20-30 tonnes of residential waste are hauled through Kayole every day on their way to an unofficial dumping site next to the river, mostly by handcart. About 1000 people derive an income directly or indirectly from the movement of this waste. Young men collect it, and women sort through it for recyclables.
The whole garbage industry in Kayole is informal and illegal. Every type of waste you can imagine finds its way to the dump site - medical waste, diapers, glass shards, toxic chemicals and even aborted babies. The work is hazardous and distasteful, but it puts food on the table.
Kayole Mtaa Safi Initiative has formed a small group incorporating all the various levels of solid waste collection and recycling. Members actively participate in meetings, they resolve internal and external conflicts in a civilized manner, and they have a unified vision for the future. These organized individuals can be easily identified as solid waste collectors by their ID cards, uniforms, protective clothing and boots.
The whole garbage industry in Kayole is informal and illegal. Every type of waste you can imagine finds its way to the dump site - medical waste, diapers, glass shards, toxic chemicals and even aborted babies. The work is hazardous and distasteful, but it puts food on the table.
Kayole Mtaa Safi Initiative has formed a small group incorporating all the various levels of solid waste collection and recycling. Members actively participate in meetings, they resolve internal and external conflicts in a civilized manner, and they have a unified vision for the future. These organized individuals can be easily identified as solid waste collectors by their ID cards, uniforms, protective clothing and boots.