Practical Action organized a final sharing workshop of the Poverty Reduction of Informal Workers in Solid Waste Management (PRISM) project on 23 May 2014. The purpose of the workshop is to share the outcomes, learning and impact of the project.

Jointly inaugurated by Rensje Teerink, Ambassador Delegation of the European Union to Nepal, Dr Sumitra Amatya, Executive Director, SWMTSC and Shyam Thakuri, President, Informal Waste Pickers’ Organization, speakers highlighted the contribution made by the PRISM  to improve the livelihood of Informal West  The chief guest of the event was Dr Mahendra Subba, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development.

PRISM - Poverty Reduction of Informal Workers in Solid Waste Management Sector project is implemented by Practical Action with funding support of the European Union and partnership with Centre for Integrated Urban Development within five municipalities of Kathmandu Valley. The overall objective of the project is to improve living conditions of the informal workers in solid waste management sector in Nepal.

The period of the project is of 36 months starting from June 2011 to May 2014. The specific objective is to enhance social protection of the informal workers and vulnerable groups dependent on solid waste for their livelihoods. Project target group consists of socially excluded Informal Waste Workers (IWWs) of project municipalities.

Dr Shirish Singh, Head of Urban Water, Sanitation and Waste Program at Practical Action, presented the impact of the project during the event. According to him, a total of 4,341 informal waste workers have directly benefitted after project intervention. He also added that at least 25 major waste based enterprise have been initiated by the IWWs after getting support from the project. Such enterprises include; waste plastic handicrafts, compost making, sack production, bio-briquette production, rickshaw and scrap centers among others.

Special guest of the event Hari Bansa Acharya and Madan Krishna Shrestha expressed the importance of respecting the waste workers for their contribution in solid waste management.

The project was able to identify 8,047 IWWs among which 1,635 are female. 59 IWWs’ groups were formed after the project intervention. PRISM facilitated to achieve social protection and recognition to IWWs and helped to strengthened capacities of groups within informal waste workers for collective bargaining for better price; enhance their technical and entrepreneurial skills. The project also introduced nine different social protection schemes for their better income and secured livelihood. Under the Health care scheme a total of 1,550 IWWs were able to benefit. Similarly, 2,775, 634, and 518 people were able to benefit from preventive health care, child protection and women protection schemes respectively. Apart from these, a total of 414 IWWs has benefitted from different other schemes.

Practical Action’s South Asia Office Director Achyut Luitel revealed that the CIUD and Practical Action will extend the project for one year.

Participated by government officials, donors and non-government organization, experts, advocacy groups, civil society members, project beneficiaries, private organizations and media personnel, speakers also interacted with the panelists.