G-Lish is a social enterprise dedicated to bringing about social change in Africa by providing sustainable income sources to women and youth, as well as helping the environment by recycling waste products and planting trees.
Using a holistic, longterm approach, they sell Bolga Baskets made in Ghana, West Africa that weave colourful recycled waste into beautiful carriers comprising 250 plastic bags and recycled wax-print cloth.
G-Lish (the "G" stands for "generation") uses the tagline "Income Generation, Re-Generation, Next Generation," and operates as a for-profit enterprise that reinvests 100% of its earnings into furthering social aims.
"We’re proud of being the first to realize we can transform pure water plastic bags into twine and turn that realisation into action by weaving them into beautiful objects that have been exhibited in galleries in Australia and the UK, and created life-changing income streams for some of the most marginilised communities in Ghana," G-Lish says. "We threw down the green gauntlet and decided to plant one tree for every basket produced, inspired by Wangari Maathai’s Greenbelt Movement. We plan to double tree planting, year on year, although we hope basket production increases such that tree planting might triple!"
Despite being an emerging field, social enterprise is also a confusing field when it comes to definition. On their website, G-Lish includes a descriptive overview of a social enterprise, noting how it differentiates from traditional for-profit or non-profit enterprises.
"We think the distinction could better be explained using the terms 'for shareholder profit' and 'for community profit' since the distinction is about who receives the profits, not whether profits are made or not," the G-Lish explains.
Honoured with a SEED Initiative Award in 2010 for their social entrepreneurs who are "working towards a greener economy also tackle poverty, marginalisation and social exclusion," G-Lish has a triple bottom line that includes profit, social impact and environmental sustainability.
Contact Information
G-Lish website
G-Lish online store
G-Lish on Twitter
G-lish on Facebook
Recycled African Bags
Colorful G-Lish Baskets Create Jobs and Clean up Ghana
Trend Themes
1. Recycling as a Sustainable Source of Income - G-Lish demonstrates the potential for creating beautiful, high-quality products and job opportunities from recycled waste materials. This trend has the potential to expand globally and disrupt traditional supply chains.
2. Triple Bottom Line Business Model - G-Lish's success with the triple bottom line of profit, social impact, and environmental sustainability demonstrates an innovative approach that could be applied to a wide range of industries and business models.
3. Social Enterprises for Green Economic Growth - G-Lish's mission to simultaneously tackle poverty, social exclusion, and environmental sustainability is a model that could be followed to create more 'for community profit' businesses striving for positive change.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion and Accessory Manufacturing - G-Lish's use of recycled waste materials to create beautiful products not only provides income generation but also has the potential to disrupt traditional supply chains and reduce waste in the industry.
2. Social Entrepreneurship and Nonprofit Management - G-Lish's innovative approach to balancing profit and social impact through their triple bottom line approach could inspire more social enterprises and nonprofits to take a similar approach to their business models.
3. Environmental Sustainability and Resource Management - G-Lish's commitment to environmental sustainability by planting trees for each basket produced sets an example for all businesses to prioritize the responsible management of resources and minimize their impact on the environment.