Rag pickers in an Argentinian slum, together with three industrial designers and an architect have come together in a project to design and produce furniture and other objects out of waste materials.
The undertaking has given them the chance to have a decent job and pick up a skill, while keeping them off the streets.
"A really nice group has emerged," said Cristina Lescano, coordinator of the group of garbage pickers and one of the driving forces behind the initiative. "Now we are human beings. We come to work, we each have our tasks and responsibilities. It's a real job," she told IPS.
The idea of turning rubbish into crafts or industrial products is nothing new. Another group of garbage scavengers, for example, in conjunction with academics and professionals, set up a company that publishes hand-made books using recycled cardboard.
Now there's a clever idea incorporating sustainable development, design and entreprenuership. When does it start in India?
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