The Pacific Recycling Foundation and the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre have had to provide counselling for collection pillars, formally known as waste pickers, who are encountering some forms of violence.

PRF recently carried out a mapping exercise where data was collected from 1, 059 people which revealed challenges these individuals face.

Pacific Recycling founder Amitesh Deo says the involvement of the FWCC played a vital role in the interviewing and counselling process for the Collection Pillars of Recycling.

Deo says the FWCC throughout the counselling process dealt with issues including harassment and domestic violence.

He adds several FWCC counsellors were on standby to assist them.

“Some of the things we heard during the interviews, the severe form of violence, stigma and the personal stories, some of these communities had never shared some of these stories cause no one had ever stopped to ask what their life had been like.”

Deo highlighted that the report will provide an opportunity to put forth recommendations for the betterment of the livelihoods of Collection Pillars of Recycling.