Wilma Cavaleiro

Founder of Beauty/Health App KUJINGA from Orange Corners Angola
Wilma Cavaleiro

The capital of Angola, Luanda, has often been referred to with endearing nicknames as “the city that never sleeps”. Whereas the hidden backyard restaurants, beauty salons and barber shops are usually filled with Portuguese chatter and vibrant energy, they remain silent these days. It is these beauty shops that shaped the beginning of Wilma’s entrepreneurial journey in 2017.

Wilma found that in the market for beauty and health treatments, getting and interacting with potential customers is one of the major challenges for health/beauty salon owners and freelance stylists. On the other hand, customers do not have an effective channel that allows them to find and compare available beauty services. After mapping out the beauty treatment market, Wilma found a large market with growth potential and founded KUJINGA: an app that serves as an intermediation platform for beauty services and customers. As a result, prices are made competitive and quality among providers rises.

In response to CO-VID19, The KUJINGA team now collaborates with the Otchiva Project and AmbiRicelo Indústria, a company that is dedicated to recycling and producing ecological products. Wilma has used her network, both providers and clients, to collect (cosmetic- and cooking) oils which are being used to produce soaps. These sustainably produced soaps are distributed throughout the community for free to facilitate hygiene and health measures that are being promoted and enforced in the light of the corona virus. This creative business solution contributes to several of the SDG’s, enhancing health and circularity.

In addition to this, Wilma has rapidly made an appeal to her wide network and has set up free consultancy sessions for small business owners and freelancers in the health and beauty industry. As the pandemic poses huge challenges to them, advice on how to navigate their way through this crisis is essential.

Wilma’s entrepreneurial mindset clearly shows in her response to COVID-19. As Wilma puts it: “Identify the problem you want to solve, and start with the resources you have. Those resources can be used to different end goals than your usual business, which can serve the community in challenging times”. Wilma adds: “Never wait for the right time because the journey is long and quite challenging, the sooner you start, the stronger you become”.

Wilma has been featured and acknowledged by several entrepreneurial forums, programmes and media. Examples include Junior Achievement, Women Entrepreneurs, FAJE – Angolan Young Entrepreneurs Forum, Femtech, leadingladiesAfrica.org and Wilma is currently a participant in the Orange Corners programme in Angola.

Keep up the great work KUJINGA team!

#health #hygiene #SDG’s #foodsecurity

Theme: Healthy & Hygiene, SDG’s 3, 6, 11 & 12
Creative response: The beauty/health APP KUJINGA is an intermediate platform connecting beauty services in Angola to customers. In response to COVID-19 Wilma has cleverly used her resources to another end: collecting waste (cosmetic & cooking) oil from the KUJINGA network that is turned into sustainable soaps which are freely distributed to communities in need. In addition, the team provides free consultancy to small businesses.

Other stories in this campaign

Carine and Esther Djé

Carine & Esther Djé

Founders of FREEANDIZ

We focus on products that leave farmer’s fields but never make it to consumer by working with locally sourced fruits and turn them into traditional delicacies, free of additives and preservatives.

Read the whole story
Ben Diop

Ben Diop

Co-founder of Sen Vitale

Our electronic health passports enable healthcare professionals to quickly access medical data from individuals. Each QR code scanned is potential a life saved.

Read the whole story
Fadwa Moussaif

Fadwa Moussaif

Co-Founder of IDYR

It’s our goals to design and manufacture products that respect the environment and social conditions of the female artisans, while reviving traditional weaving.

Read the whole story
Ernest Nartey Tetteh

Ernest Nartey-Tetteh

COO & Co-Founder of  Eazywaste and Orange Corners Alumni

It may well be Corona times, plastic pollution doesn’t wait. It’s our mission to sensitize Africa about the dangers in plastic mismanagement while making them realize the value in recycling.

Read the whole story

Riches Attai

CEO & Co-Founder of Winich Farms and Orange Corners Alumni

I am a proud agri-preneur. Our goal is to feed 250.000 homes this year, no matter the circumstances.

Read the whole story

Isabel Tamale

Founder and CEO of Moz Safety Work

I realised that many organisations were in need of more insight in how to effectively improve the safety & health in their work place. We want to inform and re-education employees, but also society at large

Read the whole story
Dr. Mohamed Elaibaid

Dr. Mohamed Elaibaid

founder of Al Awasi Medical Solutions

Al-Awasi effectively aids the Sudanese health sector in fighting the corona virus by providing focused training on safe business practices and continuity during the pandemic while guaranteeing employees’ and customers’ safety.

Read the whole story
Samuel Levie

Samuel Levie

Food Entrepreneur & Founder of #SupportYourLocalsNL

We wanted to help out all local food producers who are struggling to supply their products due to the pandemic. By increasing appreciation of local products and we stimulates circular agriculture.

Read the whole story
Kingdom of the Netherlands