Forces of Nature: Isatou Ceesay

“I think that when we abuse our environment, we are really abusing ourselves.” - Isatou Ceesay

(Photo: Climate Heroes) Isatou's story is about the importance of women's education and empowerment and why this matters so much to climate and development.

It is also a story about bravery and determination- this is a women who put herself at the forefront of change in the Gambia, in order to help people understand how they can improve their own lives whilst protecting the environment we all depend on.

17 years after it began, Isatou's organisation, 'Women's Initiative The Gambia' is now supporting 3000 people and provides education about the pressing environmental issue of plastic pollution. A prime example of a sustainability project, she is tackling the issues of throwing away and burning plastic whilst providing meaningful work for women and education for all. In her own words, 75% of people in the Gambia are not educated and they don’t know what climate change is. Isatou says that one of her challenges has been encouraging people to understand why women should be included, stating that because of traditional gender roles they “have been left behind”and that "Africa’s development has been delayed" as a result. “I love everybody but I love these women especially. As Africans we need to sit back and think ‘how do we work together with women’. They are really committed and they have ideas. They have families and want development.”

(Photo: Climate Heroes)

The women who work with the organisation collect plastic from markets, offices, airports and individuals and reproduce them into shopping bags, purses and shoes, as well as providing alternatives to burning plastic and forest wood for fuel. They are also trained in business, saving and investment, which Isatou says "is really empowering to them". At the centre, they have a policy to save a portion of their earning to send their children to school, especially the girls as they are under represented at higher education level. The project has come so far- not only are they working with the United Nations Development Programme, the team were recently consulted by the Government on the issue and successfully helped to achieve a total ban on plastic bag imports, which Isatou says are the single deadliest type of waste for their environment.

Isatou speaks a real truth when she talks about people in the Gambia caring about cleaning their home environment, but not realising how degrading this can be for earth’s environment, if it is not managed properly. This isn’t a problem unique to the Gambia, it is totally the opposite- we have this cut-off of connection all around the world and most of us don’t know enough about it. We can no longer afford to see waste as out "of site out of mind" and need to understand where our toxic waste ends up.