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SC Johnson, chose to apply “Base of the Pyramid” protocol in Kibera, Nigeria. Working in partnership with Carolina for Kibera and the Coalition of Youth Entrepreneurs, they co-launched the Community Cleaning Services (CCS) business, providing a range of cleaning and disinfecting services for the local community, utilising SC Johnson products, at a price the district could afford, and manned by people from the local area.

‘Base of the Pyramid’ thinking encourages for-profit engagement with the 4 billion, or more, living at the bottom of the world’s economic spectrum. In their own words, ‘The Protocol pilot team facilitated the identification of several business opportunities for SC Johnson and local community groups in and helped build new partnerships to develop those businesses, laying the groundwork for future collaborations and innovations.’

Ultimately, the business evolved into a social enterprise dedicated to improving urban sanitation for families living at the base of the economic pyramid. This involved creating entrepreneurial opportunities for youth from low-income communities using a micro-franchise model for cleaning shared public and private toilet facilities.