Social Security

Offered to waste pickers in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh

Often, the income of informal workers, especially waste pickers, is significantly below the cost of living, and sometimes, they cannot afford even the minimum living standards. Access to social security and entitlements offered by the government helps fill this gap. However, illiteracy and lack of access to smartphones can leave them unable to apply for available programs. Hasiru Dala has become the link between social security schemes and waste pickers.

We have identified 73 different social security measures that may be applicable to the waste picker community. Taking facilitation to their doors, we aim to ensure that more people can access what is due to them through our mobile Social Security team, thus increasing accessibility. In the last ten years, we have provided 67,220 services.

Financial Literacy Program

Financial literacy is a crucial life skill for every individual. ‘Hasiru Dala’ has developed literacy training modules to educate waste pickers who may face challenges in reading and writing.

Hasiru Dala has provided financial literacy training to 261 and 7,855 waste pickers, predominantly women, at two different levels of training.

Through these programs, we assist them in obtaining various financial instruments such as bank accounts, PAN cards, RD, FD, insurances, and loans from different state and central departments, banks, NSKFDC, etc. Additionally, we support them in becoming entrepreneurs, providing assistance in registering MSME, GST, PF, and ESI for their entities, and helping them meet all related compliance requirements.

From 2020 to 2023 in all the communities we have reached 2819 FLP services

Sahi Kali Abhiyana

The ‘Sahi Kali Abhiyana’ or ‘Learn to Sign’ campaign was an essential initiative that helped illiterate women and men access banking services. Children of waste pickers and waste pickers with limited writing knowledge participated alongside the Hasiru Dala team to teach others. Initially launched as a ‘Learn to Sign’ campaign, many participants have since begun learning to read. Most of them now have received funds from government schemes and learnt the use of the ATM card.

Impact

Dry and wet waste segregation has progressed up to 95% in ward no 32 as reported by the city corporation because of the above activity the city corporation has encouraged us to bring the same progress in the remaining 44 wards in the city and has also provided us with a team of 14 members to support us in the campaign. From last two months Total: 325 kg Milk covers collected in DWCC-34,450 Milk covers-avoiding going to Landfill site.

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