On the banks of the Kakimbo, market gardeners are reclaiming their land from plastic waste

In Kakimbo, a district of Conakry, market gardeners transform banks invaded by plastic waste into fertile land every year. A local initiative that allows women to have an income-generating activity while preserving the environment.

Located in the heart of the commune of Ratoma in Conakry, the Kakimbo river is experiencing an influx of plastic waste from various sources. It is 4 p.m. this Wednesday, April 22, 2026.  Under a waning sun, piles of visible garbage stare down market gardeners who tend or harvest their crops.

Plastic bags, drink bottles, pieces of bags or other plastic objects, fabrics scattered here and there add to the piles of garbage. This scene is not isolated. It illustrates the proliferation of illegal dumpsites where plastic waste piles up in the capital. In Guinea, waste management constitutes a major environmental challenge. In asurveycarried out in 2024 by Afro Barometer,“82% of respondents say that plastic bags constitute a major source of pollution in Guinea.”

Despite the measuresbanning single-use plasticsannounced by the country's authorities, Guinea remains invaded by this waste. According to the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Djami Diallo,plastic imports have tripled in twenty years and the country generates nearly𝟱𝟴𝟬 𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀of waste per year, with serious consequences on the environment, health and economy.

The populations of Kakimbo bear witness to the consequences of this influx of plastic waste.“When garbage piles up during winter, it can block the bridge. The water overflows and sometimes invades the houses”, learns Daniel Koundouno, resident of the neighborhood.

Women bring new life to banks overrun with plastic waste

For several years, women have refused to leave the banks of the Kakimbo River at the mercy of plastic waste. Mothers, single people or widows use these spaces to meet the daily needs of their homes, and at the same time prevent waste from accumulating year after year following torrential rains.

At the edge of this valley which crosses the classified forest of Kakimbo, one of the protected areas of Conakry, these women transform this threatened environment into a source of life. “All the waste that leaves upstream is stored here. During the dry season we live on these lands. Garbage deprives us of it », says Mariam Bangoura, market gardener for many years on this site in Kakimbo.

Plots of cabbage, okra, carrots, cassava and peppers stretch as far as the eye can see, carefully tended by tireless market gardeners. Equipped with watering cans and hoes, shovels and picks, they work every day to produce vegetables for local markets and contribute to supplying the city. This work goes beyond simple economic survival. It becomes a regular sanitation action, carried out by women who have no other choice but to preserve their environment to continue producing.

A contribution recognized by the municipal authority:“These ladies who grow market gardens along this waterway help us a little according to their own means. They help us to slow down a little the invasion of this watercourse by waste. »confirmed Aboubacar Camara, Municipal Director of the Environment of Ratoma.

Harvests that support entire families

The repercussions are immediate. A harvest can generate up to 100,000 GNF (around 11 US dollars) per market gardener. An essential income for many families.“Since I was born I found my parents working here, after them it will be up to me to cultivate the vegetable garden”testified Makhissa Camara who came to harvest cassava leaves for her mother. A vegetable seller who buys his supplies from women market gardeners to resell them at the Taouyah market says:“My children’s school, their food, the rent, everything comes from this job. »

Beyond the economic aspect, the impact is also environmental: cleaning the banks helps reduce the risk of flooding and improve the living environment of the neighborhood.“If we don't clean up for two or three years, no one would be able to access this site”, says Mariam Bangoura. According to Alseny Camara, an old man who came to replace his unable wife, “up to five truckloads of waste can be disposed of across the site each year. »Once the banks have been cleaned, the women return to agricultural work: plowing, sowing and maintaining food crops. “Their work directly contributes to the sanitation of the area”, testifies, Daniel Koundouno, this resident who admires the work of these women.

An effective but fragile solution

On the site, which covers an area of approximately 2 hectares, each woman has her portion of land to maintain. Market gardeners employ daily workers, paid according to the quantity of waste to be cleared.“We pay teams between 50,000 and 100,000 GNF (between 5 and 11 US dollars), depending on the work. We have no choice, because we depend on these lands”, specifies Mariam Bangoura.

Despite the perceptible impact, the initiative remains fragile. In the absence of a suitable collection system, part of the waste collected is burned on site. “When plastics are burned, the air becomes unbreathable”, criticizes Daniel Koundouno while believing that they have no other solutions.

Market gardeners also lack essential equipment, including irrigation pumps, organic fertilizers, work tools and protective equipment. In the absence of concrete measures to put an end to illegal dumping, the work also proves difficult for the ladies who must resume the battle against plastic waste each season. Apart from the torrential rains which carry the waste towards the site located on a slope, local residents complicate the task with waste regularly thrown into nature.

Fatoumata Camara, a local resident, denounces persistent incivility:“We have tried hard enough to stop people from throwing garbage here but it’s impossible. Sometimes it’s at night, they do it when we’re in bed. We complained to the district chief but nothing changed. We need help in the face of this scourge. »

Article Written by Mamdou Kindy Bah, Mansa Moussa Mara, Boèboè Béavogui and Idiatou Souaré

Edited by Olivier Riboui and Sally Bilaly Sow

This report was produced as part of the Afri’Kibaaru 2 Project implemented by CFI,with financial support from AFD.