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Walter Nyamukondiwa in KADOMA
At least 2 000 people across the country’s three provinces of Bulawayo, Mashonaland East and West have so far been trained in waste recycling as a social and economic tool to reverse the deteriorating waste management situation in growth points, towns and cities.
With the progressive decline of waste management capacity of local authorities, the new initiative, which is underpinned by recycling of waste is expected to make a difference.
A brainchild of First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, the recycling training will cascade to the grassroots communities and work as a tool to change people’s perceptions of waste. In remarks made on her behalf by Environment, Water, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Deputy Minister Barbara Rwodzi at the graduation of 807 people from the seven districts of Mashonaland West province in Kadoma at the weekend, Environment patron First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa said the country’s urban centres needed sprucing up.
“Waste management has deteriorated in the past two decades in most business centres, growth points, towns and cities. Local authorities are struggling to sustainably manage waste,” she said.
“Uncollected garbage remains a challenge. This is creating a health hazard for our local communities who themselves are not sure of how to dispose of waste or recycle it.”
The training programmes are aimed at capacitating grassroots communities on the best practises in the management of waste including reuse, recovery and recycling as a business.
“To that end ladies and gentlemen, today we are gathered to appreciate all those that participated in this rigorous training programme,” said Dr Mnangagwa.
“However, let not this graduation be an end to this noble initiative but instruct that after such a capacity building exercise, I expect action on the ground. You are going to act as the beacon of the communities you come from by putting into action what you learnt and also spreading wide the same information in your communities.”
The 807 people who graduated will influence their family members back home and be ambassadors of cleanness in communities.
Mashonaland West province now has 32 Community Based Organisations (CBOs) which are involved in waste recycling amid reports that at 530 000 metric tonnes of waste were biodegradable and could be used to make fertilisers.
Research findings show that only about 20 percent of contents in household bins were recyclable and compostable materials and should not be taken to a landfill if it could be separated at source.
Jubilant recipients of the certificates hailed the First Lady for the initiative, which is going to socially and economically impact communities.
The trained waste management battalion is going to be given branded uniforms that will make them visible in communities.
Miss Ropafadzo Mangezi of Hurungwe district said Dr Mnangagwa’s programme had given her a stepping stone and skills to look after herself and family through waste recycling.
“People in our community in Hurungwe throw away litter anywhere and we hope to change the situation by taking the litter, recycle it and get money out of it. That way there will be a reduction in the amount of litter strewn everywhere,” she said.
Mr Mcmullen Munedzi of Kariba district said communities desperately needed the training programme to stem the outbreak of diseases such as cholera.
“This is a programme that people looked down upon when it started but today is a day when everyone can see that those who graduated can really make a difference in the communities they come from. As the youths our eyes have been opened to see the value of waste,” said.
In a testimony, Mr Never Gariromo said he is managing to make a living through picking up of waste, which has vast potential of generating up to US$4 billion annually.
“For as long as there is life under the sun, the raw materials for a business in waste recycling will always be there. Mining is pushing to be a US$12bn industry but we see the potential in waste recycling to be at the same level,” said Mr Gariromo.
“In recycling waste we are not only helping the community but also generating income for our families. Dr Hwingiri has opened a stream of income through using waste to grow worms.”
He said the graduates should go and make an impact in the community.
Dr Mnangagwa said people had become reckless with litter and there should be punitive measures to promote a change of behaviour.
One way, she said was to make people realise that recycling was a business, which could generate incomes for households while helping to keep the environment clean.
She said people’s negative perceptions on waste, where some people regard the clearing of litter as a job for the supposed poor people in society needs to change.
“Previously, people used to think that litter was picked up by people who considered less sophisticated than ourselves, workers in councils but the world is changing and litter is money,” she said.
“After a research by EMA in 2011 we discovered that others around the world were making money out of litter. After all these years people in very influential position in society still throw litter out of moving vehicles.”
Littering, she said, diminished the population’s dignity.
Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka said the training programme was the development of human capital in motion.
“This is yet another milestone in the programmes that the First lady has spearheaded to empower the people. We are witnessing the development of our human capital.
“We are celebrating that the 807 graduates have been taught that there is money in waste. We have been having challenges with issues of solid waste management, especially plastics. Our environment is full of litter. Because of your initiatives we now have 32 community based organisations that are fighting waste,” said Minister Mliswa.
She said the programme has managed to remove some people, especially youths from the streets and get them off vices such as drug and substance abuse while cases of domestic violence have declined as incomes increase.
Online Reporter