A new CLEAR programme aims to deliver a new wave of ‘Waste Warriors’ enabling change in West Java. We have conducted initial meetings and stakeholder mapping in two villages, and conducted village assessments in a further two villages, to assess their readiness to establish waste banks and develop waste management plans.
The Villages
One of village’s women’s groups approached us directly requesting that CLEAR provide workshops and eco-mentoring after seeing the waste bank, and permaculture gardens in the first village of Sanghiangkalang last year. Other villages were chosen based on their desire to reduce plastic waste in their village, their leadership potential or their strategic location along the Green Canyon River, which would translate into greatly reducing the dumping of plastic and other waste into the ocean.
We empower villagers to develop their own waste solutions.
We adopt a grass-roots approach to developing the skills of ‘Waste Warriors’ because CLEAR has found that adopting the ideas of local people and delivering their messages and ideas for waste solutions is far more effective than having foreigners or non-locals telling villagers how to manage their problems. We empower villagers to develop their own waste solutions. Thus our plan is to train up Waste Warriors, who act as village-level influencers encouraging their communities to join the programme, and to start sorting waste, recycling, building permaculture gardens and implementing other waste management practices.
The Program
We aim to run a 6-month programme of workshops and mentoring in 4 villages with supportive follow-up over a further 6 months. We plan to expand to other villages using their experience. The workshops would cover topics such as:
- Managing waste for your village’s health, wealth and future
- ‘All rubbish is not created equal’ (some is poisonous but other waste can be used productively)
- How to set up a waste committee
- How a waste bank functions
- Organic waste and permaculture
- Creating products from waste
The Outcomes
The eco-mentoring programme will include conducting pre and post-programme surveys to measure the impact of this programme, such as waste sorting and recycling rates, and changes in attitudes to waste.
*Training 10 to 20 Waste Warriors in each village, meaning at least 80 champions mobilising teams and educating others in their villages, with our ongoing technical support.
*Establishing a waste bank in each village with associated recycling, organic waste and permaculture operations.
*Measuring the amounts of waste sorted and recycled and conducting surveys on changing awareness and attitudes to waste and plastic pollution for more informed action.
*Improved advocacy of participants, particularly women, through surveys at the beginning and end of each 6 month period and tailored support.
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