UCESCO Africa in Kilifi implements community-led collection initiatives, sorting, and recycling, along with upcycling workshops and educational programs to address environmental harm. The focus of these initiatives is on converting waste into valuable resources, such as crafting items from plastic, enhancing recycling rates, and encouraging behavioral shifts through awareness campaigns.
Key Elements of Plastic Waste Management:
- Waste Collection Initiatives & Sorting:
Community Involvement: Engaging volunteers and local residents to clean urban spaces, beaches, and neighborhoods. Sorting Processes: Classifying plastics by type, color, and resin code at material recovery facilities to improve recycling efficiency.
Employing apps and surveys to monitor the types and amounts of plastic waste collected, including tetra packs, bottles, and bags.
Shredding, cleaning, and melting plastic to produce new raw materials or products.
Implementing AI/machine learning for sorting, along with catalytic chemical recycling to generate higher-value products.
Using equipment like plastic shredders and extruders for local recycling.
- Innovative Transformation:
Converting plastic bottles, straws, and sacks into practical items such as bags, jewelry, and flower pots.
Offering training to women, youth, and children to create income opportunities and foster eco-friendly innovation.
Teaching schools and communities on the "6 Rs" (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Refuse, Rethink, Repair) and effective waste segregation practices.
Spreading awareness through posters and organizing radio/TV programs to inform the public about the environmental consequences of plastic waste.
Incorporating waste management into educational programs and advocating for national policies that support a circular economy. These collective efforts aim to decrease the volume of plastic waste.
Other activities you can engage in during your leisure time
- Women Empowerment (Mombasa & Kilifi)
Skills training workshops (handicrafts, tailoring, agribusiness), table banking groups, entrepreneurship mentorship, counseling services, mental health awareness discussions, and product marketing assistance.
Turtle monitoring and nest protection, beach patrols, conservation awareness sessions, and support at rescue centers.
- Beach Clean-Up (Mombasa, Mtwapa & Kilifi)
Coastal clean-up activities, waste audits, community involvement initiatives, and marine pollution awareness campaigns.
- Ecofarm & Ecotourism (Kilifi)
Kitchen gardening, small-scale organic farming, eco-learning farm tours, and training for sustainable livelihoods.
- Teaching (Mombasa & Kilifi)
Classroom assistance, literacy and numeracy sessions, mentorship initiatives, and extracurricular activities.
- Mangrove Conservation & Restoration (Kilifi & Mombasa)
Mangrove nursery operations, seedling planting, site restoration efforts, and community conservation education.
- Education Support (Mombasa & Kilifi)
School visits, provision of learning materials, student mentorship, career guidance, and educational awareness programs.
As you get ready to embark on your volunteer journey, we kindly ask you to familiarize yourself with the following essential guidelines.
1. Kenyan Currency, Mobile Phones, and Internet Access
- Having a mobile phone will enable you to stay in touch with your family and friends. Local SIM cards are available, with Safaricom being the predominant provider. A SIM card can be purchased for approximately 1 US Dollar, offering competitive rates. The local currency is the Kenyan Shilling, and you can exchange money at malls or withdraw cash from ATMs. U.S. dollars are accepted for entrance fees at National Parks.
- Acquiring a local SIM card enables you to access M-Pesa, a popular and user-friendly mobile payment platform in Kenya. This facilitates seamless transactions, whether in markets, for transport fares, or even in remote villages across Kenya, eliminating the need to carry cash. This is particularly beneficial as taxi drivers often claim they lack change and may retain excess amounts. With M-Pesa, you can pay the exact fare required, unless you choose to provide a tip. Additionally, you can top up your M-Pesa account using services such as Wise.
- Internet access is available via Wi-Fi in accommodations, workplaces, and public areas such as cafes and shopping centers. Alternatively, modem sticks for laptops can be purchased for additional connectivity options.
2. Packing Essentials (Required items):
- eTA-Visa, which can be obtained via this link (https://www.etakenya.go.ke/de/evisa)
- Passport (ensure it is valid for at least 6 months beyond your date of entry),
- Yellow Fever vaccination certificate,
- credit card and/or cash,
- power adapter for local outlets.
- Recommended items: personal toiletries, travel pillow, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, durable footwear or shoes suitable for outdoor use, fanny pack, compact power bank, hairdryer, and clothing suitable for the weather (check the forecast before your arrival, as conditions may vary from your departure location). Laundry services are available for an additional fee.
3. What can you expect on your first day with UCESCO
- Upon your arrival, a member of the UCESCO team, either Kingsley or another representative, will meet you at the airport, and communication will be facilitated via WhatsApp. Your orientation is scheduled for the first weekday at the UCESCO office located in Tudor, Makupa Roundabout. If you arrive during the weekend, we can arrange a brief city tour or a one- to two-day safari; however, your first visit to the project will occur on Monday. The Mombasa Brunch Manager will introduce you to the organization and its various initiatives, so feel free to ask her any questions you may have. You will have the opportunity to tour the School and other projects, with the day concluding around 2 PM. Following this, you may choose to visit the mall to acquire a SIM card (a passport is required) and set up an M-Pesa account.
