PLASTIC WHALE SHARK – Kids’ Playgrounds from Plastic Waste in the Philippines

PLASTIC WHALE SHARK – LET¨S BUILD KID’S PLAYGROUNDS FROM PLASTIC WASTE IN THE PHILIPPINES

For the last 10 years, I have been working in law firms as a litigator, attorney at law fighting for clients in courtrooms in the Czech Republic (EU). That changed in May 2019. I quit my job, sold/donated most of my stuff and embarked on a soul-searching journey to the other side of the world.

When I was in the Philippines, I saw a lot of plastics in the sea. I had an idea. I would collect the plastic waste and use it to build a kids' playground.

1. SCHOOL PLAYGROUND BUILT FROM PLASTIC BOTTLES

Together with kids from the elementary school in Tuble (Cebu island) we collected around 5,000 of old plastic bottles, which we then used for building:

(i) 26 square metres playground made of plastic bottles which the kids use for jumping and playing games. This playground symbolizes the ocean polluted by plastic waste; and

(ii) A plastic whale shark which body is filled up with bags of plastic bottles and which has become a symbol of this non-profit organisation. It warns of the impact this plastic pollution has on animals living in the oceans which often swallow pieces of plastics and die because of it.

The kids and I have also created an education board, educating kids on how to reduce using plastics, how not to throw plastic rubbish on the ground and how to help protecting the ocean and animals.

2. NO WATER AT SCHOOL

During my stay at the school in Tuble I found out that there was no running water. This is a big problem for 368 kids and the teachers who spend 10 hours per day (from 7 am until 5 pm) at the school. They have to transfer water to school in small canisters. However, that is not enough and as a result, a lot of times the kids cannot use the toilets at the school.

They need water pumps which will pump water from a water tap (which runs water at night only) into a big empty water tank near one of the classrooms.

I have made a promise to them that I would use all my effort to raise money to buy the needed water pumps.

3. THE GOAL OF PLASTIC WHALE SHARK

After my return back home, I have founded the non-profit organisation PLASTIC WHALE SHARK which goal is to:

1. Help protect the oceans by collecting the plastic waste in the Philippines, as the Philippines has become the world’s third largest source of plastic leaking into the ocean;

2. Use the plastic waste to build playgrounds to bring joy to kids at schools in the Philippines; and

3. Improve toilet/water system at the elementary school in Tuble in the Philippines to assure basic hygienic conditions for the kids.

4. HOW YOU CAN HELP

I need to raise USD 6,000 to do the following:

(i) To build a new beautiful playground called “The Plastic Labyrinth” - a maze over 100 square metres in size which will be built from plastic bottles, Eco-Bricks (plastic bottles filled with various plastic waste such us candy packings) and wooden posts.

It will be built at the elementary school in Saavedra on the Cebu island. I already spoke with the teachers at the school and they would very appreciate to have a playground for kids and they would also assist me with collecting the plastic bottles for the playground;

(ii)To motivate people living in the Moalboal district on the Cebu Island to start collecting plastic waste (which can be used to build the playgrounds). I want to buy rice and other commodities and exchange those for the plastic waste they will collect; and

(iii)To buy water pumps for the elementary school in Tuble to pump water into the school's water tank from which the water will be redistributed to the classrooms.

The plan is to start with this project in the Philippines in March 2020.

REWARD FOR THE DONORS: For every USD 22 you will get 1 plastic bottle with your name on it which will become part of my next kids’ playground called “The Plastic Labyrinth”.

Everything will be documented (photos and videos) and published here and also on Facebook and Instagram account of @plasticwhaleshark

I will be grateful for any amount you donate. Even a small amount will make a difference.

I strongly believe I can do it and that we can do it together!

Mgr. Petr Kolar (my FB and Instagram: @petekola1), the founder of the non-profit organisation Plastic Whale Shark (@plasticwhaleshark, e-mail: [email protected])