Revolutionary Collaboration: Soneva Namoona and WDCs Launch Alun Balun Resale Market in Noonu Atoll

By collaborating with six Women's Development Committees (WDCs) from Noonu Magoodhoo, Lhohi, Kudafari, Maafaru, Landhoo, and Holhudhoo to host the atoll's first resale market concurrently across the six islands, Soneva Namoona has expanded its wildly popular Alun Balun Resale Market to Noonu Atoll.

Soneva Namoona and WDCs from seven islands in the Baa Atoll joined together to launch the Alun Balun Resale Market in October 2022.

The market strives to empower women as environmental stewards while fostering a culture of resource conservation and reuse. For sale on neighboring Namoona islands, reusable objects are taken from homes by WDCs, cleaned and repaired as necessary, and then transported.

The difficulty of selling used things to a small number of families is overcome by WDCs thanks to this cycle of goods. The Alun Balun Resale Market has produced almost 20,000 MVR since it opened and stopped over 500 things from going to the dump or being burned.

The Alun Balun initiative's participating islands can look forward to a number of advantages. The program lessens the amount of waste that is transferred to landfills and incinerators by diverting reusable products away from Island Waste Management Centers (IWMCs).

By developing leadership abilities and giving WDCs more exposure, the initiative also seeks to strengthen WDCs throughout the islands while raising awareness of resource conservation and reuse.

In order to build on the successes seen in Baa Atoll, the Alun Balun resale market in Noonu Atoll promotes an awareness of environmental responsibility and promotes the reuse of items. The Noonu Atoll Council and the six island councils support the market's operation.

Bringing the Alun Balun Resale Market to Noonu Atoll is something we are eager to do. We want to encourage a paradigm shift in the atoll-wide approach to reusing things. The market links the Women's Development Committees and has helped us improve communication between them. remarked Kudafari WDC President Milhana Ibrahim.

In order to make the Alun Balun resale market a recurring event in Noonu atoll that would survive longer than the terms of the existing elected councils and WDCs, we are working closely with the Soneva Namoonaa team and WDCs. We are therefore making every effort to formalize this endeavor. According to Mohamed Basheer, president of the Noonu Atoll Council, "this program will have a long-lasting effect on waste management and help promote a circular economy in the atoll."

"We are thrilled to assist the Alun Balun Resale Market's expansion to Noonu Atoll. This will promote the reuse of products that would otherwise be pointlessly disposed of in landfills. We applaud the Women's Development Committees for their efforts, as well as the Noonu Atoll Council and the island councils for their assistance in making this project a success. Together, we can improve trash management and environmental sustainability," stated Soneva Namoona's Khadeeja Hamid.