As the government leads campaigns to conserve the environment, a church leader in Kiambu county has come out with a strategy of reusing the plastic waste.
Plastic items and polythene papers are the most troublesome when it comes to waste management since they do not decay, neither do they burn completely when set on fire.
Pastor Isumael Ndung’u from Karanjee village in Limuru East ward, Limuru constituency, has been reusing the thrown-away plastic jerricans and their covers to make flower vases and carvings for decoration.
Ndung’u realised that even as the county government collects the waste and throws them in dumpsites, plastics were a headache since they were left, putting the environment at risk.
“I started researching and one time, I realised they can be brought back to use by making durable flower vases and other decorations that can be placed at our homes, hotels and offices, and be given as gifts,” he says.
Speaking at his workshop, the United in Christ Church pastor says he realised one can burn plastics until they are liquid. Then the liquid is cooled until one gets a block, from which they carve different items.
“I tested and it worked. I went on undeterred and started making carvings, decorating them and the move attracted so many people,” he says.
“I spoke about it to our church and other different forums and people became interested.”
Ndung’u recruited 36 youths, including his wife Hannah Waithera, and they started expanding and registered the group as a community-based organisation under the name Sanamare group.
“We expanded by collecting more plastics in garbage, asking tenants in different plots to store well their thrown-away cooking oil plastic containers, collecting those thrown away in rivers, roadsides and even in towns,” he says.
In the process, they have been cleaning Ruaka river, Gachie river and Kamiti river.
Ndung’u says they add value to their finished products by decorating the carvings with rice, wool, and other beautiful stones, which they even paint to make them more attractive.
They sell their finished products to locals, tourists and others people at Village Market and other markets in the country.
Ndung’u, who is also the chairman of the group, says they aim to open a gift shop at Karanjee once they get funds.
Limuru East MCA Macharia Wambui praises the group for assisting the Kiambu government to clean the environment at a time when the United Nations is urging all people to take part in taking care of the environment.
The MCA urged Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi to use the group to spearhead the environmental issues since they teach and encourage other people on issues regarding environmental conservation.
“Cleaning and collection of garbage is a devolved function,” the MCA noted.
“These people have reached where the county governments do not reach. They need a lot of government support since they have shown creativity in the way they reuse the troublesome waste materials.”
The MCA urged President William Ruto, well-wishers, county government and NGOs to support them since they have created jobs for others.
If expanded, they can create jobs for more people in collection, production and marketing, he said.
Ndung’u holds a bachelor’s in theology and a master of arts in leadership and management from Scots Christian University of Kenya in Machakos.
He urges youth not to idle, saying some jobs require being creative.
The church leader has also written 'Vision Development' and 'The Seasons of Life' books, which give hope to everybody.
“No one is created to stay idle. Everyone can be creative, we as the society have a duty to support one another so we can all move on. We need to coexist,” he says.
Ndung’u adds that if they can get sponsors, they can expand and add productions by creating jobs and even start teaching people about environment conservation.
