We are a social enterprise that upcycles washed-up flip-flops found along the beaches and waterways in Kenya. Inspired by the toys children were making out of the flip-flop debris, Julie Church, the Ocean Sole Founder, encouraged their mothers to collect, wash and cut the discarded flip-flops into colourful products to sell at local Kenyan Markets, another means of income for their families.
Our social enterprise positively impacts over 1,00 Kenyans through the collection of flip-flops and direct employment. We provide a steady income to nearly 100 low-income Kenyans in our company. We aim to recycle a million flip flops a year, recycle over one tonne of styrofoam a month, and save over five hundred trees a year – by using flip flops instead of wood. We contribute over 10-15% of our revenue to beach cleanups, vocational and educational programmes, and conservation efforts.
We use our social enterprise to pay bonuses to employees and invest in a welfare programme that allows a zero return in funds to help facilitate payments for educating their children, buying land, and other means. Our actions must make a difference to the plight of our oceans, and our ethos is to give back what we earn to change the lives of many – through employment, education, and meals.
Our Mission
We turn flip-flops into art and functional products and, in turn, raise visual awareness of the problem at hand. By creating these sculptures, we are creating employment for a country with over 35% of the population living under the poverty line. We are also sending a message about how we can help our planet, our oceans, and people by creating beautiful art that portrays an important message about the state of our oceans.
Our business is all about the community. We support men, women, youth (18 to 35), fisherman and other entrepreneurs that are all part of our eco-system. Whether picking up flip-flops that we pay for or using our waste for up-cycled products such as mattresses, our community engagement has been strong and is at the core of our business and hearts.
