We have taken a look at the way some of the most interesting of businesses within the waste management and green manufacturing sectors are operating and interviewed the entrepreneurs who make it possible. As a result, UGEFA has also released two insightful publications featuring two-page infographics that offer a visual exploration of the value chains and job opportunities fostered by innovative enterprises in Uganda.
Spotlight on Waste Management: Just Clean It and Marula Proteen
To better understand job creation opportunities in the waste management sector, it is worth examining the value chain through the lens of two dynamic enterprises: Just Clean It and Marula Proteen. These enterprises make steps to make use of all value chain stages from waste collection to the sale of organic fertilisers and animal feed.
Just Clean It transforms waste into valuable fertiliser and goes a step further by creating demonstration gardens to educate farmers on sustainable practices. Marula Proteen, with its innovative approach, uses black soldier fly larvae to convert organic waste into nutrient-rich fertiliser and empowers farmers by selling them baby larvae, enabling them to produce their own organic fertilisers.
Marula Proteen is on a mission to boost productivity and engage more young farmers in the region. Just Clean It shares this vision of expansion, actively involving youth in waste collection, installing additional rubbish containers, and raising awareness through exhibits and events. “We expect to create many more job opportunities,” says Allen Kyarisiima, CEO of Just Clean It, highlighting their commitment to growth and community development.
The infographic case study published by UGEFA offers even more insights into the future outlook, challenges, job benefits, and includes direct quotes from the business owners, enriching the narrative with their personal experiences of establishing the value chain in Uganda and aspirations to grow, such as this quote by Martin Vicot Ssebuliba, Coordination Manager at Just Clean It:
“Professionalism in the waste management sector is a new thing in Uganda. In the process the industry will be professionalised”.
Exploring Green Manufacturing: Carico Connoisseur, Amagara Skin Care, and Wimrob Bees
The green manufacturing sector also presents compelling examples of job creation through value chains, showcased by three exemplary enterprises: Carico Connoisseur, Amagara Skin Care, and Wimrob Bees. These businesses utilise various stages of the value chain from the initial purchase of farmers’ harvests —whether coffee beans, fruits and vegetables, or honeycombs— to the final sale of environmentally-friendly products.
Carico Café Connoisseur fosters community engagement by establishing farmer cooperatives, launching tree planting projects, and initiating income-generating activities. Wimrob Bees empowers youth by offering training opportunities and collaborating with commercial agents to deliver training through government programmes and NGOs. Amagara Skin Care uplifts women’s groups in rural areas by purchasing raw materials from them, thereby enabling these women to generate sustainable income. These examples showcase how different parts of the value chain can influence job creation in the green manufacturing sector.
The case study on these enterprises includes quotes from interviews with the entrepreneurs, offering insights into their vision of operations. It also presents their future outlooks, challenges, and job benefits, painting a vivid picture of their contributions to sustainable development and job creation. Robert Okodia, Founder and CEO of Wimrob Bees, notes, “The honey consumption has tripled, and this has brought a lot of opportunities to us as a company, but also to the small-holder farmers to scale up.”
Where to learn more?
Case study infographics provide an accessible and engaging way to understand the intricate processes and significant impacts of these enterprises. They are part of UGEFA’s ongoing efforts to support and promote green enterprises in Uganda.
To explore these publications and gain deeper insights into the waste management and green manufacturing sectors, visit UGEFA’s publications page.
