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The shores of the Indian Ocean in eastern Africa are awash with commercial debris from as far away as China, Indonesia, Japan and Malaysia. Hundreds of brightly colored flip flop sandal pieces and parts wash ashore daily not only causing blight along the coastlines but endangering the marine eco-system in the vast ocean that lies between these countries. The flip flop initiative by UniquEco Designs is a solution designed to clean up the environment by marketing products made from waste back to the consumer who generated it while providing employment opportunities to the poor communities hardest hit by this environmental degradation.
For Kenyan Julie Church, a marine conservationist, her dream of making a difference in the world and spreading the word about how important the oceans are to our survival begins with the creativity and dedication of the women of what is now known as Marula Studios, home of UniquEco Designs. These women were instrumental in using their collective imagination and ingenuity to come up with a use for the ever-increasing mound of dirty flip flops they collect in the slums of Nairobi and along the pristine beaches of their homeland.
In 1997 Julie was working with the World Wide Fund for Nature in Northern Kenya. During her time there she met the people of the community and learned about their inventiveness of collecting other people’s trash and turning it into humorous and interesting products. As part of her conservation efforts Julie felt inspired to promote the sale of these hand crafted designs to close the loop in the life cycle of the indestructible rubber flip flops, clean up the oceans and finally, assist her fellow countrymen reap the benefits of their labor.
Once the flip flops are collected the task begins of cutting straight edges and gluing them together to form a large block. From these blocks men and women alike begin carving what they need to create beaded necklaces, key chains, bottle stoppers, placemats and wildlife sculptures in a variety of sizes. Julie is especially thrilled to see young boys carving beautiful fish and other fun creations. By using their imagination and creative skills to earn a living they are less likely to fish commercially reducing pressure on the already threatened marine habitat.
Julie is passionate about the ocean as one of the first places we need to concentrate our conservation efforts worldwide. In Africa UniquEco is a solution to a global problem. Perhaps through this amazing initiative others like Julie and the people of this small community in Northern Kenya will realize that the answer lies in each of us doing our part no matter how small or insignificant we think it is!
UniquEco’s motto is “cleaning up the oceans and improving lives with handcrafted recycled products that brighten life with unique beautiful and educational items made from washed up, discarded rubber and plastic waste.” They are about “recycling, improving local communities’ lives and opportunities and helping save the ocean.”
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