Kustawi Africa, a Non- Government Organization (NGO), in partnership with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), has launched the Bamboo Initiative, which is a project aimed at adding value to bamboo trees to come up with different products.

The Bamboo initiative launch was on November 23, 2023, and was hosted at the Kustawi Africa resource center in Kavule, Gombe sub-county, Wakiso district.

The Bamboo initiative will focus on producing finished products from bamboo trees to make items like toothpicks, skewers, disposable sanitary towels, pampers, trays, bags, socks, pegs, coffee cups, mats, and many other household items. Bamboo can also be used as a form of firewood to make home furniture, crafts, poles for buildings, and other unlimited uses.

According to Eunice Musiime, one of the board members at the resource center, Kustawi means to thrive, and the Bamboo Initiative Project is meant for young girls and women to thrive.

“This is a good opportunity for our young women and girls to engage in value addition and be able to earn a livelihood; by doing this locally, we would increase production and also increase household incomes for these young girls and women,” Musiime said.

“Our interest is strictly in young girls and women, and we do support both business and social enterprises to uplift these people from poverty through these initiatives, and we are grateful for the support from the Turkish cooperation and coordination agency,” Musiime added.

Murungi Michelle, the team leader at Kustawi, says that as an organization, Kustawi Africa is a social enterprise set up to support women and girls to self-discover, innovate, grow, and thrive economically and socially through training, mentorship, coaching, linkages to opportunities, and networks.

“At Kustawi, we want to see women who are empowered economically, and in doing that, we have to create an enabling environment by working with different people and partners through sustainable initiatives,” Murungi said.

“We believe that if we empower somebody and give them the skills to work and tools to use, they can be able to go and do something better with themselves,” she added.

The Country Director of the Turkish Cooperation and Cooperation Agency (TIKA), Omer Aykon, said that with the launch of the Bamboo Initiative, Kustawi will be the first organization in Uganda, and he believes young women and girls will get skills from the initiative and use them to open up their own businesses selling finished bamboo products.

“As TIKA, we believe if we do something like this, it’s sustainable, and many young girls and women will get something for years and years. I hope this initiative will create some inspiration for the next project in Uganda and East Africa,” Aykon said.

At the launch, Aykon officially opened the skilling center, which was well equipped with different machines that young women and girls will use to add value to bamboo and produce different products.

The Bamboo Initiative launch was attended by the Honorary Console of Turkey, Turkish delegates, community leaders from the Wakiso district, youth leaders, civil society actors, direct project beneficiaries, community members, and members from different media houses.