Question

read the passage. pocketbooks from trash excess garbage is a long - standing problem in gambia, a west african country that lacks municipal waste collection programs. refuse ends up heaped along streets, where it blocks drains. the resulting accumulation of water can become a breeding ground for insects and disease - causing germs; yet if the waste is burned instead—as is often the case—noxious fumes impact air quality. the burning of plastic, in particular, releases dangerous chemicals into the air. in the late 1990s, a woman named isatou ceesay decided to do something to improve this situation. concerned about the ubiquitous plastic bags littering the area, she organized several women to collect hundreds of bags and “upcycle” them into pocketbooks, which could be sold for income. over the years, the recycling program grew to incorporate other projects. now under the auspices of a nonprofit organization called the gambia womens initiative, ceesays program has become a model for other communities. what is the main, or central, idea of the passage? isatou ceesay started a recycling program in order to clean up the trash in her gambian village. isatou ceesay started a program to help women earn money by creating pocketbooks and other products. the lack of municipal garbage collection services in gambia led to the piling up of trash in public areas.

Explanation:

The passage starts by describing the garbage - problem in Gambia. Then it focuses on Isatou Ceesay who started a recycling program to clean up trash by up - cycling plastic bags into pocketbooks. This initiative grew and became a model for other communities. The main idea is centered around Isatou Ceesay's recycling program for trash clean - up.

Answer:

Isatou Ceesay started a recycling program in order to clean up the trash in her Gambian village.