Support a startup empowering rural communities sustainably in Benin 🇧🇯

Smile Wastes: Empowering rural communities through eco-friendly energy solutions derived from the transformation of waste into valuable energy resources.

At Smile Wastes, we address challenges related to energy insecurity, deforestation, poor agricultural waste management, and economic vulnerability among young people and women, particularly in the Borgou region and the city of Parakou, the third-largest city in Benin, West Africa. In short, we fight against extreme poverty in all its forms. Here are some details about the problem.

To find an eco-friendly alternative to charcoal in the city of Parakou, Smile Wastes introduces the ECO AKAN program. Eco Akan is more than just a program; it is a social and solidarity-based economic industry. It focuses on creating a sustainable, job-generating sector that offers durable energy solutions for domestic cooking by converting agricultural waste that was initially burned by children. These agricultural waste materials (such as shea nut shells, cotton stalks, etc.) are transformed into eco-friendly fuels to serve as an alternative to charcoal used in the city of Parakou.

Since 2022, in two villages in Borgou, where agricultural waste was poorly managed, we have set up two waste pre-treatment units. In these villages, our units allow women from agricultural cooperatives to pre-process agricultural waste and sell it to our factories for final transformation into solid biofuels, an environmentally friendly energy that costs twice as little as conventional charcoal for the same calorific capacity.

Role (Volunteer): Software Engineer.

Role Description: Help our startup by creating a website.

Time Commitment: Volunteer 2-3 hours per week for 3-4 weeks remotely 💻

If you want to make change, apply to volunteer with Smile Wastes!