Running your campaign

Find your focus

A good campaign starts with a clear idea. What do you want to change? For Flipflopi, the focus was clear: stop the production and sale of unnecessary, harmful single-use plastics.

Ask yourself:

What is the problem we want to solve?
What law or policy needs to change?
Who has the power to change it?

Be specific. It’s easier to gain support for clear, realistic proposals.

Build your case

You need evidence to support your campaign. That could include:

Local data on plastic waste or pollution
Health or economic impacts
Stories from people affected
Successful examples from other places

 How the Flipflopi did it...

Flipflopi used lessons from their work in Lamu – a coastal town with limited waste services – to show how single-use plastics affect human health, marine life, fishing, tourism, and local economies. That local story helped make the case for national and regional action.

Young people protesting against plastic pollution

Mobilise support

No one changes policy alone. Flipflopi launched a petition and collected over 16,000 signatures. We met with leaders, hosted events, and joined local and global campaigns.

Who can support your campaign?

Community groups
Schools and youth organisations
Religious or traditional leaders
Business associations
Media and influencers

Make sure your message is simple and clear. Repeat it often.

‘Kiragala’ is a Luganda word that means ‘Green’. This particular song advocates for climate justice by encouraging people to go green, preserve the environment and stand against the single use of plastic.

This song celebrates the work that East Africa has done to stand against plastic pollution, particularly Uganda as the first landlocked country to sign the UN Environmental Program Clean Seas pledge thus committing to curb the flow of marine litter and plastic waste entering lakes, rivers, and the ocean. It encourages each one to play their part and reminds us that this earth is our only home.

Choose your communication channels

Different audiences respond to different platforms. Use what works for your community:

WhatsApp for local updates and sharing petitions
TikTok and Instagram for younger audiences
Radio or town criers for wider rural reach
Face-to-face meetings for building trust

Flipflopi used colourful boats, creative art and media coverage to spark conversations across Kenya and beyond. The Flipflopi dhow sailed to several East African countries promoting the Clean Seas campaign and calling for policy change.

A group of students holding reusable water bottles gifted by the Flipflopi Project

Be visible, be vocal

Organise events. Invite elected officials to see your work. Hold beach cleanups or school activities and link them to your campaign message. Flipflopi used World Environment Day, sailing events, and school visits to build momentum.

And when you get support from someone influential – like a mayor, minister, or even the Queen of Buganda – share it widely!

 How the Flipflopi did it...

Building public support through storytelling

To gather broad-based support for the Single-Use Plastics Bill, Flipflopi launched a regional campaign using digital media, mainstream media and artivism to reach not just environmentalists, but the wider public – especially young people, shoreline communities, policymakers and small business owners who are often on the frontline of plastic pollution.

The campaign used a mix of songs like Kirangala by Sandraa Subi and Plastiki by Loko band to art murals and Instagram and WhatsApp campaigns, Flipflopi invited local artists, teachers, students and traders to think about how plastic affects their lives and what changes they want to see.

Besides raising awareness, the campaign encouraged people to take action and be an active part of change by signing a petition that shows policymakers that we’re ready for change! Gaining support from high profile figures and 20+ East African legislators to nearly 20,000 citizens, this mix of grassroots and high-level support is helping to build political will, encouraging lawmakers to take the Bill seriously.

And as much as gaining support through grassroots channel is important, media partners are crucial to the success of our campaign.

Art and activism combine at the Flipflopi Project

Through Africa 21 and its partners, the Flipflopi has been lucky to share our campaign with over 40 African journalists who report on environmental and circular issues giving us the opportunity to tap into the power of mass media to influence public opinion.