“I’ve come to learn that there’s no shame in working with waste, they say if you want clean money you have to get it from dirty” says Jummai Sadiq, a member of the Wecyclers sorting team. Born and raised in Lagos, Jummai speaks four Nigerian languages, studied up to O levels, and hopes to join a work and study program soon.
As a sorter at the Itire hub, one of the 3 operational hubs of Wecyclers, She is involved in post pick up activities but Jummai’s is not one to limit herself to sorting of the recyclable waste as she gets involved in almost all stages of the operation. On a typical Saturday she joins the pickup team visiting several communities in Lagos and ensuring the team gets the right recyclables picked up. “We always let them know we want the best of PET” she says. Her knowledge of four Nigerian languages makes her an asset like other teammates as this also helps the team interact well with subscribers who are from diverse ethnic groups.
On Wecyclers operation, “Wecyclers has helped a lot in Lagos, it’s like doing a cleanup/sanitation everyday, picking up waste, cleaning the environment and getting people within their communities to know there’s also value in the waste”. I think the government also has a role to play in our operation, we can do better as an organization and cover more locations in Lagos. The response around the areas we currently cover is impressive and that means we can make more impact but of course we need more funding, partnerships from both the government and the private sector. We have been able to create awareness with the little team we have and I tell my colleagues we need to put in more effort as a team.
“I’ve come to learn that there’s no shame in working with waste, they say if you want clean money you have to get it from dirty”
Jummai became friends with a Wecyclers teammate, who explained to her ab
out the organization and let her know when the opportunity arose. Jummai joined the Wecyclers team in 2015 and has been instrumental in the processing/sorting of recyclable waste. “When I joined, one of my regular tasks was sorting the recyclables because they are usually mixed up by our customers/ subscribers, we separate the PPE, PET, cans e.t.c getting them ready for the crushers and bailers”. It was initially a scary task as it involved handling wastes she recalls.
One year on, Jummai has achieved a lot during her time at Wecyclers. “I am proud to have trained most of the sorting staff we have today,” she beams. “I’ve also had to supervise other sorters and other levels of operation when the need arises” She says.
Jummai’s diligence and work ethic has helped her rise up the ranks in a short while. She sometimes supervises a team of 20 staff within the sorting section of the processing hub.
Every morning, Jummai gets to work by 7:30 am and begins with a line tour of the Hub. By 8:00am, when the rest of the crew arrives, it is time to look through the tasks for the day. Together, the team identifies tasks that they have accomplished, those that are pending, and those they aim to undertake during the day. She says.
Jummai attributes her success to diligence, commitment, and a good working relationship with her supervisor, the team and also what she has learnt here. “I have learnt how to manage things and people since I came in contact with Wecyclers and to value what I have”. What we do here makes you value waste more and appreciate She adds.
When it comes to her personal life/career, Jummai is aiming higher “I am optimistic about furthering my education, with a stable job and good benefits, I can save up and work alongside schooling” she smiles.
Jummai, is our Wecyclers person of the month!