Aspire to Inspire

Written by Andrea Taylor Grade 11 at ISK

In our Round Square Conference, we had the pleasure of listening to various keynote speakers that talked about inspiring projects and the benefits of undertaking new challenges. One of our speakers, Dipesh Pabari, a representative from, The FlipFlopi Expedition, came to present about his involvement with one of the biggest projects being launched here in Kenya. The FlipFlopi Expedition is in the process of creating a dhow boat entirely of recycled plastic materials, from flip flops found on various beaches, to recycled bottles found in Kenyan streets. This FlipFlopi Dhow boat is set to depart in January 2018 from the Kenyan coast, and will sail south along the coasts of Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and onwards into South Africa.

Dipesh explained that this voyage will take between 3 and 4 months, and that their expected date of arrival is March 2018. He stated that all parts of this boat, including the keel, ribs, and structural elements, will be constructed entirely of recycled waste plastics. These waste plastics include bottles, bags, and flip flops. One of the benefits of constructing this boat is that it involves the skilled work of local craftsmen using traditional methods, and that it gives the locals an opportunity to do volunteer work and learn about the process of making solid materials out of recycled materials.

Dipesh’s inspirational talk reminded all of us listening that, the plastic revolution is a movement for change and that a group of people who share the view that production and consumption of single use plastics is not sustainable are able to make a difference when they come together. His talk also made us aware that it is important to take on initiatives and in this way, our work can serve as inspiration for others.

Dipesh’s talk served as an inspiration for many, where he taught us that it is important for people to share ideas and coalesce through projects such as the Flip Flopi Dhow boat expedition, in order to create beneficial global change.