The Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA), with support from the UNDP, has presented Personal Protective Clothing (PPEs) to its informal sector members, who operate tricycles to collect solid waste in communities where waste compaction trucks cannot access.
The presentation of face masks and industrial hand gloves, as well as hand sanitizers, is to consolidate earlier efforts made by the association to empower the informal solid waste collectors to effectively and efficiently handle waste in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier in September 6, 2020, the ESPA in collaboration with the UNDP waste recovery platform and the Accra School of Hygiene organised a day’s trainer of trainees Programme for about 60 of its members in the informal sector to build their capacity in waste handling as part of efforts to halt the spread of Covid-19.
Beneficiaries were from the Ablekuma North A and Ablekuma North B, Ayawaso Central, Ga Central, Ga South, La Nkwantanan, Ashiedu Keteke, Ablekuma Central and Pure Water Waste Collectors Association.
The Executive Secretary of the ESPA, Mrs Ama Gbadago, at a brief handing over ceremony in Accra on Wednesday October 21,2020, presented items to some of the beneficiaries.
Representatives from the UNDP, JSA Logistics and UPPR also took turns to handover items to the other beneficiaries.
Rationale
Explaining the rationale for the presentation of the PPEs, Mrs Gbadago said, It had become necessary to build the capacity of informal waste collectors especially in the wake of the Covid -19 pandemic considering the role they now play in the waste management sector.
Tricycles presentations
Mrs Gbadago also handed the keys of two Supreme Star tricycles to Madam Lydia Asamoah, a member of theNational Executive of the informal sector.
The two tricycles were donated by JSA Logistics, a subsidiary of the Jospong Group to the ESPA.
The tricycles according to Mrs Gbadago, will be used to pilot yet another tricycle project in Accra for a period of six months.
Mrs Gbadago urged the leaders to ensure that they provide the ESPA with weekly accounts and reports on the performance of the tricycles in order for the association to make an informed decision regarding the reintroduction of its tricycle project.
“You are to test this tricycles to determine its robustness on the field “, she stated.
If successful, the tricycles will then be supplied to the members of the informal sector by JSA Logistics through the ESPA on hire purchase basis.
Appreciation
Madam Asamoah, on behalf of her members, expressed appreciation to the ESPA for the support. She gave the assurance that they would take good care of the tricycles, and provide the weekly reports and accounts as required.
She however, appealed to the ESPA to give ear to any complaints they might bring from the field so that together they could make the tricycle pilot programme a success.
Waste segregation
Universal Plastic Products and Recycling Limited (UPPR), also a subsidiary of the Jospong Group presented three 24-Liter waste bin to the ESPA, which the association will use to deepen its advocacy on waste segregation.
The National Plastic Waste Coordinator, Mr Amoako-Gyampah Paul and the Human Resource Manager of UPPR, Mrs Isabella Gyau Orhin handed over the bins.
