Chako means ‘yours’ in Swahili, and it is the best word to describe its products, mission and vision. Founded in Zanzibar in 2010 as a social, creative enterprise, it trains uneducated and unemployed young men and women to create handcrafted, upcycled items from waste. The aim is to empower, skill, educate, preserve the (marine) environment and contribute to the (circular) economy of this beautiful pearl in the Indian Ocean. Chako is the first guaranteed member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) in Zanzibar and a leader in promoting fair wages, working and living circumstances, next to environmental awareness through re- and upcycling on the island.
Focusing on fair wages, fair work, fair treatment, fair chances, no discrimination and a fair environment, social enterprise Chako invests all of its revenue to create more jobs, training, awareness programmes and solutions to re- and upcycle the tourism induced waste on the beautiful island of Zanzibar.