At 10:30 a.m. our plane left Lagos, bringing us back to the European cold.
We found metal-recycling cooperatives, local and international NGOs, scavengers melting lead and copper out of otherwise useless electronic equipment from Europe and the USA, or restoring und re-selling things they find in the waste. We found artists, who transform waste into sculptures, installation and designer fashion.
It started to hurt throwing away things we knew by now that they are precious for our entrepreneurs, like plastic- or glass bottles, metal cans, old clothes… It was shocking to see, how greedy children grabbed for a mango peel recklessly thrown away, or a crumble of sugar; to see people eating from the dumpsite, together with cows, goats and sheep. And of course we started to value water, which is not available in sufficient quality and quantity for so many people along our way.
At the end we learned, that real progress is possible, when the government is interested in making things better for their people. In 2005, I experienced most districts of Lagos as a huge dumpsite, now you see the LAWMA-staff in their orange overalls cleaning up the streets all over the city.
Most of all, we found wonderful trash dividends for our lucky shareholders.
A work by trash-artist ASTON from Cotonou will be raffled off between all our shareholders at the AGM (Annual General Meeting) of our up-and-coming company.
We thank all our partners, sponsors, shareholders, supporters, interviewpartners and collegues:
O.N.G. Auve-garde des plages de la baie du levrier, O.N.G. Arbre, O.N.G. Zazou, Martial Pouret and Sophie (Mauretania), Momo le Magnifique, Cooperative des Forgerons et Ferblantiers Jama Jigi Marche Medine, Mamadou (Mali), Oxfam Quebec, Jaqueline Djidonou, ASTON (Benin), Mike Anane, John Owoo, Tei Mensah Huagie - Not a Waste Recycling Studio (Ghana), LAWMA, Akintunde Akinleye (Nigeria), Wendelin Schmidt (D) and many others.
Austria: Max and Markus Gansberger, Klaus Meßner, Schaumbad – Freies Atelierhaus Graz, Vice-Mayor Lisa Rücker; Markus Wilfling, Michael Maier, The Syndicate, Südwind, Pöttinger Entsorgungstechnik, WKO Sekundärrohstoffhandel Steiermark, Die Entstopfer, Grüne Akademie, Wolfgang Croce/Croce & Wir; Land Steiermark, bm:ukk, Cinestyria Filmkunst