Kataara Women’s Poverty Alleviation Group
The enterprise works with women to make paper from a unique local product - elephant dung. The innovative paper is used to make handicrafts like cards, menus, and notebooks that are sold to tourists. Women are also trained to construct energy-efficient cook stoves, which the enterprise markets locally.
Women work as paid employees and contribute a small membership fee to the enterprise. Profits are reinvested back into the enterprise as well as a micro-loan scheme that serves members. Using the dung is also creating a strong sense of community cohesion; people see the benefits in looking after the elephants and work together to better their habitat and the overall environment.
Partners
Kataara Women's Poverty Alleviation Group manages and operates projects that minimise environmental impacts on Queen Elizabeth National Park while maximising community benefit in Kataara Parish.
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) provides technical and funding support to the enterprise. They also provide media, marketing and communications support – helping the enterprise to share its messages with international audiences.
Rubirizi District Local Government provides the enterprise with the services of one of its staff members, whose role is to provide technical support and training to members of Kataara Women’s Poverty Alleviation Group.
SEED Library
Supporters
The 2014 SEED Awards in Ethiopia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda are largely supported by the European Union, which is made up of 28 Member States who have decided to gradually link together their know-how, resources and destinies.
