Do you know what happens to the leftover fabric when your clothes are made? Esther Uwem Etim, 25, from Nigeria wanted to keep valuable materials from going to waste, so she started collecting unused textiles and turning them into beautiful rugs.

As part of the Village Weavers Project, Esther doesn’t upcycle by herself. She’s trained more than 100 low-income women to make the rugs, which are now being sold all over the world. The project isn’t just good for the environment, it provides a livelihood to those in need.

Listen to the report by Nonye Aghaji in Abuja, Nigeria:

 

Johannes Wolf from Germany is passionate about cycling, but he knows that bikes aren’t just a good way to get some exercise. In developing countries they can be crucial to running a small business and delivering goods. So he decided to start collecting used bikes from all over Germany in order to repair them and then ship them to African countries where they can be put to good use.

Listen to the report from Gaia Manco and Ronny Arnold in Dresden:

 

Simon Patrick Obi from Nigeria built a library at a school in the rural region of Ketti just outside the capital, Abuja, during his time of national youth service. But even after his obligation was finished, he went back because he saw that more needed to be done to support not only the kids’ education, but also their health.

Simon found that just building a library wasn’t enough – he is now making sure it’s being put to good use so the students there get an education that will lead to a brighter future. But that’s not all – he’s also inspiring the next generation of youth to go on an make a difference too.

Listen to the report by Nonye Aghaji in Abuja, Nigeria:

 

On a trip to South Africa a few years ago, Jesse Carlton Ndongo, 21-year-old student from Cameroon, was touched by the large number of children he met who’d been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. He saw first-hand the pain and anguish they  face, but also noticed that they seem to be neglected by the rest of society.  He felt that he had to do something about it. So three years ago, he founded the Carlton Smile Charity on Easter Sunday.

The charity is already active in five African countries – Cameroon, Nigeria, Gabon, South Africa and Zimbabwe – and has plans to expand even further. Carlton tries to stand out from other organizations in that he doesn’t focus first on giving the kids material goods. Instead, his first priority is to show them love.

Listen to the report by Ngala Killian Chimtom in Yaoundé, Cameroon:

 

 

 

 

He may be blind, but 20-year-old Eric le Fleur is determined to see change in his homeland of Gabon in central Africa.

Eric makes his living by singing rap songs, which he makes up on the streets of Libreville, Gabon’s capital city. He plays by ear, integrating the discontent he hears into his texts.

He sings to escape his reality of sleeping rough on the streets, but also to awaken his fellow Gabonese to the social injustices in their country.

Listen to the report from Gaia Manco in Libreville, Gabon:

Gabon’s blind street poet

 

Plastic can take hundreds, even thousands of years to break down in the environment. In Kenya, communities are struggling to cope with the thousands of tons of waste being generated each year.

Despite having grown up in a slum littered with trash, 28-year-old Lorna Ruto developed a passion for taking care of the natural environment. 

Now her passion has become her business, turning plastic waste from the city of Nairobi into something useful – fence posts. Her goal is not only to grow a successful company, but also to provide her community with much-needed jobs.

Listen to the report by Andrew Wasike in Nairobi, Kenya:

Turning Kenya’s trash into treasure

Dance can changes lives. This is the philosophy of volunteer Amrei Krings. One-and-a-half years ago, she started planning a dance workshop to empower sex workers in Kenya and founded the organization Maua in order to realize her idea.

This summer, her dream became a reality. While the dance workshop was a success, the project wasn’t easy for Amrei, who had to learn some tough lessons about trust and cultural differences.

Listen to the report by Falk Steinborn in Naivasha, Kenya:

Changing lives through dance in Kenya

Visit Amrei’s organization, Maua, on Facebook.

 

 

In Nigeria, country with many languages and ethnic groups, Thomas believes that people shouldn’t be judged on their background. He’s now bringing thousands of young people together with a unique unity dance.

Listen to the report by Nonye Aghaji in Abuja, Nigeria:

Dance for unity in Nigeria

In the townships of Cape Town, playing the violin or the cello has been something for the few people who could afford the expensive instruments and regular lessons. But now one young man, 23-year-old Siyathemba Nteta, is challenging the stereotype that classical music is for rich white people. He teaches children in his township how to play the violin – and even holds lessons in the local language, Xhosa.

Listen to the report by Kim Chakanetsa in Cape Town:

Cape Town violinist blasts stereotypes

Siyathemba plays in the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Here’s their Facebook page.

A four-meter tall camel made of old flour and potato bags – that’s not something you see every day. It’s part of a street festival in rural Morocco with drums, acrobats and larger-than-life puppets, like the camel. The festival plays on local traditions and pays tribute to the region’s cultural heritage. But it also integrates young people from the area without many opportunities: school dropouts, unemployed, orphans. The guy behind it all is 22-year-old Azeddine Aabar.

Listen to the report by Elizabeth Grenier in Tahanahoute, Morocco:

Morocco’s street circus for the people

More on the Awaln’art website.