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Expert in Creating Green and Balanced Spaces |
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Interview with Miranda K. Paul, owner.
Norma: I gather there are a lot of plastic bags lying around in Gambia? Please explain the situation. Miranda: YES - the plastic bag situation in The Gambia is horrendous. It is a problem in both urban and rural areas. There is no official waste management system throughout the country, and the introduction of imported plastic bags to the markets well over 10 years ago caused many impoverished people to turn to this cheap method of carrying parcels, etc. No education about or understanding of the nature of plastic was given to people. Many farmers who rely on livestock were seeing unexplained deaths in their goats especially, and butchers are commonly finding plastic bags wrapped around the intestines of these animals who died unexpectedly. Many of the women in Njau also noticed that these plastic bags were getting buried under the soil and their gardens wouldn't grow. Other problems surrounding the plastic bag trash includes large pools of water / breeding ground for mosquitoes and all kinds of trash contaminating water supplies in rural areas. There are very few, if any, places I have traveled to in Gambia where plastic trash is not a problem. I don't have any official numbers of how many lbs. of plastic trash might still be left to clean up, as it is continually added to daily as there is still no limit, ban or education about these plastic bags on a wide scale and it's the most convenient means of toting goods from the market for customers who didn't "bring their own bag". ALL of the bags used from the women of Njau are literally recycled trash. I have found out that several "green" products or companies are actually using new plastic to make such objects, and I am appalled because that's contributing to the problem. The point of this project is that one day, the women will be done making these bags and can move on to other things. The bags are washed TWICE, and bags that are too dirty are not used.
In 1997, a Peace Corps Volunteer by the name of Peggy Sedlack was sent to Njau, Gambia, and during her stay she went to a training seminar with Isatou Ceesay (a native of Njau, Gambia) in Senegal that addressed creative solutions to environmental problems. Peggy and Isatou came up with the idea to do something about the problems that plastic bags were causing, and first began with five women. Before the women were taught how to clean and recycle the plastic to make purses, Isatou wanted them to understand completely the environmental impact of plastic, trash, and exactly why this was so important. Isatou even told me personally that she "quizzed" the women and no woman could actually make the purses until she demonstrated a true understanding of the project. Income generation was not an immediate goal of the project, but an after effect. For almost 9 years, the women struggled with what to do with the purses once they were created. The Peace Corps volunteers and a few visitors to the country had been their biggest market, and Worldgoods began placing orders shortly after being established in 2007. They used to sell the coin purses at .60-$.90 each. Today, over 69 women have been taught the skill. Worldgoods has been able to increase the price paid to each woman by well over 300%, and much of the income has been vital throughout the drought and for the initiative to send all girls and boys alike in the village to school. Njau is the cleanest village I've seen in The Gambia. In fact, most of the collected plastic trash for the women is coming from other participating villages who have collection boxes now. People don't litter and there were no plastic bags at any of the shops I visited in Njau, which is different from everywhere else in Gambia where everyone from kids to elders throw trash on the ground. Isatou said that many people in the country are looking to Njau (a very tiny and poor village) as an example for all of Gambia. Partnering with several Peace Corps Volunteers and the Swedish NGO "Future in Our Hands" they now have a Skills Centre Building at which each woman has a savings account box, a place to hold meetings or come and work (although much of the work is done in-home and at individual pace of each woman's lifestyle) and to join in free literacy or other classes and training. For many of the women, the education afforded by the skills center is the first education they are receiving in their lifetime. Please describe the best selling products and include prices.
Recycled
Plastic Coin Purse - Zips at top. Recycles 10 plastic shopping-size bags
in a sturdy, crocheted style. Inside each purse you'll find a hand-written
tag of the woman who made it. Measures approx. 4" high x 6" wide. Hand
Wash. Assorted Colors. Retail Price $9.95 Recycled Plastic Cosmetic / Make-Up Bag - Zips at top. Recycles 25 plastic shopping-size bags in a sturdy, crocheted style. Inside each purse you'll find a hand-written tag of the woman who made it. Measures approx. 6" high x 10" wide. Hand Wash. Assorted Colors. Retail Price $15.95
Recycled
Plastic Shoulder Bag/Tote - Open at top. Shoulder strap measures approx
20". Recycles 25 plastic shopping-size bags in a a loosely crocheted
style. Inside each purse you'll find a hand-written tag of the woman who
made it. Measures approx. 9" high x 9" wide. Hand Wash. Assorted Colors.
Retail Price $19.95
----NEW PRODUCTS COMING in Spring/Summer 2008---- Recycled Plastic Bookmark with Crocheted Designs - Comes with Assorted design woven into the pattern and charm affixed at top.Measures approx 5" x 1 1/2".Hand Wash. Recycled Men's Wallet - Tri-fold. Recycles 10-12 plastic shopping-size bags in a a tightly crocheted style. Inside each purse you'll find a hand-written tag of the woman who made it. Measures approx. 4" x 3" (folded). Hand Wash. Black or Blue only. Recycled Plastic Oversize Shopping Bag - Open at top. Shoulder strap measures approx 24". Recycles 40 plastic shopping-size bags in a a loosely crocheted style. Inside each purse you'll find a hand-written tag of the woman who made it. Measures approx. 12" high x 18" wide. Hand Wash. Assorted Colors. Please tell me about Isatou Ceesay and a couple other women and how this income has affected their lives. I have many interviews with the women about how this income has afftected their lives. A large portion of the women have noted how it makes paying school fees for their children a possibility. Others have said that they are able to diversify their nutrition and serve healthier meals. Specifically, three stories are briefly highlighted in the brochure (Jay, Amie, and Horajo). Another story that comes to mind specifically is one woman who used to have to borrow cooking pots for each meal from her neighbors. She said she used the income from her first few purses to buy herself a cooking pot so she could make meals for her family when she needed to.
Goods from the Njau Recycling and Income Generating group are available in the US through Worldgoods Fair Trade. To order online, simply go to www.worldgoodsfairtrade.com or www.worldgoodsgb.com (Same site) and click "Shop our Store." Goods from this group are consistently kept in stock in quantity. In the spirit of Fair Trade and primary goal of helping artisan groups to become self-sufficient, Worldgoods does not hold exclusive contracts with any supplier and would be happy to provide contact and ordering information for companies that would like to place orders with the women's coop directly.
I am copying Isatou Ceesay on this message. She checks email whenever she gets the chance and she's an amazing woman. You could ask her some questions yourself if you'd like. She is one of the most amazing women I have ever met, and she's gone through a pretty tough life herself. I could tell you all about it, but perhaps out of respect for her I will let her share what she'd like published about herself personally if you'd like to include any of that. I will say, however, that given all of her hardships and limited opportunities and limited education, she is a shining example of "Women Who Light the Dark" and who work very hard to make positive change. For more information, go to WorlGgoods Fair Trade.
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Harmonious Environment |
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