Livelihood creation for garbage plucking women who lost their jobs due to Covid-19

Rag pickers and garbage waste collectors are the invisible, silent supporters of the community, they indirectly helped people by preventing hazardous health diseases, making a healthy society and making a cleaner, greener and pollution-free environment. Our SOCIAL WELFARE INTEGRAL TRUST (SWIT) is a legally registered NGO working especially focusing on the welfare of the people living in slums and sub-urban areas In our working area, the condition of the woman is garbage picking activities is very pathetic and feeble. Based on our recent study about 96 women in 120 families living in the Slums of Stalin Nagar, Thideernagar, in the Thiruchriappalli district alone were involved in Rag-picking, and garbage waste collections and backyard works. They are living in a small hut where about 6 more family members are in a tiny place side the slums and suburban areas. As far as they are involved in garbage waste collection, they have chronic health issues and occupational diseases. Several women were found injured by nails, spikes and sharp pins and other metal parts while involved in rag picking, they don’t much care about their health care. A very merger, low income, sometimes no income a day makes them struggle even a square meal for a day. Most of the male members of the rag-pickers women are drunkards and alcoholic dependents, hence they forced their children at the age of 8 yrs to 12 yrs into Rag-picking on streets and roadsides, and even 6 yrs old children of these women are involved in begging. The COVID 19 pandemic is hit the rag-picker family too.. during the lockdown period they suffered a lot and our SWIT has arranged food materials and emergency relief assistance to them and about 47 children in rag picker family are studying in our evening tuition centre run by SWIT. 

We have identified about 38 women in rag-picking families in our working area Stalin Nagar, Thideer Nagar, Sathyamoorthy Nagar and Tharamangalam villages/slums in Ariyamangalam, Corporation block and those are having girl children and school-going children in their families uncared by the living community and struggled for their daily bread, this proposed project will help to support about 25 of the all-class rag picker women and the destitute who involved in garbage waste collecting activities and backyard works on to support by providing Dry rations/groceries – 1 unit for one family for about 4 months, and Healthcare kit contains – Safety hand gloves, Sanitizes, Foot covers, First aid kit and helps them to lead their regular life with their belonging society normally. Apart from this, we planned to give Health counselling and on-spot – work counselling to do their work in safe and preventive measures.

This Donation option helps to support about 25 of all class ragpicker women and the destitute who are involved in garbage waste collecting activities and backyard works, they have assured dry rations/groceries and other provisions to run their family for the next 6 months and help them to get out the clutches of COVID `19, About 68 of the children in ragpickers family having good and nutritious food and improve health status and concentrate in studies. This donation option will also support the in medical care and health counselling, on-spot counselling them to. Hence these poor ragpicker women have to give much care to their health and improved health status, by the assurance of dry rations and livelihood will get out of the fear of COVID 19 and continue their daily life in a normal way. About 93 of the total beneficiaries in the ragpickers/garbage waste collector’s community would get benefited from this donation option and have good quality dry ration/groceries materials for every month and get quality food every day.