Door-to-door waste collection for every household in Freetown will play a major role in Operation Clean Freetown (OCF). Training of the youth group door-to-door waste collection businesses, who will handle this aspect of the process, continues this week with a course on household data collection, using an Android App designed by the President’s Delivery Team and CRA SL, a firm which provides debt management and cadastral planning.
OCF is an initiative under the President’s Recovery Priorities, funded by the Government of Sierra Leone and UK AID. It begins with an intensive clean of Freetown and its suburbs, followed by the introduction of door-to-door waste collection. All households are expected to enrol with a local provider in their ward and the household data collection process is intended to ensure that this takes place.
The training began with a session on presentation and customer care, in which the young entrepreneurs heard about the importance of being neat, presentable and polite to their customers.
Strategies to overcome the challenges of Freetown’s irregular house numbering, unnamed roads and over-crowded or unplanned areas was intensively covered. “We all know that household numbering in Freetown can be irregular, and many roads are not named,” explained Peter B. Kamara, CEO of CRA SL, as he demonstrated the zigzag system, as well as other numbering and identification techniques which will help input household data correctly.
The youth groups have been equipped with Android phones loaded with the purpose-designed App. They are responsible for collecting their own household data. Peter B. Kamara explains that each individual should be able to register 25 households a day using the App. Initially, they will have CRA SL back-up to make sure they have thoroughly mastered the process and the technology.
Ongoing business development support from AFFORD and A Call To Business (“ACTB”) will help them accurately complete the household data collection and guide their start-up businesses to sustainability.
One of the young people taking the training was 21 year-old Ibrahim Sesay. He is a member of the Bratown Development Association in Wellington, and sees Operation Clean Freetown as an employment opportunity and the chance to contribute to the development and cleanliness of his area. He says: “Today’s training was easy to follow and understand. I am confident that we will be able to implement the techniques taught here today when we go out into the field.”