Sambia: Creating an income with environmental protection

Young people from Livingstone in Zambia are literally fed up with what they have to endure every day. So they've implemented a simple but clever idea: they collect and sell the trash. They developed the concept together with young people from Germany.

Livingstone lies near Victoria Falls, the region's unique natural attraction. But what visitors see is primarily garbage. Stinking, smoldering piles of trash litter the streets. The toxic fumes blanket the residential areas and make people sick. And that's not the only problem, says 21-year-old Jacqueline. "Important resources like glass, plastic, and paper are being destroyed instead of being properly recycled."

But things are changing in Livingstone. The "Trash4Cash" initiative has brought together young people to collect and recycle trash. Jacqueline is up and about as early as seven in the morning. Dressed in blue overalls, she and her friends knock on the doors of neighboring houses. They're looking for plastic, glass, and paper waste, which they buy from the neighborhood. Payment is based on weight. At a facility provided free of charge by the city, the collected waste is sorted and baled. The recyclables are then sold to wholesalers in the capital, Lusaka.

The fascinating backstory of the project: In 2018, Terre des Hommes together with its partner Environment Africa, initiated a youth exchange between Livingstone and the German logistics company Dachser Group SE & Co. KG. Initially, trainees from the company traveled to Livingstone to learn firsthand about the local waste problem. The following year, 15 activists from Livingstone made a return visit. Jacqueline recalls: “In Germany, we were able to see various waste disposal methods in several cities. This gave us the idea to establish a recycling system in our city as well.” The project has been supported from the outset by Terre des Hommes and the Dachser Group.

The success of this clever youth initiative is undeniable: More and more families are separating their waste and selling it to “Trah4Cash.” This reduces the mountains of trash on the streets, and everyone in the city benefits. For the 15 young people involved, the “trash for money” idea has even become a reliable source of income. A prime example of innovative young entrepreneurship that could set a precedent. And not just in the world.