Hasiru Dala, the organization of wastepickers and informal waste workers has been continuously working for recognition of waste workers as green workers and integrating them into the changing landscape of the solid waste management system of Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka. Through our work, we encounter daily, some of the most powerful stories of challenges, perseverance, grit and transformation. It has been our endeavor to bring these stories to the larger world, through our work. Yet, we feel we always fall short. Because we recognize that success in our efforts will only bear fruit when the community itself has a voice to tell its stories.
While we build towards bringing social security, recognition and alternate employment for the adults, we recognize that it’s also important to engage with the community at a deeper level. As the next step in our efforts, we
want to engage with the children of waste pickers and informal waste collectors, and invest in their future.
These children face multiple challenges – high rate of drop out from schools, minimal support and direct care from parents (as they work long hours picking waste/material on the street), the risk of various illnesses because of unhygienic conditions, and lingering fear of substance abuse.
The basti (settlement) at Banshankari is one of the forty slums where members of the organization reside. We plan to start a community library near the basti to work towards strengthening the voice within the community. The library will house books in four different languages (English, Hindi, Kannada and Tamil) serving over 200 children from the community. The objective of the library is to create a comfortable space for dialogue with children through the written and illustrated words. It is a medium to bring the world to them, help them understand it in their own way, and in that process build their own unique voice.
The community library will have weekly read aloud sessions, arts based activities, game time, and theater workshops. It will also be a room for children to ‘be’.
We need your help to bring voice and dignity to this community. Invest in strengthening the voices!
You can help us!
- For Library: Donate gently used books for children from 3yrs to 15 yrs (in English, Hindi, Kannada and Tamil).
- For Game Room: Donate puzzles, Legos and other play and learn materials.Please drop off or mail your package to the following address:
HASIRU DALA
A/B Block, 4th floor, Golden Orchid,
10/8 Kasturba Road, Bangalore 560041
Book Dropping Time: Monday- Friday (10:00- 17:00) and Saturday (10:00-13:00)
For telephonic coordination- Devaki Samuel: 9986808866
Landmark: McDonald’s Drive Through
- To donate or for any further queries write to lakshmikarunakaran@gmail.com. Your donations will be exempt from tax under section 80G of the Income Tax Act.
Stories of Waste and Waste Workers - Live Blog of Hasiru Dala 
Greatly impressed. Would like to initiate similar library I and around Benson Town
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What a wonderful initiative. So little known. Needs to be widely publicised.
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