"Eco-Boats" Made Of Recycled Plastic Bottles Is Cameroon Local's Response To Their Clogging Of Waterways

Jan 20, 2020 by apost team

Ismaël Essome Ebone was inspired to become an environmental activist after a chance rainstorm in his native country of Cameroon showed him how bad pollution truly had become, inspiring him to build boats made almost entirely of discarded plastic bottles.

Essome was caught up in a typical rainstorm when he ran for cover under a bridge.

“I ran for shelter to wait it out,” he told Deutsche Welle. “That’s when I saw heaps of plastic bottles clogging the bridge. I was shocked. I thought, 'surely something can be done with all these bottles, who will clean them up?'”

He then began to learn about how the plastic was continuing to clog the waterways of Douala, the largest city in the country according to Atlas of The Future.

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Knowing that he needed to do something about this issue, Essome founded Madiba & Nature. This program is committed to battling the issue of plastic pollution in Cameroon’s coastal areas. In turn, this helps the local people who depend on fishing for their income.

Essome was able to turn the bottles into floatable devices called “eco-boats.” By stringing the bottles together with rope or wire, they were able to create boats for the fisherman to use for their work. Because of the air that fills the plastic bottles, they will not sink in the water, Atlas of the Future continues.

Not only do the eco-boats help to eliminate some of the bottles from the waterways, but they also turn this problem into a good thing because they provide vehicles for fishermen needing to get around in the water. The news of the boats has spread throughout the region, increasing the popularity and reach of the program.

Madiba & Nature relies on monetary donations from all over the world to help keep it afloat, so to speak. You can check out this video and the pictures to learn more about this innovative program. After you have watched the story, be sure to spread the message to everyone else in your social media network.