For Marione Akem, waste is not the end of a product’s story. Broken glass, plastic containers and paper scraps are the raw materials for a business that creates value, jobs and cleaner communities.
Based in Buea, Cameroon, Marione founded Transglow in 2024, transforming discarded glass, plastic, paper and other materials into decorative and functional products for homes and workspaces.
The idea began with a simple experiment: turning broken glass into a decorative vase for her home. What started as a creative project has since grown into a structured business with nine employees, more than double the revenue and new commercial partnerships.
Turning waste into opportunity
Transglow’s business model is rooted in the circular economy. By giving discarded materials a second life, the company creates new value from waste while contributing to cleaner communities.
Its products range from decorative items and customised accessories to functional design pieces, demonstrating how sustainability and creativity can come together to create products with market value.
But building the business required more than creativity. Marione needed the skills, resources and confidence to turn her idea into a sustainable enterprise.
How WE4A supported the journey
Through the IYBA WE4A programme, Marione received training, coaching, visibility opportunities and seed capital. The support helped strengthen her skills in business planning, market positioning and strategy, while giving her greater confidence to structure Transglow and pursue new growth opportunities.
The impact is reflected in the business’s growth.
Before joining WE4A, Transglow had no employees. Today, the company employs nine people—three full-time and six part-time.
Its revenue also increased from 2.3 million FCFA in its first year to 4.8 million FCFA in its second year, representing an increase of approximately 109%.
Transglow has also expanded its commercial reach, securing contracts with Kings Design and Beauty In and Out in Douala.
Creating impact beyond Transglow
For Marione, entrepreneurship is not only about growing her own business. She is also using her experience to help others see the opportunities within the green economy.
To date, she has trained 150 young people in waste management, mentored 68 people, and is currently supporting 18 women entrepreneurs.
Through these activities, Marione shares practical knowledge on how waste can be transformed into products, livelihoods and business opportunities.
Her journey also offers an important message to other women entrepreneurs: innovative businesses can emerge from everyday challenges, and women can play a leading role in developing solutions for a greener economy.
Looking ahead
Marione now plans to expand Transglow’s production capacity, acquire specialised equipment, train more women and scale the company’s impact.
With greater capacity, she hopes to process more waste, create additional jobs and contribute to making sustainable design a more recognised sector in Cameroon and beyond.
Watch Marione’s Story
🎥 Watch the Transglow success story and discover how Marione is turning waste into design, jobs and opportunity.
Watch the Transglow Success Story on YouTube
Marione’s journey—from transforming a broken glass vase into a business with nine employees—shows what can happen when creativity, skills, finance and opportunity come together.
As she puts it:
“As an entrepreneur doing something new, you take baby steps, and then you need someone to pull you up. WE4A was that powerhouse that kept on pushing, kept on connecting, kept on building, kept on training. The powerful woman entrepreneur I am today is thanks to WE4A.”
