Support Senegal propre: Clean Up, Plant Trees, Make Change

My name is Niklas, I’m 20 years old, from Switzerland and during my travel to Senegal I was astonished by the sheer amount of plastic waste I saw. So when I met Modou it was obvious for me that I had to help him, a man who’s been tirelessly fighting plastic pollution and making actual change. I’ll be accompanying Modou with my camera and will be posting all of our progress so make sure you follow the Instagram and YouTube of @senegal.propre.

In 2006, Modou Fall, also known as L'homme Plastique founded Senegal Propre with a mission to fight plastic pollution, educate people about the environment, and create lasting change. While his plastic costume has made him a recognizable figure in the media, his most impactful work happens quietly, away from any spotlight.

Every week, Modou visits schools to teach children about the dangers of plastic pollution and how they can make a difference. He organizes community clean-up projects and is constantly showing himself with his costume raising awareness of the Problem. With Senegal Propre he managed to transform an old garbage dump into a playground and place of retreat for his neighbourhood. Modou has mastered the art of transforming tires into chairs which he places in schools, orphanages or public spaces, serving as powerful examples of how waste can be repurposed into something valuable and meaningful.

For the past four years, Senegal Propre has been developing an organic garden that grows fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants, while also nurturing trees from seed on, all without the use of any chemical products. So far, we’ve planted 4000 trees as part of our 1 million trees planted in one million tires program.

One of Modou's most ambitious projects is the Tour de Senegal. The first stage saw him walk 270 km from Dakar to Saint-Louis, wearing his plastic costume under the scorching sun. Along the way, he stopped at schools and markets to raise awareness and inspire action. Now, he’s preparing for Part 2 and 3 of this powerful journey.

Despite his dedication, Modou faces significant challenges. Equipment, including solar panels and chickens, have been stolen from the garden. Our workers must carry watering cans over long distances to keep plants alive. The playground is falling into disrepair, with cracked walls, broken slides, and an unsafe stage that was meant for educational film screenings. The lake and former water source of our garden is now contaminated by chemical waste from fabric dyeing operations. By far the biggest challenge is the people's ignorance towards waste, with some even leaving trash on his playground.

Your support can help:

For nearly 20 years, Modou has dedicated himself to this cause with passion, resilience, and very limited resources. Now, he needs our support to continue and expand this vital work.

Every contribution, no matter the size, brings us closer to a cleaner, greener, and more hopeful future for Senegal.

We will update you constantly on our social media pages about how the money is being used.

Thank you for standing with us.

The Senegal Propre Team