Ghana's Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) has been awarded the prestigious Earthshot Prize, joining an elite group of environmental innovators worldwide.
Petro Kotzé reports for Mongabay.
In short:
- GAYO received the Earthshot Prize, worth £1 million, for pioneering waste management practices that prevent harmful burning and create fair work opportunities for waste collectors.
- The Earthshot Prize, founded by Prince William, funds environmental solutions, awarding five winners annually across categories like waste reduction and climate protection.
- This year's Earthshot event in Cape Town brought global attention to sustainable initiatives from across Africa, spotlighting GAYO and other trailblazers in ecological innovation.
Key quote:
“If our solutions can go this far, then anybody’s innovation also has the potential.”
— Desmond Alugnoa, co-founder of GAYO
Why this matters:
At the intersection of sustainability and social justice, with a mission that redefines waste as opportunity, GAYO is working to bring much-needed fairness and dignity to an industry built on the backs of low-paid, often invisible workers.
Read more: E-waste linked to decreased fertility hormones in Nigerian men.
