Turning plastic waste into a goldmine

Yohana Otieno crushes used plastic bottles in Kisumu which are thereafter recycled and used to reduce litter in the city. (PHOTO: COLLINS ODUOR/ STANDARD)

Born and bred in Siaya County’s Karapul Village, Nashon Nyanga Okongo was disgusted at the sight of children as young as eight months crawling and playing amidst waste.

He had just moved to Nyalenda slums in Kisumu County to stay with his elder sister after the demise of his parents. Everyday, as he made his way to Jua Kali area to seek menial jobs, he would come across young children playing with different types of waste and from their pungent smell one could tell the waste was hazardous.