New experiment in Amsterdam:
Youth cleans own street for money.
In a certain part of Amsterdam there has been a rather big problem with the streets not looking clean enough due to littering, regardless of extra city council cleaning.
Children, between the ages of 7 and 14, who are interested in paid work for no more than 1 hour per week under supervision (they do need parent’s approval) can take part in a project set up to allow them to get paid for keeping their own environment clean.
This age group has been selected because they are regarded as the future of the neighbourhood and developing a responsibility about their streets is still possible at this age.
The idea behind it is to educate and involve the youth in taking responsibility for and install a sense of pride in their own, immediate environment, a responsibility and care that seems to have disappeared in this particular neighbourhood.
There are no adult ‘role-models’ for the children in this community and the hope is that this experiment will work and these children will become future rolemodels.
This project is in addition, not as areplacement, of regular city cleaning.
Children go out in a small group (maximum of 10) accompanied by a supervising guide.
The group as a unit look after 5-10 streets (depending on the size of the street and number of volunteers) including their own street.Because this is a project that is voluntary and for just one hour per week, the Labour Inspectorate has had no problems with it so far.
Anyone with an opinion on this?
CeliviaGreat idea.
I remember as a kid in the 60’s and 70’s there was actually quite a lot of litter around. People thought nothing of tossing rubbish out the car window, on the footpath etc. Highway verges were really filthy.
It really took a public education campaign and a generational change for this to change so much that noone I know would dream of tossing a coke can in the gutter – they would carry it until they found a bin!
Simon Macks
Residential and Commercial Finance Broker[email protected]
0425 228 985Comments may not be relevant to individual circumstances. If you intend making any investment, financial or taxation decision you should consult a professional adviser.
Sensational!
‘Stay Happy and you’ll be Perfectly Fine’ – Jack
Excellent situation if the kids are supervised.
Where I work, the child street cleaners are the only cleaners…cannot afford machines. Their pay is about 200 riyals per day ($1.10) for a 10 hour day. Ages range from ~ 6 up to about 12.
There is no supervision and because they work so close to and on the road, on average about 400 kids die a year from getting hit. They simply import more in…mafi mushkala…no problem.
Don’t think the kids I see take it as a ‘learning opportunity’…more a case of…if I don’t sweep I starve.
Life in the Western World is so good…we have absolutely no idea – not even an inkling – of what it is really like for the majority of the population.
Cheers,
Dazzling
“No point having a cake if you can’t eat it.”
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