In this three-part series, Solomon Khurrum (previously Director of Operations for Tearfund partner Pak Mission Society) and I share three perspectives on plastic and waste from Pakistan.
In part 1 of this series, we heard the perspective of Rashid Hammeed*, who lives in a slum that currently lacks waste collection, causing ill health, environmental damage and social isolation. Part 2 shared the story of Hameed Gul, who works at a community-based recycling hub in another area of Islamabad; this job and the centre have transformed his family’s income and health.
In this post, we hear more about the approach that Tearfund and the Pakistan Mission Society are using to extend waste collection to other communities across Pakistan. By establishing social enterprises for community-based waste collection and recycling (or ‘Integrated Resource Recovery Centres’), we are creating jobs, improving people’s health and protecting the environment. These enterprises are designed to become financially self-sustaining after 2-3 years, enabling poor communities to turn trash into opportunity. [Read more…]
