“I grew up around waste,” says Maya Tamang, a community mobiliser at Biocomp Nepal, a social enterprise working on waste management in Nepal. She has had an inspiring journey shaped by her experiences growing up in a family of waste workers. While other children enjoyed the freedom to play and attend school without social burdens, Maya spent her days helping her parents with waste collection, a crucial task for her family’s survival. In her community, waste management was considered a dirty job, reserved for marginalised people. They would turn their noses up at her in disgust, whispering cruel comments behind her back. This stereotype left Maya and her family feeling isolated and disrespected, often ridiculed by those who saw them as “dirty” for doing the work that others overlooked.
Maya recalls, “When we used to sift through the waste on the streets, sometimes the passers-by spat on the ground near where we worked. It made me feel just like the garbage around me.”
Despite society’s judgment, Maya knew something had to change. Her desire to learn kept her motivated, even though education wasn’t a priority for her family. She balanced working with her parents from 4 am to 8 am and attending school from 9 am to 5 pm. It wasn’t easy. There were times when her classmates would question why she even bothered with school.
“What’s the point?” they would ask. “You’ll just end up like your parents.”
Maya didn’t let their doubts stop her.
As Maya worked more in the field, she saw first-hand the harsh realities that waste workers faced, including the tragic death of a colleague. This deepened her drive to advocate for their safety and dignity. After completing her education, she remained committed to waste management, determined to show it was a vital and respectable job.
Over time, Maya found solidarity among waste workers who shared each other’s struggles. Despite the hardships and the stigma they faced, they remained committed to their work. Maya was determined to change not only how the world saw them but also how they saw themselves.
At Biocomp, Maya found the platform she had long been searching for. The mission of the RIVER+ project at Biocomp – to recycle low-grade plastics and create something of value from the waste – was a revelation to her. The RIVER+ project is funded by the Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia Project, implemented by the South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme, supported by The World Bank, and with implementing support from UNOPS. Before this project, much of the plastic waste that they collected was deemed worthless. But now, there was a way to transform low-grade plastics into furniture and even to earn money for it! In collaboration with People in Need Nepal and Clean Up Nepal, Biocomp didn’t just help her to see waste as a resource, it gave her the training and tools she needed to help others like her. It helped her to learn that waste workers, like herself, were integral to a larger solution that impacted the community, the country, and even the planet.
Maya is now a community mobiliser at Biocomp, advocating for the rights and respect of informal waste workers (IWWs). Her role in mobilising the IWWs for the training has been very crucial. With her coordination and collaboration, the project has been able to mobilise 500 informal waste workers and give them practical training. Through Her Safety training, she has brought together 45 female IWWs and helped them access information about their rights relating to civil registration and government social protection, how to handle waste safely, how to manage their health, advice about health insurance, details relating to gender-based violence, guidance about sexual reproductive health, emotional wellbeing, and how to migrate safely. Additionally, she has coordinated with 500 IWWs – including the initial 45 female IWWs – and helped them participate in training related to plastic waste management, Protection and Gender, Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI), as well as aiding them to attend workshops on health insurance and PPE distribution.
She says, “I attended countless trainings before coming to Biocomp, but the Her Safety training stood out. The things I learned here are useful, and now I can share important safety tips with my fellow informal waste workers.”
Slowly, Maya has seen a shift in how waste workers view themselves. They have begun to feel empowered. More importantly, the stigma surrounding their work has started to dissolve.
Over time, Maya has become known as “Maya didi” (older sister) or even “Maya chhori” (daughter) by her peers. But she always introduces herself simply as a waste worker. She no longer sees herself as part of the waste but as part of the solution. The work that once made her feel ashamed now gives her a sense of purpose, and the respect denied for so long is finally within reach. Maya feels a deep sense of fulfilment as her childhood dream of helping people like her has become a reality. She is determined to continue fighting for the respect and dignity of informal waste workers, ensuring their contributions are recognised long after she’s gone.
The RIVER+ project is changing not only how society views waste management but also how waste workers view themselves. What had once been a job associated with filth and shame has now become a source of pride. Thousands of informal waste workers can now make a living, support their families, and help keep their communities clean.
Author: Snigdha Bashyal, Communication Officer, People in Need
