#EarthDay - Evidence of Hope
By Tasha Goldberg (Evidence of Hope)
Earth Day is a special day every year. This year, however, is extra special as it marks the 50th year of celebrations. For five decades, the most unified and coordinated effort around the world on earth activism has been centered on the concept of celebration. Yes, of course, we need to raise awareness about the challenges we face a global society, but we can choose HOW we tell these stories.
One of the reasons I have fallen in love with the FlipFlopi movement is because of how they tell their story. Ali Skanda and the FlipFlopi family have the courage to look directly in the face of massive global challenge: plastic pollution, and create a solution …. a beautiful solution. This solution addresses the immediate local needs, but is truly designed to offer hope to every single person on the planet.
I first met Ali Skanda in 2016. We shared a bond: we both had a clear vision of what we wanted to bring into the world. He had begun to build the FlipFlopi and I was beginning to document what inspired me to begin creating the short film series Evidence of Hope. He welcomed me to his workshop and we spoke for hours about this ideas to build a traditional Swahili dhow completely from plastic waste. When he spoke, his eyes danced with a beautiful light. He had chosen to take on this challenge because he knew he could do something.
As the son of 9 generations of woodworkers, Ali had faith that the legacy his family had bestowed on him would be his craft in life. He also had the courage to know that he could apply this craft in ways that have never been done before, embodying the truth that tradition incubates innovation. Over the years of knowing Ali, I have watched him grow his idea into a reality, moving from aspiration to action.
I returned to Lamu years later and was able to step on aboard the rainbow dhow that is the FlipFlopi. The dhow has sailed along the East African coast attracting with its beauty thousands of children, and hundreds of leaders from local governments, UN officials and even the President of Kenya. To each and every person that Ali has encountered, I am sure that he has shared with them the magic he shared with me, sparking in them not only admiration, but a genuine feeling of being an important part of this plastic revolution.
This world is vast, and full of incredible examples of beauty, endurance, and innovation. Ali Skanda and the FlipFlopi family hold the spirit of Earth Day in their hearts every day; as a compass to deliver their vision to the world. The FlipFlopi is Evidence of Hope, the dhow is moving along the shores of friends new and old, sharing a message of hope that we can do something about plastic.
Ali is building a bigger FlipFlopi next, this time to set sail around the world. As the producer of Evidence of Hope, my dream is to join Ali and the crew to continue celebrating what they have proven to be true: Evidence of Hope!
With thanks to Tasha Goldberg for her words of inspiration. For more of her work on Evidence of Hope please visit: https://www.evidenceofhope.com/
And special thanks to our partners, Umber Expedition for the Beat Plastic Pollution video also featured above!