Vision Woven from Scarcity

When a Muslim woman approached 33-year-old hairstylist Elizabeth Amonkwando with a request for braids, it posed an unexpected challenge that would ultimately transform her career. The client struggled with severe scalp issues, resulting in hair growth that was sparse and patchy. Furthermore, her religious beliefs prohibited the use of synthetic hair, which is commonly used to achieve intricate braid styles.  For Elizabeth, who relied on each appointment to support herself, declining the request was simply not an option. Determined to provide her client with a beautiful and respectful hairstyle, Elizabeth began a journey of discovery. She immersed herself in researching natural alternatives that would accommodate her client’s needs while also considering the principles of sustainable beauty.

In her pursuit of a solution for this unique client, Elizabeth not only found a way to enhance her client’s confidence but also unwittingly paved the way for a new chapter in her career focused on eco-friendly practices. This experience catalyzed her understanding of the importance of inclusivity in the beauty industry and ignited a passion for creating hairstyles that respected both personal and cultural identities.

Turning Plantain Waste into Ghana’s Next Beauty Trend

As global conversations about sustainability grow increasingly urgent, the beauty industry faces significant pressure to adapt and innovate. One inspiring example comes from Ghana, where entrepreneur Elizabeth Amokwandoh is spearheading a green revolution by utilizing banana and plantain fiber. This biodegradable and locally sourced material serves as a sustainable alternative to traditional synthetic hair extensions, which are often detrimental to the environment.

Amokwandoh’s venture not only highlights the versatility and beauty of natural fibers but also underscores the importance of local sourcing and craftsmanship. By transforming agricultural byproducts into stylish hair extensions, she is promoting eco-friendly beauty practices while simultaneously supporting local farmers and artisans. This initiative not only helps reduce waste but also empowers communities, making it a holistic approach to sustainability in the beauty sector.

Through her work, Amokwandoh is merging aesthetics with environmental consciousness, proving that it is possible to achieve elegance while honoring the planet. Her innovative approach serves as a model for others in the industry, illustrating that sustainability can be both beautiful and beneficial to local economies.

Elizabeth Amonkwando

Transforming Agricultural Waste into Hair Extensions

For Elizabeth, who relied on the proceeds from each braid to survive, refusing the client was not an option. She needed the income, and her client needed a solution.

“I didn’t want to say no because I needed the money. And because of her religion, she could not use synthetic hair, so I had to improvise with banana fiber. Thinking about it now, it sounds strange, but at the time I felt it was the only soft, natural material I could use as an alternate extension. Yes, it wasn’t refined like what I make today, but I believed it was a better alternative. At that moment, I had no idea what I was doing; all I knew was that I needed money for my upkeep that day,” she explained.

That single act of improvisation, born out of urgency rather than foresight, marked the beginning of an innovation that would later shape her livelihood: transforming discarded plantain and banana stems into biodegradable hair extensions.

Elizabeth is 33, but her life has been shaped by years of hard-earned resilience that far outweigh her age. She lost both parents as a teenager, a blow that left her without a safety net.

“I knew I was on my own when I asked my uncle for 20 pesewas after both of my parents were buried, and he blatantly refused to assist me. I had to leave home for survival at an early age, and I did not mind sleeping under the bridge in doing so. Today I cannot boldly point out where I hail from because both parents were settlers in Cape Coast” she recalled.

With no consistent place to call home, she moved between relatives and acquaintances, often working as a domestic assistant in exchange for shelter or food. Every opportunity, no matter how small was a lifeline.

In those years of instability, she learned to make herself useful in ways that could guarantee survival. She mastered sewing and mending clothes, and picked up the intricacies of hairdressing by keenly observing experienced stylists, then practicing on herself and on anyone willing to sit in her chair because at the time she could not afford to pay for apprenticeship.

Material Transformation and Technique

Elizabeth’s method is straightforward but requires patience and skill. She sources mature plantain or banana pseudo stems, an agricultural waste left after fruit harvesting. The stems are washed, separated into thin fibers, combed, and squeezed to remove moisture. After about twenty minutes of air-drying, she conditions the strands with shea butter for softness and applies a traditional stone dye, for darker tones if the clients request for tone change.

“I don’t use any chemicals or machines. I Just add water, comb, and natural things.”

Each pseudo stem produces roughly three bundles of braiding material, providing a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to imported synthetic hair.

“If you weave it and loose it, you can comb it and it will look fresh like the beginning.” Elizabeth noted, highlighting the reusability of her product, a feature rarely found in synthetic extensions.

What began as a single act of improvisation for a Muslim client has evolved into a niche service catering to a diverse group of customers. Many come to her because of sensitive scalps, allergic reactions to synthetic fibers, or personal and religious preferences.

“I have more customers than before because people hear it is natural and does not irritate the skin,” she said.

Her services include dreadlocks, cornrows, and a variety of woven styles, often integrating plantain or banana fiber for volume and length.

A Sustainable Alternative in a Growing Industry

Elizabeth’s work aligns with a growing movement across Africa where innovators are finding commercial and sustainable uses for banana-family fibers. In Uganda, several enterprises have taken banana fiber hair extensions to an industrial scale, employing dozens of workers and reducing reliance on synthetic imports. Beyond hair, textile companies are incorporating banana fiber into fashion and interior products, showcasing its versatility and market potential.

The global synthetic hair market may be thriving, but it carries significant environmental and health costs. Most synthetic extensions are made from petroleum-based plastics such as Kanekalon, which are non-biodegradable and shed microplastics into the environment. Disposal often involves burning, releasing toxic fumes that pollute the air and pose health risks.

Plantain and banana fiber, by contrast, is abundant, renewable, and fully biodegradable. Ghana alone produced over six million tonnes of plantain in 2021, meaning the raw material for Elizabeth’s craft is available in large volumes. Scientifically, banana pseudostem fiber is a lignocellulosic material, biodegradable, strong, and renewable. Research has shown that these fibers can rival cotton in textile applications while providing new revenue streams for farmers. Studies also identify pseudostems, once regarded purely as waste, as valuable resources for driving circular economies and replacing synthetic textiles with sustainable alternatives. Elizabeth’s work transforms this agricultural residue into a beauty product that respects both cultural sensitivities and environmental priorities.

Vision Woven from Scarcity

Elizabeth’s ambitions go beyond her own hairstyling business. She dreams of opening a salon and training center where young women, particularly orphans and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, can learn her technique.

“I have written down the names of people I want to train. Even if I’m not there, someone can represent me.” She said.

Her plan includes a small canteen for trainees and a place for them to rest, creating a supportive environment for skill development.

“I don’t want to depend on anyone. I want to help others the way I taught myself,” she added.

Yet the gap between her vision and reality remains wide. Elizabeth still operates without the basic tools and equipment that could refine her process and increase production. The irregular availability of mature plantain stems in her current location in Nsawam slows her work and makes it difficult to meet rising demand. Financial constraints also play a key role in stifling her ability to invest in better storage, fiber processing tools, or even expand her workspace.

“Right now, I make do with what I have, but I know the quality and quantity could be much better if I had the resources,” she explained.

For Elizabeth, support would mean more than a personal breakthrough, it would be the key to scaling her innovation into a viable model of community-based, eco-friendly enterprise. With targeted funding, training resources, and a reliable raw material supply chain, she could train dozens of women each year, offering them skill, and a pathway out of poverty.

Conclusion

In a rapidly changing world where environmental degradation and unemployment remain pressing concerns, Elizabeth’s plantain and banana fiber extensions offer a sustainable alternative and a blueprint for grassroots solutions that are economically viable, ecologically responsible, and socially empowering. If supported with access to resources, training, and wider market reach, her initiative could grow into a model for Africa’s beauty industry challenging its dependence on synthetic imports.