Rescuing children from bonded labour to empowering women through self-help groups, Hand in Hand India’s (HIHI) operations focus to create a happy and stable family. The missing link in their advocacy and extension work was creating an environment conducive for all to live in.
Expanding on this aspect, HIHI created separate verticals for Sustainable Waste Management (SWM) and Natural Resources Management (NRM). “Earlier we worked on solid waste management through our profit arm, following conventional method of door-to-door waste collection, segregation and then sending the recovered material to reuse. In 2020, we created this into a separate pillar within HIHI as several corporates were looking to execute their CSR and ESG mandates,” explained N Byrav, Senior Vice President.
15 kg of dry waste segregated per day
In this new pillar, HIHI has employed a specific target-oriented approach. Instead of focusing on entire value chain, they aim to implement a single specific task effectively. “Our project in Krishnagiri has made significant impact. We chose source segregation as our target. From our study, we found that if people are given two separate bins, they end up using it for storing things,” highlighted Byrav. They instead gave netted bags and advised the community to put all the recyclable and non-recyclable dry waste. Each house was able to get about Rs 50 extra per month from sending the waste to scrap dealers. Earlier, about 500 Kg of mixed waste was generated per day, after segregation they were able to separate around 15 Kg of dry waste.
HIHI handles such projects in parts of Chengalpet district and also in Mahabalipuram. “Mahabalipuram is unique as it is a tourist attraction and we worked with plastic disposal. The revenue from tourism goes to the Archeological Survey of India but the waste left over by tourists, has to be handled by the local government which mostly is financially weak to manage such huge trash volumes,” explained Byrav. HIHI worked through advocacy among both residents and tourists and also gave out 25,000 cloth bags to shop keepers. This has helped to create awareness against the use of plastic in this region.
The waste is repurposed using different methods. The plastic collected in Chengalpet and Maduranthakam district are sent to power cement kilns. Around 2600 tonnes have been fired in over two years. “We call our material collectors as recycling assistants. Around 50 of them have been connected to local municipalities to collect waste from the dumpyard and we have closed the loop by bringing in the scrap dealer to provide value.” Said Byrav.
Advocacy through social media
Staying in tune with times, HIHI is also involved in digital advocacy through social media campaigns and QR enabled knowledge creation. “Our QR code boards are present in locations were people come to relax. We have an impactful message along with the QR. On scanning, 10 questions will be given on a particular concept and this will help people to learn more,” explained Byrav. This approach has gained lot of traction. More than 10,000 people have scanned in about one-and-a-half-year period, out of which 1200 people answered all 10 questions correctly. The second project is in progress in Nilgiris where four such boards are installed in strategic locations. But there is still a long way to go to bring about behavioural change. Byrav pointed to the need for better systems and practices to enable it.
Increasing farmer incomes
Yet another area of work is in natural resource management that focuses on protecting ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural habitats to ensure environmental health and resilience. “We promote sustainable practices to preserve resources and ensure fair distribution of benefits. We transformed a pond in Chennai into a natural ecosystem, benefiting local residents,” highlighted Byrav. HIHI implements both community-based projects benefiting multiple households and individual initiatives supporting specific landholders.
Farmers are taught to value add and also save on their expenses. Market linkages are established directly to increase their income by providing certified trainings in marketing. Solar-based interventions and weather stations aid in efficient resource management. Crop diversification, introducing new crops alongside main crops, is encouraged for additional income. “Our focus on water, soil, forests and energy underscores our commitment to sustainable natural resource management,” ended Byrav.
