Reviving Cairo Fishermen

Launched in September 2020, this project socially and economically empowers local fishermen to clean the Nile on a daily basis. Every day, this new green army removes an average of 100kg of plastic waste from the Nile - almost 40 tons per year!

Fisherwomen and fishermen already work (and many even live on their boats) on the Nile. They possess small boats that can reach any location on the Nile, they know the Nile better than anyone. Most importantly, they know preserving the Nile will bring back biodiversity, a higher availability of fish. For thousands of years, people have been fishing on the Nile. VeryNile aims to preserve this unique cultural heritage by ensuring a sustainable approach to fishing while preserving tradition through innovation.

This project empowers the marginalized community of fishermen of the Nile through an environmental process of collecting recyclables and trash from the Nile. In exchange for cleaning the Nile, fishermen receive a financial incentive (per kg of trash collected), social insurance and social services (access to educational and healthcare services), as well as environmental workshops and trainings.
The collected recyclables are segregated and compacted in VeryNile’s Fishermen Hub which is located on Qursaya Island, before being sold back to recycling facilities to recreate new products.

100 Tons

of recyclables
removed from the Nile
by the fishermen

46

Number of fishermen
who have joined
this initiative

In collaboration with:

Cleaning Boat

On March 22nd, 2021 VeryNile launched the first cleaning boat in Africa. VeryNile I has been designed in Germany by the NGO One Earth One Ocean and built in Egypt thanks to their support.

The boat has a capacity to collect 500kg of solid waste per week. The waste is collected through the front basket and segregated on the boat. The boat is operating 5 days per week around the Island of Qursaya.

OEOO is funding the entire project and financially supports the daily operations of VeryNile, contributing to job creation in marginalized communities.

In collaboration with:

Cleaning Events

VeryNile organizes various clean-up events where volunteers can gather in one predetermined location to physically clean the banks of the Nile. The clean-up events also raise awareness about the cause while engaging youth, while also generating significant exposure and visibility. Due to the media coverage of our events, VeryNile has initiated a crucial discussion about the pollution that accumulates in the Nile and the various innovative solutions available.

Since its inception VeryNile has engaged 3,800 volunteers in cleaning activities in Cairo, Luxor, Minya, and Qanater.