[ASU] Fwd: nomination for african hero award

[African Student Union at OU]

ASU 2013/2014 Hero/Heroine Nominations.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ziegler, Lauren <lh144809 at ohio.edu>
Date: Mon, Nov 4, 2013 at 12:32 PM
Subject: nomination for african hero award
To: ou-dg-asu-forward <asu.ohio at gmail.com>
Cc: "Negash, Ghirmai" <negashg at ohio.edu>


Dear ASU execs and Dr. Negash,

I would like to formally nominate Julie Church and Tahreni Bwaanali owners
of UniquEco as the 2014 African Hero recipient (I realize we can only fly
one of them in).

This project emerged in 2005 as these two social and environmental activist
sought to extend the project known as The Flip flop Project. The Flip flop
Project sought to clean the beaches of the local coastal way to help marine
life in the area. Additionally, they realized that the pollution caused by
the plastic shoes were causing degradation their local water ways and were
potentially poisoning them and their local marine life which they were
reliant on as a food source. The ocean currents in the area bring thousands
of pairs of flip flops into the area every year from around the world.
Endangered animals and children were being threatened through the piles of
debris. As marine life was suffering in the area so did the people. Tourism
was one of the few viable economic resources to the people of the area and
with the pollution of the area incomes were dwindling.

UniquEco provides a solution to these problems. By using the flip flops the
project led by the two women creates jobs and facilitates the clean up of
the local beaches and waterways. This in return brought tourism back the
area, protects local marine life, and brings a new sense of cultural
richness to the area.
Through this project people are employed under a fair wage. The project
collects the flip flops from the water ways, washes them, and turns them
into a variety of things including: sculptures, purses, baskets, and
jewelry.

This project employees over 20 full time women and brings crafts to local
shops for them to sell. In one year alone they recycle over 30,000 flip
flop pairs and other plastic materials bringing income to dozens of other
family owned shops.

It is my belief that small run operations like this are the true African
Heroes of this generation therefore I am officially nominating them for the
award.

Thanks,

Lauren Ziegler




-- 
African Student Union
Ohio University
asu.ohio at gmail.com
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