KUSTAWI AFRICA Unveils ‘Bamboo Value Chain’ Project to Empower Women and Youth

Despite global efforts to empower women and girls, economic marginalization persists. A key area of concern is entrepreneurship, where women and girls often lack the confidence compared to their male counterparts.

Today, KUSTAWI AFRICA, a social enterprise championing women and youth, unveiled its flagship project, the ‘Bamboo Value Chain.’ Launched with the support of the Embassy of Turkey in Uganda, under the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), the Bamboo Value Chain project is a significant step towards empowering women and youth economically.

Ms. Eunice Musiime, the Chairperson of KUSTAWI AFRICA, expressed the organization’s satisfaction in realizing a dream born from a collective desire to uplift women’s economic well-being. “Our target population is women and girls. Our dream is to see that women have money in their pockets and that they are able to actualize their economic dream,” said Musiime.

^{_{Ms Eunice Musiime the Chairperson KUSTAWI}}

KUSTAWI AFRICA conducts both online and physical training, with a focus on Business Development to assist women in formalizing their businesses, enabling them to contribute to their families and nation-building. The term ‘KUSTAWI’ means thrive, reflecting the organization’s aspiration to witness more women and youth flourish.

Musiime highlighted the unique approach of the Bamboo Value Chain project, aiming to increase local production by tapping into Uganda’s rich handcraft industry and promoting sustainable bamboo production. “We also do these projects like soap making and brick laying, and briquettes making, but we thought we would have something unique,” she said. The organization’s mission extends to fostering thriving businesses among women and youth, helping them create employment opportunities and secure a sustainable livelihood.

^{_{Guests inspecting the machines donated by TIKA For bamboo value chain}}

In acknowledgment of their efforts, Musiime commended TIKA, represented by the country director Mr. Omer Aykon and his delegation, for donating machines that will bolster the bamboo chain program. Mr. Aykon reflected on their journey with KUSTAWI, expressing satisfaction in witnessing the project’s realization after a year of collaboration.

Highlighting the growth of bamboo production as a significant trend, Mr. Aykon emphasized KUSTAWI’s pioneering role in bringing bamboo products to a large scale in Uganda and East Africa.

^{_{Mr Aykon explains how the machines work}}

He hopes that youth and women will adopt individual production after learning from KUSTAWI.

The chief guest, Ms. Gudula Naiga Basaza, the MD of Gudie Leisure Farm, lauded the Bamboo Value Chain for its potential to enhance the economic well-being of women and youth.

She noted the versatility of bamboo, addressing issues such as shopping bags, cooking aids (briquettes), sanitary pads, diapers, and organic plates. Ms. Gudula applauded KUSTAWI for introducing innovative opportunities to the Ugandan market, providing economic prospects for women and youth.

She requested that with the new partnership with TIKA the fruits of training should be visible. Ms Gudula says bamboo was not appreciated in the past, and KUSTAWI could act as a training institute for bamboo value addition.

She also prayed for the element of incubation to be added so that, after graduation, the women and youth can access the technologies and put them in different places within the country.

“I believe this would be a big opportunity because I know they are in Turkey and they can be accessed. So, we need to appreciate what they do.We also need to agree what products we shall produce and who is the buyer. Because many times you have this beautiful dream, you make many products at the same time. We must know what products are going to run in the market and we start with those,” she added.

^{_{Some of the products made from bamboo at KUSTAWI}}