Women attending a session at the Climate Knowledge Center. Photo Credit WCCI.org
Women attending a session at the Climate Knowledge Center. Photo Credit WCCI.org

Women-Led Climate Centre is Decentralising Resilience in Uganda

“Our village was an easy life. We had a lot of wild food to consume. Our bodies were healthy,” said Constance Okollet, who lives in Osukuru village, Kayolo Sub-county in Eastern Uganda.

In 2007, her village Osukuru experienced torrential rains causing floods that washed away the village. The community had never seen anything like it.

“That was the first time we experienced floods. We didn’t know what floods were. The water was swallowing people,” Okollet said. The floods they experienced then destroyed crops, roads, schools, and health facilities. It also caused an outbreak of diseases like cholera and malaria.

Like adding salt to the wound, the same year, a drought followed. Then came another strong storm. Food became scarce. The community’s previous social cohesion began to fray as children dropped out of school, domestic violence became a new reality, and waves of illness further devastated the surviving families. The response from the government to the disaster was slow and ineffective.

A tree nursery at the Women Climate Knowledge center
A tree nursery at the women-led Women Climate Knowledge center

This inspired Okollet through women-led Osukuru United Women Network (OWN), a local community group which started in 2004, to bring women together to find solutions to the ongoing climate challenges. It is driven by the belief and conviction that climate security lies within the local and indigenous knowledge of women who farm, raise families and build communities.

Alongside that, OWN also created a voice and platform for the flood affected community members. Through advocacy, community mobilising, and training on climate change, the group learnt more about their current climate realities to promote sustainable climate solutions. Such training helps in a trickle-down effect, where after attending the training, they pass the knowledge on to their village mates.

Slowly, the group started to garner support. One such aid came from Women Climate Centres International to build upon the women’s experience and expertise to begin a woman climate centre in their village. That’s how OWN began a community climate centre led and facilitated by women.

Toilets and Trees: The Centre’s Fight Against the Climate Crisis

Okollet, the chairperson of OWN is quoted to have told the Global Landscapes Forum that the beginning was not easy. “When we started, we didn’t know what climate change was,” she says. “Many people were saying it was God. But we said no. Let us stand up and begin preventing what is happening. I begin, you begin, everybody comes in, and then we can change the world to be a better place to live in.” Development organisations like OXFAM came into the picture to begin supporting them with technical advice, knowledge building and financial support .

The women-led Centre now works with the Osukuru community, to emphasise low- cost environmentally appropriate technologies including the construction of rainwater harvesting tanks, biosand water filters, energy-saving stoves, fireless cookers, and solar cookers.

Hosted on four-acre land, the centre boasts of a climate smart building, an eco-san toilet, biointensive gardens and a booming tree-nursery. The centre hosts trainees all week with participants learning about different climate topics and sharing knowledge and information.

More stories on women and climate:

“We are looking at four interlinked themes which include low cost Lorena stoves, ecosan toilets, water harvesting, and bio-intensive food production. We also teach community members to start small gardens of high value crops commonly called kitchen gardens,” says Godliver Busingye, a key facilitator at the climate centre. The intention is for the community to integrate the learning in their homes and communities.

One of the major problems during floods is the regular collapsing of pit latrines that the households in the area construct. A high water level in the village compounded by regular flooding leads to the collapsing, often injuring its users. In the face of this challenge, the centre has been training community members to adapt and start building ecosan toilets.

The EcoSan toilet is based on the principle of recycling nutrients from excreta to create a valuable resource for agriculture. When the pit of an EcoSan toilet fills up, it is closed and sealed. After about eight to nine months, the faeces is completely composted to organic manure and can be used on farms. When the first pit is closed, users can switch to using the second pit. Being a closed toilet system as opposed to the pit latrines, it prevents groundwater contamination in a region like Osukuru with a high water table.

The manure from the ecosan is used in the bio-intensive food production within the centre. The community members are taking it up and creating businesses in biointensive food production—an organic agricultural system that uses no fossil-fuel based fertilisers, while simultaneously increasing biodiversity and sustaining soil fertility.

Building Businesses with Seeds and More

“While promoting tree planting at household level, we encourage indigenous trees and plants,” adds Hajra Comfort Mukasa, another facilitator at the centre.

The participants gather, collect and preserve indigenous tree seedlings too, like mvule (Milicia excelsa), mutuba (ficus natalensis), musizi (Maesopsis eminiiEngler) and mugavu (Albizia coriaria) and also participate in seed banking, apart from Guava and avocado.

The seedlings are then planted in the households and compounds of community members. The extra seedlings are sold to generate income for the community participants. All this supports the community reforestation programme.

More stories on women and climate:

“To decrease the impacts of rains and droughts in the country, we want to make our area green again,” says Okollet.

Up to 5000 women from Osukuru and surrounding communities are currently being supported under this initiative.

“Most of the trees are generated by the members. Food is starting to come back because of the kitchen gardens. Our area is reaping big results from the centre,” says Vincent Wanjala, Chairperson Kayolo Local Council.

Women working at the women-led Climate Knowledge Center. Photo Credit WCCI.org

The centre’s 2020 impact report reveals that over a thousand community members in the Tororo region of Uganda were trained and engaged by the centre and 50 community members have been trained in biointensive farming techniques. Ten of them will become trainers and community facilitators to help grow and scale the practice.

“We were taught about savings and business. I started a poultry and vegetable growing business and my monthly income has since increased from 10 USD to 50 USD,” says Irene Amayo Barbra, a participant in the centre’s activities.

“We also plant tree seedlings including guava, avocado,that we sell to make money to sustain our families—with food like vegetables, maize, sweet potato and cassava, school requirements and health services,” Irene adds.

Scaling Up

“We need deliberative and participatory processes by communities and leaders to strengthen citizen-led climate action and improve inclusive national-level climate decision making,” says Richard Kimbowa of the Uganda Coalition for Sustainable Development (UCSD). “This helps in community ownership, encourages learning and inclusion of all in climate resilience building.”

“This work is helping to create a community of practice at the grassroots to tackle climate change. It’s bringing climate change from the conference rooms to where the problem lies, in the everyday lives of the community,” says Hajra Comfort Mukasa, a facilitator at the Centre.

Colline Saabwe
Colline is a a climate enthusiast, activist, farmer and communicator. Through the Climate Action Network Uganda space, he has been generating and contributing content to influence the local national policy space through an innovative and accelerated process combining audio-visual stories, dialogue and knowledge exchange that brings together the civil society and decision-makers.
slot maxwin slot ovo starlight princess live casino slot zeus pg soft slot olympus ibcbet maxwin slot thailand slot pgsoft slot slot mahjong zeus slot digmaan slot mania slot pulsa jdb slot slot777 slot shopee slot spade gaming slot thailand slot thailand slot thailand slot gacor slot mahjong roulette habanero sv388 joker123 fafaslot pgsoft mahjong wins jdb slot slot thailand slot gacor slot mahjong slot gatotkaca pg soft pragmatic play slot bank bsi slot bank jago lucky neko spaceman slot olympus slot88 starlight princess slot dana digmaan joker123 zeus slot slot mania slot habanero idnslot slot pulsa jdb slot slot hoki fafaslot nolimit city slot princess fafaslot fafa slot slot princess slot 77 slot pulsa slot bri slot ovo slot gopay slot jepang slot 777 slot88 slot ovo slot gopay slot jepang slot 88 slot receh slot 123 joker123 slot princess slot kamboja roulette online baccarat online idn poker dragon tiger nolimit city slot dana thailand slot slot gacor slot thailand slot mahjong mahjong ways slot88 slot dana joker123 slot maxwin slot88 slot dana joker123 slot maxwin slot mahjong slot gacor slot thailand slot mahjong slot gopay slot88 slot thailand slot zeus sbobet slot toto slot server thailand slot thailand slot77 slot gacor slot thailand slot server thailand slot thailand akun gacor slot maxwin slot gacor slot thailand slot kakek zeus Pg Soft Maxbet Ibcbet Starlight Princess Slot Ovo Joker123 Mahjong Ways 2 Sv388 Sbobet Slot Dana Slot Thailand Slot Thailand Digmaan Sv388 Joker123 Mahjong Ways 2 Slot Dana Slot Gacor Slot Anti Rungkat baccarat roulette sicbo casino online sv388 tembak ikan online sbobet slot macau slot thailand slot thailand slot maxwin slot88 slot88 slot deposit ovo situs slot wwg slot slot thailand wm casino tembak ikan slot thailand slot wala meron slot nolimit city slot pg slot gacor slot88 slot50000 slot mahjong slot thailand 66k bet slot daftar judi slot online indonesia slot mahjong ways slot thailand mahjong ways slot gacor slot mawin slot gacor slot gacor slot gacor slot thailand slot thailand slot gacor slot ovo slot gacor slot gopay slot gacor slot gacor slot thailand slot gacor judi slot slot thailand slot thailand slot thailand slot mahjong ways 2 slot pragmatic slot demo pragmatic slot demo pg soft demo slot pragmatic slot gacor 4d slot pg soft pgslot pgsoft pgsoft sv388 slot88 pgsoft slot thailand slot88 slot thailand slot gacor slot ovo slot dana fafaslot slot ovo slot jepang judi slot gacor slot rusia Situs Daftar Judi Slot Mahjong Ways 1 dan 2 PG Soft Online PG Soft : Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online Gacor Slot Kakek Zeus RTP Slot > Daftar Situs Judi Slot Gacor Mahjong Ways 2 PG Soft : Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online Gacor Terbaik Situs Slot Online Gacor Dan Agen Slot Pragmatic Play Terpercaya Slot Gacor: Situs Slot Online Pragmatic Play & Bocoran Pola Slot Situs Slot Online Terbaik Terpercaya dan Terbesar di Indonesia Slot Kakek Zeus Daftar Link Slot Olympus Terbaru Slot Dana Daftar Judi Slot Online Indonesia Paling Gacor di Indonesia Sabung Ayam Online Sv388 Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online SLOT88 SLOT PG SOFT GACOR Bandar Slot Daftar Situs Judi Online Terbaik & Terpercaya Gacor power gaming sv388 lucky neko slot gacor slot gacor slot88 slot kakek slot pg slot kakek zeus slot dana slot maxwin slot server luar negeri slot thailand Link Daftar Situs Judi Slot Deposit Dana 20RB Tanpa Potongan Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Link Daftar Situs Judi Slot Deposit Dana 20RB Tanpa Potongan Slot Pragmatic - Link Alternatif Judi Slot Online Gacor Kakek Zeus Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Daftar Slot Dana Daftar Slot Dana Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play lucky Neko Daftar & Login Slot PG Judi Slot 88 Online Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Slot Mahjong Ways 2 Mudah Jackpot Paus di PG Soft Hari ini 2023 Lucky Neko Situs Slot Gacor Pgsoft Hari Ini Slot Pragmatic - Link Alternatif Judi Slot Online Gacor Kakek Zeus SITUS SABUNG AYAM SV388 ONLINE DAFTAR LINK LOGIN APK AGEN SV388 Daftar Judi Slot Online Indonesia Paling Gacor di Indonesia SBOBET Login Agen Judi Bola Sbobet Mahjong Ways | Slot PG | Slot Mahjong Ways 2 | Slot PGsoft | Daftar Slot Mahjong Situs Joker123 | Joker123 | Joker Gaming | Daftar Slot Joker Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Agen Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online Terpercaya Slot Kakek Zeus : Daftar RTP Judi Slot Online Gacor Gampang Menang Joker123 Game Slot Gacor Joker Gaming Casino Online Indonesia Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play slot mahjong pg soft slot gacor slot thailand slot maxwin slot spaceman pg slot