Tonny Wamboga (Our Roots Africa)
Tonny Wamboga sweeps his hand over a field of hollow grass stalks as they shuffle in the breeze. “This is where we got the idea.”
This grass, called luseke, was the inspiration for Tonny and the Our Roots Africa team to create a plant-based, biodegradable drinking straw.
Our Roots Africa
Our Roots Africa is based in Kampala, Uganda. Tonny says, “Our goal is to produce plant-based alternatives for single-use plastic.”
Using the locally grown luseke, Our Roots Africa produces 5,000 straws each week. Their target audience for the straw is environmentally-conscious individuals, restaurants and hotels worldwide.
Our Roots Africa addresses a widespread environmental crisis. Each year, “8-12M tons of plastic pollution make it into the world’s oceans. Straws are one of the most widely reported plastic items found during beach clean-up” (Our Roots Africa.)
As they connect with places to buy and sell their products, Tonny says that the next goal of Our Roots Africa is to create more products, such as stir-sticks, learning tools, and bath sponges that will replace common single-use plastic versions of these items.
While creating more products that cause less environmental harm, the company will also reintroduce luseke as a profitable crop to support farmers in the Kampala area. Luseke matures quickly and grows year-round, providing financial stability to these farmers.
Our Roots Africa in the Because Accelerator
Tonny took part in the 2019 Because Accelerator Cohort, a free business accelerator designed to provide training and mentorship for entrepreneurs as they develop their innovative products. “I hope that with the Because Accelerator program I can grow my skills and my team,” he shares. Tonny is excited to expand and create more plant-based products.