At every crisis, CREASION has always come at the forefront to provide assistance to the affected. The COVID-19 global pandemic and its consequences has uprooted the lives of many including waste workers. CREASION acknowledges the hardships and contributions of waste workers and has initiated the Waste Workers Emergency Relief Project (WWERP) in support of The Coca-Cola Foundation.
The WWERP has partnered with different waste management organisations to reach out to more waste workers. Through ration packages, safety gears and awareness, the project aims to ensure the safety and well-being of waste workers affected by the ongoing pandemic and the lockdown.
WHERE IS THE PROJECT BASED?
The project has already reached out to waste workers of Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Chitwan, Parsa, Sarlahi and Saptari.
HOW MANY WASTE WORKERS HAS THE PROJECT PLANNED ON HELPING?
The project has aimed to reach out to a total of 3200 waste workers of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Chitwan and Eastern Nepal.
HOW HAS THE PROJECT REACHED OUT TO WASTE WORKERS?
The formal as well as informal sector waste workers have been reached out through our consortium partnersand local governments. They have helped us have a wider outreach of the project and reach out to a large number of waster workers. The facilitation of distribution of relief materials has also been done by them.
WHAT KIND OF ASSISTANCE DOES WWERP SPECIFICALLY PROVIDE TO THE WASTE WORKERS?
WWERP aims to act as a cushion against the probable scarcity and the risks of the disease that waste workers and their families have been facing due to #COVID- 19. The project provides waste workers with ration materials that is estimated to be enough for a family of five for one month. It consists of rice along with other non- perishable food items such as lentils, sugar, salt, soybean, gram and oil.Soaps along with other general medicines, reusable sanitary pads, safety gears which include protective jumpsuits, masks, gloves are also provided.
BESIDES ASSISTANCE WITH RATION MATERIALS AND SAFETY GEARS, HOW DOES THE PROJECT PROVIDE HELP TO WASTE WORKERS?
The project has a medical officer who accompanies the team in every distribution site and provides awareness sessions and medical consultations. The awareness sessions are related to the use and removal of masks, gloves, reusable sanitary pads, protective gears as well as the proper technique of hand washing.
Hospitals and Isolation Centres
Provinces
PPE Suits
N95 Masks
Pairs of Surgical Gloves
Front line workers who invest their day and night to fight COVID-19 have been denied basic necessities required to survive the outbreak themselves. Basic necessities such as protective gears, masks, gloves, goggles required for them to continue with their work without any hurdles have been insufficient. This has put their lives at risk as well as jeopardized the safety of others as well.
CREASION in support from the Bhrikuti Devi Trust came forward with assistance for the front liners working during the COVID-19. To support them, PPE suits, N95 Masks, Surgical Gloves, Safety Goggles, Shoe Covers and Hair Covers were provided to the front liners working in 24 hospitals and isolation centres of Province 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7. Security personnel were also assisted by providing safety gears.
Hospitals and Isolation Centres
Waste Workers Reached
Waste workers stationed to manage hospital waste are at a greater risk. They are already devoid of proper knowledge for safe waste management and the risky situation brought by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened their situation and exposed them to more vulnerabilities.
As part of the Waste Workers Emergency Relief Project (WWERP), the team was also actively engaged in providing assistance to the waste workers who were stationed at hospitals. The awareness sessions were mainly targeted at ensuring that the waste workers who directly worked in sensitive area to COVID-19 such as hospitals were aware of the right safety measures and followed them thoroughly. The sessions by our Medical Officer for Hospitals were conducted in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Chitwan.
