In Nairobi, waste pickers working at the massive Dandora dumpsite are finding a new way to improve their lives by playing a board game. These workers, who often go unnoticed, spend their days sorting through garbage to find items they can reuse or sell, helping reduce waste even if they don’t always get recognition for it.
Now, an organization called Mazingira Yetu Organization is helping them understand the “circular economy” a system focused on reducing waste, reusing materials, and recycling. Instead of traditional lessons, they’ve created a fun, interactive board game that teaches these ideas in simple language.
As players move across the board, they answer questions about recycling, health, safety, and workers’ rights. This helps them learn practical skills, like how to reuse plastic in different ways or how to work together to demand better conditions. For many, it’s the first time they’ve fully understood how valuable their work really is.
Waste pickers like Raphael Kung’u say they’ve discovered new ways to make money, such as reusing plastic bottles for planting or storage. Others, like Stanley Kiai, see discarded items like batteries not as trash, but as income opportunities.
Experts, including those from Greenpeace Africa, say learning through games can make complex ideas easier to understand, especially for people who learn best by doing. With global waste levels rising fast, this kind of education could play a big role in building a more sustainable future.
In the end, this game is more than just play it’s helping waste pickers gain knowledge, earn more, and be seen as important contributors to the environment rather than invisible workers.
Source: AfricaNews
