Reducing E-waste through a Culture of Repair

Funded By: Lang Social Impact Fellowship (Swarthmore College)
Implementing Partner: Doko Recyclers
Year: 2022-2023

What is Sikaru Saathi?

A pilot program to increase awareness of the growing urban e-waste problem by catalyzing a culture of making and repairing among marginalized youth through an apprenticeship model in collaboration with Doko Recyclers.

Achievements and highlights

Leveraged capabilities in STEM education to prepare youth for the green economy.
Catalyzed (Established) a self-sustaining community of students to promote a culture of repair and created a digital toolkit to support the community.
Created a safe and secure space for girls and women to explore a traditional masculine dominated sector.
Implemented revenue generation models for sustainability.

Sikaru Saathi Toolkit

Student Testimonial

Sunil Chaulagain

Jana Prabhat School (Grade 9)

“The bootcamp exceeded my expectations. I thought that the workshop would be lecture based but every session was a hands-on learning session. But I had never expected we would be able to make projects from scratch. Our learnings were not limited to theoretical knowledge. We tried to apply learnings from these sessions in our project as well. We were so close to joining two multiplugs. However, at the very last moment one of the multiplugs had some issues.”
Puskar Bhatta

Jana Prabhat School (Grade 7)

“The most memorable part of this session for me will be the exhibition day. We have been well acquainted with even the students from other schools. I am confident that I can deliver some of these sessions such as multiplug repair, dismantling sessions to my friends at school and transfer my learnings on e-waste management to them.”
Sailesh Jaiswal

Prabhat Secondary School (Grade 9)

“As I have been actively involved in my school’s STEAM club, I was eager to join this bootcamp since its orientation. Dismantling session was the most fun day for me. The sessions have encouraged me to make use of e-waste and manage them well. Now I am able to think more creatively to solve problems. I will be engaging my friends in similar sessions in my school STEAM club to let them also be aware of the growing problem in the environment that is lack of proper E-waste management.”
Krish Kumar

Annapurna Secondary School (Grade 10)

“We would never have thought of building a water pump from scratch had it not been for this session. We tried till the very last minute of the exhibition for it to work. But nevertheless we have successfully identified the problem that was the motor. But at least we tried! Even though the sessions have ended, we will be iterating on this model and make this a successful project.”