by Robert Manyara
For many, fabric left- overs is just a waste to be burnt and this results to the release of harmful carbon dioxide, a gas accelerating effects of climate change across the world.
However, some youth from Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa have found new ways of converting the waste into a resource thus reducing the rate of burning. The Uwezo Youth Development Programme (UYDP) engage in making doormats out of the leftovers of the pieces of fabric and gunny bags.
“It takes one step to make changes. It all starts from you changing your own environment before moving to another area,” says Phoebe Wanjiku, one of the 15 members from UYDP.
On a tri-weekly, they visit the tailor shops within Mombasa town and collect for free the unwanted fabric before piecing the materials together into usable and durable doormats with a thick thread.
“By collecting the pieces of fabric which are thrown away as waste, we are contributing towards promoting cleanliness in our environment in the best way possible,” says Bernard Otieno, another member of UYDP.
With the easily accessible and free pieces of fabric, all the members require is buying gunny bags for 0.11 U.S. dollars a piece, a crotcheting needle and roll of thick thread for 1.65 dollars.
The process of making a doormat begins with cleaning the gathered waste fabric and the gunny bags.”You then split the gunny bags and cut them into the 50cm by 50cm pieces. One draws a particular pattern of her or his choice,” explains Wanjiku.
Each piece of fabric is crotched into the gunny bag using the thread, and each gunny bag produces four pieces of the doormat.
The group have been using the social media, including their Facebook and Twitter accounts, to market their products. Each doormat goes for 8.8 dollars at the current rate.
As the members make money from the waste, they also visit schools in Mombasa County to educate the pupils and students on environmental conservation.
Every Saturday, the group reaches out to other youth in the villages through churches and other youth groups to train them on the different ways on conserving the environment.
“It requires much sensitization for the people to change their perception towards environment,” says Fred Onyango, a third member in the group. “Our mission is to ensure that each person regardless of the age understands the importance of preserving the environment. The youth are our champions, they spread the message. ”
The group plans to start up a firm for training the high school leavers on how to utilize the available resources to make money instead of idling at home.
“There are a lot of things that youth can do instead of sitting at home or looking for white collar jobs. But is requires skills and knowledge,” notes Otieno.
As a measure of encouraging saving culture among the members, each of them is required to put aside not less than 1.1 dollars weekly.
“Whenever we meet on Saturday, each is expected to save some money made from the sale of the doormats, “says Wanjiku. “The saving culture is also intended to conserving the environment, since it helps to expand on other activities intended to protecting it against destruction.”
UYDP is among the youth groups in the East African country involved in activities aimed at protecting the environment from any physical destruction.
Increased population, migration of people from the rural to the urban areas and industrialization are among the factors which have been attributed to pollution and destruction of environment.
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) observes the need for concerted efforts from all stakeholders in promoting sustainable utilization of the environmental resources.
Across the world, burning of the waste such as the pieces of the fabric from the millions of industries is a major factor contributing to the global warning due to the release of huge amounts of harmful gases.
In Kenya, the ministry of environment in collaboration with other non-state actors has pioneered various activities fostering rehabilitation of forests, rivers and wetlands.
Kevin Ochieng, an environmental expert who also trains youth on eco-friendly business activities, says the community is a key stakeholder towards maintaining a clean environment and protecting it against any destruction.
“When poor people surround an environment rich with non- renewable resources, they will destroy it to survive. And therefore, it is important to give them an alternative when educating them on how to conserve it,” he says. Enditem
Source: Xinhua
