Live in Green is a refugee-led enterprise in Kyaka II, Uganda. A founder who came to the settlement as a child started a tree nursery in 2016 and later turned food and crop waste into briquettes. The briquettes are made from items such as maize cobs, banana peels and sawdust.
In 2021 the project began to produce improved briquettes and cookstoves so the fuel lights more easily and burns longer. Refugees collect organic waste and some find paid work. Users say the briquettes are cleaner and help households save money when monthly support is reduced. The project also received a grant to help it grow.
Difficult words
- enterprise — a small business or organisation
- settlement — a place where people live together
- briquette — a small block of compressed fuelbriquettes
- cookstove — a device used for cooking with solid fuelcookstoves
- organic — from plants or animals, not synthetic chemicals
- grant — money given to support a project or business
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Would you use briquettes at home? Why or why not?
- How can collecting organic waste help people in a settlement?
- What would you do with a small grant to start a local project?
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