Nzambi Matee

Nzambi Matee (born September 19 1992) is a Kenyan trained mechanical engineer, environmentalist, hardware designer, inventor and serial entrepreneur. She is well known for her innovative and creative ways of converting waste into sustainable materials.

Matee's company, Gjenge Makers, produces sustainable low-cost construction materials made of recycled plastic waste and sand. She has partnered with different manufacturers of plastics bottle tops and seals in the beverage and pharmaceutical industries in Kenya to collect offcuts and scraps.

Quotes

• Plastic waste is everywhere and it’s not going anywhere. The question is what we do with it. What you see as waste, I see as the foundation for something greater.
  • [1]

• I was tired of being on the sidelines.
  • [2]

• What if we could turn this plastic waste into something useful?
  • Matee on her inspiration

• It is absurd that we still have this problem of providing decent shelter – a basic human need,plastic is a material that is misused and misunderstood. the potential is enormous, but its after life can be disastrous.
  • [3]

• I feel so proud knowing I am building something useful out of waste.
  • [4]

• Plastic waste is not just a Kenya problem, but it's a worldwide problem.

• We decided what more can we do instead of just sitting in the sidelines and complaining. Essentially, companies have to pay to dispose the waste, so we solved their problem.

• It is absurd that we still have this problem of providing decent shelter – a basic human need. Plastic is a material that is misused and misunderstood. The potential is enormous, but its afterlife can be disastrous.
  • [[5]]

• For me, I was just tired of being on the sidelines of seeing plastic. I really jumped in, off a cliff without a parachute. I was building it as I was falling down but isn't that how great things are done? So act for nature.
  • [[6]]