By Jason Woodroofe

In my personal life, I often find it’s very easy to take waste management for granted. In places with limited infrastructure and funds, delivering waste management services comes with an added layer of complexity, to say the least. I was fortunate enough to spend some time in Banjul, The Gambia last week seeing this dilemma in action.

Last week, from the 9-13th of June, WasteAid tapped into the expertise of the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management (CIWM) to facilitate a technical visit in support of Kanifing Municipal Council’s (KMC) waste management and behaviour change campaign Operation Sanity in Banjul. 

I travelled out to Banjul with Bonni Jee, Sarah Burns, Neil Thompson and John Patterson – four members of CIWM who are incredibly passionate about sharing their knowledge and experience to create a world without waste. In a jam-packed week of site visits, presentations, workshops and networking events, it was inspiring to see the passion that these four delegates showed, and the willingness to “roll up their sleeves” and get the work done. 

The week started with a site visit to Bakoteh dumpsite, the largest dumpsite in the greater Banjul area. The team from KMC took us for a walking tour of the site, explaining the system(s) in use at the site and some of the challenges they face. To say this visit was humbling would be an understatement. This site receives an estimated 500 tonnes of solid waste per day, brought to the facility by 40 trucks and approximately 400 donkey pulled carts. This is then sorted by several hundred informal waste collectors, often working in very hot, difficult and dangerous conditions.

Seeing the challenge(s) in managing this site was humbling for us all, but also a testament to the resilience and determination of Kanifing Municipal Council and the people of Banjul.  

On Tuesday and Wednesday the delegation was hosted by Kanifing Municipal Council for a series of discussions and workshops. The Mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council – Talib Ahmed Bensouda, kindly welcomed the delegation and spoke passionately about the partnership between WasteAid and KMC, as well as expressing his thanks to the members of CIWM for their time. 

During these workshops, the team from CIWM presented on behavior change campaigns, standard operating procedures, community engagement, stakeholder mapping and much, much more. It was an exciting two-way exchange of knowledge that both sides gained a lot from. We ran exercises on engaging with communities, mapping out stakeholders and community influencers and using creative communications campaigns to get people thinking, all of which closely related to KMC’s operation sanity.

We also reviewed the operating procedures of KMC’s Environment and Sanitation Unit, suggesting areas for improvement or deeper discussion. We loved bringing together parts of local government that perhaps didn’t get to come together to brainstorm like this very often, and the discussion reflected the desire to collaborate more.

For me, a key takeaway from these sessions was that waste management challenges truly are global challenges, and that we are all on the same journey. Granted some countries may be further along this journey than others, but that’s exactly why creating space for these conversations to take place is so crucial.  

On Thursday, we brought together members of the Dennakuwo Circular Economy Network, Kanifing Municipal Council and the CIWM delegates. This event showcased the work of the network, which is supported by funding from CIWM. The energy in the room was electric, and members of the network spoke with passion about their work and the opportunities for collaboration that the network had provided to them. One quote stands out to me in particular – “Your network is your net worth” and I couldn’t agree more. The strong people-to-people connections that we facilitated during this visit helped create the space for some amazing conversations on waste management, innovation, and the sharing of best practice.   

On the last day of the week, we came back together with the team from KMC to review parts of their Zero-Waste Strategy, breaking it down into timelines and actions and fostering discussions on these. This session stuck with me as it highlighted the vision that KMC has for their future – a future where waste is a resource, not a burden. This is what we as WasteAid are passionately trying to do as we support some of the world’s most vulnerable communities to turn waste into an economic ladder out of poverty.

As the week drew to a close, both the visiting delegation and KMC’s staff were left with a lot to think about and a burning desire to do even more. This week wouldn’t have been possible without the support of CIWM, KMC and the amazing individuals involved – so thank you all, and I’m looking forward to seeing the collaboration that’s still to come. To me, this is the start of a journey, not the end.  

Watch – updates from The Gambia:

“Operation Sanity is about more than waste – it’s about dignity, health and opportunity”

A team of waste management experts from the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) have travelled to The Gambia with international development charity WasteAid to support Operation Sanity – a collaborative waste management and circular economy initiative with Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC).

The Operation Sanity initiative is designed to stop littering and the improper disposal of harmful waste, improving public sanitation by educating residents about the importance of clean environments and encouraging them to abide by local bylaws.

The technical support visit is designed to include site assessments, workshops with frontline waste management teams, and strategic planning sessions with the Dennakuwo Circular Economy Network. The visit aims to strengthen local capacity, share practical expertise, and co-develop solutions to some of the region’s most pressing sanitation challenges.

Ceris Turner-Bailes, Chief Executive of WasteAid, said: “This visit marks a significant milestone in our ongoing partnership with CIWM. Operation Sanity is about more than waste – it’s about dignity, health and opportunity. By bringing together technical expertise and local knowledge, we are building a cleaner, safer future for the people of the Greater Banjul Area.”

CIWM’s Chief Executive, Sarah Poulter, added: “At CIWM, we believe in sharing knowledge to create a world beyond waste. Our members are proud to stand alongside WasteAid and KMC, supporting community-led efforts to strengthen sustainable waste systems in The Gambia. This visit demonstrates the power of international collaboration in turning ambition into action.”

Follow WasteAid’s social media channels for updates from the ground throughout the week during this exciting collaborative climate-positive visit.

In 2024 alone, WasteAid’s programmes reached nearly 1.3 million people, diverted over 300,000 kilograms of waste from the environment and delivered more than 7,800 hours of training. WasteAid’s work positively engages communities to improve public health through better waste management.

WasteAid and CIWM aim to scale these successes and contribute to a replicable model for circular economy development in low-resource settings.