Juliani is a famous rapper who grew up in Dandora, Nairobi and has ventured into climate change action. Along with other members, he started the movement five years ago called taka bank.
“As an artist, it is easier to get people to understand and to buy into the movement, ” said Juliani.
He is using the platform of artistry to push for climate change action. This is through attending events and getting people to know of Taka Bank and at the same time, getting young people into the movement and changing minds. If he is an artist championing waste collection, then people won’t look down on waste collection but start normalizing that habit of caring for the environment
The project started as a waste-picking project along the slum of Dandora. With a group of people who would clean up the environment they were in to no avail. The slum was congested, with no drainages, and harbouring Nairobi’s principal dumping site.
These people would try to clean up the neighbourhood and throw them at the dumping site but it didn’t help. Therefore, they started collecting plastics that could be recycled. Along the line, they formed the taka bank with the support of Mr Green Africa and started the journey.
Prevalence of Taka Bank
Taka bank is a movement that allows people to transact the plastics they collect for shopping they need. For example, if one shows up with a kilogram of bottles, they can get in return either a kilogram of ‘unga’ or a kilogram of sugar, depending on the time it’s in.
The project has started cementing its influence by setting up two kiosks for the exchange to take place.
“The kiosks are just like shops. The only difference is that you go to a normal shop exchanging money for a commodity. In this case, you’re exchanging plastics for a commodity that you need, ” said Juliani.
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The project’s aim is to reduce the stereotype that has been placed on people who collect waste. Moreover, there’s been a discriminatory environment in which only street people collect plastics for them to be recycled. With this project, anyone can collect the plastic, even carry them from their home and exchange them for value.
Taka Bank wants to create value in something that is being dismissed by people. The only way to reduce plastic pollution is to recycle already-produced plastic. In addition to that, the only way to recycle plastic is to collect it, and the only way to collect it is to reduce the stigma around it.
The slum waste recycling group targets to recruit over 10,000 youths into the program. Their main duty will be to man the kiosks stationed and to find out what the people want or need urgently in that area.
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