The cooperation between the German RETech Partnership (RETech) and the Plastics Recyclers and Aggregators Association (PRAAG) supports the development of expertise in the waste sector. The aim is to strengthen the young Ghanaian association in its organizational development and to intensify dialogue with politicians and administrators.
Region:
Ghana
Term:
October 2020 – November 2021
Partners:
German RETech Partnership (RETech) and Plastics Recyclers and Aggregators Association (PRAAG); External short term experts: Nehlsen AG, Eclareon GmbH, Envero GmbH, Enviacon GmbH, BlackForest Solutions GmbH
Goal of the Project
The goal of the small-scale measure is to develop training in the waste sector and to strengthen PRAAG as a long-term provider by implementing a sustainable business model. Based on interviews and a needs assessment, a curriculum for waste management training will be developed. The Ghanaian project partner PRAAG should be able to offer training courses independently, sustainably, and in a cost-covering manner in the future.
Backround
Poverty in Ghana has been reduced in recent decades, reaching an annual per capita income of $4,600 in 2017, placing Ghana on the list of middle-income countries since 2010 and indicating positive changes in the country in the otherwise crisis-prone West African subregion. However, around a quarter of the population still lives below the poverty line.
Despite comparatively high economic stability, Ghana still lacks skilled workers and global competitiveness. Economic actors have difficulty obtaining sufficient financial resources and modern technologies. Large percentages of the population work at subsistence level in the informal sector. Furthermore, disadvantaged population groups and the civil society are hardly in a position to participate or influence sociopolitical decision-making processes.
Ghana’s waste management sector is currently still almost entirely dependent on the mostly disorderly dumping of waste and the involvement of the informal sector in the disorderly collection and sorting of recyclables. The current practice poses a high risk to the health of the population as well as to the environment, and also exacerbates climate change through methane emissions. However, the country is also at the beginning of a process in which society and political actors are becoming increasingly aware of the importance and benefits of modern waste management.
This currently beginning socio-political process, which also extends to the areas of municipal and industrial waste, can be accompanied by the German waste management industry with its diverse solutions along the entire value chain with its Ghanaian partners and support the development of a new, intelligent infrastructure, which should also include and integrate construction, trade, transport, education, health and employment.
Activities and Measures
As part of the association cooperation, practical training structures are being established and tested. To this end, trainers are being qualified, training courses are being conducted, and the experience gained is being transferred into a sustainable business model.
- Evaluation of experiences (lessons learnt) and development of a business model for independent and cost-covering implementation by PRAAG
- Qualification of Ghanaian trainers and creation of training materials
- Recruitment of participants and implementation of two four-day training courses
Results and Publications
Funded by:
