Donkeys for Development

Eliot Chisango is a change maker.

Born in Zimbabwe and educated in Johannesburg, his personal mission is clear: “To help people in rural South Africa out of poverty by creating jobs and cleaning up communities through recycling initiatives.” Obviously, our AWB team was more than happy to throw a little fairy dust his way.

After identifying the lack of an effective waste disposal and recycling system in Senwabarwana, a small community in deep rural Limpopo province of South Africa, Eliot called on his studies in Environmental Management, and experience working with the P.E.A.C.E Foundation, to mastermind an unlikely solution: donkey carts.

While some of the waste collection will be completed using the Municipal system, not all areas of the rural community can be reached. Donkey carts provide access to areas the Municipality will not service, strengthening the recycling buy-back initiative and creating jobs.

So far, Eliot and the P.E.A.C.E. Foundation have helped a cooperative of women improve their working conditions, by transitioning an unprotected dumpsite to an operation with water, electricity and the essential machinery. With this AWB grant, they are also able to purchase a donkey cart and provide trash bins labeled “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle from Trash to Cash.”

To learn more about Eliot, watch this short video, and to connect with the P.E.A.C.E Foundation, you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter.