Staying in tune with nature

Henriette Lamprecht – One could say it started with pieces of soap, moulded into different shapes and colours. At first, most of the products she created ended up in gift bags for people’s birthdays or in her bathroom. But then came the positive reviews. Victoria (Tuwilika) Shifidi from Endola in northern Namibia realized her hobby is making a small difference and might as well bring her some income. Today, Earthneeknaturals.africa has been trademarked at the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) with an online platform boasting Victoria’s uniquely created organic products.

Coming from an academic home and seeing her parents and older siblings graduate year in and year out, Victoria earned her degree in science at the young age of 20, later also obtaining a Master’s Degree in Geography and Environmental Studies. Today, she is studying towards her doctorate - focusing on water governance and politics of the Cubango-Okavango River Basin.

“Research has always fascinated me. Opportunities come with research, and to me, every challenge is just an opportunity to engage in some really cool research with practical applications on the ground. It’s a part of me, like a way of living. I don’t feel overwhelmed by it, nor do I feel as though I am working. I am just living, and it’s just another day.”

Victoria’s love for research and sustainability sciences, coupled with the application of indigenous knowledge to modern science, has informed much of what would become Earthneeknaturals.africa.

When she’s not occupied with her Ph.D., she puts “all my frustrations and love into doing market research or research and development as well as value addition to locally found natural resources for Earthneeknaturals.africa”.

“I could say it’s my escape. I partly pay my ‘societal dues’ by occasionally engaging the public on water action, social and environmental justice, governance, or giving part-time university lectures.”

Victoria is also a candidate legal practitioner, explaining that her hobbies, passions, work and academic life just converge into one complex, amazing system.

“I enjoy getting lost in my creativity and innovation - whether it’s in terms of writing my academics or creating products, and finding myself once again. It’s all happening because I was able to make informed sacrifices at the very early onset of my career and academic journey, to put my passion and drive ahead of immediate gratification.”

The first beauty product she created was when she was 12 or 13 years old, Victoria remembers. Taking soaps and melting and remoulding them into shapes and colours, in her mind making them better than their original form.

“I got an earful from one of my older sisters who was reasonably and rightfully upset with my continued wastage of brand-new soap!”

Her soaps used to be very crumbly, shattering with a single fall. But she was proud of her soap, says Victoria, ever determined to create a less crumbly soap.

Instead of scolding her, her mum would give her tiny pieces of soap to turn into one bar, telling her daughter it is better for her project and creativity than an already perfect bar.

She admits it is very difficult to pinpoint when she started Earthneeknaturals in terms of actually manufacturing products, describing it as a passion that has evolved over time, and which is influenced by many areas of her existence.

“Perhaps all I ever did, was hone it with continued and deliberate self- and professional development.”

She knew what and how she wanted to create and realized education is not useless, but perhaps the most challenging is how you use it in your life and the lives of others.

With her underlying basis in biology and chemistry, it is fairly easy for her to understand chemical reactions, what product she will create when mixed with another, as well as how to deal with or prevent microbial growths in her formulations.

“I also continuously update my skill set every now and then whenever I can get some free time and funds. I am always in one training after the other, but, in the end, you realize the basics are the same.”

Ingredients are constantly evolving and new ones are discovered every day. If you don’t understand why and what you are creating or identify your target area, Victoria warns “you will end up being swayed from ingredient to ingredient”.

“This is especially when such an ingredient is a hot topic at any particular given time, and there’s always one such hot ingredient!”

After she had to close down her small shop, largely due to her academic responsibilities and the state of the economy, Victoria decided Earthneeknaturals will remain an online platform, while she also has distributors selling her products.

All the ingredients are natural and sourced from nature, with priority placed on local raw materials. If she can’t find the raw material in Namibia, Victoria looks to her ‘second home’ in South Africa. She also imports from Ghana through Namibian-based contacts, especially for some organic kinds of butter not available locally.

“In my prior academic research, I've explored the application of indigenous and local knowledge systems to modern science, and it’s amazing to see how that academic venture unfolds itself into not only my work but also my entrepreneurial journey.

It is a huge component of what Earthneeknaturals stands for.”

Created with sustainability and environmental consciousness in mind, Victoria believes sourcing locally also reduces the carbon footprint rather than shipping from miles away.

Manufacturing happens locally in a controlled environment. She admits the packaging for the hair products, a plastic tub, is not the most sustainable, but it is recyclable. The bar soaps are distributed in 100 percent paper-based packaging.

“We are working continuously to raise targeted awareness into packaging. The deal is to create a product that is good for people and good for the environment. I invest a lot of thinking in this area as far as sustainability goes.”

Victoria’s vision for Earthneeknaturals is to create a natural personal care product range that is healthy for people and the environment with a minimal carbon footprint.

Currently, she doesn’t have immediate plans to expand the range of products, but rather diverts her time and resources into perfecting it as a product of choice.

“In the long-term, when an opportunity arises to expand our range, we will always first check if it is in line with our sustainability goals so that we may grow, not at the expense of nature, but in tune with nature.”

www.earthneeknaturals.africa; [email protected]



*SUSTAINABILITY

*ORGANIC