Zanzibar Island is a hidden slice of paradise in the Indian Ocean, home to the most breathtaking beaches you will ever see, but even the most beautiful and remote corners of our Earth are being spoilt by litter. Worldwide, we are facing the impending issue of improper waste disposal poisoning our communities - and paradise is no exception!
During my stay in a remote village called Kairo on Zanzibar, I witnessed first hand the problems that litter provokes in an underdeveloped community. Without access to sufficient waste disposal, recycling and education on the matter, the amount of litter in the village was alarming.
Unfortunately, due to their restricted access to schooling, locals in Kairo were never educated about waste disposal and the dangers that littering brings to the environment. As they begin to rely more heavily on packaged food like Westernised countries, these remote communities are not equipped to deal with the vast amount of waste that unavoidably comes as a consequence.
Our goal one afternoon was to take the local women and children litter picking around the village, positioning it as a fun and communal activity which would simultaneously teach them about the importance of proper waste disposal. We ended the day with many, many bags of litter, but we kept any plastic bottles and wrappers to repurpose as eco-bricks. We filled the plastic bottles with as many plastic wrappers as possible, squashing them down with a stick so that the bottle became completely solid, like a brick. This took about an hour to fill one bottle! We used the eco-bricks to build walls in the construction of a local school.
It has become increasingly important to incorporate environmental issues into our education systems. Communities like Kairo demonstrate the consequences caused by a lack of awareness around littering, waste disposal and the environment. These issues should be an integral part of education in all communities across the world, and no one should be disadvantaged.