The goals of the Community Refuse Project are the following.
- Decrease and eliminate the disposal of garbage in inappropriate places including: on the ground, riverbeds, mountainsides, and roads.
- Eliminate the toxic burning of garbage in the villages.
- Build a garbage oven.
- Provide and distribute garbage cans in the villages of Amezray N’Oufila, Amezray N’oozdir and Aguddim.
- Create a partnership with the local government and have it take over the financing of the project – transportation and labor.
- Educate men, women and children on the proper disposal of garbage, the health risks associated with garbage, and sorting and recycling of metal and plastics.
Construction of the Garbage Oven
In 2014, MSU architecture professor, MSU students and local craftsmen designed and built a garbage oven for the villages of Aguddim and Amezray. The garbage oven is located approximately two kilometers to the north east of the village of Aguddim. The Ministry of Forest gave SMNID permission to build the oven on forest land. The project uses traditional materials.
May 2014
- MSU architecture students and Chris Livingston design and began construction of the oven.
- SMNID and ACF educated children and women on health risks associated with garbage.
- Garbage cans were distributed in Amezray.
November 2014
- Project completed and open to the public.
- Garbage cans were distributed in Aguddim.
May 2015
- MSU professors Chris Livingston and Dean Adams provided training to locals on the proper and efficient use of the oven.