• OUR ORGANIZING HISTORY
About
Organizing, advocating, and securing the livelihoods of over 1,500 scrap dealers in Kumasi.
• THE FOUNDING NARRATIVE
The Origin Story: From Scattered Squatters to Collective Power
Prior to the formation of the Association, individuals in Akwatialine gathered and sold scrap on an ad-hoc basis to commercial dealers loading heavy trucks for transport to Accra. As the trade expanded, the area attracted thousands of informal workers, but also heightened competition, price volatility, and severe exposure to eviction.
Operating without legal status, workers settled as squatters on municipal land, routinely confronting police interventions, extortion, and total absence of medical or bereavement safety nets. In 2019, community elders recognized that survival required formal union, leading to the appointment of executive officers and a constitutional Council of Elders.
Landmark Institutional Milestones
- Municipal Land Recognition: Successfully negotiated with Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) and Asokore Mampong (AMMA) for secure operating yard boundaries.
- Police Mediation Framework: Formed an executive defense committee that directly liaises with police commands to resolve misunderstandings and protect members from harassment.
- 100% Cable Burning Eradication: Enacted internal bye-laws strictly banning open wire incineration, backed by peer-led taskforces and desilted drainage channels.
- Member Safety Net: Established a mandatory welfare reserve providing direct financial coverage for healthcare emergencies and family bereavement.
• STRATEGIC PILLARS
Core Values & Strategic Objectives
1. Business Profitability
Promoting the profitability of scrap dealers nationwide by eliminating exploitation, improving pricing knowledge, and unlocking high-value component sales.
2. Comprehensive Welfare
Maintaining a compassionate welfare safety net that supports members in sickness, medical emergencies, and family bereavement across generations.
3. Civic Collaboration
Fostering transparent, institutional relationships between scrap dealers, Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, security agencies, and civic partners.
4. Permanent Land Security
Relentlessly advocating and lobbying city authorities for permanent, secure operating yards to end tenure vulnerability once and for all.
5. Environmental Safeguards
Executing actions that rigorously protect Kumasi’s air, drainage, and soil quality, upholding an unyielding ban on wire burning.
6. Member Education & Skills
Continuously educating members on health protocols, electronic waste hazards, financial literacy, and technological business tools.
• STRATEGIC PILLARS •
Institutional Partners & Supporting Allies
STAR-Ghana Foundation
Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA)
Asokore Mampong Assembly (AMMA)
GIZ (German Development Co.)
SMIDO (Suame Magazine)