Jimcale is 21-year-olds, fighting against plastic waste in his country of Somaliland.

He was born and raised in Hargeisa, Somaliland. Two years ago, he noticed plastic waste had become a major problem in his country, and no one was doing anything to improve it. 

In 2019, Jimcale founded Plastic Venture – a recycling startup that turns plastic bags and bottles into paving blocks and face shields. Over the past years, Jimcale’s startup recycled over five thousand kilograms of plastic waste that would otherwise end up polluting the planet. 

As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, Jimcale realized the need for high-quality, affordable masks to protect people in his country.  Since most people in his community were living on low incomes, they had difficulty affording and accessing masks. Plastic Venture began to produce face shields using materials from recycled plastic bottles. So far, Plastic Venture has successfully delivered over one thousand face shields in his country. 

Jimcale believes the safety of a face mask is a basic human right, so he plans to continue mask and shield production until everyone in Somaliland has one. 

Ultimately, Jimcale envisions a country and a world free of plastic waste, where people and the planet’s animals live decently and safely.

Currently, Jimcale is working towards his International Business & Trade Degree at the University of African Leadership University in Rwanda. He will continue to grow Plastic Venture and raise awareness about plastic waste in Somaliland. He was recently selected to attend the Youth4Climate: Driving Ambition event organized by the Government of Italy, which will take place in September 2021 in Milan.