Maddie White

The e-waste dump Agbogbloshie exemplifies the downside of globalization: It’s the bitter end of a supply chain where children, instead of going to school, wander barefoot gathering bits of salvaged metal for pennies.

This article addresses the alarming issue of e-waste in Accra, Ghana, a country in Western Africa. I had the opportunity to visit the slum where this occurs-- an experience that can not, and should not, be forgotten. When my team and I entered the slum of Agbogbloshie, we had to be escorted by a group of African men through the narrow streets, keeping our heads down the whole time. Partly because we had to watch that we weren't stepping in human waste, but mostly because white people are despised in that region. The people of Agbogbloshie have been exploited time after time by white people-- whether we're dumping our old technology, or making a documentary on the horrific environment that we can only blame ourselves for. This impoverished region is plagued by disease, crime, and desperation-- the lifestyle that comes with the thousands of pounds of e-waste dumped everyday. Although technology in the Western world paves the way for what is defined as future success, Western technological advancement only ensures Agbogbloshie's unavoidable demise.

The only church in Agbogbloshie--home to the 90 Christians in a slum of 50,000.  

Children of Agbogbloshie