This talk is by Dagna Drzazdzewska (University of Geneva, ANSO).

 

Old Fadama is the largest slum in Ghana, and is seated on a lagoon between the world's biggest e-waste dump (Agbogbloshie), some of the biggest food markets in Accra, and illegal landfills for plastic waste. There are some 100,000 people living in the area, of which more than 20,000 are children. The area is busy, overpopulated, and heavily polluted. There are no public schools in the area, and many children instead spend their days playing alongside the polluted lagoon, or working by hand to recycle e-waste.  

 

What does life look like in a slum, in one of the most polluted regions of the world? What are the challenges of upgrading the slum? And how do current waste cycles related to electronic technologies affect the poor in developing countries?  In this talk, Dagna will introduce you to people she has met in Ghana's Old Fadama during the course of my masters research, including children, e-waste workers, and community builders and activists who are trying to make a difference for children growing up in the area.  Their stories shed light on some of the many complexities of environmental degradation and its implications for social justice.