I remember the first time Mariam messaged me.
Her words weren’t unique, but her pain was real.
Ma’am, can you help?
We collected the plastic but transporting it to market will cost us more than it will ever be worth.
Will this ever work?
Ma’am, can you help?
We’re being pressed to buy technology designed elsewhere, without considering our community’s real needs.
Is this the only way?
Ma’am, can you help?
The project improved community income for two years but didn’t build the ecosystem to hold us up in the long term. Now the impact’s fading and we’re back to square one.
How do we make change last?
Ma’am, can you help?
The project generated data – but without time, continuity, or the right people in the room, the roots of real change never took hold.
What can we do?
Ma’am, can you help?
The experts brought knowledge but didn’t understand the essence of this place, its people, who carry deep connection to this land – their lives, their families, their histories rooted here.
How can we make their words ours?
We’ve seen it too – projects that start strong, then stall; interventions designed in one place, applied in another. The intentions are often good. But the impact doesn’t last unless it starts from the ground up.
At Global Waste Lab, we’ve learned that the answers are already here – in Mariam’s village, in Ali’s workshop, in Fatu’s field trials.
What’s missing is not will, or wisdom – it’s the link between people and power, between local knowledge and long-term support.
We’ve seen well-intentioned projects fall short – not because people don’t care, but because systems weren’t built to listen deeply, stay long enough, or adapt to local realities.
Our approach is rooted in humility:
– Co-creating with local and regional experts.
– Strengthening independence through indigenous creativity.
– Adapting technology to fit local realities.
If these ideas resonate with you, we’d love to hear from you.
At Global Waste Lab we’re working on a new, unique approach to strengthening waste management systems across the Global South.
If you have ever struggled to find appropriate support or guidance for waste management, this is your chance to help.
It’s a 2-minute check to help shape the support people actually need.
👉 GlobalWasteLab.com/ToolBuilder
If you’re a donor or part of an INGO working on waste systems, we’d love to connect. If you’re looking to make your support more grounded, more local, and more likely to last – we’re building tools and approaches that do just that. Get in touch if you’d like to learn more or explore how this could support your work.
Let’s rise, by building what lasts, with those who know, for those who come next.