Ndejje University
The Pitch
Ndejje University created a comprehensive sustainability education program at a local high school and trained low-income community members, mostly youth, to turn waste into briquettes that can be sold and generate income.
The Problem
Low-income residents lived in areas of Kampala with high waste exposure from landfills that produced odors and toxic chemicals, as well as methane emissions.
The Process
- Transformed the municipal waste management system from a disposal system to collection for commodification
- Constructed green spaces, waste management systems, and food production facilities at St. Kizito High School Namugongo (and trained youth how to use them), including:
- An energy-efficient briquette production unit and equipment that processed food waste into animal feed
- Infrastructure to create biochar from biowaste (that was then sold to households and businesses)
- A dark room for mushroom growth, pyramid vegetable gardens, a solar-irrigated farming system, chicken coops, rabbit kivas and a fishpond
- Ornamental gardens, water fountains and pathways
- Installed a briquette production unit and a green house in Namuwongo, and trained residents in operations
The Impact
- Helped communities keep waste out of the landfill and reduce exposure to toxins by turning waste into briquettes
- Provides community members with livelihoods and a steady income through a cost-effective model: Youth groups sell the biochar at $66 per ton
- Encouraged youth to participate in environmental clubs and activities and adopt sustainable behaviors, creating a culture of environmental responsibility
