It all started when on a trip to Africa, the BGW team saw firsthand the many failed previous attempts to solve the water problem.
They learned two billion people on our planet don’t have ready access to safe drinking water.
In the developing world, 60% of deaths of children under the age of five are from waterborne illnesses.
Girls endanger themselves by walking hours every day fetching water, giving up their chance for education and diminishing their future earning power.
Billions of dollars in international aid have utterly failed to sustainably build and maintain water treatment plants or wells.
Nations are already in conflict over diminishing water supplies. Poor health, little education, grinding poverty, and strife. The cycle repeats.
Their founder saw the global water crisis as not only a wicked problem but also a worthy challenge.
Even a small improvement would make the Earth a better place for the next generation.
She hoped that her systems thinking approach and her experience implementing a USD 640 million cost-reduction program in the automobile industry would be useful.
After years of research, the team created a plant-based, earth-friendly, socially inclusive, and revenue-generating water infrastructure model.
BGW now seeks impact investors for our fundable nuggets to scale that model.
How it Works
Organic Produce and Snail Farming
BGW provides Ghanaian locals with solar-powered, easy-to-maintain, drip irrigation infrastructure.
This allows them to farm year-round, making their current farm footprint four times more productive.
Using regenerative agriculture expertise from Ghana Permaculture Association, snail farming expertise from Ken Acquaye, and beekeeping training from Richard Okoe (NATBA), our farmers get more crop per drop.
They set up advance purchase contracts with top restaurants in Accra, and a speedy river-based logistics chain, giving farmers the ability to sell organic produce and snails at premium prices.
Restaurants and hotels in Accra pay a premium for our 18-hour farm-to-table service.
They plan to collaborate with cosmetic companies to sell the wrinkle-reducing milk that snails produce for their luxury skin care products.
Their farms create sustainable jobs for locals, not only increasing food security but allowing them to make money year around.
They have supplied irrigation systems for these farms and the locals are responsible for the land and labor.
The snails require high humidity, making it near impossible for them to be farmed before their irrigation system is in place.
Mangroves and Moringa
They manage several pockets of land along the east coast of Tanzania. The land is now primarily mangrove forest, and they hope to introduce moringa trees into these areas.
The mangrove tree has many benefits to an ecosystem, it is a natural barrier to storm surges, absorbs an abundance of carbon, preserves the purity of the water by filtering pollutants, and acts as a nursery habitat for local fisheries.
Moringa trees can absorb 20 times more carbon dioxide than the average tree and their byproducts are integral to their water filtration and oil and honey production.
Neither moringa nor mangroves require enriched soil, making them ideal for coastal wetland growth.
Moringa leaves are also an abundant, year-round, high-protein, antioxidant-rich food source.
Coral Restoration
They provide former Tanzanian coral miners with supplies, training, and equipment to grow red seaweed, which when processed can be used for cattle feed.
Locally grown Asparagopsis taxi-form (AT), a feed supplement, reduces methane production by up to 90% in cows.
When they shift the Tanzanian women coral miners away from pulverizing coral into cement aggregate, they help protect the coral reefs.
Maintaining the biodiversity inherent to coral reef ecosystems is vital to the planet’s survival.
They are using BIOROCK technology to repair damaged coral structures and create new reefs.
In deeper waters, they are seeding floating farms with AT and other seaweeds and anchoring the floating farms to the new coral reefs.
International ventures like CH4Global and Blue Barn are racing to expand their ocean farming footprint, strengthen their supply chains, and perfect their AT processing technology.
Meanwhile, Tanzania and Zanzibar have a well-established seaweed export industry, and government ministers are keen on growing their Blue Economy.
BGW’s demonstration coral restoration and red seaweed project comes at a most opportune time.
Pay4Poop and Waste2Energy
BGW proposed a Pay4Poop pilot, valuing the waste in a local youth-led campaign to solve these two problems at once.
They will supply Hamza’s brigade with gloves, masks, pooper scoopers, and rolling containers.
After school crew members will scoop poop and bring it to Hamza’s weighing station for their payments.
They will use the humanure as feedstock for his Waste2Energy business, and address a social ill at the same time.
Remediate Water and Soil in Gold Mining Area
The surface and groundwater surrounding illegal gold mining operations across Africa are toxic.
Rivers and streams are re-routed and dosed with Mercury to precipitate the Gold.
Downstream communities cannot farm their land or drink their water. Municipalities and regional water authorities lack the resources necessary to combat pollution and provide alternate sources of safe, affordable water.
Sell Honey and Beekeeping
Their partners National Beekeepers Association (NATBA), Richard Okoe, and his start-up, African Raw Honey, provide beekeeping training and equipment and pollination services to farmers across Africa.
Founders
Lynn Langford
Lynn Langford is the current CEO and Founder of Blue Gold Works.
She previously worked at Lean Green Solutions Inc. as a CEO.
She is an experienced entrepreneur; problem solver and consultant across industries such as automotive, water sustainability, and high-tech.
Lynn’s theme throughout all consulting work has been to increase the client’s business value by improving functionality and/or reducing costs throughout the entire supply chain.
Lynn Langford attended Wesleyan University.
Alexander Omijeh
Alex is an economist and social impact entrepreneur.
He is the Co-Founder at Blue Gold Works Nigeria Ltd. Alex is the CEO at Starcodes Canada.
Main Competitors
Tern Water: They provide users with products and services that allow them to get access to smart, sustainable, and healthy water when they need it.
Simply Good Jars: It is to make healthy choices easier and to foster a strong and critical connection between local growers, and consumers.
Soom Foods: This is a tahini company committed to providing delicious, nutritious, and versatile premium tahini.
Related:
Ongair: Story, Founders, Investors & Funding Rounds