Young people affected by leprosy in Gowa District, South Sulawesi, have set up a cooperative and run a ‘waste bank’. They raise awareness of waste management in their communities, collect household waste and sell it for further use. The aim is to create a stable income for the young people and to contribute to reducing waste in this small part of the world.
Watch a video here !
The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) supported PerMaTa South Sulawesi / YDTI for 1 year to develop a cooperative and start a waste banking company. We organized training and learned how to run a waste bank. A cooperative was set up at the provincial level, a warehouse was rented and some basic equipment was purchased. The team of young people affected by leprosy ran information campaigns in the villages to raise awareness about their project and the benefits of collecting and selling household waste. The communities have been very open to this, although collecting and sorting the rubbish is quite tiring.
In the future, the team hopes to learn how to upgrade certain items, such as plastic or metal, in order to sell them at a higher price.
