By Violet Mbasso Lale (ASMAC Journalism Student On Internship)
Through the One Million Leaders Africa Fellowship (OMLA), a group of youth is inspiring their peers to turn plastic waste into functional brooms. This is the result of a two-day workshop held in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The first phase took place on September 12, and the second on September 27.
During the workshops and hands-on training sessions, approximately 18 youths learned how to transform discarded plastic items into useful household tools, thereby reducing landfill waste and promoting sustainable living.
The practical phase involved collecting plastic bottles from the streets, washing them, cutting them into smaller pieces, and attaching them to sticks using a machine. Over 100 bottles were used to create 10 household brooms.
Ruth Obi Eban, the Project Manager of OMLA, explained that the project will help reduce the amount of plastic found on the streets, thus mitigating the risk of flooding. She stressed the importance of protecting the environment for future generations and highlighted the project’s potential to contribute to the fight against food scarcity by reducing plastic bottles found in farms.
The youths were encouraged to take sustainable actions to address societal challenges and contribute to combating climate change in their homes and communities. During the first phase, the youths were educated about the role they play in fighting climate change and learned how to manage household waste sustainably by ensuring proper disposal and generating creative recycling ideas.
At the conclusion of the production process, the project leaders expressed their intention to donate the brooms to a community school for use in keeping the campus clean. They also plan to establish environmental clubs in schools to educate students on sustainable actions to combat climate change.
The Clean Sweep Project, launched by youths under the One Million Leaders Africa Fellowship, aims to reduce plastic waste on the streets by transforming plastic bottles into household brooms. The project also seeks to empower youths with skills for environmental protection and climate change mitigation. Ultimately, the project aims to inspire youths to engage in sustainable activities.
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