It is helpful to be humorous when dealing with the trash of a metropolis of more than three million people while wearing a face mask and gloves as your only protection. Yacouba Diallo named Keita and Kanté, his cousins, for the two donkeys that carry his cart.
Otherwise, rubbish hauling can be a dreary task in Bamako, the capital of Mali. The population of the city has more than doubled recently, and garbage management is a challenge. Some streets are overrun with trash piles.
For rubbish collection, locals are using donkey carts similar to Diallo’s. Particularly on rough roads, the carts can maneuver around other cars and get to places that trucks cannot.
Furthermore, according to Diallo, “it requires less investment than a truck.”
He said he can make up to $166 a month. That kind of money is attractive to youth who come from Mali’s rural areas seeking employment in the West African nation with high unemployment.
Concerns have been raised in Mali over the donkeys they use. Some of the animals, according to advocacy groups, are overworked, overburdened, and have little protection from stepping on shattered glass when near trash sites. Trucks should take on the role of donkeys, according to Amadou Doumbia of the nonprofit organization SPANA.
However, things are difficult everywhere. The trash that is gathered from Bamako’s streets is ideally intended to be placed in a transfer location before being transported to a landfill. Nevertheless, according to waste management consultant Bamadou Sidibé, the city lacks locations that satisfy the necessary requirements.
“Every institution responsible for addressing the waste issue is not contributing appropriately,” he declared.
In 2022, the World Bank authorized $250 million to aid in the reconstruction of a landfill outside Bamako to international standards and build a second one in the city. The project has been set up by the government and the World Bank and is due to last until 2028, but no date has been given for the start of.
The municipal authorities admit that the city has an issue with disposing of rubbish. However, locals are held accountable.
Deputy Mayor Adama Kanté claimed, “People don’t care about the environment or their health, which is why Bamako is dirty.” According to him, locals are unwilling to pay for garbage removal.
While some locals concur, they also point out that throwing trash into the street is not illegal.
Many people wait until the rainy season to dispose of their trash in the flowing water, rather than paying a garbage collector. It’s less expensive,” Boureima Traoré, a resident, remarked.
Some people in Bamako have become drawn to the waste heaps and are risking their health and safety by sifting through them for items that can be reused until solutions are implemented.
It’s a common scene in some African capitals and one that can turn deadly: Earlier this month, a vast landfill in Uganda’s capital collapsed, killing at least 30 people.
(AP)
