By: Mariama Njie
Fatou Nyang, young Gambian woman who recycling used car tyres into items to decorate houses has explained how she come up with the innovation she started back in 2018 when she was on an annual leave.
“When my husband was coming for holiday, I wanted to decorate my bedroom before to make him happier,” she said.
“I decided to go on YouTube and watch videos on bed decors and I practiced it by using my old towels to do the swine, at the end of the process the outcome was amazing, I took pictures of it and shared with some friends online,” she said.
Ms Nyang, 29-year-old also transforms old towels and CDs to home decoration items.
“One day I decided to use the old CDs in our house and recycle them into something beautiful,’ she said. She said she got her inspiration through YouTube which motivates her try a lot of new things and friends start requesting for more and prices as well.
“I use unwanted car tyres to make tables, egg crates for mirror decors, old towel for bed decors, plastic fork, old CDs and paper threats for fire brigades, and with these materials I can crafts wall hangings, table, bed, place mats, flower vas and fire brigades,” she said.
She urged people to make best use of the materials they throw away saying “I see them as raw materials.”S
However, she called for more financial support in order to continue her innovation to help curb waste problem in the country.
She said: “I use my mom’s room to display what I do, I only work base on orders because I don’t have space so I need a workshop.”
Among her challenges is electricity while she hoping of having her own big company and create employment opportunities that will only focus on recycling in all aspects.
