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Social Contribution for a "Sustainable" Society Starting from Ethnic Patterned Bags: What Is the African Dream Sought by "CLOUDY"?
In recent years, more and more brands are engaging in the realization of "sustainable fashion" by using eco-friendly materials and promoting fair trade. Among them, CLOUDY stands out as a unique presence.
CLOUDY is an apparel brand proposing its own take on the African style, centered on African ethnic patterns and traditional textiles. At its core lies a strong will to solve poverty issues in Africa. Manufacturing is not an objective, but merely a “means” to generate funds for that purpose.
What exactly is CLOUDY aiming for? Why Africa? We spoke with the founder, Yuto Doya.
PROFILE
Yuto Doya
President & CEO, DOYA Co., Ltd.
Executive Director, NPO CLOUDY
Born in Tokyo in 1985. After graduating from Keio University, he worked at Goldman Sachs and, while working there, established an NPO in 2010. He left the company in 2015 to found DOYA Co., Ltd. that same year. Through both CLOUDY and NPO activities, he works to promote education and generate employment in Africa.
The Origin of Our Activities: Not "For," But "With" the People of Africa
CLOUDY sprouted from African soil."I traveled solo to Africa for my graduation trip during university. While staying there, I visited Kibera, a slum area in Kenya, and witnessed overwhelming sights.
The residents lived in a setting where there were no hospitals, and even toilets were extremely scarce—one for every 200 households. Human waste is packed into bags and thrown out of the window.
Even if you leave the slums, there are neither jobs nor schools. That’s when I started thinking—what can I do for Africa?"
After returning to Japan, Doya began working at a securities company. He was extremely busy, but Africa was always on his mind, so he frequently returned to visit.
"One time, a local teenage girl came to me with a problem. She said, 'My boyfriend absolutely refuses to use condoms.'
This concern was tangled with many issues, such as local gender inequality and the level of education, and back then, I couldn't answer her question.
But that encounter made me start thinking, 'How can women in Africa become independent and survive?' And the key, after all, was education. So I decided to build a school first."
A New Support Model: Combining Education & Job Creation
In 2010, Doya launched the specified nonprofit corporation "CLOUDY." He began working to establish schools in Africa.
As the activities continued, new questions arose in his heart.
"I saw young people returning to the slums, unable to find jobs after graduating from our school, and I deeply realized: studying and learning skills in school is meaningless if there’s no work.
So, not just education, I decided to combine it with job creation, developing a process where African youths could become economically independent."
What he aimed to build was a self-sustaining system that could continually generate employment.
"Even if someone doesn’t go to school, if they acquire solid sewing skills, they can find some kind of work. That’s why I focused on the apparel business."
Even the inspiration for the design came from this region.
"One of the sparks that made me interested in Africa was the book '世界の民族' ('World Ethnic Groups') and the local traditional clothes I learned about from it. The creative designs and vivid colors of these textiles were unlike anything I’d seen in the Japanese apparel industry, and I felt I could compete in the market with this."
With newfound determination, Doya left his job at the securities firm. In 2015, he established DOYA Co., Ltd. and started the apparel brand CLOUDY to create jobs on the ground in Ghana.
Tote Bags Highlighting the Appeal of African Textiles
If you take a look at the bestseller, the “Alpha Bag,” you’ll see what the brand is all about.
"This is a drawstring-type tote bag. Its simple design allows the unique features of African textiles to really stand out."
The fabric is made from 100% cotton, with a moderate thickness and a soft, supple feel.
"The traditional print fabric from Ghana, known as "Kitenge," is characterized by vivid, uplifting colors and patterns. It's often used as ceremonial wear, and each pattern holds its own theme, meaning, and story."
According to Doya, many of the African-style textiles currently circulating in the fashion industry are actually made in China.
CLOUDY, however, uses authentic African textiles sourced directly from a fabric manufacturer in Ghana.
The concept for this bag also came from the women working at a factory in Ghana. They envisioned a drawstring bag that would be easy for them to carry during everyday shopping trips.
"Over 20 different samples were created, with a process that took an entire year to complete this bag. When it was finally approved for production, the women celebrated by singing and dancing together! They even came up with the product name themselves, choosing the Greek letter 'α (Alpha = the beginning).'"
Product Tags Transparently Indicate the Support Provided
A portion of the sales from each product is used for support activities through an NPO.
For example, items with a tag reading "10" have 10% of their sales used for job creation in Ghana. A tag labeled "5" means that, for every product purchased, five school meals are provided to local children.
"However, what we're aiming for at CLOUDY is for people to buy our products first because they appreciate the design. If the result is that it naturally supports Africa, then that's the ideal. For that reason, we're committed to elevating the design and quality, so that even people uninterested in volunteerism or ethical causes might be inspired to pick up our products."
Focusing on Building Systems that Generate Sustainable Employment
What really stands out is that every single product is crafted to help create jobs.
"Sending resources and funds to Africa is important support, of course. But even if this helps in the short term, in the long term, it can actually end up being detrimental to Africa.
If the ones being supported come to expect handouts, local people may lose motivation to work, eventually putting sustainability at risk. It's a possibility we need to keep in mind.
So, for us, it's not just about building schools, but creating structures that generate ongoing employment."
Currently, they have created over 600 jobs at our sewing and basket-making hubs in Ghana, focusing on empowering women and people with disabilities.
Since the founding of the NPO CLOUDY, they've also been active with educational support—having established two schools in Kenya and five in Ghana.
Their activities are wide-ranging, covering everything from setting up school lunch programs and providing textbooks to hosting teacher training and providing management, all under government contract.
"In 2022, we launched a creative academy in Ghana, where students can learn photography, video, graphics, and more.
At the academy, CLOUDY's creators serve as instructors, and with over 40 students currently enrolled, we recently partnered with the Ministry of Education to accept local university students as interns."
The Ultimate Goal: To Withdraw from Africa
The brand name "CLOUDY" captures Doya's vision in a single word."When I was first naming the brand, everyone around me advised against it. After all, the word does have a negative connotation.
Sure, sunny days are ideal, but life doesn't always go that way. Especially in places like Africa, people might grow up without parents, or even go hungry.
But even if the world feels gray—even if the weather is 'cloudy'—you can still have fun and enjoy life depending on your perspective. That's the message we wanted to send with this name."
Chatting with the women at the local factory is Doya's absolute bliss.
"When I hear that their children are able to eat proper meals and attend school, I truly feel glad that I've continued this work.
The immediate goal is to build a school in Agbogbloshie, Ghana, reputed as the world's largest electronic waste graveyard, and to create local jobs there. Ultimately, our aim is to step away from Africa.
After all, if enough schools are built and a system is established for the local people to create their own employment, there’s no issue even if we leave. We believe that letting go is the true purpose of our support."
For the smiles of these women and children to last forever—that is CLOUDY's vision of the African Dream.
Text by Ryota Osujo
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