KKPKP, a membership-based trade union of over 8,000 wastepickers and itinerant waste buyers in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, was formed in 1993 to organize wastepickers and establish and assert their contribution to the environment, their status as workers and their crucial role in the Solid Waste Management of the city. In 2007, KKPKP had 6,266 members, 80 per cent of whom were women from socially backward and marginalised castes.

Each member pays an annual fee of $1 to the organization and an equal amount towards their life insurance cover. KKPKP spearheaded the struggle for the rights of wastepickers and quantified their contribution to solid waste management. It established that the recovery operations carried out by wastepickers actually saved the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad

Municipal Corporations several crores in waste handling costs. KKPKP successfully argued for municipal endorsement of identity cards of wastepickers. Wastepickers have made significant gains on account of their agitations and struggles and the constructive initiatives of the KKPKP.

SWaCH is the institutional outcome of the door to door waste collection initiative of the KKPKP. This pilot implemented in collaboration with the Department of Adult Education, SNDT Women’s University in 2005 enabled 1500 wastepickers to become service providers for the door to door collection of waste from households in Pune city. This considerably improved their conditions of work and upgraded their livelihoods effectively bridging the gap between households and the municipal waste collection service. The initiative brought together two interests - that of waste picker’s interest in upgrading their livelihood and the municipality’s interest in sustainable solid waste management. The pilot was operational since 2006 and SWaCH formally came into existence and became operational in 2008. Solid Waste Collection and Handling or officially the SWaCH Seva Sahakari Sanstha Maryadit, Pune is India’s first wholly owned cooperative of self employed wastepickers and other urban poor. It is an autonomous enterprise that provides front-end waste management services to the citizens of Pune and is authorized by the Pune Municipal Corporation to provide door-to-door waste collection and other allied waste management services. The scope of SWaCH includes collection of waste, resource recovery, trade and waste processing. At present around 1,800 wastepickers in PMC work as service providers, covering over 2,70,000 of the city’s households. With time SWaCH has diversified into verticals as well as extended its service delivery to another city, and today there are SWaCH PMC, SWaCH PCMC, and SWaCH Plus which includes all the livelihood upgradation and income enhancement activities with respect to waste management that go beyond door to door collection.

Malati Gadgil : CEO SWaCH

Malati has completed an MA in Sociology with concentration in public health and gender from Temple University, USA. She has worked in HIV/AIDS related research and advocacy with Asian MSMs and drug users in Harlem, New York city and as visiting staff in India. Prior to working with SWaCHMalati has worked with wastepickers in Delhi after spending 14 years in the US.

Contact information: malti.gadgil@gmail.com, +91-9158007062 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +91-9158007062 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

A social worker by profession, she has had over 7 years work experience in the non profit sector. After completing a MSW from the College of Social Work, NirmalaNiketan she has worked on the issue of trafficking amongst minor girls as well as the issue of malnutrition amongst tribals in Mokhada Block, Thane District. Currently her responsibilities at SWaCH include facilitating a healthier citizen – waste picker interface through the medium of partnering with various citizens groups, mohalla committees, etc, Creating outreach material, Conducting outreach programs with schools, colleges, companies and other institutions, Partnering with various institutions to facilitate the creating of Zero waste zones in Pune city, Creating website content and content for the SWaCH Newsletter

Contact Information: swach.outreach@gmail.com, +91-9765405455 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +91-9765405455 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Dr.Jagtap heads the expansion team at SWaCH ,anAyurvedic doctor by qualification, Dr.Jagtap has had over 22 years work experience in the non-profit sector At Swach, his responsibilities include: - Increasing SWaCH coverage - Networking with various groups likes Corporators, community leaders, PMC, UCD - Conducting awareness generating programs in the work areas.

Contact Information: madhukarjagtap@yahoo.com, +917875445240

Tina, a social worker by profession has had over 5 years experience in the non profit sector. After completing a MSW from the College of Social Work, NirmalaNiketan She has worked with Commercial Sex workers as well as on the issue of Mental Health in Mumbai. Her responsibilities at SWaCH include:

- Resolving issues related to SWaCH members
- Conceptualising different programs that would enhance the quality of life of waste pickers
- Building leadership skills within waste pickers
- Addressing issues of members related to physical, verbal and sexual abuse
- Manning the member helpline number.

Contact information: tinasequeira@gmail.com, +919158007073 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919158007073 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

After completing a M.P.M. (Masters of Personnel Management) from Pune University, Anthony has worked with Deutsche Gesellschaft Fur TechnischeZusammenarbeit (GTZ) Gmbh Indo – German Technical Cooperation. (India – Pune) and AL MASHRIKIA TRAVO LLC. (Oman – Muscat) as a Administration and Accounts officer. His responsibilities at SWaCH include maintaining records, inventories of all material and equipment received , maintenance and procurement of all office equipment, preparation of quotations .

Contact information: anth.rodriques@gmail.com , +919765999495 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919765999495 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Lata has over 30 years work experience as a Deputy Manager with Air India in Mumbai, Pune and Johannesburg. This rich experience helps her head the HR team at SWaCh where she has the following responsibilities - Orientation of new staff - Leave record maintenance of staff - Creating and updating personnel records - Supporting manager with recruitment - Supporting managers with discipline of staff members - Implementing the Personnel Policy - Updating HR policy

Contact Information: lata.swach@gmail.com, +919765999546 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919765999546 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

At PCMC, we have 14 supervisors, 6 Co-ordinators, 2 Area co-ordinators, 2 data entry operators and 2
assistanst at SWACH-PCMC.

- ShabanaDiler : CEO SWaCH PCMC

Shabana has completed her Masters in Arts in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciencesin 1997. Initially, for a period of 3 years she worked with YUVA, Pune on the AnubhavShikshanand the Urban Development project. She then joined the KagadKachPatraKashtakariPanchayatin the year 2000 as an activist and has been working on the rights of waste pickers and bettermentof their livelihoods. In 2008, she joined SWaCH cooperative and since Jan 2012 she has beenheading the SWaCH PCMC.

Contact information: shabanadiler1@gmail.com, +91-9765999492

- G. Nirmala : Manager, HR and Administration

Nirmala completed MA (Political Science with Research Methodology) from KarnatakaUniversity and PG in Human Resources Management from Bangalore University. Since 2000, sheis working in the social development sector on issues related to women and child empowerment,livelihood, and health. Prior to working with SWaCH, she has worked with KHPT, IGSSS, andTISS. She plays a central role in streamlining the activities of different departments, policymaking, recruitments, logistical support, and problem management.

Contact information: nirmala.swach@gmail.com, +91 9158128000

- AparnaSusarla : Manager, Data

Aparna has completed a Masters in Environmental Science from Andhra University, and a PostGraduate Diploma in Waste Management from Annamalai University in 2007. After havingworked as a Programme Officer with the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) in Ahmedabadand Hyderabad till 2011, she joined SWaCH in Dec 2011 as Manager, Data. Keenly interestedin Waste and its management, currently her responsibilities at SWaCH involve leading the entiredata management system in SWACH (PMC and PCMC) - including data collection, storage,maintaining and analysis of data, generating timely internal and external reports.

Contact Information: aparna.swach@gmail.com 9765405481

- NehaPrakash : Training Head

Neha has completed MSW degree in 2008from TISS, with an specialization in community organization and development practices. She has worked with TISS in consultation with Tata Trust on disaster management and skill development projects. Also, worked as a researcher and training coordinator with Vikalp, Rajasthan. She has also worked with adolescent girls on the issue of gender based discrimination. After which she joinedSWaCH as Training Head.

Contact Information: neha.swachh@gmail.com 7875446148