On January 2, Kantamanto, the largest secondhand market in the world, was hit by a devastating fire that impacted hundreds of vendors. The market, situated in the heart of Accra, Ghana, is a bustling place of business for thousands of people who work there reselling and upcycling clothing shipped in from around the world.
The Ghana market is often posited as the epicenter of fashion's waste crisis because of the sheer amount of discarded clothing that ends up in the country. Secondhand clothing that is not sold in countries like the United States and the United Kingdom (at charity shops or donation centers like Goodwill, often because of the condition of the garments) is sent to cities in the Global South, such as Accra. Secondhand markets like Kantamanto are a community-based solution to deal with the overload of clothing. Still, much of the clothing that ends up there doesn't get sold and ends up polluting the city's beaches, water, and neighborhoods.
According to the AFP, officials claim the fire could have been caused by faulty electric wiring throughout the market, though they have not ruled out arson. The OR Foundation, a nonprofit that works with vendors, said on Instagram that “market leadership estimates that 8,000 people have been impacted (we expect this to grow), reporting that at least 10 of the 13 market sections sustained catastrophic damage. Upon surveying the market, we believe that over 60% of the retailer side of Kantamanto is destroyed.”
Despite the devastation, cleanup efforts are already underway. In a live video shared by The Revival Ghana on January 3, hundreds of people are seen cleaning up debris and already beginning to rebuild. In a separate post by Natalija Gormalova, the Accra-based artist shared a note about rebuilding: “Amid the devastation, young people expressed a fragile optimism, hoping the market would be rebuilt again. But for many sellers, who lost everything to the fire, hope was harder to grasp,” they shared.
In December, Ghana voted former President John Mahama back into office. Across local media, many community leaders are urging the incoming president to step in, help the people in Kantamanto, and prevent this from happening again.
What Can You Do to Help?
The OR Foundation, a nonprofit that works with vendors in Kantamanto, has committed to donating $1 million to the effort. The organization has also set up a fund for donations that will go directly to those who have been impacted. You can donate here.
The Revival, a community-led nonprofit, seeks donations to aid on-the-ground cleanup efforts. Its GoFundMe page can be found here.
Some vendors have confirmed to Teen Vogue that donation pages will be set up individually so you can directly support the work and rebuilding. We will update this story when those links are available.
This story is ongoing and will be updated.
