The Moka’mwad collective called for volunteers in Moka and the central area of the island on Saturday 8 August 2020 to help make floating booms. The work is continuing in Bagatelle and the solidarity displayed by the Mauritian people has won worldwide acclaim.
The Moka’mwad collective brought together residents of Moka and the surroundings to contribute to the national effort to stop the spread of oil released in the crystal clear lagoons of the South-East by the stranded bulk carrier, MV Wakashio.
Volunteers used the Moka Shuttle to travel to Bar Le Duc in order to collect sugarcane straw, which was subsequently used to stuff nylon mesh (“sarlon”) to make floating booms – as initially recommended by experts in the field. Three kilometres of booms were produced over the weekend and then sent to the South.
Other tests carried out at sea since then have shown that geotextile seemed better suited than sarlon. Thicker and more compact booms also appeared to be more efficient. The volunteers took account of the latest guidelines when they returned to work on Monday morning. The mass production of geotextile tubes is currently under way at Compagnie Mauricienne de Textile (CMT). Upon reaching Bagatelle, they are filled with sugarcane straw and empty canisters before being sewn by the volunteers.
How to participate
“It was very impressive to see the flow of volunteers who have gathered at Bagatelle since Saturday,” says the Moka’mwad collective’s Manager, Ketty Lim Ka Lan. “It was urgent for us to produce the booms quickly. Unfortunately, some of them were not strong enough to be used at sea. To avoid wasting time, travel and materials (representing additional pollution), we now undertake a quality control.”
With the automation of the production process, the Bagatelle site won’t require additional volunteers until Friday 14 August. Those who have the time and wish to give a hand are welcome, but they have no assurance to be mobilised at this stage. However, you can help by donating bottles of at least 1.5 litres capacity, canisters, large needles and gloves!
Thank you all!
“We thank ENL Agri and Alteo for the sugarcane straw, Velogic and FedEx for the logistics and Bagatelle Mall’s tenants who offered food and drink to the volunteers. Heartfelt thanks also to all the Mauritians who donated their time and energy. Without the support of all these people, we would not have been able to make such progress in such a short time,” says Ketty.