Be Part of Those Who Make the World A Better Place
THINK Global & ACT Local
With NUNA by Dzogbefa, we want to pay tribute to human values
through handcraft and cooperation, while taking into consideration
environmental issues on the global scale.
​
We want to be part of those who build a world towards a more fair and more conscious society where people live in harmony with each other and with nature.
​
Handmade Fashion Providing Local Development
Dzogbefa's Mission:
Identify Talent and Skills, Awake Motivation & Building upon Them to Create Self-Employment
Dzogbefa is a movement towards a more fair and sustainable textile craftmanship, with intention, passion, and reason behind every design. Dzogbefa is helping Ghanaians be artistically and financially independent by focusing on community outreach.
​
Dzogbefa combines the African cultural heritage with creativity and passion for textiles and people.
​
Dzogbefa fights for the preservation of Ghana's batik handicraft. However, Dzogbefa is different from other batik centers; it uses new methods that are not taught in batik schools nor applied at traditional batik centers.
For Kenneth, the most important thing is to love what you do, so once you've integrated the techniques and skills, let your inspiration flow!
Dzogbefa - What does it mean?
The name “Dzogbefa” is the combination of two Ghanaian names from the Ewe language: Dzorgbenyui* meaning “good luck” and Emefa meaning “peace”.
These 2 notions are very important to Kenneth, since Dzogbefa needs to be strong in order to be successful in a globalized economy.
Dzogbefa also should promote peace and cooperation between people. This is one reason why Kenneth uses Dzogbefa to help his community.
​
* Dzorgbenyui is Kenneth's second name
A Business By the People For the People
Instead of working for big western companies prominent in West-Africa, Dzogbefa fight for the economic emancipation of his country.
Promote Female Entrepreneurship
With an informal partnership with local NGO Adanu and Stern Business School (New York University), Dzogbefa trains women from various villages in batik making.
The goal is to launch their own batik activity and gain more financial independence.
Giving Young People New Opportunities
Dzogbefa also wants to give young people the opportunity to make themselves a living right where they are.
​
"No need to go away to bigger cities or even to Europe for greater opportunities, make something of what you have here."
​
Many art students finish school and never use and improve their skills …
Ken wants to give a little push to those who are motivated to learn and work. His goal is to identify what they are good at and what they like doing, to focus on that particular skill and to stimulate it to its best.
This young apprentice applies wax to the
cloth with special stamps.
A lady of the market with a Dzogbefa supporter during a filming of musical band Volta Allstars​.
See the Volta Allstars' video clip where the musicians proudly wear the Dzogbefa clothing.
Dzogbefa motivates those in need to take control of their own lives; whether they come for a couple of months or just a few days, Dzogbefa values them and gives them hope and inspiration so that they themselves work towards a brighter future based on self-sufficiency and cooperation.
Dzogbefa helps young people find new purpose in their life by awakening their inner artistic skills. Kenneth did not hesitate to spend several months training and supervising the young people of his town who were looking for a job.
​
Kenneth created his business from a passion for textile art,
but he knows Dzogbefa can help change the lives of those in need.
Because There Is No Planet B
Dzogbefa seeks to limit its environmental impact as much as possible. This aspect is striking when you know that the world's biggest dumpsite is in Ghana.
It is high time to turn to more environmental-friendly products and practices is greatly needed.
View from the workshop:
Abundance of healthy nature that deserves to be taken care of.
Organic and Locally-Produced Cotton
Environmental challenges are present all over the world, and we believe that it is our duty as entrepreneurs and as citizens to do our part.
For our NUNA athleisure collection, we use organic t-shirts and sweaters supplied by a manufacturing specialized in organic and sustainable clothing*.
In Ghana with Dzogbefa, over 80% of the cotton bought is chemical-free and locally-produced.
​
Did You Know?
1 single t-shirt requires up to 700 gallons of water (2600 liters) and the “cotton industry uses 25% of the world's pesticides and herbicides”.
​
Recycling and Reuse
Apart from the organic t-shirts, we also use secondhand
t-shirts and give them a second life by redesigning them.
Old car tires are repurposed by Dzogbefa to make fashionable shoes.
Beads made of stones or recycled plastic bottles are also sold by Dzogbefa.
On the Way to Natural Dyes
Until recently, Dzogbefa used only chemical dyes, as natural dyes are very hard to find in Ghana. But Dzogbefa's mission had Kenneth far more afield to find a more environmental-friendly dying method.
He found some dyers make their pigments out of food waste …
Here is the first Dzogbefa sweater dyed with onion skins!
Paying Tribute to West-African Crafts
Dzogbefa is one of the few businesses in Ghana that continues to promote handmade batik over cheap imports.
A challenge?
Enhancing the prestige and beauty of genuine batik over fake wax prints (often Chinese prints) sold in local markets (see photo opposite).
​
Unique, authentic and conscious
Dzogbefa really wants to promote slow fashion, handmade crafts using traditional techniques, and putting more value on regional knowledge and skills.
Not only does Dzogbefa offer an authentic clothing brand which is made by the artisans themselves from the printing of the fabrics until the ultimate finished products, but Dzogbefa also conveys a stronger message:
for Africans to recognize the value of their culture
and of their skills, full of colors and happiness.
​
Keep calm and wear Dzogbefa!
Dzogbefa wants Ghanaians, or Africans more generally, to be pleased with their own culture, their fashion
and their colors! African at times, more Western at others, Dzogbefa proves that it IS possible for Africans to keep their colorful styles and to be stylish in the eyes of the world.
​
L'Afrique, c'est chic!
​
