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15.01.22

New way for sustainable development from Entrepreneur

Jerrybag's story was released by Finnish Economy magazine this month. The article is published in Finnish, but a translation can be seen below!

Jerrybagin tuote- ja palvelusuunnittelija ja perustaja Jy Park, 34.


”Olen kotoisin Etelä-Koreasta ja tulin Suomeen opiskelemaan muotoilua. Olen kiinnostunut kestävästä muotoilusta (creative sustainability), eikä sitä voi opiskella monessa paikassa.

Opiskelin viisi vuotta Aalto-yliopistossa. Yliopisto rohkaisi minua seuraamaan intohimojani ja sain yrittämisestä arvokkaita neuvoja.

Suomessa on kuitenkin vaikea saada rahoitusta design-yritykselle. Kaikki puhuvat vain tietotekniikasta.

Lähdin opettajani vinkistä tekemään opinnäytetyötä Ugandaan ja sillä tiellä olen edelleen. Perustimme Kampalaan kaverini kanssa kasseja valmistavan Jerrybagin, joka työllistää nyt kolme henkeä sekä ulkopuolisia ompelijoita.

Ensimmäiset laukkumme teimme muovisista Jerry-kannuista ja kankaasta. Saamme rahamme design-kasseista, jotka menevät etupäässä vientiin. Samalla teemme halpoja jerry-kannujen kantokasseja paikallisille markkinoille, ettei naisten tarvitsisi rasittaa niskaansa kantamalla vettä päänsä päällä.

Haluan työskennellä Ugandassa, koska yrityksellemme on tarvetta. Monen Afrikan maan talous ja keskiluokka kasvavat, mutta markkina on kaukana kylläisestä. Design-tuotteita ja luovia palveluita ei vielä ole, joten markkinoille on helppoa päästä.

Aion pysyä Ugandassa ainakin pari vuotta ja kasvattaa bisnestä Itä-Afrikassa. Samalla etsin mahdollisesti uusia, näille markkinoille sopivia ongelmia ratkaisevia tuotteita.

Yritysten kannattaisi panostaa Afrikkaan. Täällä on mahdollisuuksia tehdä menestyvää liiketoimintaa, jolla voi olla myös paikallinen sosiaalinen vaikutus. Kestävän liiketoiminnan rakentaminen kehittää apua tarvitsevia alueita huomattavasti pitkäjänteisemmin kuin rahan lahjoittaminen.”


”I’m from South-Korea and I came to Finland to study design. I’m interested in creative sustainability, which cannot be studied in too many places.
I studied five years in Aalto University, from where I got encouragement to follow my passion and valuable advices for entrepreneurship. However, it is hard to get the funding for a design company in Finland. Everybody is just talking about information technology.
From my teacher’s advice I went to Uganda to do my thesis, which was a starting point to Jerrybag, a bag company that me and my friend founded in Kampala employing three persons and local sewers at the moment.
The first bags were made of jerrycans (plastic) and fabric. We get our income from the design bags, which we mainly export. At the same time we produce cheap bags to carry jerrycans for the local markets so that the women wouldn’t need to burden their neck while carrying the water on their head.
I want to work in Uganda, because there is a need for our company. The economy and middle class is growing in many countries in Africa, but the market situation is far away from the demand.
I’m going to stay in Uganda at least couple of years more and grow the business in East-Africa while possible looking for new ideas for problem-solving products for these markets.
Companies should invest in Africa, where there are possibilities to do successful business that might also have a local social influence. Building a sustainable business develops the areas that need help for considerably more long-term than donating money.”
By Juho Paavola
Translated by Sini Henttonen 

http://www.talouselama.fi/tyoelama/yrittaja+vie+kehitysapua/a2287242?b=u_tivi

15.01.22

Sustainable Design in Africa: Jerrybag's Socially Aware Backpacks



Sustainable design by Jerrybag

Sustainable designer Jy Park has created a fashionable backpack that also spreads awareness about the water crisis in Africa.
Photo courtesy of Jerrybag.

The fashion industry can be a negative place. Thankfully, there are plenty of designers and entrepreneurs out there making a positive impact with their creativity. Jy Park, a native Korean, is making his own sustainable mark with a line of backpacks directly inspired by the plastic water containers many East Africans use to carry water. Now based between Helsinki, Finland, and Uganda's capital city of Kampala, Park has created a sustainable design enterprise called Jerrybag, which aims to raise awareness about the ongoing water crisis in Africa.


 

A graduate of the creative sustainable design program at Alto University in Helsinki, Finland, Park founded Jerrybag in 2012 after traveling through Uganda and seeing firsthand the severity of the water issues. From there, he developed a way to give back to the community through sustainable design. Jerrybag has partnered with NGOs and local community members to design and produce these products. It also supports projects that spread global awareness about water issues in local areas. Jerrybag's backpacks and T-shirts are currently made in both Ugandan and Rwandan local communities.

Sadly, around 35% of the world's population still lack access to clean water. This causes unnecessary illness and death around the globe, particularly in parts of Africa. One harrowing statistic reveals that every twenty seconds, a child dies from poor water sanitation.

With its designs produced by local workers, Jerrybag is one of the few fashion brands tackling economic issues from the ground up. Park emphasizes that Jerrybag is not a charity; it offers Ugandans legitimate job opportunities. The products are then marketed  internationally to clients and customers in Europe and Korea, creating greater opportunity for revenue growth. While Park is aware that Jerrybag alone can't change the poor water conditions in East Africa, he believes that it can make a difference by daring to focus on tiny steps. Design-wise, the bags incorporate standard African cotton with African patterns like Kitenge, staying true to their local culture.

As a result from Jerrybag's collaborations with non-profits, the purchase of a single Jerrybag creates 100 liters of drinkable water for locals in East African communities. These stylish eco-bagsremind us that social awareness comes in many different shapes and sizes -- and that it's possible for fashion, when applied consciously, to reach far beyond the sum of its parts.
"Every small action can change the world."

-- Jy Park, Jerrybag founder

https://ignitechannel.com/sustainable-design-africa-jerrybags-socially-aware-backpacks/







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