Waste Harvesters of Harare.

Waste Harares of Harare is a photo essay that repositions women waste harvesters as essential contributors to environmental knowledge and urban livelihoods.  It spotlight waste harvesters, upcyclers, and waste  entrepreneurs operating across a range of scales and urban contexts. Through these  images, the photo essay captures not only the environmental contributions of these  individuals but also how their work becomes a powerful form of artistic expression,  creativity, and resistance. 

Grounded in feminist storytelling, the project challenges dehumanising narratives that reduce these women to “bin girls” or “vultures,” instead framing them as frontline data gatherers and agents of environmental justice.

As Harare grapples with rising plastic pollution and shifting dumping patterns, women waste harvesters play a critical yet often invisible role in decoding the city’s waste crisis. This project documents how diverse groups of women navigate, interpret, and respond to this urban challenge.

Selected pieces of this work were part of a group exhibition at the 2025 Shoko Festival.