Watamu Marine Association, Kenya: Managing Kenya's premier beach resort.
WATAMU NEWS
Here we'll bring you regular news and events from Watamu, keeping you informed of life on the beach!
Here we'll bring you regular news and events from Watamu, keeping you informed of life on the beach!
To many people, she is a crazy woman who collects plastic bags along beaches and streets of Watamu.But Matilda Mathias Abednego says she is not only in her proper mind but plays a major role in recycling plastic wastes by turning the trash into cash.
Thanks to the Star Newspaper for this feature on Watamu Marine Association's Eco Recycling World Watamu
Abednego, a mother of six, works at a church in Watamu in her free time collects the bags and makes colourful Kiondos (basket bags) that are sold at between Sh400 to Sh1000.
In 2009, she volunteered at the Watamu Marine Association (WMA), a conservation group in Malindi.
She first took part in the beach clean-ups before the association set up a recycling plant to create opportunities for the volunteers.
Since there was a variety of debris being collected including rubber, bottles and plastics among others, she decided to set up ladies' shopping baskets as her unique product.
We found her during the official handover of the first Watamu community recycling plant, one of its kind at the coast. She had displayed baskets made from plastic bags.
To her, anyone carrying plastic bags is carrying a raw material that can be transformed into an attractive product for resale.
During her free time every day, Abednego joins colleagues from the blue team of WMA on beach walks to search for plastic wastes.
She walks through dumping sites, restaurants, streets, beaches and hotels to get the plastic waste.
?We normally collect these polythene bags and other plastic wastes from supermarkets, dumping sites and turn them to useful products. As for me, I have specialized in making Kiondos,?? she says.
For the full article The Star Watamu Recycling Article
Also see: http://www.watamu.biz/