"That person can turn a garbage dump into wealth." —Kenyan proverb
The Indian Ocean’s powerful currents deposit lost flip-flops, plastic bottles, and other debris up and down the Kenyan coast. These discarded materials mar the landscape and endanger sea turtles, birds, and other marine life. But they also provide many with raw materials for creativity and innovative forms of artistic expression.
At Ocean Sole, some former woodcarvers have retooled their craft to make art from recycled flip-flops—some now in the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. After compressing the rubber shoes into giant blocks, artists sculpt them into animal figurines, keychains, jewelry, and more. The company works with over a hundred individuals, providing much needed employment opportunities in Nairobi and surrounding disadvantaged areas.
FESTIVAL PARTICIPANTS
Before joining Ocean Sole, Jonathan Lento was a herdsman in Samburu and did various casual jobs in different places. He has worked for Ocean Sole for seven years. A father of two, Jonathan says that Ocean Sole “gives good carving experience. I can pay the school fees for my children and feed myself and my family.”
Francis Mutua Muvua was a wood carver before joining Ocean Sole. He has worked with the company for three years and says that through Ocean Sole, he has “met different people. I am able to afford school fees for my children. This work is my daily bread.”
From the Festival
Francis Mutua Muvua sculpts an animal figure from recycled flip-flops. Before joining Ocean Sole, Francis worked as a wood carver and now uses those skills to create beautiful and fanciful animals out of recycled materials.
Photo by Josh Weilepp, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Francis Mutua Muvua talks with a visitor about the giraffe he helped create out of flip-flops collected along the Kenyan coast.
Photo by Bea Ugolini, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Jonathan Lento explains the process of creating animal figures out of flip-flops to Festival visitors. Proceeds from the sales of these and other flip-flop artwork go to the Ocean Sole Foundation, which helps to further marine conservation awareness and recycling efforts in Kenya and beyond.
Photo by Bea Ugolini, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Jonathan Lento engages with a Festival visitor.
Photo by Maggie Pelta-Pauls, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Atwaa Salim Mohamed's work with turtle conservation involves the local community in the tag and release of sea turtles caught in fishing nets, turtle nest protection, and beach patrol.
Photo by Brian Barger, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Taking a carving knife to a compressed block of flip-flops, Atwaa Salim Mohamed shapes an animal figure.
Photo by Hermine Dreyfuss, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
