GAYO Uganda has rolled out a waste management a bottom up approach initiative for waste management in Kampala.
Running under the Theme; “Setting the Pace for Zero Waste in Kampala through multi-stakeholder engagement”, GAYO Uganda is committed to creating pathways for proper waste management and stimulating economic opportunities for youth along the waste value chains. We look forward to working with other stakeholders to actualize the vision.
According to Frank Mugagga, an academic scholar from Makerere University, this move will champion and bring on board different stakeholders in the quest to restore Mother Nature.
“Waste management within African countries is becoming a menace as local governments, councils and other relevant actors struggle to establish proper management practices. The environment continuously deteriorates from its effect coupled with a low standard of living within communities and lack of sustainability”- Frank Mugagga, Makerere University.
Mugagga added that improper waste disposal in Kampala remains a big challenge just like in other African countries.
“In Kampala, poor disposal of garbage is ranked as one of the major causes of flooding due to poor waste management practices. Human activities create waste, but it’s mal handling including storage, collection, and disposal is responsible for introducing risk to the environment and public health.” Mugagga said adding that It is on this backdrop that the Green Africa Youth Organization, (GAYO)-Uganda designed the zero waste project in Kampala to strengthen movement building and support communities to manage the waste problem.
“Following an initial baseline survey conducted in Bwaise and Kamwokya slums, it was identified that some key challenges involved inadequate waste awareness initiatives by local leadership and community actors, inadequate partnerships and financing to carry out recycling initiatives and the lack of technical capacity for waste repurposing into consumable products.” He said.
In the same survey; situational analysis of waste management practices in Uganda, the following were documented and in this the non-recognition of Informal waste workers in the value chain of waste management was evident as city authorities had no working relationship with informal waste pickers and this was highlighted as a key contributor to the waste problem.
This report was revealed during a stakeholder workshop to engage local actors on fostering a bottom up approach of waste management. The workshop attracted over 30 personnel from different sectors such as local government, Civil society Organizations, Informal waste pickers, waste collection companies, community members, Kampala City Council Authority and Media, the consultative meeting addressed the intended aims of the initiative.
This workshop was anchored on specific objectives including; to seek pathways for strengthening stakeholder collaboration to promote local ownership and enhance informal sector access to wider benefit in the waste management sector, Identifying each stakeholder’s position on zero waste, what existing efforts are being advanced to promote zero-waste, identifying gaps and bridging those to get stakeholders full support in achieving a zero-waste city.
In the consultative meeting, the stakeholders highlighted practical solutions including effective collaboration of NGOs and CBOs to deliver on waste management interventions. Strengthening the capacity of local government to tackle waste challenges, effective linkage of community to waste collection companies, capacity building through trainings and awareness creation and mainstreaming and legalizing informal waste pickers in the waste value chain and promoting community base recycling initiatives to add value to waste thereby creating green jobs for livelihood improvement.
its a good move