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Informal waste workers, often overlooked in urban planning and public health strategies, form the backbone of India’s recycling ecosystem. Predominantly women, they work under hazardous, unhygienic conditions with little access to basic healthcare—despite playing a vital role in managing the country’s mounting waste crisis. Poor vision, recurring infections, and inadequate menstrual hygiene are everyday challenges that affect their dignity, productivity, and quality of life.
Recognizing this critical gap, Conserve India, in collaboration with UFlex Ltd., launched the “Empowering Waste Pickers for Productivity through Health & Hygiene Intervention” program. The initiative provided essential health services—optical care and menstrual health support—to 1,500 waste pickers across Delhi-NCR, many of whom accessed medical assistance for the very first time.
Funding organisation: UFlex Ltd .
Implementation organisation: Conserve India
Empowering Waste Pickers Through Health and Well-Being
What We Did
Health and hygiene camps were held in areas like Mandawali and Chippiyana Buzurg, offering:
- Vision screenings and diagnosis
- Free corrective eyeglasses
- Referrals for specialized optical care
- High-quality sanitary napkin distribution
- Menstrual Health & Hygiene (MHH) education sessions
- One-on-one reproductive health counseling by trained female counselors
These efforts were designed not only to provide relief, but also to build long-term awareness and foster behavior change, particularly by normalizing conversations around menstrual health and hygiene.
Why It Matters
This initiative demonstrated the power of targeted, community-led healthcare interventions in improving both well-being and economic potential for informal workers. By bridging critical gaps in public health access, it empowered a vital—yet often invisible—workforce to lead healthier, more dignified lives.
Conserve India remains committed to advancing social inclusion, gender equity, and sustainable development by addressing the unique challenges of marginalized communities through scalable, impact-driven programs
Outcomes
- Reached 1,500+ waste pickers, including hundreds of women.
- Distributed thousands of sanitary products and eyeglasses.
- Strengthened community trust and participation through culturally sensitive outreach.
- Enabled first-time access to medical support for many marginalized workers.
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