The Nile River has carried life for thousands of years. Its waters fed ancient civilizations, sustained fishing traditions, and remain central to Egypt’s culture today. But in recent decades, that lifeline has been suffocated by one of the planet’s most pervasive threats: plastic pollution.

Fishing on the Nile, a practice as old as the river itself, has slowed dramatically as plastic chokes spawning grounds and tangles nets. Entire communities that once thrived on the river’s abundance now struggle to survive. But in Cairo, one group decided to flip the script.

Gifts of the Nile, a Rivers are Life film, spotlights VeryNile and their groundbreaking Reviving Cairo Fishermen project. Launched in 2018 by Alban de Ménonville, the initiative empowers fishermen and women to reclaim their river. They are paid above-average wages to remove plastic from the water, while also gaining access to healthcare and new opportunities.

The results speak volumes: nearly 40 tons of plastic are removed from the Nile every year. That waste is then transformed into sellable products, fueling a circular economy that benefits both the river and the community.

What makes this project powerful isn’t just the cleanup, it’s the dignity it restores. By aligning conservation with livelihoods, VeryNile proves that environmental action doesn’t have to come at the expense of people. Instead, it can strengthen communities, sustain traditions, and revive a river’s gifts for future generations.

Gifts of the Nile reminds us that protecting rivers isn’t charity, it’s justice. And when solutions are built on equity and innovation, they ripple far beyond the water.