As the world marked the water week, women at Kavundira Landing Site in Nkumba parish, Wakiso district were busy fighting environmental degradation. However, unlike other ‘wars’ against such pollution, these women are on a mission to kill two birds with one stone; ensure cleanliness but also turn the garbage into cash through making briquettes. One such women who pride in protecting the environment and benefitting from the garbage is Prossy Nakibuule, a member of Nkumba Bukolwa Group. Nakibuule says the narrative has always been that landing sites are smelly, dirty and prone to disease outbreak all the time.“But the narrative has now changed. We are able to turn garbage into something useful and profitable,” Nakibuule said. “Just walk around this place (Kavundira) and you will hardly find any garbage piled anywhere. People have woken up to the reality that nothing is useless on
this landing site,” she added. Nakibuule’s chest thumping is supported by Angela Misanya, a single mother of three, who can now count her benefits from the waste off the finger tips. Wakiso women protect Lake Victoria by turning garbage into cash
We have also supported the women with machines to make briquettes on large scale for commercial purposes. So far they are doing well and we hope to expand the project to other landing sites in the country,” Akello said. For now, the women at Kavundira Landing Site say they are not worried whether their husbands come home or not, give them support or squander their earnings in bars. They have discovered that one secret hidden in garbage waste and they are not about to give up making briquettes both for home use and commercial purposes.
Ronald Kalema, the Mayor of Katabi Town Council, applauded the women for being at the forefront of fighting environmental degradation and using the opportunity to make some money. “We would like to thank the women who are the drivers of this nation for embracing this project that was started by SOS Children’s Villages,” Kalema said. “This has reduced the garbage in our town council. They have discovered that from garbage we can earn a living through adding value to what is considered waste. This is very important for both the environment and homesteads,” he added.
He called upon the government to consider women who are organized and are adding value to the environment. “Such groups of women should be the first to be considered when it comes to Emyooga and Parish Development Model.” Beatrice Akello, the Family Strengthening Programme Coordinator
at SOS Children’s Villages, said they were targeting to empower 240 families mainly headed by women to be able to set up various income generating activities that are also beneficial to the
environment.” We train them to collect the waste, dry it, burn it and sell to other customers.
We have also supported the women with machines to make briquettes on large scale for commercial purposes. So far they are doing well and we hope to expand the project to other landing sites in the country,” Akello said. For now, the women at Kavundira Landing Site say they are not worried whether their husbands come home or not, give them support or squander their earnings in bars. They have discovered that one secret hidden in garbage waste and they are not about to give up making briquettes both for home use and commercial purposes.
