Tosheka Textiles is a USA / Kenya based social enterprise that produces “Green Textile “ products from natural & recycled fibers and dyes while providing sustainable employment, maintaining traditional skills and dramatically reduce environmental pollution in caused by plastic bags.

1. Tosheka Textiles
614 N. 32nd street
Phila., PA, 19104
215-387-2742
Herman Bigham
Em: hblj2@aol.com
www.tosheka@toshekadesigns .com
Tosheka Textiles is a USA / Kenya based social enterprise that produces “Green
Textile “ products from natural & recycled fibers and dyes while providing
sustainable
employment, maintaining traditional skills and dramatically reduce
environmental
pollution in caused by plastic bags.

2. In Kenya, the proliferation and disposal of plastic bags is a huge
environmental problem and polluting nuisance to cities and rural
environments causing health hazards and even death to children and
animals. They are consumed daily by the public with no effective means of
being disposed.
Tosheka Textiles has set up a system to dramatically reduce environmental
pollution in Kenya caused by the lack of effective collection and recycling
systems for plastic bags. Our project is called “Creating Recycled Treasures”.
It aims to remove this most prominent and far reaching environmental and
health problem.

3. We have established a replicable system for reuse, recycling and retail
collaboration with major retailers in Kenya to collect clean plastic bags
and produce hand crafted high fashion bags, accessories and household
products for the global market.
We have establish a national program that includes government and
community organized cleanups and collection activities, reuse and
incentive recycling programs. The incentive system will provide monetary
rewards for community based collection and reuse of bags and will mirror
the “system” that has successfully removed plastic bottle waste from our
streets. This system will be funded by retailers, government, business
sponsors and the income generated by recycling.
Our value proposition is established through
our exclusive line of high fashion hand crafted
bags & accessories made with eco- friendly
materials & processes that provide long-term
employment for hundreds of poor woman. Our
customers appreciate the sum of values that
our product & compelling story offers. We can
currently produce one thousand bags each
month from the two tons of plastic waste
removed from the environment.

4. We are beginning to sell our products through retail, wholesale
and on line in Kenya, USA & recently presented our products at
a major trade show in Germany.
Our sales strategy is price driven with different products made for different
market segments and in making a connection of our clienteles’ product needs
with our brand name. We initially targeted the local market of high-end
supermarkets and tourists with disposal incomes and that are fashion and / or
environmentally conscious. We are now securing orders for export to the USA
for spring and summer 2013 and expanding our production to meet this
broader export market.
Our primary target customers are in the moderate-to-upper
moderate income level fashion conscious customers that may
also be environmentally conscious and socially responsible.
These customers access our products from our strategic
partners’ supermarket retailers, hotels, specialty stores and
tourist shops, exhibition shows, our website and online store.

5. Tosheka Textiles uses clean used plastic bags collected through a recycling
partnership project primarily with supermarkets and packaging industries to
produce ‘plarn’ (a terminology coined for plastic yarn) to make up cycled high
fashion bags that we call “Soko Bags”. Production of our Soko bags is done by
producer groups that we train to provide them with sustainable income.
Our six years of textile training and working with the skilled cluster groups in
Makueni district in Kenya have provided us the capacity to produce high quality
hand woven bags and textile products from recycled plastic shopping bags. Our
finely woven, durable, fashionable and beautifully finished carryall bags and
accessories, are retailing in high volume retailers that is, Nakumatt Supermarkets
(leader retailer in East Africa), Tuskys, Uchumi Hypers and Naivas, including hotels
and specialty shops.
We have set up branded collection bins for clean used plastic bags, from
shoppers who also buy our up cycled bags in numerous supermarkets. We have
also established partnerships with manufacturing
industries, businesses, hotels, colleges and schools for collection of plastic waste
and awareness of our cause and business.

6. Our Market & Sales Strategy emphasizes the extraordinary “High Fashion”
products, social & environmental impact made by the “Creating Recycled
Treasures Project”. There is a highly respected value and appreciation for our
products being made from recycled goods and providing ecological, cultural
and economic benefit. There is a particular appreciation for the quality and
design of bags that we produce, including the decorative label and story that
we use to describe the ecological, cultural preservation and economic benefit
of our products.
We plan to achieve our primary sales through wholesaling to midsize retailers
like Anthropologie. We have also established an online Etsy shop for online
sales and a distribution warehouse in the United States.
Our first major buyer contact from Anthropologie, which is a chain of retail
stores that sells high-end women's apparel and accessories, headquartered in
Philadelphia had this to say about our soko bags… “….your story is very
inspiring! The product looks very exciting and I would love to see it in person.”
We have sent them samples for review. Anthroplogie operates over 135 retail
stores in the United States, while orders from its website and catalog ship to
over 30 countries worldwide.

7. We have made extensive use of print & social media to reach our target audience
and customers. We anticipate using more paid media outlets at the cost of $ 17,000.
Yearly. Our business has been published in the University of Penn of Pennsylvania
Wharton Small Business Development Center as one of their ‘success stories’. We
have also been featured in the mainstream media in Kenya, (in television and radio
networks, Standards smart money and Nations Business daily, Nakumatts Smart
Life), the Ethical Fashion Forum, UK and in the Los Angeles Times in August 2012
“special article on Up Cycling”. Our project has been endorsed and is supported by
The National Environmental Management Association of Kenya (NEMA)
• Our sales strategy is price driven with different products made for different
market segments and in making a connection of our clienteles’ product needs
with our brand name. We initially targeted the local market of high-end
supermarkets and tourists with disposal incomes and that are fashion and / or
environmentally conscious. We are now securing orders for export to the USA for
spring and summer 2013 and expanding our production to meet this broader
export market.
•
• In our first six months we hired services of a marketing consultant with
experience in fashion merchandising for high-end stores to develop our branding,
market strategy and plan. At end of this consultancy we developed our initial
product line and marketing tools such as the look book / catalogue, label,
brochures, press kit, sales pitch and vetted our preferred vendors and buyers of
our soko bags in the USA. Under the direction of the Marketing Director, Drexel
University Students provided support for our graphics and branding and a group
of Columbia University MBA students contributed to our marketing plan for the
East Coast.

8. Target Market
Our primary target customers are in the moderate-to-upper
moderate income level fashion conscious customers that
may also be environmentally conscious and socially
responsible. These customers access our products from our
strategic partners’ supermarket retailers, hotels, specialty
stores and tourist shops, exhibition shows, our website and
online store.
• http://www.etsy.com/shop/ToshekaTextiles w
ww.toshekadesigns.com

10. Competitive Position/ Advantage
Tosheka has developed business driven solutions with significant impact on the environment and that
provides income which eliminates the need to leave the homesteads to go to the cities in hopes
of finding meager employment. This distinguishes Tosheka from any potential competitor or the few
businesses that engage in similar recycling or up cycling production. It also gives us access to the market
place and long-term relationships with our partners, stakeholders and customers.
Our recycling business model is unique because it involves the government, corporations and the
community in participating and engaging in a ‘green’ economy. Our producer groups are attracted to our
capacity to sell their products through the major supermarkets with more than of (73) big lot stores in
East Africa. Tosheka’s mottos is ‘Pay for Product’ which means that we only purchase quality goods
ordered from the community groups and encourage competitive cluster enterprises to standardize the
quality that meets our target market demand.
Our locally made hand crafted recycled textile products utilizing traditional skills and contemporary
designs for the high end and medium income consumers is also unique and of better quality, unlike the
commercial poorly made “sweat shop” products. We produce cutting edge designs changing with the
market trend, environmentally socially conscious products and support a community enterprise value
chain. We are the pioneers of the future “Green Textile Economy”, the Kenyan government’s vision and
COMESA region’s goals of and making competitive products that truly address poverty alleviation and
the environmental pollution caused by plastic bags.

11. The Management

12. • Tosheka Textiles principals are Herman Bigham – (CEO), Lucy Bigham - (COO) and Nyokabi Mwangi
(Associate Director) seasoned business developers and managers. The CEO has a wealth
of experience in management of successful businesses in USA and has managed and operated a (16)
Million dollars in construction in USA, built a (3 mil) performing arts center and developed a
travelling exhibition featuring African Sculptural Art that travels nationally in the USA and has been
viewed by over 3 million people. The COO is textile surface designer with a BA in Design and an MA in
International Business Analysis. She has over 20 years experience in the development and
management of economic empowerment projects in Kenya and textile production workshops in
Kenya and USA.
• Yvonne Nyokabi Mwangi ,SENIOR MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
• Result oriented leader with dynamic organization skills. Utilizes team approach to drive organizational
implementation of best practices. Offers well developed interpersonal skills and strong facilitation
skills.
• Qualified manager with 5 years successful experience in providing administrative and logistic
operations in uniquely challenging situations. Has motivated and worked with people of all ages and
various backgrounds in training and administrative capacities. Has the ability to discern and respond
to the needs of the clients and the flexibility only generated by working with a wide range and variety
of people.
• Our business advisor is Mr. Mark Maguire of the University of Penn of Pennsylvania Wharton Small
Business Development Center
• Seed funding was provided by the Untours Foundation, contact Ms. Elizabeth Killough - www.
Untoursfoundation.org

13. What startup capital do you need?
Financials
$ 150,000
Have you raised any money through friends, family or angels?
Yes, our resources ($ 20,000) friends, family ( $ 8.500) and ( $ 50,000.)
Seed funding was provided by the Untours Foundation
How long will that money will last, and when will you need to raise your next round?
The grant will last us for one year and enable us to be comfortably in the revenue stage.
Financial forecasts are, by nature, guesses, but we need to see your thinking behind them.
Business Financials:
Our financial diagnostics values and findings are in a good range.
Using our income projections, comfortable operating and training cost figures with significant cash reserves we
demonstrate moderate profitability in the second year.
Our Advertising budget in the first year was low because Tosheka capitalized on Nakumatt,
other retailers, the hotels and plastic manufacturing industries ability to give us the exposure we need.
We plan to increase this budget in the long run as we venture into other markets.
The company projects rapid growth, with significant profitability in the second year. Our operating plan emphasizes the
reinvestment of income for product development according to market appraisals, marketing, training and expansion. Our
aggressive sales revenues will enable us in year three to fund our growth internally even without additional investments
beyond that currently sought. We will then seek funds for business expansion and replication of this project in Haiti. We
received seed funding of $50,000 to initiate the project, which was insufficient for us to fully develop and pursue our
business opportunities.
See projected revenue statement. We expect to have the following number of
customers in the following categories.
Kenya Supermarkets 65
Kenya Hotels/Boutiques 30
Exports USA 32
Export Europe 15

14. Tosheka Textiles is structurally and operationally ecologically sound because we have designed a replicable
business and production model to convert traditional textile skills into the production of finished high quality
competitive products for the global market made from recycled plastic bags in Kenya. We only use natural &
recycled fibers and dyes and conserve energy & natural recourses in our production.
Tosheka Textiles mission is to become the brand leader for eco and ethical textiles in Africa and a brand name
associated with production of quality, high fashion products in the global market place.
Our business endeavor is to preserve and blend traditional skills and knowledge with contemporary designs
and to produce products that are beneficial to the environment. Our replicable business model is also designed
to provide long-term sustainable incomes for hundreds of people in low-income rural and urban communities
and building a highly profitable and expandable textile business.
Our operation includes a training and recruitment program for our producer groups, standardization of our
products and quality checks, plastic bag and product collection and distribution and delivery systems that
support our business activities. We have established support from major stakeholders to support public
awareness campaigns and promotion for recycling of plastic bags, incentives and collection of used clean
plastic bags. We have partnered with the leading supermarket to launch the recycling project with a major
marketing effort to effectively advertise and maintain the enthusiasm for our Nation Wide Collection, Recycling
and campaign for buying our up cycled “Soko” bags and other products
Tosheka textiles employed a rigorous system of training trainers from our producer groups to extend our
production capacity and monitor quality. We currently have 15 producer groups and a total of 180 producers.
Our trained producers can produce an average of 3 to 4 bags a week; we are therefore looking to increase our
producers to a total of 400 by the end of 2013 to reach our production target of at least 4500 bags a month.

15. Current Status & Use of Funds:
• We are currently retailing in (18) supper markets in Kenya and grossing aprox. $1,500.00 per month which are retailing on average at only $12. each.
We need resources to increase our production as that we can stock the hotels and specialty store and US market were we can increase of income 2 -
3 times. We are finalizing orders with Anthropology & Wal- mart.
• We currently need cash flow support to restart our producer training activities which we have had to limited because of lack of funding We are
seeking capacity building support for our all ready successful "Creating Recycled Treasures Project", This recycling and environmental preservation
project has the potential to provide sustainable employment for (400) needy workers this year. We cannot achieve success or take advantage of the
sales opportunities and project impact without an additional funding support of $ 35,000. to $ 50,000. Our original business plan required $ 100,000.
and we are at the brink of success and have far surpassed the scope, opportunities and impact of our initial Plan. The funds will also be used for
completing the setup of our business, operation and project management infrastructure in Kenya & sales, marketing and administrative staff in the
USA.
•
• Accomplishments to Date:
• We have established a unique recycling business model that involves the retail stores such as Nakumatt to partner with us in providing a platform to
collect the used bags and to sell the finished recycled bags as their corporate responsibility project. We have set up branded collection bins for clean
used plastic bags, from shoppers who also buy our up cycled bags in numerous supermarkets. We have also established partnerships with
manufacturing industries, businesses, hotels, colleges and schools for collection of plastic waste and awareness of our cause and business.
•
•
• We also partner with producer groups that have low or no income and tapping their traditional skills to develop contemporary recycled products
designed by Tosheka.
•
•
• This model will provide a supporting business structure and environment that will drive the profitable ability to inspire growth of small scale
community textile and related businesses. Our project is a replicable model for communities with specific skills of being able to convert the
traditional skills in production of a standard of finished competitive products worldwide.
•
• We have designed a system of production using fair labor practices, traditional weaving, knitting, and crochet techniques of Kenya artisan to provide
sustainable in the comfort of their own communities.

16. • Our project and products have been exceptionally received by partners, shoppers and media . Our recycling demonstration project with Nakumatt and our experience over the past year
has proven that the shopping public will participate in a recycling program that has mutual benefit for the environment and community.
•
• Our project is held in high regard by NEMA and we are collaborating with Kenyatta Univ. and local grade schools on collection and recycling program. We have recently met with a series
of local manufactures and companies and they are very impressed with our plans, products and approach. They have invited us to provide proposals on how they can support our work
to fulfilling and expanding our mission in Kenya. We have recently met with a series of local manufactures and companies and they are very impressed with our plans, products and
approach.
•
• We have trained a staff of trainers and project managers; have trained and employed over two hundred producers who are earning between 1200 – 2,000 ksh per week. We have also
influenced the three largest retailers in East Africa to participate in our recycling, reuse and product retail program. We are currently retailing our bags in eighteen stores and have been
challenged to keep up with the demand and build inventory the national retail exposure of approx. ( 80) stores,The Hotels, specialty shops and one million annual tourist ,and the US
export market.
•
•
• Our business has been published in the University of Penn of Pennsylvania Wharton Small Business Development Center as one of their ‘success stories and featured in their in their
annual report and the promotional materials. We have also been featured in the mainstream media in Kenya, (in television and radio networks, Standards smart money and Nations
Business daily, Nakumatts Smart Life), the Ethical Fashion Forum, UK and in an upcoming Los Angles Times “special article on Up Cycling”. Our project has been endorsed and is supported
by The National Environmental Management Association of Kenya (NEMA). Under the direction of the Marketing Director, Drexel University Students provided support for our graphics
and branding and a group of Columbia University MBA students contributed to our marketing plan for the East Coast.
•
• We have developed business driven solutions with significant impact that helps to elevate the need for families to generate income without deserting their homesteads to go to the cities
in hopes of finding meager employment. Our motto will be ‘Pay for Product’ which means that we will only purchase quality goods from the community groups and encourage
competitive cluster enterprises to standardize the quality that meets our target market demand.
•
• Tosheka textiles innovative recycling business will raise the consciousness, demonstrate the benefits, promote the participation of the masses in recycling and provide sustainable income
to people in need. This business will encourage other companies to launch recycle projects and finding new ways to recycle plastic bags and other plastic materials. Our business will
engage and encourage the public to recycled and use our bags for shopping and their by reduce the use of disposable plastic bags.
•
• We have done several national trade shows & was recently documented with an lengthy presentation on KBC TV. Also, we were just chosen by the Women's Enterprise Fund (WEF) /
Export Promotion Council (EPC) program (which aims at enhancing women access to international markets ) as a winner in the National Business competition for the
most innovative business. We have been awarded primary funding to participate in an international trade show in Germany and an event to meet the President Kibaki.
•
• Tosheka has developed a replicable model for communities to convert their traditional skills into the production of finished high quality competitive products for the global market. TT
has provided a supporting business structure and environment that will drive the profitable business and inspire growth of small scale community textile and related businesses. In a
region scarred by intractable poverty we are providing a system of innovative programs to build new sources of sustainable employment and business opportunity.
•
• This project was only conceived of nine months ago but we believe our efforts have established an effective platform that we can use to collaborate to rid Kenya of this most substantial
health problem and provide sustainable incomes for thousands of people. Our project helps to restore traditional skills, provide a living wage for hundreds of producers and help rid our
community of this polluting health hazard. We are an ethical and progressive company, committed to the sustainable development of Africa.
•
• Timeline for the Near Future:
• Our near-term objectives are to:
•
• Increase our production as that we can stock the hotels and specialty store and US market were we can increase of income 2 -3 times.
•
• To complete the setup of our business, operation and project management infrastructure in Kenya & sales, marketing and administrative staff in the USA.
•