| Intro | Gambian activist and social entrepreneur |
| Is |
Entrepreneur Activist |
| From | Gambia |
| Type |
Activism Business |
| Gender | female |
| Birth |
1972 |
| Age | 49 years |
Isatou Ceesay (born 1972) is a Gambian activist and social entrepreneur, popularly referred to as the Queen of Recycling. She initiated a recycling movement called One Plastic Bag in the Gambia. Through this movement, she educated women in The Gambia to recycle plastic waste into sellable products that earned them income.
Early years and education
Ceesay was born in 1972 in a small village, Njau, in The Gambia. At a very young age, she dropped out of school.
Career
In 1997, together with four other women, she founded the Recycling Centre of N’Jau in her native village in Northern Gambia. Initially the goal of this project was to educate fellow villagers on the importance and benefits of reclaiming waste in plastic recycling thereby discouraging the act of littering around with plastic waste. Over the years, the project has grown and now empowers women, providing them with support and income.
The project was recently recognised as an official community-based organisation in the Gambia, now referred to as the Njau Recycling and Income Generation Group (NRIGG). Today, Ceesay works with more than 11,00 people and NRIGG is based in four separate communities across The Gambia.
Awards and Recognition
- 2012- She was honoured with The International Alliance for Women Difference Maker award in Washington DC, United States
- Her story was published in a book authored by Miranda Paul and Illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon