We recently started composting as yet another project from the ERM grant. This is one of the six projects that the grant is supporting. It involves turning our degradable food waste and other organic material into fertilizer and healthy soil. When we first pitched this idea to the SUUBI ladies, naturally they thought, “What a waste of time!” As I write this now, there are still only a few participants, but the rest of the group is watching. The participants have learned that what we actually dump as waste can still be very useful. I know I did learn a lot in the process. This training is being carried out by a very skilled and knowledgeable trainer named Patrick. His organization is called Development In Gardening (DIG). Patrick is a graduate of Agriculture from Makerere University in Kampala. The process starts by digging a hole in the ground and making what we call a compost pile. Using a simple stick as our thermometer, we keep checking the temperature and after 7 days we turn the pile to make sure more oxygen gets in which helps in the composting process. The SUUBI ladies informed me that their compost is almost ready and the next step will be to use this in container gardens. They will be planting tomatoes, passion fruits and many others or may even apply this compost in their gardens of maize, beans, and matooke plantations to get better yields.

- Okello Gerald, Production Manager