The artivists tackling plastic pollution from the ghettos of Kampala
The problem – plastic pollution that requires urgent action
The sight of plastic pollution is now a familiar sight wherever you go in Uganda and much of the world. This is hardly surprising since half of the plastic produced globally is designed to be used once and thrown away and, every year, the world throws away 300 million tonnes according to the United Nations - nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population!
Uganda’s policy to ban single-use plastics was first announced in 2007. But the policy was met by protests from manufacturers and traders delaying implementation for over a decade. After years of implementation challenges, the president of Uganda issued a directive in 2018 to enforce the ban on plastic bags (kaveera) that are < 30 microns. However, implementation is inconsistent and the use of plastic bags remains common. And without proper waste management systems, plastic is burnt, or dumped, posing significant health hazards and filling the trenches that lead to the precious Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest yet, devastated ‘freshwater’ lake.
Lake Victoria, directly supports over 40 million people living in 3 countries (Kenya, Tanzania & Uganda) and is the source of the River Nile which provides freshwater to up to 400 million people downstream living in 11 countries. A study estimated that up to 95 per cent of the plastic transported by 1,350 large rivers around the world comes from only 10 rivers, and the Nile is one of them. Another 2015 study found that 1 in 5 Nile Perch in the lake had ingested plastic. These are the same plastic-filled fish that are washing up dead on the banks of the lake, devastating people’s livelihoods, and inevitably being eaten by Ugandans every day.
Artivism in Kampala – a local solution to a global problem
Whilst there is clearly a need for urgent action by politicians and businesses – those who are responsible for the production of single-use plastic - more community groups now believe it is up to them to take matters in their own neighbourhoods since there is not enough action taking place from the leaders.
One of these community groups is Plastik Talks. Plastik Talks is the brainchild of Arinitwe Peter, a visual artist and activist who is dedicated to fighting for the issues that matter most to him as a Ugandan – from social issues like women’s rights and Female Genital Mutilation, to the breakdown of our political systems and, the destruction of our environment. He founded Plastik Talks in 2021 since he was so concerned seeing the homes and gardens in his neighbourhood around Gaba literally filling up with trash, with any empty space considered a dumping ground to dispose freely of old pampers, water bottles and kaveera.
He realised something had to be done – but that environmental education would only work if it led to creating value for the people; and if he as an activist would lead by example. He believes there is too much talk and not enough action – people literally need to get their hands dirty and show their neighbours how to practice the 5Rs – refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle – in order to be taken seriously by disengaged members of the public.
Near Arinitwe’s home in the ghettos of Kabuum salama munyonyo, was the biggest dumpsite in the area – the stench of trash was unbearable, all the old fruit trees had died, and Marabou storks encircled the area.
His vision was to set up a community centre to teach people how to sort and re-use their waste, and to use the power of art to bring people together to fight pollution in a positive environment.
What they did
Early days - clearing the dumpsite
Now - clean, a beautiful space
Arinitwe started this project in 2021, during the covid pandemic. He started by taking on the dumpsite, a space it turned out was owned privately by someone in the area, so was an illegal dumping ground. Day by day he cleared the trash from the ground, sorting it into piles – of organics; of recyclables like strong plastics, glass bottles and textiles..to the non-recyclable pampers or other single-use plastics like kaveera. People in his neighbourhood at first thought he was mad, and mocked him. They were saying “he must have nothing better to do as an unemployed artist” – that “nothing would change here”. “Trash needed to be got rid of and this was their only solution?”
He kept on cleaning the space using his skills as an artist to build a few colourful structures from the discarded bottles – some waste bins and colourful segregating walls. One by one people started to come and talk to him – ask him what and why he was doing this.
Arinitwe talks about the importance of the chain reaction – you just need to inspire one child, who will in turn take what they have learned back to their parents…and eventually their neighbourhood.
So, he started with taking a few minutes to talk to each person who came to him and demonstrate some different solutions to their waste management problem. “Instead of throwing your peels, you could use them to make new soil for your gardens”. “Instead of choosing a plastic bottle if you ever buy a Fanta, choose glass instead since you could take them back and actually make some money back on your drink”. “You can reuse these bottles and cans for useful things at home -like pots and containers”. And so it went on.
After a couple of intense months, the Plastik Talks community centre had transformed itself. More and more community members had joined him – from some local mzee to single mothers and even unemployed young professionals – engineers, teachers, photographers – who saw the value in supporting a cause that could help them pass on their skills whilst learning new ones too.
The power of artivism
Over these months, Arinitwe and his growing team had one key vision for Plastik Talks – to always leave physical ‘marks’ that would inspire and leave a ‘jolt’ in people’s minds of what trash could be used for, under their slogan “Less talk, more action”. Visual Art has the power to engage everyone – from those who are most illiterate in society, to those leaders making decisions at the top. They used their combination of skills to create a beautiful fence entirely out of plastic bottles; one of their engineers designed a toilet structure and solid waste bins from the bottles; they used old clothes and plastic containers to create quirky gardens; they built a residential centre from 1000 bottles to teach children on site. And as a leading visual artist, Arinitwe has created some exceptional sculptures that leave you speechless – from a 30metre falling giraffe to a giant frog on site to capture imagination of the children who come.
Artists have started to flock here since they are recognising the power of their skill to teach and inspire. More recently, a series of giant murals have been created on site by a group of artists. And this ground has become a source of pride for the inhabitants here.
Clockwise from left: the walls at Plastik Talks; murals; students getting involved and workshops in the main room made from >2000 bottles; new following and community at Plastik Talks centre
The result?
In just over a year, this once-miserable dumpsite has become a positive and clean environment for the neighbourhood, as well as a space many artists and musicians want to come to perform. There are now 18 Plastik Talks members, and over 100 households regularly sorting and bringing their trash. They have held multiple workshops with schools.
The community now comes and sorts their trash into the correct sorting areas. Schools now come for regular visits and educational activities and workshops. The church leaders are coming to him for ideas and to participate.
Where once there was no life, there are now pumpkins and tomatoes growing in the organic gardens. Where there was mockery, there is now interest, and optimism for the future.
Life again in the organic waste gardens
They have now started to take their campaigning outside of their ghetto into key places in Uganda – running a campaign at Gaba fish market to reach fisherman and market leaders that caught the attention of hundreds through their “edutaining” activities – from a talking frog installation made from trash, to a young poet reciting about the environment, to Lugogo dancers drawing in the crowds. Their goal: to avoid being just another protest or twitter campaign and to really mobilise people through drawing them in through the arts. That’s the thing about art and colour – when you make beautiful things, people want to know what you are doing – they smile, and they become engaged.
They have visited schools, running practical workshops, planted giant installations and eye-catching murals in public spaces, and been to other districts including Mbarara where they ran workshops and built new toilets from plastic bottles with and for the community.
Clockwise from left: Talking frog and visual artist collaboration, World environment day 2022
What’s their vision for the future?
In just one year with a group of volunteers, Arinitwe and his team have already achieved so much. It shows the power individuals have in inspiring their neighbours and triggering a chain reaction.
Their vision is to obtain funding to scale up their community programmes and employ some of the hardest hit in their communities – his target is single mothers and unemployed skilled professionals, who are leaving University without jobs and disillusioned by society.
Plastik Talks is currently focussing on their educational campaigning with schools and churches. And on how they can create sustainable waste-to-product markets for the people here. They want to use their gardens to train people on making compost to grow their own produce at home. They are investigating how to create soaps from waste oil that women and girls can learn to make and sell. They are also taking inspiration from other community-based organisations to investigate how to make valuable materials from recycled plastic. For this they need some machinery to crush, melt and mould plastics, although there are low-tech options available.
Arinitwe’s long term vision is to also build on the success of other East African community organisations– like The Flipflopi project in Kenya who having built a sailing ‘dhow’ entirely from waste plastic have now built a material recovery centre and plastic recycling centre in Lamu, and producing new materials like boats, benches and construction materials from the waste washing up on the shores of the Lamu archipelago. All being done in a low-tech environment and in way that is profitable and sustainable for the local community
Of course, as an artist, there will always be a twist. Colour and positivity will fill the space. Arinitwe has big ambitions – it may start here in his Kampalan neighbourhood, but one day he believes it will trigger a chain events that will unlock huge potential in Uganda and beyond.
About Arinitwe and Plastik Talks
Arinitwe grew up in the ghettos of Kampala, graduated with a degree in Art and Education from Kyambogo University, and became a teacher before realising his calling was to use his creative talents to fight for the causes closest to his heart and to unite East Africans in the fight. He is an ‘artivist’, using his artworks to educate and influence the community in issues - his main focus is on the environment but is also committed to fighting for women’s rights and the absolution of the barbaric practice of FGM. He set up Plastik Talks in 2021 to spread environmental education in his neighbourhood and start a movement that is about ‘less talk, more action’
Arinitwe’s mural at Maisha Festival in Arusha, Tanzania and one of his paintings entitled ‘Love in the time of covid’ symbolising the destruction of our environment and human impact.
For more images and information: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1A1DM4jw1Kve6bd04_TNlD0YRsbf7rI1ikpwE8SpyidQ/edit#slide=id.p