House of LFA
What does your company do?
House of LFA is a Level 1 BBBEE, 100% youth-woman owned eco-friendly furniture manufacturing that transforms reclaimed materials into high-quality, sustainable furniture while combating pollution, deforestation, carbon emissions and creating economic opportunities for underprivileged communities.
-We aim to empower underprivileged communities to turn waste into prosperity whilst healing the planet.
What is your biggest success?
-Partnering with NGOs to empower communities about the dangers of waste mismanagement and the opportunities available in waste management.
-Creating opportunities for local service providers and artisans.
-Empowering rural women with skills to run their own businesses or be employed.
-Seeing potential in our rural area has allowed us to get access to untapped materials.
-Local production has helped us minimise transportation emissions (which is a key contributor to furniture’s carbon footprint.)
-Allowing communities to participate in the waste management supply chain and get income
What has been your biggest hurdle?
-We struggled to get quality artisans that paid attention to details and also trained in sustainable techniques
-When we started the business we did not see opportunities and potential in our rural communities to source raw materials & resources (we outsourced and bought materials in urban areas).That not only affected our profit margin but it also did not align with our vision of reducing carbon emissions and empowering underprivileged communities
-Changing the mindset of communities with regards to waste management.
-Some members were only interested in recycling if there was money involved.
-We struggled to get the information (regarding waste management)out to a large number of people
