Dumping garbage everywhere in Rayerbazar of the capital has become a routine phenomenon, with the unmindful practice causing environmental pollution, putting public health at risk, including increasing the risk of different diseases.
In addition, since the beauty of the area was being damaged, it warranted a great initiative to dispose of garbage in a specific place to get rid of the problem.
Though no notable step was noticed from the authorities concerned to keep the area clean and environment-friendly, twenty-one enthusiastic young people living in Rayerbazar, known as Shifters, started voluntary work to keep the area waste-free.
One of these young people, Md Amir Hossain Arif is a third-year student of the history department of Kabi Nazrul Government College. He has been living in Rayerbazar with his family for 19 years.
Arif said, “Every alley of Rayerbazar is known to me. There is garbage everywhere. This is the habit of the people of this area. They throw garbage everywhere. As a result, life is full of stench. Even in a little rain, people can’t walk freely due to dirt. Since I had a desire to work on waste management to protect the environment for a long time, I have fulfilled that desire through the SHIFT campaign under Save the Children’s ‘For the Children’ project.”
He said, “The two-month-long ‘Rayerbazar Re-imagined: From Waste to Wellness’ campaign was launched through various activities, including door-to-door visits, school awareness activities, Theatre for Development (TFD) performances and social wall painting. The main objective of all these activities was to encourage waste management, reduction of plastic use and recycling.”
Another Shifter, Farzana, said that under this project, 20 tea shopkeepers and 20 households in five research areas – Chand Udyan, Bodghat in Mohammadpur, and Rayerbazar – were provided with garbage bins. Awareness activities have been conducted on how to prevent and reduce the use of plastic.
“Before the start of the project, wherever I went, I saw garbage being thrown everywhere, but at the end of the project, I found that there was no piled up garbage.”
Sohel, Tarika, and Laboni said the SHIFT campaign is part of the ‘For Girls’ programme of the non-governmental development organisation Save the Children. It empowers young people aged between 15 and 25 to create a powerful impact and bring about social change.
In 2023, after successfully launching in Bakerganj of Barishal, where young people took the lead in breaking down barriers to girls’ higher education, in 2024, SHIFT aims to transform the capital’s Rayerbazar into a clean, green and waste-free community.
The project first identified an unhealthy environment and waste management as a ‘big problem’ and narrowed it down to ‘real problems’. With the aim of creating awareness about waste management among the residents of Rayerbazar and local representatives, Shifters developed an effective and practical plan to address the challenge.
This effort by 21 youths evolved into the ‘Rayerbazar Re-imagined: A Journey to Wellness’ campaign, with the goal of ‘Cleaner City’. The campaign’s main objectives were to ensure proper waste disposal at designated locations; reduce pesticide use in the community; promote waste segregation; and encourage recycling or reuse, thereby increasing sustainability.
Working towards these goals, Shifters brought about a change in the Rayerbazar area, where they worked to create a sustainable environment through youth energy and collective efforts. Their indomitable energy and enthusiasm paved the way for a clean and sustainable environment, creating a visible example of a community-led change through waste management and environmental health awareness.
SHIFT is a campaign accelerator and leadership model designed for young people aged 14-25 living in the Global South. Its mission is to build grassroots impact, build capacity, and increase the ability of participants to start and sustain their movements so they can solve their local problems.
The programme creates a platform for young people to build sustainable solutions, supporting community-led and community-owned campaigns. The SHIFT model was developed in consultation with young change makers, who gave them feedback on what they wanted in a programme like this! It empowers local partners to provide young people with the skills, tools, networks, and resources to help them make big changes on the issues that matter most to them, while ensuring they maintain independence and ownership of their projects.
SHIFT Campaign Launched
With the aim of ‘Transforming Rayerbazar from Waste to Wellness’, the SHIFT campaign was officially launched at Rayerbazar High School on 7 October 2024. The event began with a painting competition, where students creatively displayed their paintings on the theme of ‘Waste Management, Clean Environment’.
This was followed by the unveiling of the campaign’s official mascot and logo, which depicts the mission of the campaign. Besides, a series of activities – a panel discussion with experts, an award ceremony, a tree plantation drive, and a community clean-up drive led by Shifters and special guests, were held which expressed the campaign’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
Community Awareness Activities
The young Shifters’ campaign started by conducting door-to-door meetings at the community hubs to raise awareness among the people. Along with awareness-raising discussions, they distributed jute bags at homes, paper cups at tea shops and garbage bins to promote the use of eco-friendly materials.
Shifters also organised ‘Theater for Development’ (TFD) exhibitions in the community, where they creatively made the residents aware of waste management and sustainable practices.
As a school awareness activity, Shifters reached schools with interactive sessions, tree planting, cleanliness drives, and TFD exhibitions on their ‘Wedded to Wellness’ mission. They conducted these awareness activities in various schools.
Inspiring Change Through Wall Art
One of the campaign’s flagship initiatives was the wall art project, where Shifters teamed up with renowned artist and environmental activist Morshed Mishu and his team to bring a local wall to life with vibrant colours, powerful messages, and images that call for reducing pesticide use, waste management, and adopting eco-friendly practices.
From planning to implementation, these young SHIFT members led the campaign. Their steadfast commitment to waste management and environmental stewardship made Rayerbazar a cleaner, greener, and healthier neighbourhood.
“This campaign has taught us how small steps can make a big difference. We hope that through our efforts, we can inspire the community to be more responsible by making them aware of waste,” Shifter Nipa said.
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