Woven wonders from water weeds and waste
Photos: From water weed to artisan accessories
From water weed to artisan accessories – In a bid to deal with the abundance of invasive water hyacinth plants clogging up local waterways, Nigerian entrepreneur Achenyo Idachaba founded MitiMeth, a startup transforming the weeds from nuisance plants to beautifully-handcrafted artisan products.
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Photos: From water weed to artisan accessories
From water weed to artisan accessories – Based in Ibadan, a city in the south-western part of the country, MitiMeth has been in business since 2011. Today, it employs seven full-time staff.
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Photos: From water weed to artisan accessories
From water weed to artisan accessories – "What we do it take an environmental problem and turn it into a win-win solution," says Idachaba. The fresh water menace is notorious for clogging up waterways as well as depleting supplies and extracting nutrients from the water.
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Photos: From water weed to artisan accessories
From water weed to artisan accessories – The water hyacinth is harvested by the MitiMeth team and sun dried for four days to two weeks, depending on the season. It is then processed into the strong fiber ropes before being woven into creative handicrafts.
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Photos: From water weed to artisan accessories
From water weed to artisan accessories – Idachaba explains: "We weave them into different types of ropes, different sizes, different patterns."
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Photos: From water weed to artisan accessories
From water weed to artisan accessories – As well as establishing her own bespoke crafts business, the 46-year-old entrepreneur was also eager to help neighboring communities with training and skills knowledge.
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Photos: From water weed to artisan accessories
From water weed to artisan accessories – She explains: "I wanted to find a solution that one could pose that does not necessarily require a great deal of technical skill -- that you could buy in to and actually run with, without having to go to technical school. And the handicraft solution to me seemed like a win-win solution."
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Photos: From water weed to artisan accessories
From water weed to artisan accessories – "After we assist them with basic training, the rest is left up to their own creativity and we see them use the skills they have acquired to turn them into to products that we've never even mentioned."
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