Earth’s Frontline Guardians of Gaia: The Unseen Eco-Warriors

Oyewole Lawal

This project began after I completed my National Youth Service in Nigeria. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I found myself without a place to stay. In search of shelter, I spent several days and nights at Olusosun Landfill, the largest dumpsite in Africa. There, I met waste miners—individuals who survive by reclaiming and selling materials recovered from the landfill.

Their conditions of survival, alongside their determination and humanity, deeply moved me. What I witnessed at Olusosun instilled in me a sense of responsibility: to tell their stories and to challenge the ways in which they are seen.

I refer to the protagonists of this ongoing body of work as the Guardians of Gaia. In Greek mythology, Gaia is the personification of the Earth. I chose this name to reflect the environmental role these individuals play. While often dismissed or labelled as “scavengers,” they are, in fact, essential to waste recovery and recycling—contributing to environmental protection in direct yet largely unrecognised ways. Through their labour, they reduce landfill accumulation, salvage reusable materials, and mitigate the effects of overconsumption, often at significant personal risk.

Olusosun receives more than 10,000 tonnes of waste each day, including hazardous electronic waste from across the world. Hundreds of people live and work within the landfill with limited access to healthcare, clean water, or adequate safety measures. My photography seeks to foreground their resilience and humanity, and to reframe public perception—not as invisible labourers, but as vital environmental stewards.

This work is ongoing. I feel a strong commitment to continue documenting their lives and advocating for dignity, recognition, and change. Photography is not only my creative practice; it is my way of asking the world to acknowledge what it too often chooses to overlook.

Unsung Hero, 2025