Edward Bwengye-kahororo

Child Labour in Solid Waste Scavenging: a Case Study for Uganda Edward Bwengye-kahororo

The study into Child Labour in Solid Waste Scavenging was carried out in Kawempe Zone, Kampala City Council (KCC). It used various methods to collect the data and these included literature review of what others have written on the subject, face to face interviews with the 26 (11 girls and 15 boys) child solid waste scavengers (CSWS), 3 focus group discussions with adults at 3 different locations in Kawempe Zone, focus group discussions with the CSWS, observation of the CSWS at work at Mpererwe landfill, solid waste skips, observation visits to Mulago Hospital, key informant interviews. The key findings were: several factors that push children into solid waste scavenging that ranged from inadequate solid waste management by KCC that made recyclable materials readily available and accessible; economic factors, curiosity and availability of ready market for the salvaged items. The work exposes the CSWS to a lot of risks such as health, loss of educational opportunities and social stigma. This kind of work is considered as one of the worst forms of child labour in part due to scavenging items from mixed MSW with healthcare, industrial and institutional waste.