Mobile Phone Recycling

On average it is estimated that each household has four unused or broken mobile phones lying around the house. Are there unwanted phones in your house? Don’t throw them away…read on to find out how you can assist Gambian women farmers.

Following a trip, last year, to the small West African country by Duncan and Susanne Ashcroft, the directors of Beckhouse Media Ltd who publish Environment Times, it became apparent that mobiles are used inventively by entrepreneurs to enrich their family incomes in one of the poorest countries in the world.

Duncan Ashcroft explains:

Mobile phones can be invaluable for the Gambia’s many small scale sustainable businesses because landline phones hardly exist and the country has jumped straight to mobile communications.

The average Gambian wage is the equivalent of £5 per week, but mobile phones are the same price to buy there as we pay in Britain. Most Gambians therefore find it impossible to buy them after paying for the immediate family essentials.

Environment Times have teamed up with Fonebak plc, the world leaders in mobile re-use and recycling solutions who have kindly pledged to kick-start the campaign by providing 100 re-conditioned phones.

These will bring mobiles to sustainable businesses such as women farmer associations in small-scale agriculture, wildlife reserve projects, eco-tourism, recyclers, solar power, and sustainable fisheries.

I have made links with key people in Gambian groups and associations who could make good use of the mobiles given freely to them. From these contacts it has been estimated that 400 mobiles diverted from landfills would make a great difference with the networks that have been established there.

Dr. Kujejatou Manneh-Jallow, who heads the National Women Farmers’ Association (NAWFA) in The Gambia said that free mobiles to key organisers would be invalauble for their small scale environment friendly farming. She said:

“Communication is a very important tool for development and very difficult in The Gambia. We are covering 1074 villages in 74 clusters with 48000 women farmers. For a start we will appreciate it if you can supply us with 250 mobiles. This will greatly enhance our efficiency.”

Other green groups that will benefit from the Mobiles for the Green Gambia Appeal are ASSET,the Association of Small Scale Enterprises founded by Gambian-born Adama Bah, who has made links with Harold Goodwin of the University of Greenwich Responsible Tourism Department.Their work has greatly increased the amount of local produce, crafts and services being sold to the foreign tourists, and has raised the profile and incomes of local people who have often been neglected by European all inclusive package tour operators.

The Gambia Tourist Support (GTS) will also benefit from mobiles for their rural and educational projects which provide benefits to both tourists and locals.

Environment Times therefore appeals for hundreds more unwanted mobiles: PLEASE RECYCLE YOUR MOBILES TO THIS SPECIAL FREEPOST ADDRESS, SET-UP IN CONJUNCTION WITH FONEBAK.

It couldn’t be simpler, just send unwanted mobiles in a padded envelope to: FREEPOST GREEN GAMBIA

YOUR Comments

Thanks for this. Phones now en route to Gambia!
P.P

Duncan Ashcroft - 04/01/06

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