SWANA is proud to support the International Solid Waste Association’s Scholarship Programme, a project that funds education for children living and working on open dumpsites in Nicaragua. To promote the campaign, SWANA is engaging in both fundraising and awareness activities. Nearly two million people worldwide, many of whom are children, live on open dumpsites in dangerous conditions, scavenging materials from trash as their livelihood.
The ISWA Scholarship Programme educates and clothes children who work as waste pickers at these dumpsites, funding their education and providing support to the family. To kick-start increased fundraising efforts, SWANA is launching an ISWA Scholarship Programme GoFundMe page as an easy way to donate, learn about the cause, and share the information with others. At the upcoming ISWA World Congress & WASTECON 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland, the ISWA Scholarship Programme, the official charity of the conference鈥檚 annual 5K Fun Run/Walk, will receive all proceeds from the event.
鈥淭his is such a worthwhile cause,鈥� stated David Biderman, SWANA鈥檚 Executive Director and CEO. 鈥淧roviding financial support to facilitate bright futures for these children is very meaningful; without the ISWA Scholarship Programme, their lives would be very different. I urge senior management and other professionals in the solid waste industry to contribute to this fund in order to remove child workers from these dangerous dumpsites.鈥�
In addition to fundraising efforts, SWANA is educating both its members and solid waste professionals about the cause through social media channels (#TradingTrashForEducation), newsletters, and their website. SWANA hopes to broaden the reach of this important project and inform the industry about the social issues surrounding solid waste management.
鈥淲hen we started the campaign to close the world鈥檚 biggest dumpsites, we said it clearly: it鈥檚 about people, not waste,鈥� said ISWA鈥檚 President, Antonis Mavropoulos. 鈥淲ith ISWA鈥檚 Scholarship Programme we want to demonstrate that education for children should be a key-element in every effort to manage the social challenges involved around dumpsites. SWANA is the strongest National Member of ISWA and I believe that it could be one of the most generous too.鈥�
The ISWA Scholarship Programme currently funds the education of more than 100 children in Nueva Vida and La Chureca, Nicaragua. Interim results of all SWANA-related fundraising efforts will be announced in September at the ISWA World Congress & WASTECON 2017. Donations to the Programme are tax-deductible.
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