Abstract

Waste scavenging (WS) is a means of survival in the situation of severe poverty in most developing countries which is a strategic business opportunity especially among marginalized groups if innovatively annexed. Despite the sustainable business potential of WS, it has not translated to economic prosperity for most women involved in countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Pakistan. This is due to several militating factors of which very weak ICTs capacities are one of the most important of all the factors negating poor women’s abilities to transform waste to wealth. The study explores the enhancement of ICTs skills/capacities of poor women involved in the WS value-chain to enhance their livelihood sustainably in the selected three developing countries. Women and girls involved in waste picking (scavenging) are usually breadwinners from marginalized communities. Often, they are criminalized, marginalized, harassed, extorted, stigmatized, and exposed to various health hazards and are always at the bottom of the recycling pyramid. The study explores the effect of building their capacity, to reduce the incidences of middlemen, and to be able to represent and protect themselves which invariably will improve their livelihood and automatically their community. This study impacts health, alleviates poverty, educates, and gives a cleaner environment.