starting Translight Solar, a company that leases solar panels to reduce energy costs and promote the use of renewable energy.

💡International Climate Initiative

The International Climate Initiative is a program that supports projects and measures to protect the climate and biodiversity, often funded by the German government. The video script mentions that this initiative funded the development of Frankly Green, indicating the platform's focus on climate protection and sustainability.

💡Translight Solar

Translight Solar is a company mentioned in the script that has successfully raised financing through Frankly Green. The company leases solar panels to businesses and households, contributing to energy savings and the transition to a green energy economy in Africa.

Highlights

Sylvester Aisi, from the crowdfunding platform Frankly Green, visits a company producing eco-friendly toilet paper in Ghana.

The company is seeking investors through the Frankly Green platform to augment their working capital.

Aisi expects to see the factory up and running with a test run, but finds it still under construction.

The company has faced numerous challenges including weather issues and generator problems.

Frankly Green's funds are used to support companies at a stage ready for production.

Goodroll, the toilet paper company, aims to employ 200 people and work with regional farmers for bamboo supply.

Goodroll plans to produce toilet paper using pure bamboo without bleaching.

Ghana has over 400,000 hectares of bamboo, and the company is working with farmers to grow more.

Bamboo is a fast-growing renewable resource, taking only three years to grow compared to 30 years for a tree.

Goodroll will treat all wastewater in their own plant and partly reuse it.

Frankly Green was developed by Tobias Ponofin with a focus on sustainability and climate protection.

The platform is new and currently has only one firm listed for investment, with plans for growth within and beyond Ghana.

There is a significant financing gap for green businesses in Ghana, which Frankly Green aims to address.

Translight Solar, another company, has successfully raised financing through Frankly Green by leasing solar panels.

The international climate initiative funded the development of Frankly Green.

Frankly Green welcomes investments from private individuals, with no minimum or maximum limit set.

Goodroll hopes to be the next company to secure investment via Frankly Green.

Transcripts

sylvester aisi is excited to be out on

the road visiting companies he works for

the crowdfunding platform frankly green

today's trip takes him some way out of

ghana's capital accra

a company seeking to produce

eco-friendly toilet paper is hoping to

find investors via frankly green

the last time i was there they had only

constructed

the foundation

and

since frankly green's funds the funds

that would be

raised through their frankly green

platform would be used to

um augment their working capital what it

means is that the factory has to be at a

stage where

it is ready to produce

so my expectation is to see the factory

up and running and hopefully observe

a test run

but when he arrives the factory is still

under construction

slide my man

it's been a while it's been a while he's

been how how's your trip back to ghana

very fine i have so much to tell you

because we've been having a lot of

challenges okay in the past few days we

had to be finished long time ago but

due to the weather

generators trailing us

um work is getting sick

so like so many things i can't even

explain but the foundations are ready

with the buddha

they are even pushing us like when are

we starting okay

it's not just the farmers who have to

wait

only when everything is finished will

frankly green decide whether goodroll

can use its platform to crowdfund

investment

if all goes well goodroll hopes to

employ 200 people as well as many

regional farmers who will produce the

bamboo for the toilet paper

not bleach

nothing as pure as it is so what you see

right here is the pure color of bamboo

this is not bliss as for now um ghana

has over 400 000 hectares of bamboo um

we we can't use all of that obviously so

um we've been handing over seedlings to

the farmers we work with to grow more

bamboo into ghana which we can at the

end of the day buy back from the farmers

and use for the production of our toilet

papers

using bamboo which grows extremely

quickly will help protect ghana's

woodlands from deforestation whenever

you plant bamboo from the start it takes

three years to grow after one year after

the first time after you cut off the

bamboo

and you cut it after one meter it goes

back in one year time

so that's a very speedy time because a

tree takes about 30 years for it to grow

using a renewable raw material is only

part of good roles plans all waste water

will later be treated in the company's

own wastewater treatment plant and

partly reused measures like this are a

prerequisite to receive financing via

frankly green

the platform was developed by tobias

ponofin

sustainability and climate protection

are the central focus at frankly green

[Music]

[Music]

the platform is only a few months old

currently only one firm is listed for

investment but frankly green aims to

grow both within ghana and beyond

and there's no shortage of sustainable

projects being launched

i'm pleased that there are

companies that are producing sustainably

lately

there are companies that have knocked on

the doors of frankly green

that are into sustainable production and

that is really really a good thing

there's also a great need for

alternative financing for green projects

[Music]

see that in our target countries

including ghana

there's a huge financing gap for smes

for micro companies and of course

specifically for green

businesses banks and also private

investors have difficulties in

evaluating the companies individually

and it's exactly this financing gap that

we're trying to move into

[Music]

in ghana's capital accra one company has

already successfully raised financing

through frankly green

translight solar

it leases solar panels to companies and

private households that otherwise could

not afford them

solar energy right on the rooftop is far

far you know

saves a lot of the cost and and is able

to solve the

energy crisis in africa and also help us

to transmission a transition into a

green economy or green energy use and

that is the main reason why we started

the

the solar company we started translate

the international climate initiative

funded the development of frankly green

the hurdles for other potential

investors are low

with private individuals also welcome

it could be 100 euros or many times that

anything is possible in theory up to 25

000 euros

and good role hopes to soon be the next

company to successfully secure

investment via frankly green to explain

to you why the color is like this

you