Direct Relief:
As of last week we have distributed USD $1.525 million (or GHS 22.5 million) in direct relief to 9,218 individuals, including tailors, upcyclers, secondhand retailers, and women and men who move materials throughout the market, known as kayayei. Transfers are sent via mobile money through our banking system after our team is able to register and verify people whose work in the market has been impacted by the fire.
We are still resolving some failed transactions (often due to the receiver’s daily transaction limits), but have concluded registration for those who operated in the sections that burned down and thus were most directly affected. We have also begun collecting data from a secondary group who stored goods in the market or whose goods were stolen during the fire.
We continue to cover medical expenses for many retailers, including weekly medication. While market traders are back to work at the market, customers have yet to return and retailers report that bale prices have risen since the fire. We have already seen many retailers sacrifice their health to get back to work and pay off debts. With rising operating costs and a likely slowdown in business that could last months, we know that more direct relief will be necessary.
Rebuild & Fire Safety:
The Or Foundation dispersed over $200,000 to market leaders and lumber suppliers to purchase the materials for rebuilding market stalls. Now that retailers can re-occupy their stalls, the focus is on long term fire prevention and general safety.
First, we are safely restoring power to the market. Our team, including an architect, construction engineer and urban planner has been working with the market leaders, Accra Metropolitan Assembly, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ghana National Fire Service, the Regional Ministry, surveyors and certified electricians over the last eight weeks to create a plan for the re-electrification of the market following standards set by ECG.
Through this process, we have had the pleasure of working with a technical engineer to manually draft the entire market, cross referencing his results with the geospatial survey we conducted just after the fire, giving us the most accurate map of Kantamanto in its current state. The re-electrification plan groups market stalls onto specific meters and control units for security and safety with RCDs (Residual Current Devices) for added protection.
We plan to commence with electrical installation following a meeting with city authorities this week. The Or Foundation aims to cover the capital costs of installation (~$550K USD) and is exploring co-financing pathways to support long term operational expenses and maintenance to ensure that market members are able to continue upcycling and attracting customers to re-use garments while maintaining safe electrical systems in the crowded and informal marketplace.
We have purchased 1,000 fire extinguishers and begun installation. Equating to roughly one extinguisher per 15 stalls and doubling the amount we had previously installed, placement was determined in consultation with the certified safety equipment supplier and the Ghana National Fire Service.
We also have begun the recruitment and training process for a unified security service in the market. This security and first response service will have training in fire safety and first aid, as well as in gender based violence prevention completed in collaboration with the city government as well as with a local female-only security team. Market leaders have nominated representatives to support the process, which entails:
The development of a Needs Assessment considering all entry and exit points, fire safety concerns, enforcement of segmented areas for approved activities, material and physical safety and security, along with emergency response protocols.
Selection Criteria that consider market gender dynamics, function of security, integrity, physical fitness and ability to serve the entire market beyond just one section.
Interviewing and Selecting candidates to serve as security members who will be able to fulfill the obligations of the role.
A comprehensive Training Program to ensure coordinated professional procedures, health and fire safety protocols, gender based violence prevention, a daily reporting process and the deployment and management of tools and materials, including CCTV and communications equipment.
Issuing a Certification after selection and training.
The Or Foundation aims to cover the capital costs of training as well as part of the first year of operation (~$100,000).
Thank You for Keeping Up the Momentum:
Thank you to everyone who has donated or shared information about the fire thus far. If you would like to supplement our efforts to ensure we can implement fire safety measures in a holistic and timely manner, you can donate via:
Momo: +233(0)559852625
Donorbox: kantamanto.theor.org
Please reach out to giving@theor.org if you would like to make a larger donation or if you would like to commit to matching donations.
The financial value of all donations and grants made outside of the dedicated donorbox page have been added to kantamanto.theor.org for public transparency.
The in-market registration has been completed for 9278 individuals who will each receive GHS 2500. This was a tremendous effort by our data task force!
Direct Relief
Late at night on January 1st and into the early hours of January 2nd a fire tore through Kantamanto Market, destroying 8890 stalls across roughly 60% of the market. The livelihoods of more than 10,000 people went up in smoke. At least two community members have died and hundreds have sustained injury or illness as a result of the fire and the immediate aftermath.
One month on we have distributed GHS 6,960,000 – over USD 471,000, in direct relief to 2784 individuals. Transfers are sent via mobile money through our banking system after our team is able to register and verify people whose work in the market has been impacted by the fire.
More than 30 of our team members and community volunteers are working on collecting community member information to ensure prompt relief payments, working section by section in the market. As of Friday, January 31st we have verified over 4,400 people out of 8,472 names market leaders have provided for us to digitize. We will reach the additional individuals verified with distribution when banks reopen on Monday. We are determined to distribute at least GHS 2,500 to the at least 10,000 people we know who have been impacted by the fire, including more than 1,500 people working within the market who were not registered with an association before the fire, for whom a dedicated crew of team members is currently collecting information.
Rebuild
In the last month we have met with market leadership groups nearly every day in order to align on and support rebuilding efforts. Our financial support has enabled the market to acquire the lumber and other building materials to reopen within one month of the fire.
While we have distributed GHS 2,510,902.70 – or over USD 170,000 – for debris clearance and the purchase of building materials to be deployed immediately in the reconstruction of the market, we’ve also been looking toward the future and necessary infrastructure improvements. Collaborating with all 13 market leadership groups, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and the Ghana National Fire Service we have drawn up plans to install fire lanes across the market and to ensure replacement stalls are reallocated to impacted market members. These lanes would reduce fire hose runs from fire trucks by exponential factors and would also provide easier access for carts, thereby reducing the distance needed to head-carry secondhand clothing bales.
We are currently working to bring these plans to fruition as a first step toward a broader upfit of market infrastructure.
Fire Relief Update
January 15th, 2025
Exciting News:
Direct Relief Distribution is Underway!
In the last five days, our Data Collection Task Force has digitized 6547 names from the records that section leaders supplied. These records include a name and phone number, and in some cases a lane number.
To collect further information, including damages and mobile money verification, our team is connecting with every individual over phone calls or in person in the market.
We conducted our first in-Market verification process today, completing files for 143 people in only 2.5 hours. Being in the Market allows us to collect information from members who may have otherwise gone undocumented.
Today we distributed GHS 485,000 to 201 individuals including tailors, upcyclers, secondhand retailers, food vendors and water sellers. More is coming.
In addition, on Monday we distributed GHS 50,000 to the Kantamanto Upcyclers Association.
With our previous support as a grantee before the fire, this organisation was established to unite the various upcyclers bringing Kantamanto to the world. Association members meet regularly on our roof. Several members have participated in our programs including OWO School and the IFM exchange, and we provide showroom space and funding for external sales events such as the first Vintage Up Ghana Festival.
Considering our close relationship and the varying degrees to which individual members were impacted (some lost their space and equipment, whereas others lost materials), we agreed on sending a lump-sum amount to the Association to ensure that as a group members can direct funding to the immediate priorities of the collective.
We are grateful to members of the Kantamanto Upcyclers Association who have also given their time to support our broader data collection efforts to help us get direct relief to individuals across the Market.
Help Us Reach Everyone!
Our goal is to distribute direct relief to all 10,000+ individuals impacted by the fire.
This is in addition to supporting the rebuild effort, which we will provide a separate update on.
We have committed an initial $1Million USD and are actively fundraising to ensure we can provide this direct relief holistically in a meaningful amount. You can donate to supplement our efforts:
Momo: +233(0)559852625
Donorbox: kantamanto.theor.org
Please note that all donations received at this time will be directed to this relief effort and will not overlap with our programmatic funding. 100% of funds contributed will go directly to the Kantamanto Community in support of the relief efforts.
Please reach out to giving@theor.org if you would like to make a larger donation or if you would like to commit to matching donations.
For more images and video from these updates, please follow along on Instagram @theorispresent.
We are devastated to report that another community member has passed away as a result of the fire.
She suffered a heart attack.
Please take time out of your day to honor her life.
Economic and Infrastructural Impact
As of this Wednesday January 8th, we have confirmed that 8,890 stalls were destroyed. This was done by coordinating records with section leaders.
With many stalls being occupied by more than one person we can confidently state that over 10,000 people have been impacted. This includes secondhand clothing retailers, tailors, upcyclers, food vendors, storage stall operators, security guards, market leaders and women working as kayayei (female head porters).
As our team was already conducting a census and had mapped much of the market with leadership, we can confirm the square footage and percentage of the market that was destroyed. 33,632 square meters of the market were burnt to the ground. This is equivalent to 60% of the market (not including what spills over into the streets). The sections that survived include the old storage and notions section along with sections where thousands of upcyclers, remanufacturers and tailors work.
While we cannot give you an exact estimate on Financial Loss at this moment, we are currently collecting this information as part of our relief effort and we can confidently tell you that tens of millions of dollars were lost in equipment, bales of secondhand clothing, infrastructure and other supplies. The Kantamanto community spends over $300M USD on bales every year, over half of which is paid to the Global North exporters.
Emergency and Medical Support
Since January 3rd, our team has established tents in the market where, in addition to first aid, we are providing water, other refreshments, shade and masks. At these tents, the majority of retailers express concern about their blood pressure and respiratory health.
Our medical team has attended to over 500 people in the market. We have seen multiple cases of head injuries including that of a young woman working as a kayayo. We have provided tetanus shots to 8 people who have suffered lacerations.
We have transported several individuals to the hospital and we are performing follow-ups and covering healthcare costs.
We have supplied face masks for over 3,000 individuals. We are providing water and other beverages to over 2,500 people on a daily basis. While we are sourcing some supplies outside of the market to secure items in bulk, we are also purchasing whole pans of water and beverages from market vendors & paying them to distribute these items for free. We will continue to make every effort possible to source supplies from within the market ecosystem.
Our Ecological Research and Remediation team members, who routinely sample for microfiber pollution, have been taking water, air, ash and human spit samples to help us gauge long term impact on environmental and human health. Sampling is ongoing and we will share the results publicly after we share this information with the Kantamanto community.
For context, our first report from our Kantamanto Healthcare Outreach program indicates that 53% of participants have hypertension. In a survey conducted to inform our Kantamanto Healthcare Outreach program, 73% of retailers stated that Kantamanto’s air quality has negatively impacted their health. In our most recent round of surveys reaching over 300 retailers in November 2024, 98% of retailers stated that they do not have access to healthcare.
As this is the baseline before the fire, we expect hundreds more will require medical support in the coming weeks.
Direct Relief
Our goal is to distribute direct relief to all 10,000+ individuals who have lost their space.
We have digitized records from all of the 10 sections that were destroyed. Our data collection team has already verified and spoken to over 1,500 of these individuals.
We are set up to begin distribution on Monday. Our team has worked with market leadership to develop a plan for collecting any missing data next week.
For those in Accra, we may open this process up to volunteers. Please stay tuned.
Rebuild
The Or Foundation has already distributed 1 Million GHS to the rebuild. This was done during a public press conference to ensure transparency across the market.
Our team, including an architect, construction engineer and trained urban planner, are working hand in hand with market leadership to ensure that fire safety is incorporated into the rebuild.
We have met with the Electricity Company of Ghana and the Ghana National Fire Service about this plan and we have established a timeline for completing a detailed geographical map and architectural guide by next week to inform this plan. Much of this community organizing and planning work was underway with our team prior to the fire, but the crisis has accelerated timelines significantly and created the challenge of balancing immediate needs with long range visioning.
While working most closely with market leadership, we have kept the AMA and GUCDA informed of our efforts to ensure alignment.
You Can Support
Nearly our entire full-time and part-time team, totaling over 100 people, is dedicated to this effort. You can support in the following ways:
1. For those in Accra, we are accepting donations of the following:
- Water sachets
Ice chests
Construction Hard Hats and Goggles
2. We need to onboard at least two additional medical personnel. If you are a certified nurse or paramedic based in Accra, and would like to volunteer for a four hour shift, please DM us.
3. We have committed an initial $1Million USD and are actively fundraising to ensure we can provide this direct relief holistically in a meaningful amount. You can donate to supplement our efforts:
Momo: +233(0)559852625
Donorbox: kantamanto.theor.org
Please note that all donations received at this time will be directed to this relief effort and will not overlap with our programmatic funding. 100% of funds contributed will go directly to the Kantamanto Community in support of the relief efforts.
Please reach out to giving@theor.org if you would like to make a larger donation or if you would like to commit to matching donations.
We are devastated to report that a community member has passed away.
He was asleep when the fire started. He sustained fatal burns and died a few hours after he was taken to hospital.
Please take time out of your day to honor his life.
Cleanup
Since Thursday, at the request of market members and leadership groups, we have provided trucks to manage the debris from the fire. We also coordinated a payloader with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly. The debris, including tons of burnt garments, was quickly moved to the edges of the market, but it will take time to haul these piles to the Adepa dumpsite.
We will continue to pay for trucks and a payloader for as long as is necessary. This costs over GHS 8,000 per day.
Emergency Support
Our team has set up 8 tents along with 100 chairs to provide shade and a place to rest for community members working hard in the heat and direct sun. Our team, including registered nurses, has made themselves available at these tents to provide first aid and to transport people to the hospital if necessary.
We have water, masks and other cold beverages available at these tents. Our team is also walking around to hand out these supplies. We have distributed thousands of masks along with thousands of water sachets and bottles for free.
The tents and chairs are sourced from a member of the Kantamanto community. While we are sourcing cases of water and masks outside of the market to secure items in bulk, we are also purchasing water and beverages from market vendors. We will continue to make every effort possible to source supplies from within the market ecosystem.
While we have offered to provide food, community members relay that this is not a priority and is not how they would like us to apply financial resources.
If you would like to donate water, ideally sachets, please DM us. Please be aware that community members are collecting the used sachets to recycle through local channels.
Medical Support
In addition to providing first aid at our tents, we are providing ongoing support to anyone who was injured or whose health is impacted. We are accompanying individuals to the hospital. We are covering hospital and medicine costs. We are following up to monitor health.
Because community members do not feel secure leaving the area in fear that they will lose their stall location, many people have inhaled noxious fumes and are ingesting dust as the fire smulders and debris kicks up air pollution. Some retailers are reporting chest pains and high blood pressure.
Our first report from Kantamanto Healthcare Outreach program indicates that 53% of participants have hypertension. In a survey conducted to inform our Kantamanto Healthcare Outreach program, 73% of retailers stated that Kantamanto’s air quality has negatively impacted their health. This was before the fire. Imagine the toll of the environmental and emotional stress brought on by this disaster.
Due to the increasing debt burden carried by retailers, most people working in Kantamanto cannot afford access to healthcare. In our most recent round of surveys reaching over 300 retailers in November 2024, 98% of retailers stated that they do not have access to healthcare. Not only do people not have the funding but they may, in many cases, not be familiar with navigating the healthcare system.
We expect hundreds more will require medical support in the coming weeks.
Rebuild
Over the last 18 months, our team has worked alongside Kantamanto community members completing numerous mini “upfit” projects, including new roofing and flooring, ramps and stairways, new aisleways with drainage and new electrical wiring. Today, we are working with market leadership on a plan to ensure basic fire safety and flood resistance is taken into account through the community’s rebuilding effort, which we are committed to supporting.
Fire Safety
As many of you have supported our efforts previously, we want to provide an update on the fire extinguishers.
Over the last two years we worked with market leadership to install fire extinguishers and we worked with the National Fire Service to train community members. Since the effort began, back in 2023 through December of 2024, these extinguishers were used at least seven times to stop other fires.
We have received confirmation that the fire extinguishers were successful in stopping the New Years Fire from advancing to the top of the market where many remanufacturers and tailors work.
We know that the fire extinguishers were deployed throughout the rest of the market but were unable to contain the blaze, which spread fiercely and rapidly. We will continue to investigate and we will discuss with the National Fire Service how to improve fire prevention and first response. This is in parallel to the previous point about working with leadership to incorporate fire safety into the rebuild.
Direct Relief
In tandem with the rebuild and rehabilitation efforts, we are committed to dispersing direct relief to community members so they can get back on their feet. With an estimated 10,000 people being impacted, this will be a massive undertaking. We have committed an initial $1Million USD and are actively fundraising to ensure we can provide this direct relief holistically in a meaningful amount.
You can donate to supplement our efforts
Momo: +233(0)559852625
Donorbox: kantamanto.theor.org
Please note that all donations received at this time will be directed to this relief effort and will not overlap with our programmatic funding. 100% of funds contributed will go directly to the Kantamanto Community in support of the relief efforts.