By Grace Ademulegun
Nzambi Matee, 33, is demonstrating that creativity and perseverance can turn trash into a useful resource in Nairobi, Kenya, a busy metropolis where plastic pollution is a noticeable environmental problem.
Matee has created a novel way to turn waste plastic into long-lasting, reasonably priced paving stones through her business, Gjenge Makers, providing a preview of what a sustainable future can hold.
Matee’s adventure started in 2017 when she bravely decided to leave her position as a data analyst and put all of her funds into what many thought was an impossibly ambitious venture.
She established a tiny laboratory in her mother’s backyard and started conducting experiments after being alarmed by the sight of plastic debris strewn across Nairobi’s streets.
Equipped with an engineering and material science background, she put forth endless effort to create a device that could compress waste plastic combined with sand to create bricks.
Her friends believed she had gone too far, and her neighbours complained about the noise coming from her improvised lab.
In her interviews, Matee recalls, “I put all my savings into this and shut down my social life for a year.” “Everyone told me to give up because they thought I was crazy.”
Matee, however, was unfazed. She never stopped trying, figuring out the ideal proportions of plastic to sand and which kinds of plastic were most effective.
Her turning point came when she was awarded a scholarship to study social entrepreneurship in the United States. She used the University of Colorado Boulder’s material labs to refine and test her plastic paver product, with samples in her luggage.
The end product was a paving block that was stronger, lighter than cement, and resistant to temperatures higher than 350°C.
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An astounding 1,500 paving stones are produced daily by Gjenge Makers in her workshop, which is currently humming with equipment and labour. Particularly in low-income neighbourhoods, these vibrant, environmentally friendly bricks are now a popular option for schools and households.
In the Mukuru Kyaba slum, one such school is the Mukuru Skills Training Centre, where solid walkways made of Matee’s pavers have taken the place of dirt paths. According to Anne Muthoni, the program coordinator, “we intend to pave all around the school. We are appreciative of Nzambi for providing a less expensive option.”
Young people must be inspired and made aware of the importance of protecting the environment while earning a living.
The significance of Matee’s work extends much beyond the figures.
“That we still struggle to provide decent shelter—a basic human need—is ridiculous,” she argues. One substance that is mishandled and mistreated is plastic. Although it has a lot of potential, its afterlife might be catastrophic.
Her efforts have been acknowledged as The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recognised Matee as a Young Champion of the Earth in 2020, an honour that included mentorship and seed cash.
According to UNEP’s Soraya Smaoun, “Nzambi Matee’s innovation highlights the economic and environmental opportunities of moving from a linear economy that discards materials after use to a circular economy that reuses and repurposes them.”
With up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags used annually and one million plastic bottles bought every minute, plastic waste is a global catastrophe. Matee is committed to taking on this problem head-on, brick by brick.
She claims that “we are having a huge negative impact on the environment. It is our responsibility to improve this situation. Use the first local solution you can discover and stick with it. The outcomes will be spectacular.”
Gjenge Makers is more than just a company; it is evidence of the strength of ingenuity and tenacity.
Matee’s story serves as a motivational reminder that even the most difficult obstacles can be transformed into possibilities when passion and purpose are combined.
Through her efforts, Matee is creating pathways towards a more sustainable world, both literally and conceptually.
