subject: Green business inspiration helps children of Tanzania [print this page] A trip to Tanzania in 2008 changed Lily Wu's future. Wu had worked as a corporate executive for most of her adult life, but after she volunteered to spend a couple of weeks in this impoverished East African nation all of that changed. During her visit Wu witnessed the incredible dedication of the children there and their seemingly insatiable desire to learn, even under conditions that most westerners could hardly begin to imagine.
On her return to the U.S., Wu vowed that she would do something to alleviate the squalor, she had witnessed the children suffer through each day for their education. True to her word, Wu took time off from her full time work and founded Ecozuri, a company which fused together two of her great passions: working towards conserving the environment and helping the children she met while she was in Africa.
Wu's California based company manufactures a wide range of eco-friendly reusable bags made from 100% recycled plastics or other organically grown materials. Part of her business ethos is her intent to share the income she makes from the sale of each of her bags, and Wu has pledged that 10% of all profits will go to help the impoverished children of Tanzania.
Choosing not to compromise her ideals by using virgin-plastic in any of her products, as some of her competitors do, Wu instead opted to remain true to her vision of only using 100% recycled material. This has proven to be a more costly option for her but one which fit perfectly with her company's philosophy that everyone needs to "go green and make a difference."
Aiming to create something exceptional and new, Wu has blended her eco-friendly material with modern vibrant colors and design, to create a chic product that is as much a fashion statement as it is a declaration of the shopper's philosophy on the environment.
Not content to simply target the lone eco-conscious purchaser, Wu set about creating a worldwide partnership of suppliers to form a unique wholesale system aimed at corporate marketing and advertising buyers. Specifically targeting companies looking to partner with a green product producer, she has created a factory-direct program that effectively cuts out all the middlemen in the process, allowing clients to interact directly with her suppliers. This approach has also significantly reduced costs for her clients, typically by as much as 10 to 25 percent over similar products using conventional production processes, while still maintaining exceptional quality in the finished product.
And this summer, Wu's dream to help the children of Africa through her business began to bear fruit. Ecozuri made its first donation to Bricks and Books - the U.S. based charity working in Tanzania to help build schools and provide materials. Bricks and Books has used the donation to purchase and distribute textbooks for the children and schools in the country.
For more information on Ecozuri and its products, visit www.EcoZuri.com
For learn more about the plight of Tanzanian school children and how you can help, visit www.BricksAndBooks.org
Green business inspiration helps children of Tanzania
By: Vikram Kumar
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