Recycling and Upcycling Projects for Namibia: LOCAL COMMUNITIES MAKING GOOD BY DOING GOOD
“The generation that destroys the environment is not the generation that pays the price. That is the problem.”
Wangari Maathai (1940 – 2011), Kenyan environmental activist and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner
‘Good for Namibia!’ is an informal umbrella support body that I launched in 2019 with the aim of assisting Namibian pilot projects in utilising waste materials to generate income. Underpinning my (voluntary) work is the philosophy of supporting local enterprises to create a circular economy and reduce the country’s reliance on newly manufactured, imported goods: ‘local is lekker’ as it’s known colloquially. Follow my news of innovative income-generating environmental projects designed and run by Namibians in Windhoek. I hope to keep you regularly updated with information about their progress as well as letting you know about my work as an author of short-form fiction.
Marisa (‘Mel’) Kelly
I am originally from Manchester, England, and worked in wild animal husbandry at London Zoo and then as a veterinary nurse before subsequently studying film theory prior to moving to Namibia in 1998. I now work as an editor and author and was for a number of years a regular contributor of columns on social, environmental, cultural and economic issues for The Namibian newspaper.
My short stories set in Africa have appeared widely in publications online and have won a number of awards. In November 2022, nine were published as ‘A BED ON BRICKS‘ by Modjaji Books of Cape Town. My new collection, ‘THE LIMBO CIRCUS‘ is out shortly.
In 2019, I set up SEW GOOD NAMIBIA to assist disadvantaged local craftswomen to derive an income by creating bags, table runners, and other household items from upcycled furnishing-fabric samples. In 2024, I launched the PROMISING PAGES PILOT INITIATIVE, which collects secondhand books and distributes them to ‘little library’ sites across the country.
To contact me: wordsplus@posteo.org
Unless otherwise indicated all photographs are © Mel Kelly. Reasonable use for non-commercial purposes permitted with attribution.
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THE STORY OF 'GOOD FOR NAMIBIA!' 