Day 8 - turning poop to profit

Once again, it has rained through the night, but clears up by mid-morning and we enjoy a sunny and moderately warm (28 celsius) day.  The girls stop at a fabric store and purchase material with the idea that Hasifa (who is studying sewing) and Jackie can work at producing cloth napkins and table runners which we can perhaps sell in Canada.

great logo for our guest house

beautiful open-air lobby

some intersting art at Source of the Smile

Sue and Jackie shop for fabric

Traffic slows tremendously as we reach the outskirts of Kampala.  We turn off the main road and make our way along to visit Annette at her fruit stand.  We arrive just in time to greet Sandra who's  returning from school, looking very smart in her red dress.  Sandra is enjoying vocational school, and her outgoing personality should serve her well in the travel & tourism industry.  We're happy to see that her little brothers, Solomon and Maurice, are growing and doing well.

Sue chats with the family

Annette, Solomon, Maurice & Sandra welcome us into their home

the vegetable stand continues to thrive

Solomon

Maurice

Sandra looking very stylish

lots of small businesses line the roadways

approaching Annette's stand

Annette's neighbour

Annette's freezer is still functioning fine.  She had repaid her microloan early and also saved up to have her own electricity meter installed, so she's no longer paying exorbitant rates to her neighbour.  Sandra had run into complications from her blood thinner medication (necessary due to her heart valve surgery as a young child) and everyone agrees she will continue being monitored monthly at the cardiology clinic.  Their living space continues to be cramped and dark, but overall they seem to be doing well.  We confirm that, while Marjorie is not officially sponsored by Kulikayo, we will continue contributing about half of her school fees.

Annette's other neighbours

heading back to Kampala

Traffic in the Kampala central district is horrid, not surprising as dinner hour approaches.  We check in to the Fairway Hotel, which is very nice indeed, and invite Jackie and Davis to join us in the adjoining fusion cuisine restaurant.  Neither of them have eaten Chinese or Indian food previously, but they are pleasantly surprised at how much they enjoy the exotic dishes.  Lemon chicken and sweet & sour chicken are perhaps the favourite, with the red curry Indian dish falling lower on the satisfaction scale.

Entrance to the Fairway - even smaller businesses will have security staff and checkpoints on entry, often armed

Chinese food

Manuel Pinto, who was the co-founder of Bright Kids, died tragically several years ago in an accident.  His Pittsburgh friend, professor Lou Picard, had introduced us to Manuel's son, Martin, who is now a doctor in Brampton, living in Port Credit.  We have become very good friends with Martin, his wife Marie, and their 2 lovely girls.  Martin had made introductions to his brother, Michel, who arrives to meet us at the restaurant, followed a little later by his wife, Nancy.

Michel studied at University of Nebraska, then lived almost 20 years in Atlanta before moving back to Uganda.  He and Nancy have 3 children under 6 years old.  He is at the end of a 5-year project which involves training Ugandans to sell and manufacture biogas generators.

Using local materials (bricks, mortar, and tubing), the workers create a hollow dome (approximately 3-4 metres diameter to serve a single family).  Animal manure is deposited through a flue in the top of the dome.  Shredded plant product and table scraps can also be used.  As microbes digest the organic material, methane gas is produced, which pressurizes the dome.  Piping is run from the dome to burners in the home, so the gas provides fuel for cooking.  The pressure eventually starts forcing a slurry of manure product out a passage at the bottom of the dome, which is used as fertilizer.

There are huge advantages.  The family no longer contributes to the huge deforestation problem in Uganda, and the methane gas is clean-burning so the moms and children are spared the considerable health risks resulting from exposure to airborn soot from using wood or charcoal fuels.  The fertilizer produced is said to boost crop yield from 100% to 400%, resulting in greater food security and income.

biogas generator nearing completion

early stages - construction takes about a week

The units can be scaled up in size, and the methane is then used to fuel generators at hospitals and schools.  The Dutch government has funded the 5-year project, which involved training Ugandan men and women to read technical drawings, construct the units, train the owners, manage their small businesses, and market these products.  The cost of a small unit is not inconsiderable for this country, about $600 USD, but it is estimated they will last at least 25 years and the benefits have been proven and verified with independent testing of crop yields, etc..  Michel has been involved in spawning over 30 such small businesses, and he expects the project will be renewed for a further 5 years.

Check out   Biogas Solutions Website

We discuss the challenges of Ugandan demographics.  The country of 35M people has 50% of the population age 16 or younger, and is expected to grow to 70 million by 2030.  The GDP has been increasing, but most of that benefit is going to the richest 2%.  Most university graduates cannot find jobs.  There is a shortage of skilled trade workers (plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, etc).  The education system does not provide a lot of hands-on experience.

Our children seem primed to aim for university entrance, despite these realities.  I'm sure the education system instills those values.  We are starting to think we may need to take a heavier hand influencing these kids we support to choose secondary education paths that have a higher chance of landing a job and achieving independence.

The Pintos have land holdings in various parts of Uganda, and they have friends who also own land.  Michel thinks our dream of establishing a school is quite realistic.  He will take some time to ponder our ideas as we flesh them out a little more and says he will be glad to offer advice and guidance as we move forward.

Overall, a most enjoyable and enlightening evening.  This leaves us much to ponder in the days and weeks ahead.