00:01These chess sets are tournament quality.
00:04But unlike the usual official boards, they are made using discarded plastic waste
00:08collected in the sprawling Kibirai informal settlement in Kenya's capital Nairobi.
00:14Community project Kijiji Solutions has recycled about 200 kilograms of plastic to produce nearly 2,000 sets.
00:22And in partnership with the gift of chess, they are giving children who otherwise couldn't afford it
00:28access to the mind game that relies on strategy, logic and calculation.
00:33We collect plastics along with other waste in the saloon here in Kibirai
00:39and we sort it and process it.
00:42We send the particular plastics that we need to a processor in another settlement.
00:49It comes back to us after washing and shredding and other processes as pellets that we use in our process,
00:56which is an extruder with molds that we had custom made here in Nairobi that are in the shape of
01:03chess pieces.
01:05Children playing and practicing their chess at the center of Hope School in Kibirai using sets made by Kijiji Solutions.
01:12Teachers and students say learning how to play the game has improved their concentration,
01:16critical thinking, math skills and confidence.
01:20Chess is normally regarded as a rich man's sport.
01:23It's very difficult to find chess in the slums.
01:26But for these kids, I feel like it gives them an escape from the life within the slums
01:32because once they go to that board, it does not matter where you come from.
01:36It's just your skills and your competence.
01:39And I believe these kids with the opportunity that they have, they have that skill, they have the competence
01:43and they are doing really good.
01:44It's widely believed that playing chess can help improve academic performance,
01:49particularly math's ability, by enhancing problem-solving skills.
01:54The school's head teacher says it considers chess an important part of the curriculum.
01:59When I started chess, I was not very good, so I always came for training every day.
02:06So after some months, I started improving in my academics.
02:12In maths, I used to get 80, 90 or 100.
02:17And even chess, I was good because I went for some tournaments which were my first
02:24and I got even certificates and medals.
02:26The project not only tackles plastic pollution but also offers Kabira's children new opportunities
02:32and hope for the future.
