Turning Water Hyacinth Plants into Handcrafts



The Water Hyacinth project in Yaba College of Technology was initiated by Dr. Funmilayo Doherty in 2012. She is mentoring students through her Water Hyacinth project, to turn the invasive plant into a money maker, training them on how to make different eco friendly hand craft, biogas and animal feed from the plant. She teaches students on how to harvest the plant, dry it and weave into products that can be sold by the students.

 In Nigeria almost all river bodies have been dominated by water hyacinth. The plant can be found in several coastal communities in Lagos State such as Ikorodu, Epe, Ojo, OwodeOnirin, Oworonsoki, Lagos Lagoon, Ebute Metta, among others. The weeds often serve as hideouts to dangerous reptiles, especially snakes and crocodiles. The presence of the weeds in the Lagos Lagoon had created a lot of problems for the smooth navigation of boats and other water crafts.

Stage 1 - On the Field

 

Stage 2 - Drying the harvested plant

Stage 3 - Making the product

Stage 4 - The Final Product!