Creation Care: Waste Bank

For nearly a decade, the project has impacted thousands of people living in poverty and influenced communities, government and corporate responses to the current environmental crisis that inequitably affects the poor. The organisation overseeing the program develops and conducts community education campaigns and works to reduce poverty through better environmental management and empowerment programs for socially and economically disadvantaged communities.

Programs that are run include:

• A waste bank and recycling income generation program assisting scavenger communities
• Provision of humanitarian aid in times of natural disaster or economic distress; recent examples include covid relief, earthquake relief and partnering with other organisations to address food scarcity
• Literacy programs for children from socio-economically disadvantaged communities
• Financial literacy for families
• Training in food production, community clean-up events and targeted environmental/social rehabilitation projects
• … And more!

With a passion for caring about creation and long-term sustainability of our world, the South East Asia team is excited to see continued opportunities with life-changing results.

Since the project began, it has grown and now operates in two locations in the country with a vision to see transformed quality of life through enhanced local environments. Each month 20-30 tonnes of waste are processed, and they are actively seeking space to receive more.

This waste is then taken to appropriate sites so it doesn’t return to the streets. It is collected by about 100 families who are cleaning up their local community and earning a fair income and receiving lessons in financial literacy to help break debt traps.

Not only does the site process rubbish but it is also a safe place for these families to come, to be and to join in the offered programs learning life skills and receiving support for healthcare and children’s education that they otherwise can’t access due to the cost.