My fellow workshop participant, Gwen, took this incredible photo of the outside vendors in the market. 

Visiting the market was one of the things I was most looking forward to, and it was an unforgettable experience. I could not believe the number of vendors, buyers, and items for sale, and the general frenetic energy of Kantamanto was unlike anything I have ever experienced. Sidewalks were lined with tables selling shoes, jeans, household items, fruits and vegetables, and jewelry. Motorbikes wove through the crowds, and I had to watch my step as I tried to follow the group I was with closely to avoid getting lost. Everywhere you looked there were stalls full of clothing items, each carefully sorted and displayed. It was visually, auditorily, and physically overwhelming to walk through, but you could also see the sense of order that was maintained by the people who spend their days selling their wares here. Kantamanto felt like a thriving ecosystem that had a distinct heartbeat that vibrated throughout the intricate maze of stalls connecting sellers and buyers alike. 

The influx of textiles coming from the West has overwhelmed secondhand buyers, who depend on these imports for economic stability. Bales of clothes are purchased sight unseen so that buyers do not know what they are purchasing or whether they will be able to sell it. Some of the clothing can be repaired, and stalls are set up in the market to tailor and iron clothing to restore it to an almost new condition. Cobblers replace shoe soles and paint worn out areas with artistic sensibility.  

The Akan term, obroni wawu, which translates to "the white man has died clothes" and is commonly used to refer to secondhand clothing. This expression implies that only a dead man would be able to give up so many clothes that were no longer needed. What challenges this perception is the fact that many of the clothes that end up in the market have only been worn a handful of times before they are donated and then shipped overseas. While Americans and other Westerners may not see the results of our excess consumption, the vendors in Kantamanto deal with it every day. 

While fast fashion, overconsumption, waste, and excess are often thought of when speaking of the Kantamanto market and the secondhand clothing trade in Ghana, it is important to note that the market is also flourishing with innovation and sustainable initiatives. 

The Revival is a "community-driven sustainable fashion initiative based in Ghana, focused on tackling textile waste through upcycling, education, and job creation." They have a physical presence in the Kantamanto market, working among and with the vendors each day. Their mission is to foster economic stability for women by teaching them upcycling skills to create desirable products from textile waste. Many of these women are kayayei, or female head porters, who have limited opportunities available to them and work tirelessly to support themselves and their families. The Revival has created an incubator program specifically for these women to create more opportunities for upcycling and education in an effort to encourage a more sustainable and circular Kantamanto. 

There are also vendors who are already upcycling clothing without naming it, such as the woman we met who was turning men's trousers into women's skirts. 

I always consider the importance of sharing with my students the efforts that adults are making to tackle the huge problems that we discuss in class. Otherwise, discussing such an enormous crisis such as textile waste is overwhelming and can lead to a feeling of helplessness. Seeing The Revival's commitment to sustainable fashion and the community of Kantamanto was inspiring, and it made me feel hopeful that there will be a significant sea change in the near future that centers economic empowerment and education in and about fashion.