The Watamu Community Enterprises calls for support

Dear Friends of Watamu

We would like to update you on the progress of the Watamu Community Waste Recycling Centre and a new enterprise which needs support.

It is our goal this year to recycle all plastic and glass waste produced by Watamu hotels, businesses and residents. Profits from sales of recycled plastic go back into Centre running costs and payment for our 25 community beach cleaners, waste collectors and recyclers.

We are now in our second phase of construction which is building a work room, office and shop for our community women and health groups who make medicinal products from neem tree and coconut oils. These products include soaps and oils which are an effective natural treatment for painful and debilitating jigger flea infections and skin diseases which afflict our community members and children in particular. The shop will also sell artwork made from recycled waste materials by our community artists. The medicinal products will also be marketed in hotels and retail outlets. All our enterprises are designed to be income generating and self sustaining in the short term and we only need donor funding for construction of buildings.

We received a grant of KSH400,000 to start this latest construction and need to raise a further KSH300,000 (USD3,000) to complete it. This will be a unique building in Kenya as most of the walls will be made from recycled wine and water bottles and it is intended to encourage local communities to construct buildings and walls from recycled materials.

Please contact me if you are interested in supporting this project on any level. Any amount of support would be greatly appreciated and all donors will be named on a plaque at the Centre.

Many thanks for your consideration and please come and visit the Recycling Centre when you can.

Warm regards

Steve