Work on the edge of existence
About thirty Roma families from the Local community (LC) Kiseljak earn a living by collecting secondary raw materials. They collect waste which is then sorted, cleaned and offered for sale. They do not ask for money, they do not steal, they work. And they work really hard. During the season, they work up to 16 hours a day. The collection of secondary raw materials is mostly done by men of Roma nationality with no or insufficient level of education, which is the only source of income. The law does not treat this type of work as illegal. If they adhere to the legal restrictions not to collect secondary raw materials from the containers owned by JKP Komunalac, these people who are struggling to provide their families with minimum conditions for survival, are not doing anything illegal.
Social entrepreneurship
In order to contribute to increasing employability, environmental protection and local community development, the Tuzla Community Foundation in Kiseljak offers free professional counseling and financial support for this category of population to improve work and safety during the separation of raw materials. The locals in LC Kiseljak have shown the great interest for this public call, which is proof that they are aware of the fact that safety should be at a higher level, that the places where they do selection of materials must be arranged, and that responsible waste disposal is crucial.
During the season, he works 12 hours a day
S.M. is one of the supported collectors. He is 38 years old and has four children. He proudly tells us that his children are really good students and how he graduated high school. Unfortunately, he never had the opportunity to get a job: “I manage. Somehow, we survive. During the season I work all day, I leave at 7hrs in the morning, and I come back not in the evening around 9-10hrs. Then I have to unload the van. It’s not easy. It is difficult, both mentally and physically, but I would have nothing if I am sitting at home.” S.M. is the first collector who was ready to register, i.e., to receive a certificate from the relevant ministry on the exemption from the registration of activities. Through mentorship and financial support, Tuzla Community Foundation managed to improve his work. He now offers yard landscaping services – mowing the lawn and cleaning the basement. Although secondary raw materials collectors’ yards were initially in a very bad condition and are a great danger for the collectors and family members themselves, the yard of this family is quite tidy. They pay attention to that, they say, both because of the children and because of their neighbors. The tool he received from the Tuzla Community Foundation for improving his business means a lot to him, says S.M., explaining that his greatest wish is to have his own recycling yard in the future and to buy waste in bulk.
Due to the price of peka, which removes bulky waste, numerous illegal landfills are formed
After sorting and cleaning the waste, the biggest problem for the collectors is the unusable waste that remains in their yards. In order to point out the importance of environmental protection and prevent the emergence of illegal landfills, Tuzla Community Foundation is organizing the arrival of peka, in the hope that it will affect the awareness of locals who should work together on this problem in the future. This opportunity was also used by a young family, whose members worked hard to dispose waste from their yard. A.M. he is 21 years old, and he started collecting secondary raw materials after leaving primary school, in the fifth grade. “I collected waste with my father, and later I did it by myself. In the beginning I did it with a cart, now it’s a lot easier because I have a van and I got tools. I earn an average of 300-400 BAM, so we have enough funds for the basic things. Peka means a lot to me, because it costs 100 BAM, which I can’t afford. I don’t care, the neighbors are protesting because there is chaos in the yard, and I would also like it to look nicer, especially since my child will be walking soon, so I will have to take more care,” says A.M. adding that he has no special plans for the future, because he is forced to live day by day.
Raising awareness of hygienic and safety aspects of work
E.M. who has been in this business for a long time, says that he was always ready for the collectors to unite and at least raise money together, so that peka for bulky waste collection comes regularly: “There is no place to dispose it, except in the environment. I never wanted to throw garbage in the woods, I always found a way to dispose it to the landfill or pay for peka.” At the age of 43, father of five children, E.M. became seriously ill. He still works, but not as before. Now, he explains, people from the village help him to unload, and his wife helps him to clean the raw materials. The grinders he received are of great help, because in this way he gets a higher purchase price for the cleaned raw materials.
Preservation of the environment is a precondition for the tourist development of Kiseljak
The environment in which there is a large amount of waste, in different locations, negatively affects the ambitions of LC Kiseljak in the field of tourism development, which means that a systemic solution for landscaping is needed. Thanks to the work of different civil society organizations, the change is visible. Progress is tangible. Although much work remains to be done, it is encouraging that locals have become involved and accepted to work with local organizations to address these issues. Young people living in LC Kiseljak, including collectors of secondary raw materials, emphasize that they also want to clean their yards from waste, but their income and current conditions for waste collection do not allow it. That is why it is important that the solution for the problem is approached systematically and that all community actors are involved in its solution.
* All supported candidates from the competent ministry received certificates of exemption from the obligation to have a license to engage in small business activities in waste management or to report the activity of collecting secondary raw materials. Obtaining a permit and issuing a certificate is based on Chapter IV – EXCLUDED WASTE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.
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