My Waste, My Responsibility

2023Climate Change & Environment

Apr 25

Malawi | Lilongwe Shifters | 2023

Moni nonse!

We are the Lilongwe Shifters from Malawi, a group of young people passionate about climate change, especially waste management.

18 to 25 years old
Lilongwe

The Right-Sized Problem

In the heart of our capital city is Chinsapo market, a place of commerce and community. But behind this vibrant area is a big challenge – poor waste management. The piles of garbage that accumulate in the market not only affect how our city looks, but cause serious environmental hazards, contributing to the bigger crisis of climate change.

What did we do?

The first step is to change people's behavior and attitudes towards trash. We believed in the 3Rs – refuse, reuse and recycle – and needed everyone to be involved: the buyers, shop owners and surrounding households. So, we started with data!

In partnership with Wind Rides Aero, we deployed drones over Chinsapo to map waste-filled sites. We also talked to the families and worked with community stakeholders to find out where garbage was piling up and identify illegal dumping sites. What’s more, we were even looking for potential landfills for proper waste management based on factors like how close these were to drinking water sources and health facilities. We used the information to see the accessibility of trash bins and containers and the best routes for collecting and transporting waste. All these were shared to key stakeholders such as the Lilongwe City and District Councils.

Through seed funding, we equipped the Chinsapo market committee with waste collection and management tools like brooms and bins. Beyond cleanliness, we also joined the national campaign on fighting cholera to emphasize the link between waste and health. Together with the women’s recycling group and the market sanitation committee, we also conducted monthly clean-ups to keep the momentum going.

Campaign Impact

Our impact was immediate with the community starting to refuse, reuse and recycle. The community’s dedication led to more efforts driven by the city and district councils on proper waste collection and management. Plus, our efforts pushed a government-initiated cleanup campaign in a site around the Chinsapo Secondary School, not only making the school clean but helping it reduce cases of cholera.

The data collected from our waste mapping helped Chinsapo and sparked the interest among researchers, highlighting the importance of our advocacy. Our work also brought about partnerships with important leaders like the Mayor, and Ministers of Youth and Water and Sanitation, highlighting the impact we had on decisionmakers.

The Lilongwe District Council even adopted our campaign model for their annual conference, showing that good ideas have the power to spread. Local clubs and organizations across the city are inspired to contribute to the waste management problem in Chinsapo too, proving that there is power in community-wide efforts.

Impact in Numbers