OWO 2026: The Or Foundation, Reggie Rockstone promote healthy living at Kantamanto

The Or Foundation, in collaboration with Ghanaian Hiplife legend Reggie Rockstone, has organised a four-kilometre health walk for traders at Kantamanto Market in Accra to promote physical fitness, encourage healthy lifestyles and raise awareness about preventive healthcare as part of activities to mark the fifth anniversary of the Obroni Wawu October (OWO) Festival. The exercise, held on Sunday, October 18, 2026, brought together market traders, particularly women, fashion enthusiasts and other members of the public to strengthen community bonds and highlight the economic opportunities associated with textile recycling and upcycling. According to a press release issued by The Or Foundation on Friday, October 23, 2026, the walk formed part of activities leading up to the main OWO Festival scheduled for Sunday, October 25, at Untamed Empire in Accra. The statement explained that the annual festival celebrated secondhand fashion, creativity, environmental sustainability and the contributions of thousands of traders, tailors, designers, transport operators and other workers whose livelihoods depended on Ghana’s circular fashion economy. According to the release, Mr Rockstone, the official ambassador for this year’s festival, told journalists after the walk that the exercise was intended not only to promote physical fitness but also to foster unity among traders and highlight the significant contribution of the secondhand clothing industry to Ghana’s economy. Mr Rockstone observed that the work undertaken by The Or Foundation and other players in the upcycling industry demonstrated how creativity and innovation could transform discarded clothing into commercially valuable products. He stressed that maximising the industry’s potential required substantial investment, technical expertise and stronger support from government, industry players and other stakeholders. The President of the Kantamanto Women’s Association commended The Or Foundation for organising the health walk and providing an opportunity for market women to prioritise their health. Beyond promoting healthy living, the statement indicated that the four-kilometre walk ended at an 80-stall demonstration site developed by The Or Foundation to showcase a proposed model for improving infrastructure and working conditions at Kantamanto Market. It explained that the facility, representing less than one per cent of the market, was designed by Ghanaian architect Nana Ayensua Amonoo of Unapparant using repurposed shipping containers on land entrusted to the project by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA). The project the statement said incorporates fire-resistant materials, wider aisles to facilitate the movement of carts carrying large bales of clothing, a solar-powered upcycling centre and waste-management infrastructure to improve safety, accessibility and environmental conditions. It noted that the design sought to reduce the risks associated with carrying heavy loads on the head, while its modular structure would allow for faster construction and minimise the displacement of traders during future redevelopment. It emphasised that the facility was intended to demonstrate the potential for safer and more sustainable market infrastructure rather than serve as a comprehensive redevelopment solution adding that over the past 12 months, The Or Foundation had engaged representatives of the Kantamanto Women’s Association, the Kantamanto Upcyclers’ Association and market leaders to gather feedback on the project. The statement estimated that extending a similar infrastructure model across the entire market could cost more than US$70 million, with the proposed investment to be mobilised through Globally Accountable Extended Producer Responsibility mechanisms, government-led special levies, public fundraising and private philanthropic support.