Teku Transfer Station sasaja@gmail.com

The project is implemented with technical and financial support of Medecins du Monde – France (MdM-F) and the project period is 36 onths starting from Oct 2020 and ending on Sept 2023. The main objective of the project is to improve health, wellbeing and livelihood of informal waste workers with major 3 outcomes.

Outcome 1: Formalization of IWWs through non-profit enterprises and increasing their recognition in integrated solid waste management in urban cities.

Outcome 2: Increase risk mitigation and promotion of decent safe work opportunities in current activities and through innovation.

Outcome 3: Increase access to quality health services for IWWs and community through promotion of Urban Health Promotion Center (UHPC).

Our Beneficiaries

Project Beneficiary:

The main beneficiary of the project are the Informal waste workers (IWWs). Informal Waste Workers are the non-affiliated and non-registered front line workers, working in managing the waste and are living out of the waste. They are usually categorised as waste collectors, waste sorters, waste handlers and scarp dealers.

Categories of Waste Workers:

1. Waste collectors: 

includes ferriya, who go around the houses and shop to collect wastes, rag pickers (rags are the old pieces of rice bags)

2. Waste sorters

segregators, working inside the scarp dealers’ shops (e.g., paper sorters) 

3. Waste handlers

Waste collection/sorting/landfill disposal (landfill site specific)

4. Scrap dealers (or kawadi shops, kawadiwalas )

often located along the river corridors due to cheap rental prices), who buy the waste from waste collectors, waste pickers and ragpickers and resell it to middlemen, often coming from India. 

Our Project Area

Project Area:

Before initiation of the project, we mapped 533 informal waste workers. They are now categorized into 3 cohorts according to their place of residence in Kathmandu and Nuwakot District. We provide services to our beneficiaries in the following areas:

1. Shantinagar and Sinamangal Area (Kathmandu)

These areas have 5 groups of informal waste workers, where 166 of them have been mapped. Here, mostly dry wastes such as e-wastes are segregated. Such wastes are collected from the households and also, bought through waste buyers.

2. Teku Area (Kathmandu)

This area has 6 groups of informal waste workers, where 204 of them were mapped. Here, mostly, wet wastes such as plastics and organic wastes are segregated.

3. Sisdole Area (Nuwakot)

This area has 4 groups of informal waste works, where 163 waste workers are mapped. Here, the landfill site is situated. Before dumping the wastes to the landfill site, organic wastes are segregated.

The Key Deliverables of the Project

The project is summarized in brief as given in below

  • Three IWWs non-profit enterprises are registered in Kathmandu Valley and Sisdol

  • All IWWs non-profit enterprises leader’s capacities are strengthened on operational non-profit enterprises, inclusive management, governance, communication and basic advocacy skills

  • All IWWs non-profit enterprises members engaged in solid waste management (SWM) improvement are recognized by urban community and at the Ward level

  • All IWWs non-profit enterprises participate in local and regional platforms involving public and private partners for policy dialogue and access to rights

  • Innovative economic opportunities contributing to risk mitigation and environmental exposure are initiated by IWWs nonprofit enterprises and associated partners through capacity building of IWWs on entrepreneurial and basic financial skills 

  • Capacity building of IWWs regarding OSH and its activities implementation

  • Support local health system in transitioning of urban health clinic to urban health promotion center

  • Availability and Use of Quality health services in supported health facility by IWWs and community