Resumen de Single service – double benefit: the sweepers of Karachi
Providing sustainable and affordable services to the urban poor is one of the major hurdles in achieving millennium targets. The service cost is often high if it is provided by governments or their appointed contractors. However, there are examples of services which are provided by the poor to the poor which are both affordable and appropriate, and it is important that these activities are not ignored when modernization programmes are introduced. This article discusses one such service – the waste collection service by street sweepers in Karachi. Sweepers provide an affordable service to various income groups including slum dwellers. The poor get double benefits: as service recipients and as service providers. This article proposes how such work could be recognized by and integrated into the future strategies of public–private partnerships
