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Born in a remote village in Sierra Leone, I lost my adopted parents in 2017 during a mudslide disaster in Freetown that claimed more than 1000 lives. I discovered that this was caused by high deforestation in the area and improper waste management, which motivated me in my cause.
Alhaji Siraji Bah - Sierra Leone, Africa
2019 Winner | Entrepeneur | Sierra Leone
In the Middle East and Africa, almost 1,000 tons of waste is produced every day, around 50 percent of which is predominantly plastic and biomass waste. We asked ourselves how to help reduce this waste, while also creating a viable businesses opportunity. My company Rugsal Trading tackles the waste crisis in Africa with two solutions. We make coconut husk briquettes as an alternative for burning coal, to combat deforestation in Sierra Leone. In addition, we make eco-friendly biodegradable paper bags from banana leaves to tackle plastic pollution. Today we have produced more than 250,000 eco-friendly bags and more than 120 tons of clean and smokeless briquettes from coconut, saving thousands of our mothers, wives and sisters from health risks by providing them with clean and affordable fuel, while saving more than 15,000 trees.
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NOTE: This content was shared online for the 2019 cycle of the Young Champions of the Earth programme and has not been updated. This listing does not constitute any endorsement by nor status with the UN Environment Programme.
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Young Champions of the Earth is a forward-looking prize designed to breathe life into the ambitions of brilliant young environmentalists.