Last Thursday, 24 November 2022, the Department of Social Development hosted a community dialogue in Walkerville, Sedibeng. This dialogue was the first of its kind in ward 7, it follows an identified need for social assistance in the community, more especially due to the impact of Covid-19. 

It was identified that the community suffers from food insecurity, high unemployment, substance abuse, and high crime rates amongst other issues. Women in the area face more challenges than their male counterparts in accessing opportunities and had to find creative ways to generate income like, 58-year -old, community leader Alina Smous, who lives in Lehae and runs her own recycling business. 

She started the business in 2014 after seeing that her former employer was making an impressive profit from recycling materials such as plastic, paper, cans, boxes and glass. Smous realised there was also an opportunity for her to do it herself .

"It is something you can do to put your child through universities like UJ", she said. 

Despite being able to support her household, Smous faces challenges in her daily collections of materials. One such problem is crime. "The criminals sometimes try to steal my materials when I am collecting. They see that I will make good money. The roads are also dangerous because there are a lot of cars when I try to cross", she explains. 

Smous sees her business as a sustainable method of income that a lot of people can participate in. She would also like to involve young people and people who suffer from substance abuse in her business. 

Government through the Department of Environmental Affairs has created opportunities for recycling as part of waste management and to the protect the environment as required by the constitution. It is a responsibility which lies with all spheres of government. The most important aspect is that it provides an opportunity to create SMME’s waste recycling and can create job opportunities in the value chain.