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Eco Africa - What's good for the environment is good for us
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00:00If there is one message that we want to convey here at EcoAfrica is this, what is good for
00:25the environment is good for us. From the homes we live in to the public transport we use
00:30and the lessons we teach our children, if we put every environmentally responsible
00:36ideas into practice every single day, the rewards are instant. Welcome, I am Chris
00:42Alems in Lagos, Nigeria and joining me from Lusaka, Zambia is Malama Mukonde.
00:48Yes, welcome to a new edition of EcoAfrica. Here's what's coming up in today's show.
01:01Collecting plastic waste to help fund cancer treatment in Libya.
01:10Why traditional cave dwellings in Spain make climate friendly homes.
01:18And how the capital of Senegal is proving that upgrading public transport is a good investment.
01:27But we start the show in Uganda. Now climate change as we know poses a serious threat to the future.
01:33A future that belongs to the younger generation. So it makes sense that they should play an active
01:37role in finding solutions. Now that starts with educating kids about environmental issues and then
01:44encouraging them to explore their natural creativity to figure out the way forward.
01:51The excitement is palpable. The girls are on a blindfolded fruit hunt. Using touch only raises
01:57their awareness and appreciation for the fruit. Here at PMM girls school they're playing this game for the
02:03very first time. At Team Mercy too. Winning is always fun and the game is also helping the girls learn about their environment.
02:14Some of these species of mangoes and the different fruits they are soon getting extinct. And you
02:21find that when people eat them people just throw away the seeds. Yet for the generation to come you
02:28might be might find when they will not be there. The game is organized by Girls for Climate Action,
02:36a Ugandan NGO that aims to motivate young people to get involved in environmental conservation efforts.
02:42Its green master program uses creativity and play to engage school children.
02:53We trigger the emotions and you find that they are worrying about what is happening. But then they are having
03:00hope because of the program because at the end of the day they are able to use what they can in line with
03:07what we are educating them to create change. They can also try their hand at devising their own games to help solve
03:15environmental problems. Pupils from Kiira College Butiki are visiting PMM girls school to present their own invention,
03:23a basketball tool game. Made from plastic trash, this innovative solution can be set up anywhere.
03:35The young designers say the program is really making a difference at their school.
03:42The green master program has helped people in our school to stop littering rubbish all over
03:46because we've been told like advice the school and now the water sold in polythane bags of 100
03:53has been removed from school thanks to the green masters. So it is helping because people have stopped
03:58dumping a lot of rubbish. That's it. The young people are proud that their inventions might also help spark
04:05change in other schools. A small bean can get at around 100 bottles. It can clean 100 bottles in
04:13the environment which is a good idea. Whereby in a school if we have five of them we have helped to
04:18control the improper disposal in the environment by some good percentage. Their knowledge doesn't just
04:25stay in the classroom. The teenagers are also active in their communities.
04:29This is making it more entertaining and more interesting and that means that very many youths
04:38are going to come in because we know that there are energetic ones in the community and if they
04:44take it upon themselves with all this passion that means that it's going to solve the whole problem.
04:52The green masters program actually it's a good program because it has helped us to to not
04:58bad our environment. First mostly they brought skits for the students to play to educate those people
05:05in the villages how to prove their environment. The problem that most villages people do is cutting
05:13down trees which is bad. Cutting down trees it leads to like drought.
05:1830 schools in Uganda have taken part since 2016. The program lasts for a year. At the end of it
05:27students present their projects to a jury in the hope of winning the green master challenge contest.
05:33All the participants get a certificate.
05:42Ginger City's environment officer would like to see the same kind of program here too.
05:48His team often have to pick up litter in the park despite the trash cans here.
06:00So this intervention is helping to change the mindset of the children with the hope that what they do
06:08while in the schools or during the training they'll be able to replicate it. And this is indeed true
06:14because this kind of skill changes the mindset or the mentality of somebody. Even when he goes up and
06:21becomes an administrator somewhere he will be a caring person. Some like Atim Mercy clearly care
06:28already. She likes writing poetry and has already written a new one. I think after cutting down trees,
06:36building on wetlands, releasing chemicals into water bodies, releasing poisonous gases into the atmosphere
06:44that nature will just smile and laugh at us. No, that's not how it works. When we take care of the
06:52environment, the environment will take care of us in time. So you scratch the environments back,
06:59the environment will scratch years. So that's my poem. After the fruit hunt, the students plant trees in
07:06the school yard like mango or papaya. Since the start of the project, one million trees have been planted.
07:13One day, these trees will pass on their fruit just as the young green masters pass on their knowledge.
07:19You might have heard the expression, one man's trash is another man's treasure,
07:32but it can also be another man's treatment. Our next report takes us to Libya. Years of conflict
07:40have left the healthcare system in bad shape. We meet someone who has found a way to help people
07:46get medicine they urgently need while tackling plastic pollution at the same time.
07:58He just couldn't bear it anymore. The mountains of plastic waste piling up in his town,
08:04Aokums, the southeast of Tripoli. So retired teacher Muastafa Balhai launched an NGO that collects,
08:12compresses, compresses and sells plastic waste for reuse in Europe. In war-torn Libya, still wracked
08:18by political instability, waste management and recycling is not a priority.
08:25If garbage is properly utilized to the fullest extent, it can generate incredible returns.
08:31I hope the state moves towards building garbage recycling plants. It's urgently needed.
08:35I hope the state provides these factories because we currently export this waste abroad,
08:42when we should be benefiting from it here in our country.
08:49Libya creates hundreds of thousands of tons of plastic waste each year. Most of it is buried or burned,
08:56contaminating water, soil and air. In 2018, Mustafa Bilhaj launched an awareness-raising campaign
09:08amongst young people involved. Dozens of volunteers joined his waste collection effort, eager to bring about
09:15positive change. People welcomed this grassroots initiative. For them, it was better than displays of
09:30weaponry. There was strong support for it. With the project making the equivalent of about $4,000 every
09:43three months, he then came up with an even more ambitious idea to use the proceeds to fund cancer treatment.
09:51More than a decade of civil conflict and economic crisis has destroyed Libya's health services.
09:56The supply of critical medicine has dwindled, sending prices soaring. And doctors are in short supply.
10:04At the National Institute of Oncology in Misrata, the country's biggest center for cancer treatment,
10:10over 30 percent of the costs are covered by donations.
10:17Fatima Nasr and her daughter, Farah, traveled more than 1,000 kilometers to reach this hospital.
10:24The four-year-old has been diagnosed with uterine cancer.
10:30Unfortunately, there's a severe shortage of medication, and chemotherapy drugs are extremely
10:36expensive. There are many people who cannot afford treatment. It's a very large amount of money.
10:42The last dose of chemotherapy that I bought for my daughter cost about 2,000 euros. It's extremely
10:49difficult given our limited income. Mustafa Bilha's NGO, the Alkhumus Oncology Patients Association,
10:58currently recycles about three tons of plastic and cardboard per day. The revenue supports about 40 cancer
11:04patients each month. I hope to open a branch in Tripoli or Misrata, these big cities. I hope it
11:11catches on and that this initiative reaches all of Libya. Helping even more vulnerable people that can't
11:17afford medical care and cleaning up the environment at the same time.
11:25Now to Kenya, where housing is in short supply and getting more and more expensive, especially in the
11:31capital Nairobi. An added problem there is that there's also limited land for new buildings. So what
11:38affordable options are out there? So this is a 20-foot container. It's a low-cube container. You can see
11:46it from this dimension. It was manufactured in 2008. So this is about 16 years old. Africa's population is
11:56growing and urbanization is on the rise. In Kenya alone, more than 250,000 new homes are needed each
12:05year. Recycled shipping containers could help solve the housing problem and provide an alternative to
12:11building materials that take a high environmental toll, such as concrete and wood. A number of companies
12:18are now exploring their potential. Grace Adeambo buys decommissioned shipping containers and repurposes them.
12:25After collecting our boxes from Mombasa, we moved them to our premise, which is where we are sitting
12:30at right now in Nairobi. When a client has a need, they come, make a selection. Then we follow it up with
12:37a design and they can make their deposits. We start construction. It's a low-cost option compared to a house
12:46of bricks and mortar. Container homes as a solution has a number of groups as clients. Young couples were
12:57just thinking of home ownership. Then we have people who are on lease piece of land, people who have not
13:02yet been able to buy their own spaces. Containers have long been used as temporary housing solutions in many
13:11parts of the world. But increasingly, they are also being fitted out to service as permanent housing.
13:20The average lifespan of a shipping container is 12 to 25 years. As homes, they can be used for another 25
13:27years or more. But if they are going to last, proper maintenance is key.
13:35Biggest maintenance that you can do with containers, especially if you've not cladded the exterior,
13:40it would be to spray paint. So after a few years, you'd want to spray paint and just take care of the rust in
13:46case you have any that is coming up. Affordability and flexibility are some of the main advantages of
13:54the container homes. And for many buyers, the speed with which they can be refurbished is another plus.
14:03I didn't have time to do the traditional house. I've lived here for the past four years now, since 2020.
14:11This is 2024. And so far so good. It's an ideal living space. I'll advise anybody who wants to
14:19have something like this to take it head on. But the containers do have limitations.
14:27Key factors to take into account, especially in a climate such as Kenya's, are ventilation and
14:34insulation. This is a work in progress. Before this, gypsum insulation is a styrofoam insulation.
14:41We also use rock wheel insulation in some instances. We've also done electrical wiring
14:47and fitted the aluminium windows plus grilling. Smart design is crucial, says Grace Adyambu,
14:57to ensure the structure is stable, that heat is efficiently dissipated and there's maximum light.
15:05Finding ways to convert containers into housing options is still a work in progress, but one with potential.
15:12So those containers look quite cozy, but could you imagine living in a cave?
15:22We go now to our corner of Spain, where people have been dwelling in caves for hundreds of years.
15:28You might think that doesn't sound very attractive, but temperatures around the globe are rising as a
15:34result of human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. So living underground might have a number of advantages.
15:45As the many chimneys suggest, these are no ordinary hills. These cave houses are in Guadix, southern Spain.
15:53For Mari Carmen, the cave's constant temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius is just right. She's proud of her climate-friendly home.
16:05This is the kitchen. And here, come with me.
16:09Here we have a bedroom. The master bedroom. It's a good place to sleep. Cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The caves have a very big future.
16:27Central heating? No need. And that's despite the rather chilly winters here.
16:33A blessing for Mari Carmen and the four and a half thousand cave dwellers of Guadix.
16:42Some people think it's a hole, the kind you might find a bear in. In the past, the caves were just painted white.
16:48There was no water, no electricity. Today we have everything, thank God.
16:52It was the Moors who first dug out the clay hills over 500 years ago.
17:04Today the caves are a highly revered cultural asset.
17:10And an inexpensive housing option. Jorge Herrero grew up in a cave house himself.
17:17Today he digs entirely new caves and extends existing ones.
17:25The caves are cheaper and consume much less energy.
17:29There's no need for air conditioning or heating.
17:33Caves are the essence of nature. They're unique.
17:36For Jorge, there is no home more sustainable. Walls and ceilings alike, all is provided by nature herself.
17:48And everything he removes is recycled.
17:50We simply dig a hole in the ground. That's why it's cheaper than building a house. We don't need a roof.
17:59The hill is the roof. And everything we excavate, in our case clay, we turn into tiles or bricks.
18:07This cave will have tiled floor made from the very material we dug out here.
18:11The underground homes are increasingly popular. And they come in all sizes. Juan Calandria is an architect.
18:28He and the cave dweller Rafael Medina want to promote this ecological and economical form of housing.
18:35In future, caves will become more attractive, as they have a direct impact on the fight against climate change.
18:50There is no concrete here, no steel beams, no energy-intensive materials are used at all.
18:57This was once a small cave, but we extended it, bit by bit, to 250 square meters.
19:10Very few cave dwellings have property deeds. In fact, living underground is often not regulated at all.
19:18But the region of Andalusia wants to change this, paving the way for the whole continent.
19:22It can be transferred to other regions. After all, in Europe there are many like this, with sedimentary rock.
19:37Underground homes can be built wherever ground conditions allow.
19:41Homes like that of Mari Carmen, who has lived in caves from an early age.
19:45My whole life, I was born in a cave. And after I got married, we moved into this one.
19:55I wouldn't swap a cave for a normal apartment, not for anything in the world.
20:02Mari Carmen and the cave dwellers of Guarix are leading exemplary, sustainable lives.
20:08In a form of housing as ancient as it is future-proof.
20:11Traffic in Africa's capital cities can be a nightmare. The obvious way to improve the situation
20:21is to encourage people to leave their cars at home. And that means expanding public transport
20:28and making it more efficient and electric. Dakar and Senegal is showing us how it's done.
20:34New traffic lanes, not for cars, but for a fleet of e-buses. It now takes half as long to travel across Dakar.
20:44With tickets costing between 60 and 80 euro cents, passengers welcome the new service.
20:53With other means of transport, it takes at least two hours to get from Dakar City to the end of the line.
20:58And another benefit is, is that you feel safe on this bus.
21:09The new service is really useful because it cuts the journey times. And that's really important.
21:17The electric buses are better than cars that run on diesel or petrol.
21:21There's also air conditioning in the bus and plenty of room.
21:27Dakar's ambitious Bus Rapid Transit or BRT project is a public-private partnership supported with
21:34international funding. After five years of construction, the first e-buses were launched in 2024.
21:40The fleet now numbers 121 and connects Dakar's 14 communes. It's already had a positive effect.
21:47Now many people are leaving their cars behind to take the bus and avoid the traffic jams.
21:56This is a step towards a better infrastructure in our country.
22:03The city is now also more bike-friendly. A wide cycle path has been installed that runs parallel to
22:09the new bus lane, in a move to motivate more people to switch from cars.
22:13Ibrahima Gouet has been cycling in Dakar for a long time, mainly for work. And it's not without danger.
22:25You have to weave your way between the cars, which is really dangerous for cyclists.
22:30In Senegal, people drive very recklessly. That's why I'm really happy about the new cycle paths.
22:35It's much safer and easier to avoid accidents.
22:42Dakar's e-bus infrastructure is unique on the African continent. Other major cities such as Accra
22:48in Ghana and Nairobi in Kenya are keen to follow suit. There are just too many cars on the streets
22:54of Africa's big cities. Dakar's fleet of e-buses is operated by the Senegalese company Dakar Mobility.
23:02The state has a 30% stake in the company. The new service is part of the government's strategy to
23:08reduce gridlock and pollution in the city. The e-buses significantly cut carbon emissions and improve
23:15air quality. According to studies, the e-buses enable CO2 savings of up to 59 million tons per year.
23:22The fully electric buses are powered by solar-generated renewable energy.
23:31Dakar Mobility is also responsible for servicing and maintaining the fleet.
23:37In keeping with the green concept, even water usage is sustainable.
23:41Dakar Mobility is sustainable. To minimize the negative impact on the environment,
23:48our new car wash system works with a machine that recycles the water. This allows us to recycle up
23:56to 80% of the water used to clean the buses.
24:00The new system has also opened up job opportunities.
24:08Mamadou Diallo is one of the 750 people who have found permanent work with the BRT.
24:14After a short retraining program, he began working as a bus driver. At the end of his shift,
24:19he recharges the battery. Vehicles that run on diesel or petrol, combustion engines,
24:28cause noise and air pollution. With the e-buses, there's less of both.
24:35And that's also important for us bus drivers. They're better for our health.
24:41The new bus system is a huge improvement for the city. And this transformative shift has even
24:52been recognized by the International Institute for Transportation and Development Policy,
24:57with its 2025 Sustainable Transport Award.
25:06That's all we've got time for. Has something inspired you?
25:10Let us know. We love hearing from you. You can write to us at eco.dw.com.
25:15You can find more stories about sustainability on our continent and beyond by searching for
25:21EcoAfrica online. I am Chris Alems. Hope to see you again next time.
25:30It's been a pleasure hosting the show this week and also it's goodbye from me, Malama Mukonde in Lusaka,
25:36Zambia. Thank you for watching. We hope to see you again soon.
25:48I'll see you again soon.
25:52Yeah.
26:04I'll see you again soon.
26:07We'll see you again soon.
26:07Bye.
26:08istas
26:09We'll see you again soon.
26:11Bye.
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