Setting a Malawian Social Enterprise up for Success
&Proud
Waste Management & Recycling
Industry
Clean & Proud is a non-profit tackling waste management in Mzuzu, Malawi. Founded by Beatrice and George, the social enterprise collects and recycles local waste and educates through outreach programmes. The team transforms collected waste into unique products sold under the fashion brand &Proud. The team is made up of local residents who are trained and supported in many ways beyond employment.
Over 8 weeks, we immersed ourselves in Malawi’s culture and context to help Beatrice and George define their value and expand their reach. By rebranding their fashion brand and non-profit, we aligned them under one mission that blends commercial success with social impact.
Collaborating directly with the team, we overcame resource challenges and celebrated local faces, creating a story with global appeal.
The Question
How might we clarify this non-profit’s purpose and share its story in a way that’s sustainable?
Over a series of emails and Zoom calls, we identified the non-profit’s need to clarify their purpose and share their story to a European audience. Their passion for their work was contagious and after seeing how well our values aligned, we knew we could work together to take their vision to the next level.
Next thing you know, we found ourselves on a flight to Malawi to offer our skills to this promising social enterprise.
The Approach
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From chatting with the team to mapping the competitive landscape.
From surveying retailers and customers to shadowing the team.
From workshopping with the founders to seeing the impacts of the waste management crisis in Mzuzu.
From challenging our cultural assumptions to learning how the business (really!) runs.
From identifying the challenges at hand to appreciating its context.
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From developing proto-personas to mapping customer journeys.
From framing problems as questions to scoping the project.
From differentiating between the project and brand to challenging the business model.
From exploring and establishing
a value proposition to developing a strategy for the project and brand. -
From evolving the community-led project to pivoting towards
a fashion brand with a rename.From developing and refining products to clarifying product architecture.
From iterating solutions to developing brand sketches.
From challenging solutions
to selecting them based on their desirability, feasibility, viability and sustainability. -
From collaborating on brand actions and assets to documenting the products and process.
From agreeing on the brand roll-out strategy to onboarding and co-designing it with the team,
to ensure sustainable change.From handing our work over to…
&Proud
A customer-facing fashion brand that transforms plastic into stand-out Malawian products
The logo subtly references the mixed typography of Malawian signs.
We designed a graphic system to show the plastic bags recycled per product.
We developed a simple website to sell &Proud products.
Clean & Proud
A community-facing project that collects and recycles local waste and educates the community through outreach programmes.
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![Clean & Proud Logo Mark]()
Clean & Proud Mark
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![Clean & Proud Logo]()
Clean & Proud Logo
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![Beatrice and George from Clean & Proud]()
Beatrice and George, the founders of Clean & Proud.
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![Clean & Proud Uniform]()
Clean & Proud Uniform
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![Collected plastic being cleaned]()
Francis cleaning the plastic
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![Employee in front of the plastic drying]()
Brenda in front of the plastic drying
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Plastic is collected weekly from local businesses for recycling.
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![An employee hanging the washed plastic]()
Matrina hanging the washed plastic
We created a simple wholesale catalogue to showcase &Proud products.
We created photos and copy for the European market on social media.
Observations
It was evident that Beatrice and George’s diligent work was making a huge impact on their community.
However, the challenge was that they weren’t selling enough &Proud products to support Clean & Proud’s outreach and education work. They weren’t telling their story in a way that would resonate with a European audience and drive sales.
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Our research revealed that plastic is valued more than materials like clay, making it a luxury item, but without an official recycling system, plastic waste is often buried or burned. This burning releases harmful toxins that endanger both human health and the planet, while plastic is also used in cooking, contaminating food with dangerous chemicals.
We focused on raising awareness and boosting product sales through new retailers, corporate orders, and collaborations. By streamlining internal systems, we enabled the non-profit to focus on growth and strengthen the brand narrative, helping Clean & Proud expand its recycling efforts and outreach programs.
People & Place
Vibrant spirit and warmth of Mzuzu: Celebrating the faces behind Clean & Proud’s magic.
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![John from Clean & Proud modeling a hat made from recycled plastic]()
John modeling a waterproof hat, made from recycled plastic.
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![Nelson, who recycles tyre strips for Clean & Proud]()
Nelson, who recycles tyre strips for Clean & Proud.
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![Francis, who collects plastic from local businesses for recycling.]()
Francis, who collects plastic from local businesses for recycling.
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![A product that recycles over 890 cigarette butts]()
A bag that recycles over 890 cigarette butts!
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![Precious is the youngest but most talented tailor.]()
Precious is the youngest but most talented tailor.
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![In the scrapyard, where the salvaged material comes from!]()
In the scrapyard, where the salvaged material comes from!
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![Grace, who sells patterned fabric called chitenje.]()
Grace, who sells patterned fabric called chitenje.
Unexpected Adventures
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magine coding a website on an internet speed of 0.005 megabytes per second, which would shut off every time it rained (and it was rainy season!).
This challenge taught us to reassess our assumptions about resources and the way we approach future projects. -
We needed models for our product photoshoots, so we asked around the local chitenge market. With no hesitation, Haaroon, Future and Glory took the challenge on.
This reminded us of the importance of being creative with your resources—just look around you!
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In a shared taxi, squeezed between a suited man and a woman with her baby, we travelled around Mzuzu with Beatrice and George. In these everyday moments, we witnessed and learnt about the systemic challenges in Malawi.
Being in context is everything. These small, spontaneous interactions—often overlooked—are what shape our work. Without them, our impact wouldn’t be as authentic.
Our impact
“Their enthusiasm, professionalism and work ethic were instrumental in helping us reach our target audience and have a greater impact on the ground.”
Beatrice continued to say “They gave us a new perspective and opened up new opportunities we would not have been able to afford.
Working with us, Fiona and Ash helped us in the creation of our brand and helped us to progress in the right direction, developing the story and image we had been unable to capture properly.”