Suburban
Some youths in Ward 41 have launched a waste management service in Marlborough to help residents get rid of garbage, which the City of Harare is failing to collect, from their properties.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Suburban Reporter
Interjay Solid Waste and Recycling Services, a youth initiative, was launched at Marlborough District Office on Tuesday following realisation that there was need to establish a sustainable waste management programme.
The youths came together and created a waste collection and recycling service which is a community based service to meet the urgent need for sustainable waste management practices in the community.
The project aims to employ about 50 youths and increase the number as it gains momentum.
Speaking at the launch, environmentalist and former Ward 41 Councillor, Mrs Kudzai Kadzombe said the young people are coming up with solutions for the shortcomings the City of Harare is struggling with. She said the waste management service will also help create jobs for youths in the ward.
“As residents in Marlborough being led by the youths, we are coming up with home grown solutions to reduce and manage our waste since the local authorities are clearly failing to do the job we are paying for.
“We are going to be educating residents on how to separate waste at source and create a litter free Ward 41. So we will remove the recyclable materials and take up the refuse collection mandate from residents.
“This will also reduce the amount of waste going to Pomona dumpsite and also create employment with the pilot project earmarked for the Redroofs (section of Marlborough) starting this month,” she said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch, Interjay Solid Waste and Recycling Services board chair Mr Steve Kondo said they had identified a solution for the uncollected garbage in the ward and plan to eventually spread the service to the rest of the Harare West constituency.
He said they are a group of young people with passion in waste management and also employment creation.
“With the current problem of waste management we came together as young people. We put our heads together and started this initiative which will also create employment.
“In our pilot project, we will use the Redroofs suburb as a pilot project, we will be collecting waste every Tuesday and do our waste separation at the Newstead waste separation depot. From there we will sell the recyclable materials and proceed to dump the other refuse at the Pomona dumpsite.
“We aim to employ a total of 50 youths in this project and increase the number as we go,” he said.
“To show that this is a community project started by young people who are passionate about waste management, the community will be asked to pay a ‘minimum’ amount. This is done so the young people can find jobs and stay away from drugs and other unproductive things,” said Mr Kondo.
According to the company profile, the Interjay Solid Waste and Recycling Services’ objective is to help residents do away with the stress and frustration associated with uncollected rubbish at their premises.
“Our rubbish removal team will carefully remove any type of rubbish and load it into our truck where it’s accumulated. Our services (include) domestic waste collection, rubbish removal, green waste removal, electronic waste removal, office waste collection, old equipment (removal) and construction waste removal,” reads the company’s profile.
