We partnered with Taka Ni Ajira in March 2024 to host a global Waste Pickers Day summit in Tanzania on March 1st commemorating International Waste Pickers Day for a second consecutive year. The summit brought together more than 77 waste pickers from various regions within Tanzania, including Dar Es Salaam, Arusha, Tanga, and Zanzibar.
The theme of this year’s summit was “Recognize, Build, Value!” The primary goal of the summit was to acknowledge the efforts and contributions of waste pickers in Tanzania, who have been at the forefront of preserving and cleaning the environment. The summit aimed to empower, unite and recognize their valuable contributions.
During this conference, waste pickers had the opportunity to collectively discuss ways to improve their work, laws and guidelines, pricing mechanisms, recycling markets, health, and safety while carrying out their duties. They also focused on establishing proper guidelines for forming and managing their registered groups.
One of the significant achievements of the summit was the election of new leaders for the Tanzanian Waste Pickers Association (TAWAPA). Various leaders were elected to lead this national union, including the Chairperson (Mwanza), Secretary (Dar), and Treasurer (Zanzibar). The new leaders of TAWAPA had the unique opportunity to present registration certificates to a total of eight (8) groups from Dar Es Salaam, Tanga, and Zanzibar. This is a testament to our efforts in the journey of empowering, recognizing, and valuing waste pickers here in Tanzania.
Speaking at the summit, Amiri Bakari a Waste Pickers Community Mobilization Officer from Nipe fagio highlighted, “We have reached over 4,359 waste pickers in nine (09) regions across the country through various projects we undertake. Last year, in 2023, we organized a Community Service Day event involving over 796 participants, of which 693 were men and 103 were women.”
He added, “The results of our research on the best ways to Recognize, Build and Value waste pickers here in Tanzania show that they face numerous challenges in their daily activities. These include informal groups, society discrimination, health issues, lack of PPEs and many more that make their voice unheard”
Eng. Allen M. Kimambo from Taka Ni Ajira articulated, “We are proud to announce that we have facilitated the formation and registration of several Community-Based Organizations across Tanzania, uniting waste pickers for sustainable practices. In Dar es Salaam alone, five (5) CBOs are officially registered, two (2) CBOs in Tanga, and one (1) in Kibele, Zanzibar.”
These waste picker groups have approximately 80+ members who will now be able to carry out their work officially! They have been educated, empowered, and provided with identification cards and tools to enable them in their work within our communities.
Nipe Fagio, along with various partners, through our collective efforts, we are building a community that values their significant contribution to the environment and societal well-being. We call upon the government, environmental stakeholders, and all development partners to continue supporting us in these efforts to build, recognize, and value waste pickers here in Tanzania. Unity is strength! When empowered, they can thrive!
