WasteAid has been awarded a grant from UK Aid Direct, the Department for International Development (DFID) fund supporting civil society organisations to achieve sustained poverty reduction.
WasteAid is a charity set up by British waste management professionals to spread recycling skills around the world. The grant will be used to set up a recycling centre in Kwa-Muhia, an informal settlement on the southern shore of Lake Naivasha.
The recycling centre will collect waste and turn it into useful products which can be sold to generate an income.
Many of the residents of Kwa-Muhia work on nearby flower farms producing cut flowers sold in UK supermarkets. WasteAid is working with the Kwa-Muhia Environmental Group (KMEG), a community group in the informal settlement of Kwa-Muhia. KMEG has a well-established network of stakeholders and supporters in the local area.
We will be working with our partners KMEG to introduce simple and affordable waste management and recycling skills, creating jobs and cleaning the environment for current and future generations.
Duncan Oloo, KMEG project manager, said: “Waste is a serious problem in Kenya. Thanks to the funding from UK Aid Direct, and support from WasteAid, the Kwa-Muhia Environmental Group (KMEG) will be able to clean up our informal settlement and convert waste into wealth.
“This project will improve public health in the village by reducing diseases spread by uncollected rubbish, especially among young children who play on the waste dumps. We are reaching out to all members of the community to help us and we are working with the less advantaged to help us in our mission towards zero waste.
“This UK Aid-funded project will also stop waste from Kwa-Muhia polluting Lake Naivasha which is an internationally important wetland site. Overall the project is good for people, good for the environment, and makes good economic sense too.”
Jill Matthews, WasteAid project manager, said: “We are really excited to be bringing UK Aid support to the shores of Lake Naivasha. A simple waste management service can have a significant positive impact on people’s lives. We will be working with our partners KMEG to introduce simple and affordable waste management and recycling skills, creating jobs and cleaning the environment for current and future generations.
“We hope to develop a low-cost model for other settlements in Kenya and elsewhere to follow. We will be posting regular updates demonstrating how we are turning waste into wealth, using simple and affordable techniques.”
WasteAid previously worked with KMEG to produce an action plan to tackle the growing waste menace. More information about WasteAid’s work can be found on the website wasteaid.org.
UK Aid Direct is a five-year, £150 million challenge fund designed to support the UK’s commitments to achieving the Global Goals.
UK Aid Direct is DFID’s main centrally managed funding mechanism for small and medium sized civil society organisations, based in the UK and overseas.
WasteAid’s Zoë Lenkiewicz recently wrote for CIWM Journal Online, updating on the charity’s project in the Gambia to capture and recycle ocean-bound plastic, and how people can get involved. Click here to read.