00:00This is the water hyacinth stem, which we get from the Volta River around Pong.
00:31Global Mammoth is situated close to Pong and the idea was to make good use of this weed
00:38and also make a source of livelihood for people living along the Volta Lake in Pong and Akwesasne.
00:45So, we trained women especially to go harvesting the water hyacinth plant from the Volta River.
00:53So, after harvesting, they chop off the leaves and the roots, which we encourage them to use as compost on their farms
01:01and also as fodder for the animals that they rear at home.
01:05So, after harvesting and chopping off the leaves and the roots, we dry the stems and this is the result of the drying.
01:12The drying of the stems takes about three weeks if the weather is very good and it's sunny.
01:18And we receive this here at Global Mammoth, which we turn into wonderful products.
01:23Some of the products we can make from them are the water hyacinth trevets, water hyacinth table mats, water hyacinth coasters.
01:30We also have some baskets that we are trying to develop from the water hyacinth plants.
01:35When we receive the dried stems, we flatten them with our flattening machine in order to take out the air that's in the stem.
01:48So, after flattening the stems, we lay them straight on the foam in order to make a mat.
01:55And that is the process that Mama Abigail here is demonstrating.
02:00So, as she lays them on the mat, she fastens them with a pin, as you can see that she's doing.
02:07So, we lay in the water hyacinth stems. You put the first one down flat like that and you make sure that you lift the other one.
02:30So, it's a vertical and horizontal process. So, one up, one down, and you continue the process as such.
02:40Then, after getting the size that you desire, you cut off the excess part.
02:46So, in order to be able to take off the mats from the foam, you need to fasten it with a fabric.
03:00So, the fastening process is just like the weaving process. You go up, down, up, down.
03:08This fabric is from our textiles department after making dresses, the scraps that come out of it.
03:16This is the end result of the foam after you fasten the ends of the weave.
03:20So, after this one, you have to pass it under a sewing machine and give it a finishing and using a cloth.
03:33So, this is the first weave that you get. Then, if you want to beautify it more, you use a cloth for the ends.
03:40You get a coaster, which you can use to cover your drinks, your tea, and use it at your dining table.
03:51By continuous harvesting, we have realized that the quantum of water hyacinths in these areas have reduced drastically.
04:00Our harvesters gave us reports that even this year, you cannot find a lot of water hyacinths.
04:07They will have to go deep into the river before they can harvest these water hyacinths.
04:12So, we realized that the continuous harvest of the water hyacinths is reducing the quantities of the water hyacinths in the Volta River.
04:20It is helping the fish farms because the fishes are no longer being choked by the water hyacinths.
04:26It is not affecting the health of the fishes as well.
Comments