Nyaba Leon Ouedraogo
Burkina Faso, b. 1978
Untitled , from the series The Hell of Copper
2008
Photograph
1800 x 1200
Artist’s Collection
Nyaba Leon Ouedraogo captured this shot of the e-waste site Agbogbloshie in Accra, where metric tons of old computers and other electronic goods that have been discarded by the global community are dumped continuously without concern for the hazards that they may pose to the environment or the inhabitants of the communities living nearby. The pollutants and health ramifications of this dumping poses major risks to both the inhabitants and livestock within close proximity to the site, yet little is done to change the recycling practices at Agbogbloshie. At the time of this photograph, Ghana had little regulation on recycling and disposal of e-waste, and did not enforce any regulations on air, water or soil quality in the area. In his effort to devote himself to photographic journalism, Ouedraogo aims to be as precise as possible in conveying the gravity of this environmental crisis. He publishes his images without large modification or staging, allowing his scenes to speak for themselves.
Yasmeen Wirth ‘22
