ENHANCING INFRASTRUCTURE

Keori is a picturesque village in Bir billing. It joined hands with Waste Warriors to begin solid waste management in July 2023. Falling back on our experience and learnings gathered after working in the nearby Bir panchayat, Waste Warriors recognize that successful behavior change campaigns hinge upon ensuring reliable services and necessitating robust infrastructure. This entails establishing essential components of waste banks, efficient transportation systems, and effective waste processing mechanisms. 

To embark on this journey with the communities, we knew that Pradhan Shiv Kumar and Uppradhan Roban Thakur of Keori panchayat formed an excellent team committed to serving their community. Their efforts were recognized when they won the prestigious Shri Valmiki Awards, earning a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh. They decided to invest the prize money in the village’s waste management. Their vision was to build a waste bank to collect, process, and manage waste efficiently.

However, more than just having the intention was needed. To run and operate a waste bank, an individual or a group requires expertise and motivation to take up this daunting yet critical task. Since we had already been functioning in our first panchayat, Bir, for almost a year, the Keori panchayat learned about our successful operational model in Bir panchayat. Eventually, we partnered, leading to the construction and operationalization of Keori’s first-ever waste bank. The waste bank indeed streamlined operations but also transformed the villagers’ habits by reducing littering in open spaces because now, there is a designated place for waste processing. 

One afternoon, overseeing the team working to put together the waste bank across the Keori bridge, we asked the pradhan how he felt collaborating and trusting us in this process. We find him sharing, “The community support for Waste Warriors gives us the confidence to work with them, and we’re now excited to finally have our very own waste bank in Keori.”

Now, after ten months of collectively working together, we are collecting dry waste from more than 140 households with plans to expand its scope to include those remaining.