Social impact of household waste management to Dar es salaam slums residents : a case of Women in Msimbazi Rondeni Street

Waste management is still a challenging phenomenon both in developed and developing countries. The main objective of waste management is to collect, treat, and dispose generated wastes from all urban population in environmentally and socially satisfactory manner. In most cases, Local Government Authorities are entrusted for waste management within their area of jurisdiction using the available socio-economic means and resources. Besides, with the fast growing of business activities and population in urban centres particularly in Dar es Salaam, solid and liquid waste management become more problematic than ever before. The situation is worse particularly in slum settlements as it was a case of Msimbazi Bondeni Street. The aim of this research was to explore social impact of household wastes management to residents in Slum areas particularly Women in Msimbazi Bondeni Street. The study used qualitative methodology where In-depth interviews, focus group discussions, observations as well as images were taken to come up with a comprehensive data and in-depth analysis of the phenomenon. From the study it was found that the area is pre-occupied by low income earners (i.e. self-employed and house wives) who cannot afford the private sanitary services. Worse enough, it was noted that there are no collection points where residents can dispose generated household wastes from their homes as well as absence of regular visits of trucks for waste collection as a result people stay with wastes around their settlements for a long time and finally dispose them along Msimbazi river stream, Jangwani area. Subsequently, the residents particularly women suffer from a number of social problems including an increased burden of waste management responsibility at their household, increased incidences of transmitted diseases and unpleasant smell which make the entire living environment miserable. Social learning process in waste management is a challenging phenomenon to residents in Msimbazi Bondeni due to unavailability of sanitary facilities (i.e. collection points and trucks for waste collection). Unavailability of sanitary facilities and their inability to afford the cost of waste collection provided by the Ward Council makes learning process impractical and illusive. Cultural norms were also noted to affect the efforts towards elimination of problems associated with inadequate household waste management. The community members particularly women believe that waste management (i.e. cleanness, storage and disposal) is their own responsibility thus whenever they are not in a position to do so the situation becomes worse. It was also found that, there are not enough spaces for truck to reach houses within the street thus delivering of sanitary service turned to be a nightmare. Inaccessibility of the area, inability of the residents to cope with the private waste management cost as well as the tendency of engendering domestic chores including waste management make Msimbazi Bondeni an awkward place for human settlement where women and children are more vulnerable as they spend most of their time at home. The study recommends the review of urban planning and public service policies in order to address the identified critical issues from the study including provision of sufficient and affordable sanitary services to residents living in slum areas while looking for a long term solution for banning urban slum settlement.