They walk the talk Waste pickers are Fiji’s environment warriors
OVER the past few weeks, it has been interesting to see how various actors in Fiji’s socio-economic landscape have begun using poverty as a means to highlight issues in the country.
I have only one plea - please do not politicise the waste picking sector and the recycling challenges attached to it.
We, when I say we, I mean Waste Recyclers Fiji, welcomes and encourages agencies who want to understand the framework and our strategies for development and empowering of the waste pickers to please make contact with us.
I am concerned that some agencies are making statements about poverty and other elements of waste picking without having full contextual understanding of the recycling and waste picking sector.
Yes, those involved in the waste picking sector are some of the most marginalised in the community.
However, there has to be recognition of the work they are involved in, and thus a support mechanism must be developed to empower this community.
We agree that there are challenges and issues faced by those working in the waste management sector and in particular those individuals engaged in informal waste picking.
However, our work is aimed at empowering such communities and not to further exacerbate the stigma attached to such industry.
We also acknowledge the genuine desire by government agencies, CSOs and some development partners who have come forward to better understand the situation and to form alliances to assist with our work.
Therefore, we encourage other agencies concerned about the waste picking sector to have discussions and dialogue with us.
My organisation’s focus is on empowering and moving informal waste pickers to the formal sector.
It is unfortunate that there are some views expressed by a NGO that only highlighted the poverty aspect of their lives.
We have been in the business for 28 years and developed a relationship with them, and understand intimately the challenges they face on a daily basis.
Waste Recyclers Fiji is taking firm and sustainable steps
Loana Naivala (middle) of Lautoka, in attentive mood at the Waste Recyclers workshop in Koronivia, Nausori.
to bring about that change by first educating them on their rights as individuals, and in this instance, we are working with the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre because our workshop this week was with 16 women pickers.
We are also empowering them by conducting financial literacy sessions with the support of BSP Financial.
After 28 years of working with the informal waste pickers, we know the challenges they face in trying to maintain a family with their earnings.
We welcome the comments made at our wellness and literacy program on Monday by Ministry of Health permanent secretary Dr James Fong that there is a need to formalise the pickers by forming some sort of association — so that they can be entered into the system and receive the support that they need.
What we are all trying to do is work towards moving the informal waste pickers away from the stigma attached to the vital work that they do, and provide them with some kind of dignity
and acknowledgement in terms of their contribution to society.
It is important that Fijians understand that by removing plastics and cans from dump sites and bins, the informal waste pickers are playing a direct role in reducing flooding, because they are taking away the very products that clog drainage systems.
By removing plastics and cans, they are also minimising the amount of waste material entering our environment and ecosystems.
If anything, they are true recycling activists and our best and most effective pro-environment warriors.
They walk the talk, and must be acknowledged and respected for that.
AMITESH DEO is the director and CEO of Waste Recyclers Fiji Ltd. He can be contacted on 992- 1067 or email amitesh@wasterecyclers.com.fj The views expressed are his and do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.