Gambian Women Make Purses from Trash Bags
Cool video about purses, check it out:
The women of Mandinaba, The Gambia, west Africa generate income by crocheting coin purses from strips of recycled plastic bags (read on to find out where to buy). To a soundtrack of Baaba Maal (from the CD Missing You (Mi Yeewnii), track: Jamma Jenngii); if you like it, please buy it.) The Mandinaba Womens’ Recycling Group is a 14-member association recently started in the small West African village of Mandinaba located in the Western Region of The Gambia. The village has an estimated population of 2500. There are eight different ethnic groups, the majority being the Mandinka, Jola and Fula tribes. Farming is the most common occupation for the village residents. Farmers cultivate crops including groundnuts (peanuts), millet, bananas, mangos and oranges. The village women also do gardening and produce vegetable crops including cabbage, onions, peppers and okra. These crops are then sold at local market and are the main source of income for the women. Employment opportunities for women go small beyond this with the exception of small-scale business endeavors such as soap making, fish pie, and tie/dye making. It was under these circumstances that the recycling group was formed. A Peace Corp volunteer Health and Community extension agent learned that several of the women in the community knew how to crochet but used it to no economic advantage. She then contacted Isatou Ceesay, Project coordinator of the Njau Women Recycling Group working for the Swedish NGO Future in Our …
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