Nairobi: Every Saturday at dawn, while most of Kisumu is still asleep, a different kind of activity begins on the waters of Lake Victoria. Instead of casting fishing nets, a group of young men and women steers small boats across the lake, collecting plastic bottles, worn-out tyres, water hyacinth, and other floating waste.
According to Kenya News Agency, what they gather is not destined for a dumpsite but for a workshop where it is transformed into furniture, home d©cor, and a dependable source of livelihood. For the past decade, 34-year-old Raymond Odhiambo has led this transformation through Wolf Arts World Community-Based Organisation (CBO), a Kisumu-based environmental enterprise tackling pollution in Africa’s largest freshwater lake while creating jobs for women and youth.
Each Saturday, Odhiambo and his team head into the lake equipped with boats, pangas, knives, and protective gear to harvest invasive water hyacinth and reeds while removing plastic bottles, polythene bags, discarded clothes, tyres, jerrycans, and other floating waste that clogs the lake and threatens aquatic life. The collected materials are ferried back to the organisation’s workshop, where they are sorted, cleaned, and processed before being transformed into marketable products displayed in its Kisumu showroom.
The journey began in 2015 when Odhiambo established Wolf Arts Kisumu as a small social enterprise driven by his passion for environmental conservation. Over the years, it has evolved into Wolf Arts World CBO, a registered community organisation whose activities now extend beyond Kisumu into neighbouring Siaya County. With a background in social work and community development, Odhiambo says the organisation was founded to address pollution while creating dignified economic opportunities for communities living around Lake Victoria.
The clean-up exercises have steadily attracted women engaged in fish trading and young people from informal settlements. According to Odhiambo, harvesting water hyacinth requires determination more than specialised skills, making it accessible to many. The conservation message is gradually spreading through the communities, with some residents now collecting recyclable materials independently before notifying the organisation to pick them up. In return, they receive a small stipend, creating both environmental awareness and an additional income stream.
Safety remains central to every clean-up operation. Participants wear protective gear, while trained lifeguards accompany every team on the lake. The organisation also collaborates with the Beach Management Unit (BMU) to ensure all activities are conducted safely and in compliance with local regulations. At times, the clean-up reveals the devastating effects of pollution on aquatic ecosystems.
Inside the organisation’s workshop, discarded waste is given a completely new identity. Water hyacinth is woven into elegant furniture and other household items, while old vehicle tyres are repurposed into office furniture. Plastic bottles are transformed into various useful products, and worn-out clothes become decorative items. Even broken tree branches are incorporated into creative furniture designs, ensuring that almost every piece of collected waste is put to productive use.
Beyond environmental conservation, Wolf Arts World has evolved into a significant employer, currently having 11 permanent staff members trained in various aspects of the business. Employees are encouraged to specialise according to their strengths, and those interested in starting their own businesses receive mentorship and support. The organisation has also broadened its impact beyond recycling into agriculture, reproductive health, and entrepreneurship.
Wolf Arts World’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2021, the organisation was recognised as the Kisumu County Youth Enterprise of the Year. Partnerships with various organisations have strengthened its environmental conservation and innovation programmes, enabling the expansion of its activities. Media exposure has played a role in increasing its visibility, and plans are underway to establish a showroom in South Carolina, USA.
Despite these achievements, Odhiambo says limited funding remains a key challenge slowing the organisation’s growth. The long-term vision is to establish a fully-fledged recycling industry capable of processing waste into finished products on a larger scale, with plans to explore converting water hyacinth into paper and books.
For Odhiambo, success is measured not just by profits but by the number of lives transformed. As plastic pollution and invasive water hyacinth continue to threaten Lake Victoria, Wolf Arts World is proving that innovative local solutions can turn environmental challenges into sustainable opportunities. By transforming waste into valuable products, the organisation is not only restoring one of Africa’s greatest natural resources but also building a model for community-driven conservation and economic empowerment.
