The Problem
The project goal is to reduce both the use of wood fuel demand and carbon emissions of Kasese which improves environmental sustainability both locally and with respect to global effects.
Project objectives
1. To strengthen the capacity of the community to utilize the available resources in management of environment for self reliance.
2. To empower the communities along protected areas (Queen Elizabeth National Park) to realize the importance of environmental conservation.
3. To raise awareness and create demand for clean energy solutions in Kasese district by 2020.
Our Plan
Project Statement
Since 1960s Kasese district has been experiencing tribal conflicts and civil wars like in 1996- 2002, Uganda was attacked by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) where Kasese was the battle field. This caused myriad suffering where people’s property was grabbed, children orphaned, women became widows, rape and others killed, and people were forced into camps.
In 2015 and 2016, Kasese and Bundibugyo districts were attacked by the so called Kilhumira Muthima (terrorists) who were attacking government military and police installations killing police officers and most of the women have remained widows and innocent children orphans making them more vulnerable in income generation and education.
As a result of increasing HIV transmission and death from AIDS/AIDS many women are left widows and children have been orphaned and others made vulnerable, according to the district probation office, there are more than 2500 Orphans in Kasese district. Some children are left in the hands of their grandparents to take care and support. The grandparents do not have the capacity to care, support these children in terms of provision of food, school fees and other scholastic materials, payment of medical bills, bedding and others. This has made grandparents/care givers to encroach on the national parks to look for firewood to sell and cover some of these expenses. Some women have lost their lives and others seriously bitten by some park authorities and at the same time some have been also killed by wild animals from the national parks. In addition, some women have lost sexual appetite due to the fact that when they carry firewood on their backs, they eventually get tired and if one has a husband, this results into domestic violence for failure to satisfy their sexual needs. It was also revealed that some of their husbands have been killed in the National park and others imprisoned due to poaching and this has created a very big gap between the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the community. According to the needs assessment that was conducted by RWEYIDA it was found out that men go for poaching to compensate for their crops that are being destroyed by wild animals from Queen Elizabeth National Park.
According to WWF fact sheet 2013 A district-led approach towards 100% clean energy access (Kasese baseline survey) shows that; the biggest number of people use fuel energy for cooking in Kasese and firewood usage was 82% followed by charcoal 17% and others 1%. The fact sheet further shows Kasese district’s current access scenario reflects the general picture across Uganda. This means that there is over-dependence on firewood and charcoal for cooking and kerosene for lighting which is unsustainable use of biomass which leads to environmental degradation and climate change. Due to this, RWEYIDA has come up with this project Enhancing Community Participation in Sustainable Natural Resource Management in Kasese District by 2020.
Project goal
The project goal is to reduce both the use of wood fuel demand and carbon emissions of Kasese which improves environmental sustainability both locally and with respect to global effects.
