Wakiso School invests prize money in machinery
Florence Nambejja, the coordinator of the project at the school, says they used part of the prize money to acquire a machine for processing and preserving leftovers.
Florence Nambejja with students feeding fish on food fortified with the school’s food waste (Photos by Maria Wamala)
NewVision Reporter
@NewVision
____________________ The school’s vegetable urban gardens flourish on waste recycling Locally made briquettes used to dry excess food Students tending to a vegetable garden
For years, students of St. Kizito High School, Namugongo like those in many other secondary schools used to throw away leftovers, but not anymore.
Last year, the school, which is found in the Wakiso district, won the shillings 12m top project prize in the Green Schools Initiative competition, which attracted 100 secondary schools countrywide.
They showcased smart backyard farming practices, plastic recycling, and the production of briquettes on a commercial scale.
What they say
Florence Nambejja, the coordinator of the project at the school, says they used part of the prize money to acquire a machine for processing and preserving leftovers.
“Dumping leftovers is a big loss. We realised that these leftovers can be turned into animal feeds,” she says.
Currently, the school has over 400 fish which they feed on processed leftovers. The idea, according to Nambejja, has saved the school millions of shillings that would have been spent on buying feeds.
“We no longer struggle to buy feeds and this is saving us huge costs. We are grateful to organizers of the green school project for having supported us,” she says.
The students also turn biowaste into organic fertiliser for the school gardens, where they learn how to grow mushrooms, onions, and cabbage. They also use dried briquettes made from bio-waste as fuel to cook school meals.
Recycling
A visit to the school reveals many recycling efforts by the students. Three large metal bed frames, refashioned by students into a simple recycling facility, sit in the middle of the school courtyard.
Here the students separate waste into paper, plastic, and biodegradables. Ezekiel Kazibwe, the headteacher, says allowing students to take the lead in developing eco-friendly projects in school and the local community engages them in green issues.
“Teachers are taking the back seat and supporting children in generating their ideas for improving the places in which they learn and live, whether that is clearing litter from the playground or cultivation,” he explains.
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