Busia Uganda-Impact of ecological police of the village environment committee (VEC) shows improvement in promoting the role of communities in waste and sanitation management:

The town of Busia in Eastern Uganda faces many challenges, including of a rapid shift in its solid waste management systems; new technologies (composting, and landfilling) will be introduced in late 2012, while actual waste collection is still struggling to provide a hygienic environment to its inhabitant.

The goal of YES in waste management is the protection of human health and environment, where resource conservation) can be reached.

Community voices, sustainable development and policy reforms in implementing MDG7, target 9 the need for increased commitment in policy enforcement  and improved good governance in waste and sanitation management.While leaders who discussed MDGs have articulated what to be done, the questions remains unanswered in cross border towns sharing common trans-boundary problems, where many people are still learning how to achieve this goal without policy harmonisation. YES is not waiting for the direction but to develop strategies to contribute towards the MDG related goals.

In its project of urban waste and sanitation project we are trying to help support 10 villages improve waste  and sanitation management through community participation and strengthening systems by providing community basic services regarding mobilization, education and promoting community autonomy to manage waste and sanitation issues affecting them at household level.

 The approach will improve the community institutional arrangements for waste management; mobilize communities to construct toilets in residences and in schools, and increase efficient solid collection by Busia Municipal council.

The service volunteers of YES register all homes without toilets, and later provide sanitation, hygiene education and counseling to households and landlords to help them make informed decisions and interest to have better sanitary facilities using the WASH chain cards.(Above)

The plight of toilets:

In Marachi “A”B”C”D” Villages in Busia Municipality, it’s one of the villages YES organisation is promoting the role of communities in waste and sanitation management.

   

Many households don’t have toilets and our research found that women use the toilet facilities mainly at night when the privacy is guaranteed especially homes with this kind of structures.

  The project results will  improve the quality of water in the municipality both surface and underground water by reducing huge waste flow in the water streams.

Rapid population growth, urbanization, and growing challenges of poverty faced by the urban poor in informal settlements and cross border towns require redefining the paradigm for public health interventions by creating new approaches that put  urban environment determinants of health into consideration, with the goal of  meeting the health needs of the community in Busia municipal council, the cross- border communities in the border town needs massive efforts towards promoting behavior change attitudes and practice where communities and the municipal council can work together and recognize that there are problems of increasing  evidence of poor  waste, sanitation and hygiene in the first place,(ii) and work towards community understanding the challenge as either manageable or not; both at individual household level, community level and local government institutional level;(iii) above all ,the involvement of stakeholders to recognize the challenges in a cooperative way is a prerequisite.(iv) the comunity can identify workable solutions and options to address the challenges both as an institution under local government and as individuals and communities for the case of urban town like Busia.

 

Below community members debating on during meeting at border primary school organized by YES, the town Clerk, Mayor and other stakeholders attended.

The community and other stakeholders can agree, develop and design plans for project implementation, when they both recognize the challenge within the community they reside and start implementing the plan regarding water management and environmental health in the neighborhood.

                                  

 Below comunities participating in cleaning the water source (Chairman Village Environment committee.
                                

The positive actions the community and other stakeholders have implemented can be maintained by both at cooperative level for the success of the issues identified such as poor storage, disposal, transportation, collection and general awareness’s and debate on waste management,sanitation and hygiene.

The community can also agree to sustain the decision for long term impact and environmental sustainability and for the good of the community.

The village environment committee members observe how the woman was getting  dirty water from the only stream in Nagunke in Mawero East A village. 

                       

The Youth environment service volunteers conduct WASH dissemination education and group counseeling in Marachi villages,YES achievements and efforts in the comunity has been succesfully through building the capacity of its volunteers in comunity mobilisation and education dynamics. 

Promoting the capacity of local communities in urban water and sanitation governance (Pro-CUWaS)

 Youth Environment Service Busia in partnership with Uganda water and sanitation network( UWASNET) funded by DANIDA-Uganda of the Royal Danish Embassy is implementing a project of Promoting the Capacity of Local Communities in Urban Water and Sanitation Governance in partnership with Busia Municipality targeting ten villages.

The project officer WASH programe conducts community meetings in the selected villages

Various activities are being conducted in the ten selected project villages.This include Sensitization of landlords on their roles and responsibilities in Water sanitation and hygiene management, Conduct awareness meeting in the selected villages

Conduct training for stakeholders in good governance on WASH/WES. Organize village local council trainings on participatory planning, budgeting and monitoring.

below the municipal council mayor is addressing the communities during the village meeting in Mawero East "B"

 Left section of the community attending meeting;
the local council chairperson,the village environment committee and the local councilors plan the village meeting in consultation with the project officer WASH and develop monthly workshedules for programe implementation.

Other activities include,

• Conduct sensitization and education seminar for landlords and tenants .
• Training of law enforcement officers,LC1s and the sanitation improvement committees.
• Carry out project documentation and reporting.
• Establish school WASH committees/clubs in project area.
• Organize monthly WASH and village committee meetings.
• Conduct radio talk shows.
• Develop test and print IEC materials.
• Conduct participatory planning, monitoring and evaluation.  

The governance tools used is basically on Good governance and advocacy where community issues through meetings are identified, and sets of solutions that are technically and socially fit in the context of community needs are put on desk for debate and action.

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YOUTH ENVIRONMENT SERVICE

YES DAILY UPDATES

YES secretariat

YES HOLDS A WORKSHOP WITH STAKEHOLDERS

YES in partnership with the Busia Municipal Council, Makerere university and Vienna University of Technology held a workshop on 4^th October which was presided over by Researchers from Makerere University, Ms Jenninah Karungi and Ogwang Francis, the Municipal council officials, Jacob a researcher from Vienna university, and the YES staff. The NAADs extension service provider who was also the chief guest Ms Rashida Namiya officially opened the ceremony. In her speech she technically illustrated how compost manure can be applied to a garden.  Jacob from Vienna University also the initiator of the project communicated by highlighting the projects background, methodology and what has been observed through out. He also demonstrated the use of compost in agriculture for example the banana peelings can be used as animals feed instead of being dumped in drainage channels. He however complimented that the manure can as well be harmful to humans if not handled well. In the DAO (District Agriculture Officer)Patrick Egesas speech, he requested Jacob that the Farmers are not yet well familiarized with the usefulness of compost manure therefore sustainability of the project is very vital which surely needs a supportive hand from big organizations since it is quite expensive. He also suggested that a staff of NAADs coordinators should be deployed at each sub county for an effective work. The NAADs coordinator Ms Lydia thanked YES for having mobilized the farmers and engaged them in such a great practice. The district Mayors speech, Mr. Michael Mugeni included welcoming all members and was overwhelmed by the prolific turn up of farmers and appealed to them to always do the same whenever called upon. Jenninah Karungi a researcher demonstrated more about the composting process, potential benefits of the technology, challenges faced with the method, shared other successful case studies they carried out in both Mukono and Kampala, and in her conclusion she acknowledged that compost manure gradually release its nutrients unlike the artificial fertilizers and so emphasized that results of compost manure for a given crop are realized after some long time which is very advantageous. Mr. Ogwang Francis also a researcher from Makerere University Presented on the yield of the 3 crops that were grown in the five Demo sites with use of compost manure and in his remarks he recommended that compost manure is good for improving the fertility of soils and lastly gave great thanks to the farmers for their participation in the project.  The Environment Officer Ms Teopista Namajja came in last who gave a presentation on environment and climate change issues. She went ahead and illustrated the causes of climate change like plastic burning, brick burning, charcoal burning, organic matter decomposition, deforestation, among others, and effects of  greenhouse gases,  which consequently led to the coming up with the composting Project  by NEMA in collaboration with the Busia Municipality. She therefore encouraged members to work together in order to embrace the benefits of the project, including protection of our environment and provision of compost manure at a cheap cost. Farmers were actually also given opportunity to express themselves about the project which they did successfully stating  the benefits, challenges and where they need help.


Posted by Babirye Harriet, documentation officer, YES

INVITATION FOR STAKEHOLDERS WORKSHOP

YOUTH ENVIRONMENT SERVICE

 YES DAILY UPDATES

5^th.10.2011

 YES secretariat

YES TO HOLD A WORKSHOP

YES is organizing to hold a workshop on 6^th Oct 2011 which will take place at Mambros ABC Restaurant beginning at 8:30am. The workshop is aimed at conducting dissemination and knowledge exchange with stakeholders. It will also involve discussion of results of the UGoS project on solid waste management and sanitation in Busia Municipality implemented by YES in partnership with the Busia Municipal Council and Vienna University of Technology. The UGoS project is about Solid Waste Management and Sanitation in Busia Municipality, as well as the use of waste and compost in agriculture. Therefore, all stakeholders are called upon to attend the workshop including the Village Health Teams (VHTs), the Municipal Council and the Village Environment Committees

  Babirye Harriet, Documentation Officer, YES

INVITATION FOR STAKEHOLDERS WORKSHOP

YES is preparing to hold a workshop Mambros ABC Restaurant on Tuesday Oct 2011 starting from 8:30am to 3:30pm. The workshop is aimed at presenting and discussing results of the Research Project UGoS on the use of waste and compost in agriculture, in Busia District, implemented by YES in partnership with the Busia Municipal Council, Makerere University and Vienna University of Technology. The project targeted on the knowledge and experiences of farmers in applying compost to their fields.

Planning meetings with the village environmental committees in Busia

 

 

YOUTH ENVIRONMENT SERVICE

Meeting updates at (YES)

23.09.2011

The Secretariat YES-Busia                                                                                                                                     Garbage waste collectors of BMC

YES meets committee members in Solo “ B”

There was a meeting held by YES with the Village Health Team (V.H.T) at the Mawero market. The meeting begun at 9:0 am and 20 members were in attendance. It was presided over by the Public Health Inspector (P.H.I), Mr. Mulimba James, Mr. Jacob the Principle Investigator and a researcher, from Austria, the YES staff, and the Councillor LC1 of Solo B village. The chairlady of the team in her speech threw a vote of thanks to the YES staff for having partnered with Mr. Jacob who introduced such a great Project that has brought tremendous changes in terms of environmental health and sanitation. 

 

She continued and appealed to members of the team to continue working together to maintain the situation. The chairman of the team also aired out that the YES staff has been so transparent in that it kept them informed of any activity and it provided various tools to them for use, it (YES staff) once also organised an exchange visit where they shared a lot of issues. The village councillor also addressed members and in his speech he urged the PHI to integrate the YES programs with his office programs. The PHI however in his presentation announced that 

 members should learn to demand for services, for example the issue of public toilets which had been raised. He went ahead and promised that whenever there is an activity at the Municipal council, YES as a team shall be involved, he encouraged members to be more creative, and in his conclusion appreciated YES for the great work.  Nevertheless, Jacob addressed and he emphasised members to prepare their work such that they present it on the day of the workshop conference scheduled on 4^th $ 6^th Oct this year.

 In the open discussion, members of the team put forward the most significant achievements of the project:

“Through community sensitization, several households have constructed latrines, are collecting their household waste in sacks (storage facility) instead of throwing them wherever, some have dug soak pits...”, as mentioned by one member of the team.

 Many recognised that there are no longer cholera outbreak reports which used to be rampant before.

Another one appreciated the uniforms they were provided that they helped them a lot whereby the word “Ecological Police” written on it gained them respect and guininely sold them to the entire public, the tools eased their work, and that they made friendship with the community and many are eager to join them.

 The program Coordinator YES Mr, Ongatai Amosiah in his remarks called upon the Team to remain committed because it determines the continuity of the project even when Jacob was to withdraw. Jacob has been the sponsor of the project.

Reported by Babirye Harriet documentation officer-reporting on environmental health-YES

YES meets Arubaine A Committee members

YES DAILY UPDATE

21.09.2011

Youth Environment Service secretariat

YES meets committee members in Arubaine A

The staff of YES held a meeting on 21.09.2011, with the village environment committee representatives, at the communal collection center which was headed by the project officer, Mr. Otim Simon.  It was presided over by Mr. Peter, (The Public Health Inspector) and the principal investigator, Mr. Jacob Lederer from Austria, who is also a researcher. The overall chair was Mr. Ongatai Amosiah, the Program coordinator YES. The committee contained over 8 members who all turned up. However, over 20 members attended the meeting. A review on the achievements as far as environment health is concerned was done, whereby through public sensitization at least 7 households so far have constructed  latrines , several have dug soak pits, the public has adopted the idea of collecting  household generated waste which they later take to the communal collection center, people no longer dump human waste anyhow instead they use the latrines, the hygiene of toilets has also greatly improved.   The greatest challenge experienced by the committee members is that the Municipal council has been reluctant to work with them regarding solid waste management as reported by the chairman of the committee. On that note however YES should put a coordinated effort to bring the Council on board which will enable the smooth running of the organizations activities, as addressed by Mr. Jacob. Nevertheless, the PHI in his speech assured the members that they are in a process of formulating bylaws that will empower the environment workers while providing their services. In his opening remarks however, the PHI thanked YES for its tireless contribution towards Environment Health and protection and urged them to continue with the good work they are rendering to the community.