Empowering Waste Pickers Through Tech- How Hasiru Dala Scaled Impact Using Avni

In the bustling streets of Indian cities, waste often seems invisible. But behind every clean neighbourhood is a group of people whose labour remains largely unrecognised—the waste pickers.

Established in Bangalore, India, Hasiru Dala (meaning “green force” in Kannada) is changing that. The organisation empowers waste pickers by recognising their contributions, securing their rights, and integrating them into formal waste management systems.

🧩 The Challenge: Paper-Based Chaos

Despite strong grassroots engagement, the Hasiru Dala team faced growing operational hurdles as its programs expanded:

• Records kept on paper were prone to being misplaced or having spelling mistakes.
• Follow-ups were inefficient, requiring teams to carry bulky folders and sift through files to access individual records and service histories.
• Generating reports was delayed, as field staff had to manually enter data into spreadsheets after returning from the field.

This slowed down operations, increased the chance of errors, and made real-time decision-making difficult.

🚀 The Turning Point: Going Digital with Avni

To overcome these operational hurdles, Hasiru Dala adopted Avni, an open-source platform tailored for fieldwork data collection and management. This move allowed them to transition from fragmented paper systems to a centralised, real-time, and error-resistant digital workflow.

💡 How Hasiru Dala Uses Avni

The organisation implemented Avni across multiple projects to:

• Register waste pickers and maintain detailed digital profiles
• Track access to services such as KYC completion, enrolment in government schemes, and benefits received
• Monitor training needs and delivery, including programs like Leadership Development, Solid Waste Management, and Entrepreneurship Training
• Ensure tailored interventions using data-driven insights to deliver support based on each individual’s needs

🌟 Impact After Using Avni

The adoption of Avni has brought significant improvements across Hasiru Dala’s operations:

• 📱 Fully Mobile Operations: Field staff now capture all data on the go, even without internet connectivity.
• ✅ Improved Data Accuracy: Built-in validations have minimised errors. Data verification accuracy increased by 90%, enabling more reliable service delivery.
• 📊 Faster, Data-Driven Decisions: Real-time data access has reduced reporting time from 10 days to just 2 days.
• 🎯 Offline Dashboard Cards: Teams can view field status at a glance within the Avni mobile app.
• 📥 Efficient Reporting: Longitudinal data exports and Superset dashboards simplify progress tracking.
• ⚡ Increased Field Efficiency: Registration speed doubled—from 3 to 6 individuals per hour, enabling greater outreach.
• 👩‍💻 Easy to Use: Even field staff with limited digital literacy quickly adapted and now confidently use the app daily.

🗣️ Testimonial from the Field

"Hasiru Dala has been using Avni for many years. We have come across many features that have proven to be useful for us — especially in the enumeration and profiling of waste pickers, tracking beneficiaries, and maintaining KYC and related details in one place.

Thanks to Avni, reporting, data quality checks, analysis, and many other processes have become much easier for us. The approach to problem-solving, fulfilling requirements, and providing technical support is excellent.

I sincerely thank the Samanvay Foundation for understanding the challenges faced by field facilitators and others who handle large volumes of data.

Avni is user-friendly and loaded with features."

— Charan Kumar, Avni Admin, Data Supervisor, Hasiru Dala

🎥 Video Testimonials

Coming soon

🌍 Why It Matters

Waste pickers are among the most marginalised urban workers in India, often facing systemic exclusion and deep-rooted social stigma. Providing them with identity, access to essential services, and pathways to formal employment not only transforms individual lives but also contributes to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as:

• Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Reduced Inequalities
• Sustainable Cities and Communities

Digital tools like Avni empower Hasiru Dala to deliver these interventions more effectively—by improving visibility, streamlining coordination, and ensuring that support reaches those who need it most.

The result is a model that enhances both dignity and impact for waste pickers.

🤝 Can Avni Benefit You?

If you are part of an NGO or a community-focused organisation working on projects such as waterbody restoration, health, education, or social welfare, Avni can help you:

• ✅ Ensure hassle-free and timely data collection
• 📈 Improve transparency and accountability in your projects
• 📊 Make informed decisions based on reliable data
• 🚀 Scale your operations with ease, even in remote or underserved areas

Join the growing number of organisations that are using Avni to make a difference in communities across India.

Whether you are working on waterbody rejuvenation, improving access to health services, or addressing social security issues, Avni can help you achieve your goals more efficiently.

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Tags

• Waste Management