Our Mission

We are a small bottom-up none-profit Community Interest Project.
Our overall aims is to promote and support rural local communities to protect their natural environment as a means of their livelihood.
Our practical methods of working is 'Hands-on' . Our activities include: Cleaning-up plastic waste and invasive weed from rural land and water areas. Restoring destroyed and degraded habitats , Replanting disappearing native plants and herbs.
Registered in the United Kingdom (UK

Strategy

We achieve this by supporting the co-ordination of groups of waste collectors and habitat restoration program. Delivering educational and environmental protection awareness materials and hands-on working equipment. Locating contacts of recyclable waste and project funding. Acquiring disappearing native trees for re-planting and creating tree nurseries. Collaborating with the local government, local community established organisations and the community. Bringing the community together.

Buyanja Sub-County

Our project currently operates in Buyanja sub-county. The sub-county is situated in the South Western part of Rukungiri District. Rukungiri District lies in South Western Uganda. The sub-county has a total population of approx. 37,000. The original vegetation was the savanna grasslands. A flourishing habitat full of many different types of plants and wildlife - insects and fungi - valleys filled with fierce loud streams. Today the grassland has been reduced to short stunted grass - nearly all the native plants, herbs and wildlife has disappeared - except for woodlots of none-native eucalyptus trees scattered around. Buyanja sub-county has a total land area of 116.5km2 - and a total population of approx. 37,000.

Community Livelihood

Buyanja sub-county is predominately a farming community. Approx. 90% of the people rely on the land for food and income. The major crops are bananas, red-millet, maize, sweet-potatoes, beans - and other various vegetables. They rear sheep, goats and cows - on a small scale. The community still use their ancestral traditions of organic farming - a sustainable method which includes mixed farming - compost and rotations. Our project aims to support and encourage the above mentioned traditions of farming and through raising awareness of the negatives of using insecticides on the land.

Plastic waste issues

Buyanja sub-county has a small scale trading town - and several kiosks in the villages. The main trade is plastic products of home utensils - packaging bags/sacks - banqueting products in bulks etc. Plastic products are very cheap, substandard and unsustainable - leading to plastic waste streams everywhere in the rural land and water areas. Other types of waste are: Roofing iron sheets scraps - the entire region uses iron sheets for roofing, Motorbikes scraps - motorbikes being the main source of public transport in the region. Worn-out second hand clothes due to the second hand cloths trade in the area.

Air pollution/emissions problems

There is no official or any other project in the area addressing plastic waste problems in Buyanja sub-county. The only option families have to get rid of plastic waste from their homes and gardens is by burning it in the backyards - or burying it in the farming land. The challenges include ingesting and inhaling toxic fumes from the burnt plastics . This also causes - pollution to the natural environment as a whole and affects human health. Our project aims to address this problem through supporting the removal of waste from the land and - promoting informal educational programmes on the consequences of burning plastic waste.

Waste collectors

We have manpower of volunteers with hands-on skills and experience in our project's activity work plan - who understand the local language and culture of the community we are trying to support. However there is still a need of resources for training in safe manual handling and lifting techniques , purchasing durable and safe outdoor working equipment , transportation and first aid equipment for minor injuries.

Disappearing streams

Buyanja sub-county is dominated by un-dilating hills which alternate with wide swampy valleys from which streams flow. However, with increased population pressure on the land - these swamps are becoming extinct, resulting in intermittent flow of most of the streams. This has lead to streams becoming stagnant and filthy - harbouring germs and insects which spreads deceases - such as typhoid and malaria in the community.

Endangered swampy valleys

Swamps have been drained, not only drastically reducing the biodiversity - but also depleting Papyrus vegetation that predominantly grows there. Papyrus vegetation has been a plant used sustainably in the past in the community - for roofing and for making basketry of home utensils.

Poverty and social exclusion

Mubangizi is one of thousands of children who became orphans in 1990s during AIDS pandemic in Uganda. He is a grown man now however - what you see in the photo is all he has - apart from a sleeping mat and some other rugs inside his house. Our project hands-on activity opportunities will target social isolated people like Mubangizi - so as to give them a chance to integrate in the community - and learn local skills to help them help themselves.

Project sustainability

We aim to launch small-scale sustainable trade initiatives in the community - those that are cultural and environmental friendly - and benefit the community. To promote and run community festivals and other special events in the community. The aim is to provide opportunities for local food trade - arts, handcraft and cultural talents - volunteering and socializing abilities - and strengthening community participation. We believe that our sustainability initiative will also - assist our project tremendously in our strategies of executing our non-informal educational programmes on environmental climate change realities.

Community participation

We respect people's views and opinions - and encourage community participation and involvement. This, we hope that - it will bring people together - encourage/boost determination and confidence to solve problems that threaten their livelihood. *(Rather than assuming that it is only the government or outside organizations able to solve their community problems). We have a Steering team with a Chairman on the ground - an effective means of promoting - collaborating - arousing community interest and monitoring the progress of our project.

Project Coordinator

Jovael is the Founder, Director and Coordinator of the project. She was born and raised in Buyanja Sub-county - migrated to the United Kingdom in 1990 - raised a family - and settled in Sheffield to present. Jovael holds a BA (Hons) degree in Social and Political Studies (Combined Studies) from 'The University of Sheffield' (UK). She has been a small handcraft entrepreneur - making jewellery out of beads - and selling the products in Sheffield markets - craft fayres and festivals - and other various community events. Has worked in social care sector - supporting some of the adolescent children with mental health issues in Sheffield community. Jovael has been an Executive Committee Member volunteering for 'Netherthorpe and Upperthorpe Community Alliance' development project in Sheffield.

England, United Kingdom

Let us save the children's environment and for generations to come!

£25

Where we work & Community needs