BleagLee Waste Management Limited Founder and Chief Executive Officer Juveline Ngum Ngwa established the company in 2019 after experiencing respiratory problems linked to open waste burning during childhood in Bamenda, North-West Cameroon.
BleagLee treats waste management as a climate adaptation service, an employment generator, and a circular-economy business.
In Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital, plastic bottles, organic waste and household debris frequently collect in canals and waterways. Blocked drainage channels prevent rainwater from moving through the city, increasing flooding, disrupting livelihoods, and increasing exposure to contaminated water.
BleagLee uses drones and AI-powered analysis to identify waste hotspots and blocked drainage channels before heavy rainfall. Collection teams then clear priority areas, reducing flood risks for surrounding communities.
Support from the Youth Adaptation Solutions Challenge enabled BleagLee to expand operations from Bamenda to Douala. Funding, training and mentorship supported the construction of a waste-processing plant, the purchase of two trucks and training for 200 additional waste collectors.
BleagLee’s workforce increased from 31 to 124, while revenue grew by 181%. The volume of recycled waste also tripled.
The Waste2Rewards digital platform allows customers to request collections while enabling payments to collectors and waste owners through mobile money or electronic wallets.
Recovered material is supplied to recycling companies or converted into products such as eco-charcoal briquettes and soil boosters. The process prevents waste from being burned, dumped or left in waterways while creating income and supporting local markets.
BleagLee has trained more than 4 200 vulnerable households in waste management, including separation, disposal and recycling practices that support public health and reduce flood risks.
The company plans to expand household collections, work with more municipalities and train additional young collectors in Douala, Yaoundé and other cities.
BleagLee is also using artificial intelligence-powered analysis in Dakar, Senegal, to map plastic waste hotspots and improve collection routes.
Further financing includes $50 000 from the ClimaTech Run competition, a $400 000 World Food Programme grant for the Dakar expansion and a $1 million Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing.
Ngwa’s model shows how African waste enterprises can combine technology, community participation and recycling markets to strengthen urban climate resilience.
–AfDB/ChannelAfrica–
