FAMILY ABOVE EVERYTHING

“Waste food had caused many children to become severely unwell in our community. We have spent a lot of our house income on medical bills.”
Saima Shamshad, I-9 Community resident.

Saima Shamshad, a 37-year-old resident of the I-9 community, in Islamabad works as a housemaid. She lives with her husband and her three children. The I-9 neighbourhood in Islamabad has traditionally faced open dumping and open burning for many years. According to the findings of the baseline study, half of the population in these areas is impacted by waste-related illnesses, either directly or indirectly. Due to overexposure to solid and liquid waste, one of Saima’s daughters suffered a major lung infection, causing most of her income to go into medical bills. Due to their illegal status, these slums are not a part of the formal urban planning because of which there is no concept of waste management here. After Saaf Mahol intervened in the community, Saima and her neighbours now enjoy a waste-free environment. There has been a significant decrease of almost 60% in open dumping and burning allowing the community residents a cleaner and healthier environment to live in.