Accra: Women traders at Kantamanto marked this year's Earth Month with a health walk in Accra to highlight their role in circular fashion and call for greater environmental responsibility and healthier living. The event, organised by the Kantamanto Women's Association (KWA) in partnership with The Or Foundation, brought together hundreds of women and supporters for the 'Kantamanto Walk to the Park,' which began at Kantamanto Market and ended at the Efua Sutherland Children's Park.
According to Ghana Web, the walk was part of this year's Earth Month activities, focusing on environmental protection, personal wellbeing, and the role of women in advancing circular fashion through the reuse, repair, restoration, and resale of clothing. Addressing the participants, the Vice President of the association, Mary Sarkodie, emphasized the gathering's purpose to honor Mother Earth, which she described as the common source of life, nourishment, and survival for all people.
She noted that the women of Kantamanto gave new life to discarded clothing daily, ensuring nothing was wasted by mending, remaking, and restoring items that might otherwise be discarded. Sarkodie stated that while such work is often quiet, it remains powerful and transformative, representing a practical and daily form of environmental care. Earth Month serves as a reminder that caring for the planet is often expressed through consistent, everyday acts of responsibility and care.
The Vice President explained that the health walk aimed not only at protecting the planet but also at caring for the women themselves. Just as the earth needs rest and protection, women also need to care for their bodies, health, and peace of mind. The President of the Association, Vida Inkoom, urged the women to maintain cleanliness in their surroundings and refrain from littering, emphasizing that environmental responsibility must begin within their homes, workplaces, and trading spaces.
She highlighted that waste should be seen as a resource to be managed properly and turned to a useful purpose. Inkoom urged the women to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste as part of their daily lives and commercial activities, and to avoid using single-use plastics. She called for unity among the women to promote the circular economy, stressing that shared commitment is essential to building a more sustainable and responsible market culture.
Inkoom stated that the association is positioned to help women appreciate their roles not only as traders but also as active contributors to environmental protection and social transformation. She highlighted that the work of Kantamanto women extends beyond the market, contributing significantly to extending the life cycle of garments globally and reducing textile waste, even though these contributions are often overlooked.