BESTSELLER Foundation has funded a pilot project at the Kokrobitey Institute in Ghana called the Esi project.

The project, running in 2025/26, focuses on transforming manufacturing waste from two local manufacturing facilities in Accra, the capital  of Ghana, into textile items and designs.

It is also an artisanal training programme aimed at women in rural areas, providing skills training and handlooms for weaving the collected material. With a decentralised production model, women joining the programme can work and earn a living from their homes.

This project offers the chance to support a practical solution to Ghana's textile waste issues, whilst establishing a replicable model for turning waste into value.

About the institute

• Kokrobitey Institute is a learning centre with a 30-year commitment to development through the exploration of traditional knowledge systems in the areas of sustainability, education, resourceful design, and social entrepreneurship.
• The Institute's work is rooted in the idea that preserving traditional knowledge systems can be a powerful way of fostering cultural identity.
• Local Ghanaian traditions suggest that literacy isn't solely about being able to read, write, and understand the written and spoken word, but also encompasses the ability to interpret one's surroundings, discovering what nature provides for humankind, and what we are obliged to give back in order to secure a sustainable future.