Optimism, they say, is the faith that leads to achievement and nothing can be done without hope and confidence. This is how today’s Inspiring Start-ups story can best be described as after years of job seeking proved futile, Jean-Marie Wellrich, founder of ‘Econiture Ghana’ took her destiny into her hands, turning scrap, vehicle tyres, and other materials into stunning furniture.
Read on as she spends time narrating to the B&FT Inspiring Start-ups about her journey.
Jean-Marie Wellrich is a graduate of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies. After graduating, she had the opportunity to work as an administrative assistant and content developer with some organisations.
But her ordeal started when she lost her job in 2018. She believes she lost her job because she was pregnant; and her employer, who was not enthused about the news, found a nice way to dismiss her. She said that was when her job search hustle started again.
The birth of Econiture Ghana
“One day, while scrolling through Facebook, I came across a three-day training for car tyre furniture, and as a creative person, I knew immediately I would love creating things. I enrolled and quickly mastered the art of recycling used car tyres into modern chairs and tables. I started making new furniture for home and friends,” she narrated.
She added that she was more encouraged by the commendation received from friends who saw her work and were excited about it.
“Since it was a new way of doing things, I decided to engage in furniture work professionally to satisfy customers and the general public. That’s how Econiture, which simply stands for Eco-friendly furniture came about,” she said.
Econiture Ghana
Ever since she mastered the craft, Econiture turns scrap such as deserted vehicle tyres, wood, and metal into exotic furniture suitable for homes, offices, and emporia.
It makes both indoor and outdoor furniture such as sofas, baby seats and ottomans. Also, it makes wall art from jute rope, and mirrors mostly from waste materials such as vehicle tyres, wood, boxes, rope, broken jewellery, and more.
“I have so many ideas that I’m exploring, and I am excited to share them with the world. The key thing about my products is the creativity and materials used. For instance, I created wall art with broken jewellery, jute ropes and a box.
I preserve life by cleaning the environment off discarded tyres at roadsides and reusing them in an eco-friendly manner. It’s common knowledge that plastic does not degrade easily, hence, my furniture has a much longer shelf life. It can withstand harsh weather conditions. Also, just as car tyres give comfort and balance to the driver, so does my furniture made with vehicle tyres,” she said, highlighting what makes her products unique.
How education has played a role
When asked how her educational background and experience have helped her better position her business, she said: “I was trained to be a journalist and presenter, but this business decision was based on my talent and drive for creativity. However, as a result of my education, I have realised that not only am I building a business, but I am also contributing to saving the environment from pollution by recycling. My communication skills help me to interact with clients in order to satisfy their needs. With it too, I can easily create and manage my own social media platform and generate content for publicity.”
Vision
Econiture holds that waste management is a serious problem in the country and believes that through recycling, it would be managed.
To this end, in the next five years, Econiture wishes to better position itself and provide training opportunities to over 1,000 young people, particularly young girls who are interested in joining the recycling industry to acquire workable skills.
“One tyre at a time, we would rid the streets of used and discarded tyres. We can save the environment from waste and air pollution by recycling vehicle tyres into furniture and other useful things,” she stressed.
Challenges
The main challenge for Econiture is funding. Jean-Marie said there are lots of opportunities and ideas to explore in the space and beyond, but there is difficulty in accessing the necessary funds to embark on them.
She is, however, hoping that investors and environment-related non-governmental organisations who are interested in waste recycling rally behind her with the needed support to take this business to the next level – that is producing on the large scale and offering employment and skills to others.
How government can support
“The government should hire the services of innovators, such as me, to train the likes of prisoners, juvenile offenders, women in deprived areas, and unemployed youth to acquire practical skills to improve themselves and provide self-sufficient means for the youth.
“There’s a perception that seeking government support is bureaucratic and politicised, and because of this many start-ups won’t bother engaging the government. I suggest that agencies in charge of supporting start-ups must have a way to scout innovations such as this and then approach them. It’s a great thing that there is a Presidential Pitch Competition and YouStart programmes, but it has to be promoted well to reach a wider audience,” she said.
Economic empowerment for women
To Jean-Marie, economic empowerment for women is very crucial because she believes it allows them the opportunity to reach their potential and extend it to those around them.
“Secondly, it gives them the confidence to stand up for themselves and defend their rights. I believe an empowered woman can ensure security and stability to any economy,” she added.
Advice to the youth
“It all starts with an initiative. As a young person or a graduate, it can be frustrating if you cannot find a job. However, once you have life and you’re mentally fit, you can learn anything. Do not fix your mind only on white-collar jobs that may not be readily available, acquire a skill such as vehicle tyres furniture making and show people around you how creative you are, and also sell them and be self-sufficient so you can contribute to nation building.”
Contact Details
Call or WhatsApp 0245570052
Facebook: Econiture Ghana
Instagram: Econiture_ghana
