Sown seed does not always yield. However, this time it was different. Many people cared for the grain, nurtured it and thanks to that the yield turned out to be very abundant. This symbolic crop is the Bottle Race 2018 taking place in Maamoura in Tunisia.
But let's start from the beginning. It is July 2016 and at the invitation of our Spanish friend Edu I landed in Molins de Rei, near Barcelona on the international Integart course, attended by 30 participants from 30 different countries. During it, we planned to implement various projects by sharing our experiences and ideas. I decided to "sell" one of my favorite topics, invented by me and held in Bydgoszcz from 10 years The Great Bottle Race. Amal from Tunisia became very interested in this subject, which she told about it in her organization when she returned home. The topic matured for some time, but after a few months the issue gained momentum and a proposal was made to organize such a race in Tunisia. Of course, I do not have to add that I got really excited about this idea. It was left to agree on "a few" details and so at the invitation of Rachid - the head of the organization AVEC and Mohammed - the head of the organization APLM I landed in the village of Maamoura.
This project proved to be a huge challenge for us all. They did not know me, and although I theoretically agreed all the details by e-mail, I was not sure what was waiting for me at the end. Everything, however, went according to plan. We worked well together and the preparations for the race were in full swing. Four teams were preparing to take off. I gave them all my theoretical and practical knowledge about the construction of boats from plastic bottles, all the details, facilities. Only hours to the race remained. Well, but there must always be "but". This time it was a change of weather and the need to move the race for the next week. And that unfortunately meant that I would not watch it live. It was a huge disappointment for me.
Well, we're going back to 2018. Last year's race's success paid off and 12 teams of adults and 5 children started this year. It was also an international competition, because apart from the teams representing the locals, namely AVEC, APLM and youth home from Maamoura, teams from Algeria, Morocco, Turkey, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria and even from Ghana and China competed.
On the eve of the race there was a carnival combined with the presentation of boats taking part in the race. But the race itself is not only fun and competition. It is also an attempt to draw attention to the great problem of pollution of the environment and the role of waste segregation and recycling.
Until the day that everyone waited for was the day of the race.
I am terribly sorry that I could not be there and see it with my own eyes, but on the other hand I'm also very happy and proud, because once a long time ago everything started here in Bydgoszcz, Poland from the proverbial one bottle and now thanks to the fantastic work of many people we can see such a fantastic event like this one in Maamoura, Tunisia.
Particularly huge thanks and words of appreciation for Rachid and Mohamed. 
