Water Hyacinth Products from Kenya
Water hyacinth is an invasive aquatic plant found in Lake Victoria. The plant has wreaked havoc on the ecology of the lake and the lives of the people who depend on the local environment for a living. Attempts to eradicate the plant from the lake have been unsuccessful, and a recent report from the Kenya Marine Fisheries Research Institute recommends the development of new commercial uses for water hyacinth as the best method for controlling the weed. By creating a commercial demand for hyacinth, Sisalwood will be improving the livelihoods of local residents while simultaneously contributing to efforts to control this invasive species. We are currently working with a community based project in western Kenya to provide water hyacinth products in the near future.

Banana Fiber Products from Kenya
Approximately 50 million banana tree stems go wasted every year in Kenya.  Each banana stem produces fruit only once, after which it is chopped down. The chopped stems are used for animal feed or are tilled back into the soil. In both cases, the nutritional value is minimal. Sisalwood is working with the NGO Technoserve – Business Solutions to Poverty and banana farmer cooperatives to utilize banana bark, an agricultural residue, to make Sisalwood products in the near future.

Coconut Fiber Products from India
Coconut fiber, or coir, is an agricultural byproduct made from coconut husks. Sisalwood has recently begun producing coconut fiber products sourced from a social enterprise in India which prioritizes steady incomes, benefits, and skill enhancement opportunities for its rural artisans.

Copyright 2012 Sisalwood