Innovative Waste Solutions: How Wolf Arts World C.B.O. is Cleaning Up Lake Victoria

By David Oduor

Wolf Arts World C.B.O. is a community-based organization in Kisumu, Nyalenda, near Dunga Beach at the shores of Lake Victoria. The C.B.O. was started in 2015 with the main aim of reducing waste dumped in Lake Victoria. It works with young women and youths from the Nyalenda, Obunga, and Manyatta slums. It focuses on four thematic areas:

Environmental Safeguard: Keeping Lake Victoria clean.
Reproductive Health: Assisting adolescent girls with reusable sanitary towels and educating them on menstrual hygiene. The provision of reusable sanitary pads is also a measure of environmental conservation.
Livelihood and Entrepreneurship Activities: The group uses waste products collected around the lake and in the slums to make salable items such as chairs and tables made out of used tires, baskets made of water hyacinth and tires, handbags, among other things. This reduces the waste that finds its way into the lake.

The group’s main source of income is members' savings and social funds, which they use for social issues. The C.B.O. has also benefited from the goodwill of the county government. Through the Department of Trade, they were given a showroom at Rotary Kisumu to exhibit their items.

In an interview conducted on 10.04.2024 by KYCTV Kisumu members, Raymond Odhiambo, the group’s C.E.O., confirmed that the group was a beneficiary of the VCA Next Level Grant, receiving Kshs 200,000. Discussing how they used the funds, Mr. Raymond stated that they have made waste bins from oil drums to help with waste segregation. He explained that the waste bins are divided into four segments for easy separation of waste at the household level. He also mentioned that the bins come in three types:

The single drum bin for households and offices
The double drum bin for households and streets
The four drum bin for markets and social places

*Oil drum waste*
*Photo Courtesy: KYCTV Kisumu*

The waste bins are to be donated to the community at no cost to enhance waste segregation at the source and reduce waste in the environment that would otherwise find its way into the lake. Mr. Ray also added that, to track and know if the bins are full and ready for emptying, they have partnered with Gearbox, an organization that will help them conduct a census on the bins.

The C.B.O. has partnered with various stakeholders and organizations for its day-to-day operations and visibility. Some of these stakeholders and organizations include the County Government of Kisumu, the Department of Trade, SusWatch, G.I.Z., S.D.I., among others. The C.B.O. is still calling for more like-minded partners to join hands to help Lake Victoria breathe.