Dumped plastic waste blocks a drainage channel

Living Earth Uganda has been promoting alternative sources of energy to tree cutting for firewood and charcoal through specialized skills training in briquette and energy saving stoves’ making and use.

In May 2010, 102 residents from the community of Nansana town council (Kampala) approached Living Earth Uganda for this specialized skills training. 23 participants took part in a training session focusing on teaching skills in briquette and energy stoves making and use in the local community.

Community members learning how to make briquettes

Living Earth Uganda is part of a multi-country Waste to Wealth project which responds to the urgent need to improve the lives of the increasing number of impoverished and vulnerable people residing in urban slums in Port Harcourt (Nigeria), Douala (Cameroon) and Kampala (Uganda).

The project, which will be implemented in partnership with Living Earth Foundation (UK), Living Earth Nigeria and Fondation Camerounaise de la Terre Vivante, aims to build the capacity of pro-poor micro and small enterprises to work in partnership with local authorities to deliver effective waste management services; thus improving environmental sanitation and providing increased employment opportunities for slum dwellers.

Kampala: The urban population in sub-
Saharan Africa is set to double over the
next twenty years

Swithern Tumwine of LEU facilitates workshop

The survey showed a poor level of plastic waste management

BBC Sport and Comic Relief visit Living Earth Uganda's Urban Livelihoods Project...

LEU helps to develop Plastics Recycling Project...

Living Earth Uganda in partnership with Rwenzori Beverage Company and other associated companies have been planning the implementation of plastics recycling projects in Kampala.

This project will mainly be a Consumer Education Programme. Living Earth Uganda has already begun collecting plastics from the communities implementing the Urban Livelihoods Project (ULP).

Woven Polypropylene bags have been distributed by the ULP Team for the community groups to collect the plastic waste which will be retrieved by the Recycling Company. Other collection bags have also been distributed to institutions and clients to collect plastics for the recycling.

LEU Organises Solid Waste Management Forum...

As part of the Urban Livelihoods Project, Living Earth Uganda (LEU) organized a Solid Waste Management (SWM) forum in Kampala in April 2006, to bring together all the stakeholders involved in SWM in Kampala, including fifteen companies and enterprises as well as officials from the Ministry of Local Government, Municipal and Town Councils where LEU operates, and Environment Statutory bodies.

The Forum was organized by Living Earth Uganda (LEU) to highlight the problems associated with SWM and collection in Kampala.

There are over thirty companies in Kampala alone dealing in SWM. The challenges they face include unclear tendering and contracting procedures, unfair competition due to corruption in Local Government, and failure to pay for SWM services particularly in the poorer sections of the city. This has led to segmentation of the market focusing on areas where the residents can afford the user fees. This means that areas where the majority of the population lives are also the ones which are not serviced.

After enlightening presentations and discussions, the SWM Forum ended by resolving to reactivate the Uganda Solid Waste Management Association which was formed back in 2000 but never took off. It was agreed that through this association issues of common concern for stakeholders and companies involved in SWM will be addressed and a common forum used to raise issues which need the attention of both local and central governments.

For more information contact Living Earth Uganda

LEU participates in Gatsby Exhibition...

Living Earth Uganda participated in the second Technology Exhibition organized by Uganda Gatsby Trust (UGT) from July 19th to July 25th 2006.

UGT operates under the Faculty of Technology, Makerere University. It is mandated to develop the technological base of the small and medium enterprise sector in Uganda, enabling the growth of such enterprises. This year’s theme was “Technology Development in SMEs, the future for Uganda’s Industrial base in the next Ten years".

Three Micro enterprises supported by LEU took part in the exhibition which attracted over two hundred exhibitors from within Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

KICA OBANGA which deals in recycling metal scrap into saucepans was able to make better sales than ever before and the group has been able to expand its market from Lira and other parts of the northern region to Kampala.

Found out more about this project here

LEU declared to be an "Award Winning NGO"...

In 2001 Living Earth Uganda (LEU) celebrated winning the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) Gold Award for 'Best NGO' for their work in mobilisation activities towards establishing partnerships between local Community Based Organisation’s (CBO’s), businesses and government, to develop initiatives and best practice in environmental management.

Find out more...

LEU has also received NEMA certificates in 2001, 2002 and 2004 in recognition of their work and their active participation in the annual World Environment Day.