The women of N'jau who turned plastic bags into purses
In a Gambian village with no rubbish collection, Isatou Ceesay and a handful of women began crocheting discarded plastic bags into purses to sell, creating income and cleaner streets.
The small thing
Ceesay called a meeting in N'jau to talk about recycling plastic, and only five women came. With them she began washing discarded plastic bags, cutting them into strips and crocheting them into small purses.
The problem
Plastic bags had replaced traditional baskets in N'jau, and with no regular rubbish collection they piled up in streets and behind homes. Rainwater collected in discarded bags and bred mosquitoes, goats died after eating plastic, and people burned plastic as fuel, releasing toxic fumes.
Why Isatou Ceesay and the women of N'jau started
Ceesay grew up in a poor family whose father had come to The Gambia as a refugee from Mali, and she was looking for a way to earn money (Worldcrunch). She was also troubled by the harm plastic was doing in her village; she told ISEP that a Peace Corps volunteer showed her that old bags could be turned into yarn, and her sister had already taught her to weave.
What they did
Starting in 1997, the group washed and dried plastic bags, cut them into long strands of plastic yarn and crocheted them into coin purses, later adding other items such as pen holders, balls and necklaces (ISEP). Ceesay told ISEP she could make about two and a half purses a day. The group sold the goods at local markets.
According to Worldcrunch, the work grew into the Women's Initiative Gambia, an NGO Ceesay leads, which trained local women who collected materials from dumps. She has since started projects making charcoal from organic waste and sanitary pads from sustainable materials.
What changed
Worldcrunch reported in 2024 that about 350 women from her village earn an income through the movement, and ISEP reported that the Gambian Women's Initiative had more than 11,900 members at its last count. In 2012 Ceesay received an award from the International Alliance for Women (Worldcrunch). Her story became the 2015 children's picture book One Plastic Bag. The amount of plastic diverted from the environment has not been independently measured.
What they learned
Ceesay has said that many people doubted her at first and did not take her seriously, and that training women directly mattered because some men wanted their wives to stay dependent on them.
“I informed the whole community, but only five women answered my call.”Isatou Ceesay, as quoted by ISEP (Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals, formerly IEMA)
Copy this idea
Practical guidance written by our editors from the sources below. Adapt it to your place, and check local rules and safety first.
- Problem addressed
- Thin plastic carrier bags littering streets and fields with no collection service.
- What to do
- Collect, wash and dry used plastic bags, cut them into strips ('plarn') and crochet or weave them into useful items to sell or use.
- Materials and resources
- Used plastic bags, water and soap, scissors, crochet hooks.
- Approximate cost
- Very low
- Skills
- Basic crochet or weaving, which can be taught in a few sessions; simple bookkeeping if selling.
- Time
- Each item takes several hours by hand; groups often meet weekly.
- People needed
- Can start with one person; a small group of five to ten makes collection and selling easier.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Risks and limitations
- Handle dirty plastic with care and wash hands; never burn plastic offcuts. Hand-made items earn modest income, so be honest with members about earnings.
- How to adapt it
- Use whatever waste is abundant locally (rice sacks, tyres, food wrappers), and link with local markets, schools or tourist outlets for sales.
- Lessons learned
- Start small with people who are willing, and expect scepticism. Agree fair prices among members so middlemen do not take most of the value.
Why it matters
Crocheting old bags into purses will not end plastic pollution in The Gambia. But the N'jau group shows how a waste problem can be turned into a small, steady income for women, and how a handful of people can start a local habit of collecting rubbish rather than burning it.
What didn't work
Only five women answered the first call, and others ridiculed the effort as a waste of time (ISEP). Ceesay told Worldcrunch that many people expected her to fail and that some men opposed their wives taking part. ISEP also noted that middlemen setting prices limited what women earned.
Editor's note
Ceesay was speaking publicly about her work in September 2023 (News On AIR) and Worldcrunch reported new projects in August 2024. Sources give slightly different start dates (1997 in ISEP's interview; 1998 in News On AIR); 1997 is used here.
Sources: how do we know?
Evidence level: Documented. Supported by reliable published sources such as UN agencies, award bodies and reputable journalism. Not yet independently re-verified by our editors. What the person says and what independent sources establish are attributed separately in the text.
- reputable journalism
Weaving a brighter future — Chris Seekings, ISEP (Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals, formerly IEMA)Supports: Group founded 1997 in N'jau; five women responded; Peace Corps volunteer and plastic yarn; purses and later products; Gambian Women's Initiative membership over 11,900; ridicule and middlemen problems; quote. - reputable journalism
Worldcrunch feature on Isatou Ceesay and plastic recycling in The Gambia — Worldcrunch, 22 August 2024Supports: Family background; bags and baskets sold in local markets; Women's Initiative Gambia; about 350 women earn income; 2012 International Alliance for Women award; new charcoal and sanitary pad projects; opposition from men. - government
Meet Isatou Cessay: The 'Queen of Plastic in Africa' leading the charge for environmental change — News On AIR (All India Radio), 15 September 2023Supports: Began collecting plastic bags from neighbours and teaching other women to recycle (dated 1998 here); still active and speaking internationally in 2023. - book
One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of The Gambia (review) — Africa Access Review, September 2014Supports: Picture book by Miranda Paul (Millbrook Press, 2015) on the N'jau recycling women; discarded bags collected rainwater, attracting mosquitoes.