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Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO), is a youth-led gender-balanced advocacy group that focuses largely on environmental sustainability and community development to carry out research and provide solutions to pressing environmental issues through youth empowerment, skills development, and public education; working directly with local communities to reduce the vulnerability of groups that are at risk to climate impacts. GAYO’s goal is to establish an institutional mechanism for youth engagement in climate change policy and disaster risk reduction while supporting public, private, and informal waste management stakeholders to maximize the potential of zero waste in urban communities.
GAYO in its effort to promote a community-based circular economy approach to waste management has partnered with the Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly (LEKMA) to implement the Zero Waste for Sustainable Cityscape project aimed at creating awareness within the public on proper waste management and segregation techniques to foster sustainability and community ownership. This synergy will address social and environmental challenges and improve waste management and air pollution in the municipality.
GAYO will provide expertise and resources for the delivery of the project, Zero Waste for a Sustainable Cityscape in the municipality, and synergize with the Assembly to formulate and design an effective waste collection framework that supports the livelihood of target groups and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises. LEKMA and GAYO will work closely to conduct research on waste material within the Assembly, to be published as literature or scientific paper as well as to design a material recovery facility and or a buy-back center for waste collection and recycling.
This partnership will support the Assembly to expand its efforts in sensitization and awareness creation on waste management and open burning and finance the production of learning materials and the cost of such sensitization efforts. This will also identify and support young entrepreneurs operating in a sound waste management sector and scale the activities of such enterprises.
Publicly promote the work of the Assembly in championing zero waste systems combating waste and air pollution in West Africa and drive momentum for policy influence across Africa.
When possible, work with international partners to fund research to establish the impact of the project on minimizing climate risks such as flooding and urban heat-island within the community where the outlined efforts would be implemented.
In implementing this partnership, the Assembly will provide suitable spaces for the development of a material recovery facility and/or a buy-back center to allow for waste collection and recycling, while identifying locations for the citing of air quality sensors, and will lead the registration and integration of Informal Waste pickers under its jurisdiction.
This partnership will also facilitate the implementation of a series of workshops for the formal and informal waste sector aimed at strengthening the supply and value chain system for low-income and slum residents, waste pickers, women (corporations), and youth-led corporations, fishermen and real estate and property developers while also integrating them.
When successfully implemented, the outcome of the preferred area will serve as a model to allow the Assembly to use the lessons and replicate them across other areas within the Municipality.
