Promoting a clean environment while conserving traditional skills and improving local livelihoods

With effect from 1st September 2007, the ban on polythene bags commonly known as "Kavera" in Uganda took effect. Uganda joined her neighbours in the East African community in banning a material that has wreaked havoc on the environment. It has now become illegal to import these polythene bags and its use is being phased out. The polythene bags have been a major environmental hazard and a menace for many years especially in both urban and rural settings where mushrooming commercial activities increased the demand for "kaveera" for packaging among other uses.

The polythene bags have blocked drainage systems leading to floods, destroyed the beauty of our land because of the indiscriminate disposal and caused soil pollution because of their non- biodegradable nature. This is evident in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda and many other urban centers and rural areas around the country where "kavera" is littered along the road side. In rural areas, animals die because of eating the "kavera" that is disposed off indiscriminately.

The phasing out of the "kavera" creates a need for an alternative packaging material and shopping bags. The "kavera" had been popular as a carrier bag while shopping both in the rural and urban areas. COBATI (a local NGO of which I am the Founder and Director) has come out with an idea of local participation as a solution. We are now promoting the use of hand woven baskets to be used as shopping bags, providing a chance for local women artisans to get access to a steady market without them being exploited by middlemen or hawking their crafts, while raising awareness for a clean polythene bag free environment.

COBATI has been working with a minority group – the Nubian community located in Bombo, which is a cluster of Nubian communities scattered all over the country. The Nubian women are traditional handicraft makers and have for long been engaged in handicraft making, which is also a means of showcasing and conserving their rich and diverse cultural heritage. Crafts made include weaving of mats and baskets which provides a livelihood to sustain Nubian communities.

COBATI have identified an opportunity to promote sustainable environmental protection and at the same time sustainable livelihoods through working with the Nubian community to weave shopping bags as an alternative to "kavera" which for long has been used as a shopping bag. COBATI is in the process of establishing a linkage between the Nubian women weavers and a local Supermarket chain in Kampala. The Supermarket will purchase the baskets as an alternative shopping bag to the "kavera" for use by their customers.

It is a win-win situation as the women will be assured of a steady market, the supermarket chain provides their customers with environmentally friendly shopping baskets and a viable environmental friendly alternative method is used to protect the environment.

COBATI looks at the opportunity to promote the use of hand woven shopping bags country wide. This is a way of using conservation to improve on local peoples livelihoods, improve their welfare, promote cultural heritage while preserving the environment.

COBATI is open to individuals or organizations interested in partnering with then to kick start their initiative. The Nubian women weavers were highlighted in an article in the July issue of ODE Magazine.