One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of Gambia (Millbrook Picture Books)

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Miranda is a teacher and children’s author. She first traveled to Gambia in 2003 as a teacher and discovered Isatou’s project. Twelve years and five trips later, her research and collaboration finally brought the finished book to the world. “Through interviewing the women of Njau I learned the importance of determination and confidence when working on something worthwhile.” Miranda currently spends her days writing new books, traveling, raising butterflies and foster animals, and speaking at schools. Learn how to invite her to your classroom at www.MirandaPaul.com. TIAW World of Difference 100 Award Winners 2012" (PDF). The International Alliance for Women. 2012 . Retrieved 2019-11-01. [ permanent dead link] Isatou Ceesay's journey epitomises the adage that where others see problems, visionaries see opportunities. She didn't just aim for a cleaner environment; she aimed for transformed lives. Isatou's legacy is a testament to the power of innovation, determination, and the unwavering belief in the potential to effect change, no matter how daunting the challenge. MISSION: To raise awareness for children’s books that celebrate diversity, and to get more of these books into classrooms and libraries. Autumn 2 - Where will the polar bears live? Inspired by The Last Polar Bear by Jean Craighead George

Five female activists who are changing the world". Responsible Business. 2019-03-08 . Retrieved 2019-11-01. Isatou grew up in N’jau with two sisters and a brother. Her parents were farmers. As a girl, Isatou used bits of waste, like scraps of cloth and wood, to make dolls and other toys. This made her popular with her friends because children in her village didn’t have many things to play with. She was a bright girl who loved learning and always came near the top of her class. Sadly, her father died when Isatou was just 10 years old and her mother was left to support the family alone. Isatou desperately wanted to go to high school, but her mother couldn’t afford to send her. She needed Isatou to work to bring money into the home. This wasn’t unusual; in the Gambia an estimated 75 per cent of children do not have access to a proper education.I think that when you abuse your environment, you abuse yourself”– Isatou Ceesay When Isatou and four other women started the movement, the N’Jau recycling center, their mission is to educate on how to reclaim garbage and recycle plastic rather than letting it accumulate behind their homes. And Isatou didn’t stop there. She and her friends have used some of their income to fund a community vegetable garden, which raises money to send orphaned children to school. International markets When she first started making her purses, all those years ago, Isatou’s aims had been to solve the problem of plastic waste and allow women to earn money to support their families. Now she dreams of seeing more women leaders in her country. There are now five women on the N’jau village council, something Isatou would never have imagined possible. And as a mother to three sons, she sees it as her duty to leave the world a better place for future generations. She wants all children to have the chance to go to school. If they are taught to care about the environment, she explains, then we’ll be leaving the planet in good hands. WasteAid UK has offered support for The Gambian Women's Initiative, and Ceesay says it is helping to communicate her message far and wide. “I know that everyone working in sustainability is doing an amazing job, and if just 100 people read this I hope that maybe 25 can take away some benefit from what I am saying. This is my job, this is what I do, anyone that wants hear my advice is welcome – the more the better. I am so excited about the change we are all making together.“

Almost twenty years later, she one day came to notice just how ridiculed even the main streets of N’jau were plagued with high piles of trash, consisting of all forms from discarded plastics, tins, tires, house waste, and especially plastic bags, surrounded with puddles of water and malaria-infected mosquitoes[1,3]. Worst of all, the people of the village would have playgrounds, food markets and animal feeding grounds next to these piles, unaware of the harm in which they were putting themselves at risk. Because of this, animal deaths from consuming plastic plagued the village, as well as outbreaks of malaria and other diseases, dominated her village because there was no established system in place for trash disposal other than throwing it outside behind their homes[1,2]. Furthermore, because of poverty and desperation, people were starting to burn these plastic bags as fuel for warmth and cooking [1,2], and this was Ceesay’s call to action that something had to change. Using her gained knowledge of recycling and upcycling from the Peace Corps, together with her local women’s group, Ceesay brought to life the idea of reusing these plastic bags to make purses that could be sold for money. They would gather the plastic bags, dry them out and tear them into small yarn like threads called ‘plarn’ which they would weave into small hand held bags[1,2]. The process would utilize about ten plastic bags to make each of their bags[1,3], but even with this achievement societal norms were still against them for it was improper for women to be working and created ridicule was seen as improper to be digging through trash instead of doing typical household work and because they were all women, it also raised questions on their ability to execute[1]. Despite all this Ceesay remained determined and took her products to a nearby city to sell, and managed to sell out the first batch. With this, the business continued to grow and succeed and managed to create an income for the women of the village, who were now able to take care of their families and this continued growth led to the birth of the N’jau Recycling and Income Generation Group (NRIGG)[1,3]. Ceesay did not stop there however, she continued to help the women prosper by helping them manage this wealth and open bank accounts, and even went on to build a skill center in N’jau that would bring women together and help them work on broader lifestyle and professional skills[1]. Today, the center and model still continue to grow, as they have continued to turn different types of waste into different products including compost, jewelry, beads, armchairs, stools and has even expanded into selling to bigger markets including the United States[1].As a multimedia storytelling platform, 'Climate Heroes' is dedicated to producing compelling documentaries that spotlight the valiant efforts of individuals who are steadfastly combatting environmental challenges and mitigating the impacts of climate change.

When we learn as mothers, we can teach our children how to have a better life. Not everyone can work in an office. This is something you can do for yourself, and your family will grow up with this system.” Isatou started the organization, the Njau Recycling and Income Generation Group. More than 100 women participate in the organization. They gather waste and bring it to a central location to be used by everyone. Isatou's endeavours were recognised in 2012 when she received the Making a World of Difference Award from the International Alliance for Women. Her brainchild, the 'Women’s Initiative Gambia,' has trained over 11,000 individuals across the country on plastic hazards and waste upcycling opportunities. Her efforts earned her the title "Queen of Recycling," a moniker well-deserved.As well as organic fuel briquettes, the women learned how to turn plastic bags into paving slabs – although plastic bags were banned by the government in July – and fish and food waste into fertiliser.