Fifteen (15) teams of innovators from across Sub-Saharan Africa have been named finalists in the Afri-Plastics Challenge with solutions that will change both the behavior of individuals and communities around plastic waste in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Among these finalists is Cameroon’s Training-Empowerment-Promotion (TEP) model developed by Catharina Natang, a Buea-based fashion brand.
Catharina Natang was named a finalist among 14 other finalists from Botswana, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda that will each receive a £50,000 (FCFA 38 million) grant towards their solutions in the Promoting Change strand.
The TEP model aims to provide training to fashion designers on sustainable fashion and resource mobilization. It will also help local designers to understand the subtle but massive presence of plastic-based fabrics in the fashion industry, and how this contributes to the global plastic waste problem.
Through the project, students will learn about innovative non-plastic alternatives that are in existence and how to access them, and also how to recycle, properly dispose of, and select non-plastic alternatives.
To truly tackle the scourge of plastic pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa, the TEP project plans to organize annual sustainable fashion events to widen public awareness of sustainable fashion to reduce plastic wastes that end up in oceans.
The announcement of the finalists comes a few weeks after Afri-Plastics Challenge released the 10 finalists for the Creating Solution strand.
Providing Solutions to Plastic Pollution
Plastic pollution is threatening the world’s ecosystems and food systems and Canada is at the forefront of empowering communities to make sustainable choices. “Choices that result in a better, more environmentally friendly future for all,” Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Minister of International Development, Government of Canada said.
“I look forward to seeing the hard work and innovation of these amazing finalists, and can’t wait to contribute our expertise and efforts in supporting Africa in becoming a plastic waste-free continent.”
Tackling plastic pollution through three prize strands, the finalists in the third strand – Promoting Change – are being supported to develop innovative engagement strategies such as gamification, incentives, and storytelling to promote behavior change and educate communities, as well as provide insights into the roles that women and girls play across the value chain.
Marine Plastic Pollution on the Rise
In recent years, marine plastic pollution has grown rapidly. It is crucial that awareness translates into action and long-term behavior change, at individual and collective levels alike.
“The 15 finalists will be supported over the course of the next seven months to develop their communications campaigns and projects,” Constance Agyeman, Director of International Development, Challenge Works said.
The £50,000 grants will support teams to generate evidence of change around reducing littering, segregation of plastic waste, choosing reusable options, or refusing single-use plastic altogether.
How the Afri-Plastics Challenge is helping
Having made their way through the semi-final round, each finalist has already received grants of £5,000 to develop their ideas. Three winning projects will be awarded £250,000 each in March 2023.
While women and low-income populations are more likely to be negatively affected by plastic pollution, they are also a driving force of positive change, leadership, and innovation in their communities.
The Afri-Plastics Challenge aims to support innovative efforts to reduce plastic pollution in a way that empowers all, by promoting greater gender inclusiveness and social justice in national policies on plastic waste.
