The Ghana Recycling Initiative by Private Enterprises has donated food items and water to 600 waste pickers in Accra.
The presentation which took place on Saturday, 23rd May 2020 forms part of GRIPE’s efforts to help mitigate the negative impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on the livelihood of waste pickers who play an integral role in the waste value- chain.
The donation included 600 food packages and 100 bags of sachet water. The food packages included items such as rice, oil, sugar, bread, wheat, biscuits, drinks, sardines among others.
The presentation took place at two locations. The first presentation was made to the Kpone and Biakoye Waste Pickers Association at the Kpone Landfill site. The team from there moved to Odawna where the second presentation was made to the Pure Water Waste Collectors Association. In attendance at these presentations were representatives from GRIPE, Food for All Africa, and the waste pickers association.
Speaking at the presentation, the delegation from GRIPE commended the waste pickers for their role in the management of plastic waste in the country. The delegation added that they recognize that due to the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic and its attendant actions such as the lockdown, the activities of these waste pickers which is their main source of livelihoods have been affected tremendously. The delegation explained that the donation from GRIPE is to support the waste pickers during these difficult times.
The leadership of the waste pickers associations expressed the gratitude of the associations to GRIPE and stated that they will continue to collaborate with GRIPE in the management of plastic waste in Ghana.