Michael J. Ssali
2 November 2008
Masaka Diocese is to launch an awareness campaign for integrated solid waste management in all urban centres within the diocese.
The Diocese of Masaka comprises of the districts of Masaka, Rakai, Ssembabule, Lyantonde, and Kalangala.
The campaign, whose launch is scheduled to take place on November 17 2008, at Market Triangle LC1 in Nyendo/Ssenyange Division, Masaka Municipality, is the brainchild of Masaka Diocesan Development Organisation (Maddo).
Fr. Raphael Ssemanda, Maddo coordinator, says the objective of the campaign is to create awareness about the importance of sorting wastes in order for one to reap economic gain from organic solid wastes, and other reusable waste which households currently mix with useless, or even harmful wastes.
The priest further says that the campaign will highlight the need for individual household participation in maintaining a sanitary and hygienic environment for improved public health.
Part of the strategy is to involve the local leaders and the district public health officials so that with their collaboration sorting wastes becomes an entrenched practice. "Another reason why we want to involve the local leaders," said Mr John Steven Muwonge, the diocesan water engineer, "is because we don't really have all the money as a diocese to carry out the whole sensitisation process even if we have the idea. We hope to create awareness among the stakeholders particularly the local leaders."
Mr Muwonge said that most of the garbage in Uganda's urban and peri-urban areas constitutes of 75% organic matter. "It is a burden to the local authorities and to the households to dispose of yet it is of immense economic value to the surrounding farmers who could use it to feed their animals. At the moment, mainly due to lack of awareness, both valuable and useless garbage is taken to the municipal skip from where it is ferried to be burnt or buried, if at all."
He said that the people should be educated to sort out waste at the household level by learning to separate organic from inorganic waste. They should also in some instances sort out the inorganic waste into what can be reused and what may not. The farmers might also want the organic waste to use as manure in their fields apart from feeding their animals. The local craftsmen might want to use certain articles like empty tins or hard paper to make tools or children's toys or other gadgets. Some people have been known to use used drinking straws to make sandals and other art crafts.
"We want to create a partnership between the farmers in the periphery of urban centres and the waste producers in the urban centres to dispose of organic waste amicably," Mr Muwonge said. "If the campaign is done successfully, urban councils will finally have a lighter waste disposal burden, since the bigger part of it will be on demand all the time by the people who will continually want to turn it into an economic asset. Most urban centre budgets are strained and need not burden themselves any further."
Ultimately, Mr Muwonge said "the next best option would be to minimise the production of waste by perhaps forcing customers in grocery stores to pay for wrapping materials or containers. When a person has to pay for a polythene bag the first time he goes to the supermarket, the next time he will choose to go with the same bag that he bought the last time since he will not want to pay again for another bag. However when he knows he will get a free bag every time he visits the shop then more garbage is accumulated in form of polythene bags."
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