Work Hard And Earn More-Sam Pyne to Waste Pickers.

Kumasi Mayor, Sam Pyne addressing waste pickers at a durbar at the precincts of KMA

The Kumasi Mayor, Hon Samuel Pyne has encouraged waste pickers in the communities of Kumasi to use the opportunity they have gotten to be part of European Union Commission funded Holistic Reinforcement For Sustainable Development (HORESD) project to work hard and earn more money.

Addressing the predominantly female dominated group of Waste Pickers at the precincts of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly during a durbar held to orientate them in the circular economy value chain of the project and also to introduce them to about 1000 trash-cans KMA has gotten to collect waste in Kumasi, the Mayor said pickers would have opportunity to get value from the work they had been doing with least dividends.

The Mayor noted that while they picked waste especially plastic and sachet water bags they would have places to drop them and earn from same.

“I am happy to announce to you that this project would help you earn more money to support yourselves and your families provided that you take advantage of it by collecting more plastic and sachet water bags to the designated points in your communities for recycling purposes”, the Mayor stated.

Admonition:
The Mayor used the occasion to advise the public to carefully place into the trash cans items meant for it.

He noted that the manufacturers based on a research they did about Kumasi had branded the containers with names of items to be placed in same and had done so in both the Twi and English languages.

This, he stated would make it easy for recycling purposes and enhance the processes of making waste useful to the economy of Kumasi and for its people.

“I will urge the people of Kumasi to help the Assembly to make this project a success by placing into the over 1000 trash cans which would be placed in about 100 joints in Kumasi”, the Mayor stressed.

International Project Coordinator:
Dr Helder Moreira, International Project Coordinator of HORESD commended the Waste Pickers for organising themselves to be on the project.

He urged them to be diligent with their work and deliver to earn legitimate income to support themselves and families.

Local Project Coordinator:
On his part, Joshua Tetteh-Nortey, Local Project Coordinator asked the pickers drawn from all the suburbs and communities in Kumasi to form small groups so that they could earn some funds from the project meant for those who can collect more waste for recycling.

He noted that the project has the potential to make waste pickers gain additional money to better their lives and many others connected to them and therefore asked them to work hard to collect more to ensure the sustenance of the project and the development of the metropolis.

Commendation:
Speaking to this reporter, Adwoa Adwubi, 46 year old waste picker from Duase, a community in Manhyia North said she was grateful to the Mayor and the KMA for including them in the project.

She disclosed that those who paid for the plastic waste she and her colleagues picked gave them least amounts since they had a way of trashing their collections down to lower levels.

Maame Akosua Duruwaa, 53 year old waste picker from Apraman, a community in the Nhyiaeso community also thanked the KMA for the initiative.

She said apart from the opportunity to collect waste for funds to be paid on the spot by KMA officials herself and colleagues would now have secured jobs to earn money each day.

Story By Michael Ofosu-Afriyie, Kumasi.