As we continue to mourn the greatest Green Hero of all, Dr. Wangari Maathai, who was raid to rest on 8th October, we the Green Heroes of Mathare Valley would like to write you an update of the garbage project, which sees the Maji Mazuri youth clean up the community every weekend. Our commitment for a better environment runs deep, and the work of Dr. Maathai was and will continue to be one of our greatest motivators.
Mathare Maji Mazuri Youth Group garbage project has made a tremendous step in its mandate of cleaning the environment. In the recent past we have been able to clear the entire dumping site in Mathare Bondeni area as well as unblocking the trenches to pave way for stagnant water which breeds mosquitoes and other pests.
The number of houses that we distribute garbage bags has also increased from 30 to 60 households. This has been possible because of the dedicated members who work around the clock to give on time services to the community, the consistency in which we work and the discipline shown by the youths while conducting this exercise.
In the past 2 months we have worked with visiting students from Cambridge University and after observing the challenges we had, they donated 2 wheelbarrows, 2 rakes and a bundle of the plastic bags as part of their commitment to the project. This was a mileage as far as the project is concerned.
The project has also enjoyed support from the community who has since embraced the whole idea wholeheartedly.
The Green Heroes carries out its activities on a weekly basis i.e. on Saturdays as from 10 am to 1 pm.
It involves 20 members of the youth group, 5 members from other youth groups and 5 community members.
The usual clean ups have now become a fully fledged garbage project serving over 60 household every Saturday and clearing the drainage system and garbage heaps in the community.
The money earned by the project is still minimal and cannot sustain itself at present but plans are underway to make the project self-sustainable. Parallel to the garbage collection, we also sort out the garbage for any recyclable materials like plastics, metals, bottles e.t.c. Which will be sold to the scrap dealers and that is a booming business nowadays.
The community embraced the idea of the project from day one and has since been very supportive and cooperative. They commend the work done by the youths and are ready to offer advice whenever we are in need of their help. The group has created a good rapport between them and the community and that has helped to advertise the other projects in the organization.
The project educates the community on health issues and the necessity of living in a clean environment as well as supporting youth initiatives to help curb crime in the society. Since the exercise is done from door to door, Project members have ample time with different people explaining to them the significance of our clean up exercise thus also gains skills of dealing with diverse cultures and views.
The most urgent need for this program is the equipments, e.g. rakes, wheelbarrows , garbage truck and resources to organize trainings to the members so as to facilitate a smooth transition of the project to a recycling plant in the near future.
The garbage project has had its own share of challenges which have made us strong and united the team towards pulling our ideas and the little resources together. Some of the challenges that the group is facing are:
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Transportation of the garbage- We need a reliable transportation means to transport the garbage from Mathare slums to the Main dumping site in Dandora which is 5Kms away. A truck is a prerequisite in applying for the garbage project permit to avoid working in fear of being arrested by the city council officials.
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Equipment- The project is growing in leaps and bounds and the target area has expanded from 20 houses in June to 60 houses in October and the community’s response is overwhelming. The equipments available are overstretched thus making the work to take extra longer and tasking. The project is in need of 10 wheelbarrows, 20 overalls, 10 spades, 20 rakes, 30 pairs of gloves, 10 fork jembes, plastic bags, water storage tanks etc.
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Trainings and workshops- Members of the garbage project need a thorough training on the direction the project is headed. Environmental awareness and entrepreneurial skills training should be incorporated in the programs to equip project and community members with new ideas to help in effectively achieving its goal. This will help the project to become self sustainable.
