“My Waste. My Responsibility.”
This campaign is on going | Lilongwe, Malawi | Lilongwe Shifters | 2022
We are 16 young people from Lilongwe, Malawi, who are tackling waste management and climate change.
The Right-Sized Problem
Our local popular Chinsapo Market is so important to our community – but it’s also littered with trash.
What did we do?
Our goal is to create a network between the government, businesses, CSOs, community-based organizations and leaders, as well as fellow youths so together we can figure out how to make this trash go away.
We have many ideas to communicate that: documentary videos, mobile van voiceovers, radio programs, social media, billboards, influencers and local leaders, art performances, music, poetry – you name it!
We’re also developing strategic points for waste disposal, engaging sewing shops to convert the trash into fashion, using drones to map waste-filled sites to provide evidence for policy advocacy and spray anti-odors in dumping sites.
It sounds like a lot, but we’ll do anything it takes!
How did we do it?
Impact on Chinsapo Market community
“My Waste, My Responsibility” is now a city-wide initiative picked up by the Mayor of Lilongwe. It incentivises communities to keep their area clean.
We have been linked to key district stakeholders, such as the Sanitation Committee who are committed to collaborating with us to keep the market clean and raising awareness to surrounding households.
Words from the Mayor of Lilongwe
“The Shifters have already had an incredibly positive impact on the community. We encourage them to take their campaign to other parts of the city and work with other youth groups to impact other markets. Our City Council supports them and my doors will always be open to provide Shifters with what they need. Lilongwe’s Shifters are a positive force in our city.” – Richard Banda, Mayor of Lilongwe
Words from Chinsapo Market seller
“Our market has never looked as good as it does now and that has led to increased revenue from our stores. It is no longer just a market, it is an office where we all go to work.”
