Research in Ghana for the world's first Fair-Trade toiletpaper
We are Faber, Iris, Quincy and Suus, students from Delft and Rotterdam. We will be visiting various places in Ghana, starting in November, to conduct research on the feasibility of digital payment methods and the cultivation of bamboo in combination with agroforestry with Ghanaian farmers. This challenge is part of our minor 'International Entrepreneurship and Development' at the TU Delft.
Our project is an international research and assignment carried out on behalf of The Good Roll (TGR). Founded in 2017, TGR is committed to producing sustainable toilet paper, with 50% of the profits being invested in The Good Roll Foundation, which aims to provide sanitation facilities in Ghana. TGR aims to achieve something significant: the production and supply of locally grown bamboo by Ghanaian farmers. This project marks their ambition to become the world's first 'Fair Trade' bamboo-based toilet paper.
In the long term, the project explores opportunities for TGR to establish its entire supply chain in Ghana, thereby stimulating the local economy through bamboo cultivation.
In the short term, the project aims to work with a Ghanaian company called Farmerline, specializing in modernizing Ghanaian agriculture and striving for prosperity for themselves and their community. We aim to create a clear picture of the existing availability of bamboo in two regions in Ghana and the willingness of farmers to transition to digital payment methods and start bamboo cultivation.
This will involve a lot of fieldwork, and for this, we will be traveling to the Ashanti and Eastern regions to speak with as many farmers as possible and assess their thoughts on our project and whether they want to be a part of it. We need your help to collect data, help the local economy in Ghana, and to make the world’s first fair-trade bamboo-based toilet paper possible. By financing us we can travel to all the farmers (transportation costs) and we can develop a pilot study for which we need posters and workshops to share our ideas with the farmers.
For questions and/or remarks, don't hesitate to contact us!
Contact person :
Quincy Janssen
J.Q.Janssen@student.tudelft.nl
Quincy Janssen
I am Quincy Janssen, 20 years old, and I am currently in my third year of studying Liberal Arts & Science at Erasmus University College. In my studies, I have had the opportunity to take a wide range of courses, from psychology to econometrics. I have chosen the Economics, Business, and Society track. I am very excited about our project due to my love for Africa, which I developed during volunteer work in Uganda when I was 15. Interacting, living, and working with the local population was a truly amazing and challenging experience. I hope that with my knowledge from my studies, my experiences, and the new knowledge I will gain during the IED minor, I can contribute to the project in Ghana together with our team!
Suus Plaum
My name is Suus Plaum, I am 20 years old, and I am in my third year of my bachelor's program in Technology, Policy and Management (TPM) at the Technical University of Delft. Within this program, I have focused on the domain of information & communication, where I mainly deal with data science and risk management for companies. My passion for environmental and sustainability issues stems from my previous experiences, such as providing education on plastic pollution and exploring broader market opportunities for products from local Balinese farmers during my volunteer work in Java and Bali a few years ago. These experiences have provided me with valuable insights into the environmental challenges faced by local farmers. I am therefore highly motivated to apply this acquired knowledge in a completely different cultural context. I look forward to making a significant contribution to the project The Good Roll, both with my existing knowledge and the knowledge I will acquire during our IED minor.
Iris Verhoeven
I am Iris Verhoeven, 20 years old, and I am in my third year of the bachelor's program in Liberal Arts & Sciences at Erasmus University College. The track I have chosen within this program is Economics, Business & Society. Additionally, I have completed a minor called 'Think Green,' which focused on sustainability. During this minor, I learned a lot about start-up companies trying to develop sustainable products for various markets. This experience has also broadened my knowledge of both entrepreneurship and sustainability. I hope to make a significant contribution to the project we are setting up in Ghana with this IED minor! I look forward to meeting you and the Farmerline team.
Faber Vlierboom
My name is Faber Vlierboom, I am 22 years old, and I have just started my fourth year of my bachelor's program in Technology, Policy and Management at TU Delft. In my bachelor's program, I chose the track of transport and logistics. I am very interested in Ghanaian culture and have read extensively about it. That's why I am eager to learn more from you and gain more knowledge in Ghana. I am looking forward to meeting you and the team and applying my knowledge, along with the knowledge I will acquire at IED, to the project in Ghana!
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