September 2024 From informal manual emptiers to emerging role models: the journey of Tanzania’s Watu Kazi group Mussa Bushele, Leyla Khalifa and Kanika Singh
Watu Kazi members using the semi-mechanised Pitvaq equipment. Image: SNV/Truevision
In Tanzania, the Watu Kazi group has turned dangerous, informal sanitation work into a model of safety and advocacy. With support from SNV and local government, they’ve gained recognition, improved working conditions, and are inspiring change across the region.
The journey of Tanzania’s Watu Kazi manual emptiers’ group has been truly inspiring. Mussa Bushele, the group chairperson, says with great pride “We have had the opportunity to meet manual emptiers from other regions in the country, exchange ideas and experiences, but most importantly influence each other in a good and positive way. The sense of community from creating and being part of something bigger is motivating”.
Manual emptying of pits is prevalent in informal settlements of Tanzania, where mechanised emptying is not feasible. Although these manual emptiers provide an essential service, their work is not only hazardous, it is even considered to be ‘illegal’. Lack of formal recognition and limited technical capacities hinder their rights to safety, as well as their business prospects.
To address some of these issues in the Shinyanga municipality in Tanzania, SNV in collaboration with the local Municipal Council, brought together several of the city’s manual emptiers. Ten such workers then registered as a formal group in 2019. The Watu Kazi manual emptying group was the first formalised group in the municipality, and one of the first in the country. With SNV’s support, they bought semi-mechanised Pitvaq machines and personal protective gear and opened their bank account.
During 2021-24, the group received two small grants amounting to US$ 26,660 from the Initiative for Sanitation Workers (ISW). This was part of ISW’s broader efforts to support sanitation workers in engaging with stakeholders and advocating for their rights. The Watu Kazi group had no prior experience in managing such grants. Hence, the Tanzanian country office of SNV (one of the ISW consortium members), provided administrative and technical support.
Capacity development and stakeholder engagement
Group members were trained to use the semi-mechanised equipment, Pitvaq, to make their work safer. They also participated in exposure visits and workshops focused on customer relations, business promotion, book-keeping, tariff calculation, and loan application processes. The group joined learning meetings with peers, where they shared their experiences of formalisation with other unregistered manual emptiers.
With low literacy levels and limited networking experience, stakeholder engagement was initially daunting for the Watu Kazi group. However, ongoing support and regular participation in advocacy meetings and radio sessions gradually boosted their confidence to express themselves and voice their challenges and learnings.
Watu Kazi members using the semi-mechanised Pitvaq equipment. Image: SNV/Truevision
The group participated in advocacy meetings with municipal heads of department, ward officials, and personnel from the Shinyanga Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authority. They also presented and showcased their work at several regional and national conferences, where local government officials from other municipalities were participating. These opportunities have helped to create awareness and empathy among officials about the working conditions of sanitation workers and have garnered their support.
The group has also worked on engaging local communities through radio sessions and other regular interactions, which has slowly led to improved recognition and changing perceptions about their work among potential users.
“The local government plays a big role in the success or failure of such an initiative”, says Leyla Khalifa, WASH advisor at SNV Tanzania, as she reflects on the crucial contribution of the Shinyanga Municipal Corporation. SNV held regular meetings with the local government, which helped officials to empathise with the challenges faced by manual emptiers, and to put their trust in the group.
Participation of manual emptiers is equally essential. “If we’re planning something for a group of people, their involvement is very important to build ownership among them”, says Leyla. Throughout the initiative, SNV regularly consulted manual emptiers and kept note of the suggestions emerging from day-to-day discussions with the group, which ensured that activities were in line with their needs.
Inspiring change
The Watu Kazi group’s story has helped inspire change on a number of levels. Learning from their example, their peers in Arusha, Dodoma, Dar es Salaam, and Muzanza have agreed to be part of similar formal manual emptiers’ groups.
Emptying demonstration at a learning event by members of Watu Kazi and other groups. Image: SNV/Truevision
In May 2023, the group participated in a learning event, where they shared their experiences with government officials, the Occupational Safety and Health Authority (OSHA), manual emptiers, and the Pan African Association of Sanitation Actors (PASA). Event discussions led to the decision to form a national platform of manual emptiers in Tanzania, which will help to bring more emptiers on board, facilitate cross-learning, and serve as a joint advocacy platform for their rights.
The group is determined to sustain their efforts, aiming for a lasting national impact. “It would be great if this work will be practised safely for future generations as well”, says Bushele, the Watu Kazu chairperson. Achieving this vision will require ongoing support and leadership from the local government, paired with a strong focus on securing sustainable funding. Leyla from SNV Tanzania highlights the critical need for long-term financial planning to ensure the future of this work.
This article is part of a series which highlights the learnings from sanitation workers’ mobilisation and networking initiatives, supported by the Initiative for Sanitation Workers (a global advocacy partnership between ILO, SNV, WHO, World Bank and WaterAid), across different countries. Read the other blogs here.
The blog is based on contributions from Mussa Bushele, the chairperson of the Watu Kazi group; Leyla Khalifa, WASH advisor at SNV Tanzania; and Kanika Singh, independent consultant.