Empowering Communities and Informal Waste Workers in Chengalpattu

The CLOCC programme in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, supported by the Grieg Foundation and implemented by Hand in Hand India, is transforming lives through integrated approaches to waste management and community empowerment. We are delighted to share some of the positive and success stories showcasing the impact of this work.

From Waste Pickers to Recycle Guardians: Uplifting Informal Workers through Formal Employment and Education

Mrs. Priya, Mrs. Mari, and Mrs. Selvi (pictured above) are residents of the Mahabalipuram beach area and spent many years working informally collecting waste. With monthly incomes ranging from ₹6,000 to ₹8,000 ($70-90 USD), these women faced daily uncertainty, social marginalization, and the burden of raising children without job security or access to basic services. Mrs. Priya, a single mother, struggled to support three children. Mrs. Mari lived in a cramped hut with her extended family, and Mrs. Selvi had limited means to support her own small household.

A key barrier for these families was the lack of Aadhaar documentation for their children: a social security number that enables them to enrol in formal education and access essential government services.

In response, the CLOCC program launched a multi-faceted programme, funded by Grieg Foundation, and implemented by Hand-in-Hand India. The programme was established to formalize and strengthen the livelihoods of these women. A critical first step was to facilitate their formal employment as official Sanitary Workers with the Mahabalipuram Municipality. With fixed working hours (6 AM–2 PM), social protection, and a stable monthly salary of ₹10,000 ($120USD), the women were not only formally employed but also encouraged to continue their informal waste collection work in the afternoons, effectively doubling their income to ₹16,000–₹18,000 ($186-210 USD) per month.

Beyond employment, the project addressed critical social needs. In collaboration with the District Collectorate, an Aadhaar enrolment camp was organized, enabling the women's children to register for school and access public services. This intervention has made an incredible impact on overall quality of life, independence, and future opportunities.

Household incomes have become more stable and significantly increased. The women now have access to formal employment and the social protection that comes with it. Their children are enrolled in education, opening new doors for generational progress. Most meaningfully, the women have gained greater dignity, self-confidence, and a sense of inclusion in their community.

Fomralisation of waste pickers, when paired with social interventions, can break the cycle of poverty and empower women as agents of change in their communities and bring about cleaner, safer environments.

Restoring Mahabalipuram’s Shores: A Community-Led Beach Clean-up Drive

Mahabalipuram, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and popular tourist hub, faces growing environmental strain from plastic pollution especially along its coastlines from plastic waste left behind by visitors. Despite efforts by sanitation workers, the scale of waste during peak tourist seasons has overwhelmed existing waste management systems.

Grieg Foundation recognized an opportunity to turn this challenge into a platform to showcase environmental action by involving local waste pickers, known under the project as Recycle Guardians. The Recycle Guardians are critical stakeholders in both waste management and environmental stewardship. With tourism as the town's primary economic driver, keeping the beaches clean became both an economic and environmental necessity as well as an opportunity for social empowerment.

A large-scale beach clean-up was launched with strong support from the Mahabalipuram Municipality. Beginning at 7:00 AM, the event mobilized 69 Recycle Guardians, 10 municipal sanitation workers, and a group of tourists and local volunteers. The Municipal Mayor inaugurated the effort, giving the cleanup strong public visibility. In a single morning, over two metric tons of mixed waste were removed from the beach.

Volunteers engaged in hands-on learning about the impact of plastic waste, while the Recycle Guardians showcased their expertise and long-standing commitment to improving the regions waste management.

The clean-up was about more than just the removal of waste. Of course it resulted in the immediate removal of a large volume of waste and a significant improvement in coastal cleanliness but it also saw the Recycle Guardians receive public recognition and renewed support from municipal authorities. Most importantly, the initiative sparked a behavioral shift, with both tourists and locals pledging to adopt more responsible waste practices moving forward.

This initiative not only cleaned the beach, but it catalyzed a deeper shift in how local communities, informal workers, and tourists perceive and participate in environmental protection.

These two success stories from Mahabalipuram illustrate the CLOCC programme’s core mission: enabling systemic change by integrating waste management with livelihood support, and community leadership. Whether through dignified employment or large-scale environmental action, the programme continues to empower local actors and build cleaner, more resilient rural and coastal areas.