The Da Nang Women's Union has implemented various activities under a project aimed at enhancing capacity and mobilising the participation of female scrap collectors in managing, sorting, and handling solid waste and plastic waste in the city.

Illustrative image. Photo: baodanang.vn

The project, funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and approved by the Da Nang People's Committee, is being implemented over 13 months in six wards: Hoa Hai, Khue My, My An (Ngu Hanh Son District), and Thanh Khe Tay, Xuan Ha, An Khe (Thanh Khe District). Several activities have been carried out, including establishing and maintaining women's scrap collection clubs in pilot localities, providing financial aid and livelihood tools, and organising communication and waste sorting activities involving the network of female scrap collectors.

Huynh Thi Kim Thuy, a resident of Thanh Khe Tay Ward, shared that, thanks to the support of the union, members of the scrap collection project group have not only gained knowledge and skills in waste sorting, contributing to environmental protection, but have also received healthcare benefits, such as guided exercises for better health and free health insurance cards. This has been a great source of encouragement for the women involved in the project.

After a field trip to the Khanh Son landfill, Lien Chieu District, and studying effective waste collection and sorting methods at a local scrap collection facility, Le Thi Thuy Nga, a representative of Women's Association 7 (An Khe Ward), realised the importance of sorting waste at the household level. She emphasised the need to strengthen awareness campaigns and improve waste sorting skills among members, ensuring that recyclable waste is properly classified, reducing plastic waste in the environment.

In January 2025, the Thanh Khe District Women's Union established a scrap collection women's club with 30 female scrap collectors participating. The club will hold quarterly meetings to share experiences in waste collection, promote environmental protection, and educate the community on sorting solid and plastic waste. Additionally, the members hope that the union will facilitate access to financial aid to support their collection activities.

According to Mrs Nguyen Thi Duong, Vice President of the Ngu Hanh Son district-based Women's Union, the project to enhance the capacity and participation of female scrap collectors in waste management and sorting is being piloted in three wards within the district. It provides essential knowledge to the members of the scrap collection club, helping them better understand the project's goals.

Recently, the district union established a scrap collection club with 25 members and provided health insurance cards to 14 members to improve their healthcare access. "This is a small project, but it supports a vulnerable social group, providing them with motivation and assistance in life," Mrs Duong expressed.

Mrs Nguyen Thi Huyen, Vice President of the Da Nang Women's Union, stated that the project creates stable jobs and income for female scrap collectors while promoting better waste sorting for recycling and environmental protection. The activities organised by the union allow club members to connect, share experiences, support one another in their work, and actively participate in environmental conservation and waste management efforts in their local communities.

Reporting by NHAT HA - Translating by TRUC VY, V.DUNG