The Takataka Foundation Story
By Hannah Evans - Founding member of Taka Taka Foundation
This is the story of belief, resilience and stubbornness in the face of massive opposition.
The story of a handful of people attempting to change the hearts and minds of thousands - if not millions...
The story of how small changes can make big differences.
This story probably isn’t all that different from every other small charity or community organisation - we all have to start somewhere right?
And like every other charity/community organisation in this world we are fighting for something that is much bigger than what any one person can do.
Our story starts with waste. Poorly managed waste to be exact.
We started as individuals disgusted with how waste was mismanaged on Lamu island.
Each of us had our own fight against the piles of rubbish on seafronts, shambas and in abandoned houses that spread throughout Lamu Island.
But there’s only so much one person can do. So we joined forces - the mutual hate of all things plastic bringing us together.
And Takataka Foundation was born in May 2019.
We knew we had to do something, but what, we had no idea. Actually we had many. Too many. So we decided to start with what we knew…
Cleaning Up.
We began by arranging regular cleanups along the seafront in Lamu Town. We would spend hours collecting kikapu after kikapu of rubbish and then handing it over to the county to do with what they will.
Spoiler - they don’t do much with it. Chuck it on a trailer and drive it out to the few acres of land that have been designated as a dumpsite. Only for it to be taken away with the wind and the hungry donkeys - there’s no fencing so what can you expect?
We invited local youth organisations, schools and members of the local government to see what we were doing, take part and learn about the problems that can arise with poor waste management…
● Decreasing fish stocks
● Poisoning of the local water supply
● Flooding caused by blockages in the ancient sewage system
● Increased rates of life-threatening illnesses such as malaria, dengue, cholera and dysentery
● Decreased productivity of shamba land
● Decreased levels of tourism due to the piles of waste throughout the town
No one wants their home to have to deal with these issues so we carried on fighting.
We kept cleaning up.
We continued to talk to anyone that would listen.
We tried to give people an education they’d never been had.
But as with any project that’s huge, overwhelming, difficult and is receiving little support we became disheartened.
Each of us became disillusioned with this fight and the difference that we were making. So we let things fizzle…
We were tired.
People weren’t listening.
We didn’t know how to take the next step, or even what it was so our hopes and dreams lay dormant…
But then COVID came…
And it lit a fire beneath us. We saw it light a fire under many local organisations too. And well, we didn’t want to be the only ones left behind.
We could see communities struggling. Struggling to pay the bills, put food on the table and on top of that find the spare cash to buy the mandatory face masks.
It was during this time that The FlipFlopi reached out to us.
Sharing a founder we already knew of each other but were yet to work together.
They supported us in installing a ‘sanitation station’ and mask distribution.
Then the cogs started turning.
What if we could target a small community and arrange regular waste collections where we could ensure waste was properly managed and sorted?
Previously we had received verbal consent to use an area of private land as our waste management depot - don’t worry this is now a written agreement, we like to do things by the book 😉.
So we decided to target a small village that was close to this area of land to form a partnership and get them on side for our future endeavours.
We installed the ‘sanitation station’ in April 2020.
What has happened since then has been one wild ride, and we’re only just at the start!
Since April…
We’ve become more focussed, inspired and supported by our growing family of donors, supporters, friend and confidantes.
With the help of our friends at The FlipFlopi and Kwale Plastics Plus Collectors (KPPC), we’ve been able to fine-tune our plans for a waste management site, learn from the mistakes and successes of those that have walked before us and know that we have a support system to help us consistently move forward.
And there have been a fair few wins along the way…
● We launched our ‘Trash for Food’ programme where we invited members of the Koreni village to litter pick and in return receive vital food packages - we helped over 70 households with this initiative!
● We received a generous donation from The FlipFlopi so we could build a shelter on our waste management site to store machinery so that we’re able to recycle ON-SITE!
● We acquired machines from SERG and Plastiki Rafiki so we can shred and extrude plastic on-site to generate income to keep fighting the good fight - cleaning up and educating the community.
● With thanks to Kijani Hotel, we launched our first waste segregation bins to make waste sorting and management easier on site.
● We have collected over 1 ton of ecobricks carefully created by members of the Koreni Village to help generate a small income for them and to capture plastic waste that would otherwise be left to blow into the oceans or the shambas. We will be using these ecobricks to build our machinery shelter as well as stockpiling them to donate to school or community building projects in the future.
● With thanks to Experience the Village we’ve been able to hire our first full-time member of staff - Mohamed - and build a small shelter for him on site so we have someone to sort through the waste we collect daily.
So what’s next?
We want to implement a closed-loop system of waste management on Lamu. Our aim is to fill the gap between something becoming waste and it making its way to our oceans and shambas.
Which is why we believe we need to collect it at the source.
Currently, there is no waste management system on Lamu. In fact, there is only one designated dumping site where waste is collected from on the whole island.
Yes, you read that right. One official dumpsite for over 30,000 people.
Which is why we want to follow in the footsteps of KPPC in Diani and the Kwa Muhia Environmental Group (KMEG) in Naivasha and introduce many more waste segregation bins across the island.
The idea of segregating waste at its source is to make it easier for those sorting it to be better able to find the pieces that are of value - metals, plastics and glass for example.
While we are fully aware of the massive re-learning that’s needed for the wider community to learn and to want to sort their waste we believe that this is the best way for a number of reasons…
● We want people to become connected to the waste they produce. To see it, sort it and realise where they can reduce it
● We want the community to take responsibility for their surroundings and reignite the pride they should have for their beautiful home.
● We want people to understand what happens to the things they throw away - and they can never do that when it happens behind closed doors.
● Finally, the way that Lamu is structured makes it a logistical nightmare to collect from the many thousands of homes down narrow alleyways or distant villages.
We are currently working with the Municipality and the County to decide where our future segregation bins will be placed.
Once we have the waste…
We will be collecting the following waste;
● Plastics
● Metals
● Glass
● Paper
● Organic matter
This will be taken back to our site where Mohamed - and hopefully a few more people - will further sort the waste and start to do the really cool stuff.
Turning the plastic waste into something brand new!
On-site we’ll be producing everything from keyrings to 5-metre boards ready to build the next FlipFlopi dhow - and we honestly don’t know which we’re more excited by!
We’ll also be stockpiling the glass and metal to sell on.
With the organic matter, we aim to create high-quality compost to make the shambas on the island and beyond more productive.
Our dream is to create an education hub at our site where we can invite schools and youth groups to visit and to create awareness and inspire the ecowarriors of the future
We have a long road ahead of us…
As mentioned above, we’ve been cruising at full-speed since April and this is only the beginning of our journey.
We know we have a long road ahead of us. But now we know it’s possible.
But not alone.
The only way we can make a difference is if we all work together.
We need the community to become engaged.
We need ongoing help and support with our governmental partners - NEMA and Lamu County.
And while we are fighting to become fully operational, we need the help of generous donors like YOU…
We have come this far with a lot of hard work, dedication and generosity of time and money.
But there’s still a lot more to do.
● We need to get electricity to the site
● We need to increase the number of waste segregation bins throughout the town
● We need to hire more staff and donkeys for more waste collections
● We want to continue collecting ecobricks to continue engaging the community and providing them with a small income
But this all comes at a price…
We hope that you can see the dedication and hard work we have put into this project so far, and we want you to know that we won’t be quitting any time soon.
Are you ready to help us?
