Small Island Recycling & Waste Management Dawasamu

Dear Supporters 

The Dawasamu Waste Management Programme has been implemented to improve waste disposal. Recycling points have been built in the villages, where families can recycle their tin cans, glass, hard plastics, aluminum & ceramics instead of burning waste or using landfills. Focusing on education & behaviour change prior to the construction of recycling points, followed by effective monitoring & additional workshops. This sustainable solution puts ownership directly in the hands of the villagers.

GVI Dawasamu Community Project has teamed up with the communities of Dawasamu District to work together towards long-term sustainable goals and achievements in waste management. Through baseline research, educational workshops, community empowerment, and the provision of 21 recycling points across the whole district, regular monitoring and data collection we have seen the programme established as the Dawasamu Waste Management Programme.

To track and monitor the progress of the programme monthly surveys are undertaken with the village Headmen to make certain that the materials taken to recycling points are being sorted correctly and that the points are kept clean, structurally sound and maintained properly.

GVI works closely with the Headmen, the Community Health Workers and the Women’s Committee from each village encouraging them to use the information collected through the monitoring process to celebrate successes, make improvements where necessary and to ensure all members of the communities are taking an active part in the waste management programme.

House to house workshops have been created and resources made, the workshops have been designed to encourage community members to participate in the activities, the workshops are carried out either on a one to one basis or small groups depending on how many people are at home when GVI volunteers’ visits.

All recycling begins with a decision, a choice, an action. That choice is: either throwing the waste into a dug hole/burn pit or placing it into a recycling bag. The right choice can have a significant impact on a community’s environment. The wrong choice can lead to big problems i.e. unclean village, poor health, contaminating water/soil. Getting community members to make the right choices every day is a huge part of running a successful recycling programme. Therefore, education is a key component and is needed to make sure community members know what to recycle, when to recycle, where to recycle and, how to recycle. The Dawasamu Waste Management Programme that GVI has created helps to explain, inform, motivate and encourage communities to recycle. Such education is needed to change behavior and to create a culture where the benefits of recycling are understood

We would like to thank all donors who have contributed to our “Small Island Recycling & Waste Management Dawasamu” in Fiji and helping us work towards a sustainable waste management programme. In total since April 2016 to date, Dawasamu District has recycled a total of 7.9 tons of waste. As part of our long-term objectives’ volunteers visit all the villages in Dawasamu once a month to do house to house workshops, to remind or update community members about how and why it is important to recycle. There is no doubt that the success of the Dawasamu Waste Management Programme is down to education and continuously spreading the word about the benefits of recycling for the environment and the health and well-being of all community members.

With Gratitude 

Fiji, Recycling