Lamu- Kenyas oldest living town, a haven of peace, tranquility, beauty and guaranteed to leave any visitor with memories that will linger forever. At least thats what a talented tour guide will tell you. Its an idyllic location- very popular with the tourists. But lately it has been suffering from a pollution problem and one local has decided to do something about it.
After a beach cleanup effort that collected up to 33,000 kg of plastic waste, safari organiser and Lamu local, Ben Morrison figured he needed to come up with a solution before the trash heaps overtook the beauty of the beach.
Morrison approached Ali "Skanda" Abdalla, a 44-year-old master boat builder. Together, they decided to design a traditional 60 ft. dhow from recycled plastic.
The team ended up using 200,000 slippers and counting and up to 45,000 kg of waste.
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The project, will offer a market to recyclers and persuade locals to preserve trees and use these alternatives in their constructions.
The move comes highly applauded as Kenyans are attempting to make a significant effort in the control of plastics following the ban of plastic bags in August and the expected ban on plastic bottles eventually.