The Flipflopi Project
Turning waste into opportunity for children and the climate
At Far and Wild Travel, we believe that travel is not only about exploring new destinations and making unforgettable memories – it's also an opportunity to make a positive impact on the world. That’s why we’re proud to partner with the Flipflopi Project, an East African movement tackling plastic pollution where its impacts are felt most sharply. Their work in Lamu and beyond shows how circular innovation can strengthen education, protect fragile ecosystems, and create practical change for communities who have long been underserved.
About the Flipflopi Project
Flipflopi began with a simple idea, waste plastic should never be burned, buried, or left to choke coastlines. In Lamu, where 68% of Kenya’s mangroves meet rising tides of unmanaged waste, the team built East Africa’s first recycled‑plastic dhow to prove what was possible. Today, their recycling facility turns locally recovered plastic into durable school furniture, giving children safe places to learn while reducing pressure on forests and cutting emissions. Their education programmes reach thousands of students each year, linking environmental stewardship with practical skills and dignity in the classroom.
Education, innovation, and long‑term community resilience
Flipflopi’s approach goes beyond manufacturing desks. Their Verified Plastic Recovery Programme diverts material that would otherwise be burned or leak into the ocean. Their vocational training centre teaches traditional craftsmanship and circular‑economy principles, offering young people pathways into skilled work. Every intervention is designed to strengthen local agency, providing cleaner environments, safer schools, and livelihoods connected to sustainable materials rather than extractive ones.
Our partnership in 2026
In 2026, Far and Wild Travel is providing a £2,500 grant to manufacture and deliver recycled‑plastic desks and chairs for Emukishu ECD School in Laikipia. The school serves children aged three to eight who were previously taught under a tree, and this furniture will give around forty pupils their first stable, weather‑resistant classroom setup. Our contribution also strengthens Flipflopi’s wider recycling line, supporting verified plastic recovery, reduced open burning, and lower pressure on local forests.
How you can get involved
Travelling with Far and Wild directly supports this partnership. Each desk produced through Flipflopi’s recycling line prevents plastic from being burned or dumped, avoids emissions linked to timber furniture, and contributes to safer, more dignified classrooms. When visiting Kenya, travellers may have the opportunity to see Flipflopi’s work first‑hand, from the recycling process in Lamu to the impact of new furniture in schools like Emukishu. Your journey helps sustain a model that links environmental recovery with improved learning conditions for young children. By choosing trips that invest in community‑led solutions, you help ensure that waste becomes a resource, forests remain standing, and early‑years education begins on solid ground.
Speak to a Kenya expert today
and start planning your tailor-made holiday
Alistair
