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Our waste, Our manure!

Educational and environmental initiative that encourages separation at the source and the collection of organic waste for composting in schools.

Municipality

ZM
Lusaka, Lusaka,

Category / Sub-Category / Topic

Environment, Environmental management

Type of investment needed

Grant

Associated SDGs

The challenge

In Lusaka, 70% of solid waste is organic, and its continued accumulation in communities established in unplanned settlements causes flooding, water pollution, dirtiness in the city, blocked drains and increases the risk of disease. As a city with population density of 140 people per km2” (Census Report, 2022) and each generating on average 1.5 kg of waste per day according to solid waste management report (2018), this renders more than 70% of the city’s population, especially in informal settlements vulnerable to waterborne diseases.

The challenge consists in reducing the unsustainable organic waste by 60% and changing the mindset of the community on its management.


The project

The initiative proposes to encourage the separation of waste at the source and the collection of organic waste for composting in six public schools of Kapwepwe ward 29 (two schools with both primary and secondary sections, three Primary School and one secondary school). This organic waste will be stored at selected school places and managed by the school authorities while providing an educational practical place for pupils to learn about composting. Stakeholders will be involved to help manage the waste and champion the solution.

Kapwepwe ward 29 has been chosen to explore this solution to unsustainable organic waste management by composting in the community and schools so as to have a clean, green and healthy city. Some of the principal activities to be held are the following: curriculum development, training of teachers over composting, setting up of separation stations and storage bins, technical support, packaging of compost for sale by schools, and competition awards.

The strength of this initiative is that there already exists regulations to support this cause and it is of high interest to the mayor's office as well as it builds on the efforts that the community of Kapwepwe is already doing. The solution offers an opportunity for reduced disease burden, contaminated groundwater and the need to have a clean Lusaka.


Know more...

Lusaka City Council (LCC) is a corporate body established under the Local Government Act 281 of the Laws of Zambia. The Act provides for an integrated local government system, gives effect to the decentralisation of functions, responsibilities and services at all levels of local government, ensures democratic participation in, and control of, decision making by the people at the local level. Under the mentioned Act, Lusaka City Council is mandated to provide in a decentralised manner all municipal/public services to all residents within its jurisdiction. Among the services that LCC provides to its residents include construction and maintenance of drainages, solid waste management services and environmental management services. This makes te city council closest to the people in terms of service delivery.

70% of Lusaka’s 3 million people live in informal settlements associated with high urban poverty characterized by informal trade, piece works, poor housing, high rates of crime, poor road infrastructure and low access to public services. The problem of organic solid waste management is a constant challenge for Lusaka city. This is marked by low levels of solid waste separation at source, low levels of solid waste recycling, low level of private sector involvement and low levels of awareness of sustainable waste management options and practices.

The waste that accumulates affects groundwater and is unpleasant to see in the city. The poor management of organic waste often results in waterborne diseases especially in informal settlements. The mayor’s office has been looking for solutions to sort out this problem and stakeholders are asked to come up with innovations that can reduce the historical waste that the city faces. Thus, a systematic change through education to change the mindset of the community on organic waste management is essential.


1. Engagement meetings
These engagements will act as feedback sessions and sort buy-in from stakeholders.

2. Develop the curriculum, teachers ‘s Instruction manual as well as pupils learning materials or books
The curriculum , teachers ' Instruction manual or books and pupils' learning materials will be developed by a consultant and will be a once of activity. It will be tested and validated in two schools .

3. Training of Teachers
The training of teachers will be an activity in the form of a workshop and practical on site . This will be 30 hours of theory and 50 hours of practical knowledge on skills acquired over a period of 1 week. Stakeholders with knowledge on composting will be engaged to deliver this training.

4. Awareness on composting
Launch of the Initiative on composting as a solution to organic waste management, stakeholders and the community, schools would be invited to buy into the initiative

5. Setting up of separation stations
These separate stations will be placed near the schools for easy access by the households and the school so there are fewer transport costs, the stations will be managed by community members and fenced to avoid scavengers

6. Setting up of storage bins in 2 schools
These storage stations will be placed in 2 schools. The stations will be managed by a community member engaged by the school

7. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning activities
1) The web based Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning(MEL) system will be developed by a consultant

2) MEL will be done by the local authority and the ward development committee.

3) IT personnel = officer will IT backstopping and developing of the system based on DHI2. and providing technical supports and provides mentorship and orientation in the field

4) Researcher = developing M and E framework and analyzing data generated by the activities and provides feedbacks to both teachers and communities

8. Providing technical support or mentorship
Based on feedback from M and E then offer technical backstopping on the project 

9. Packaging of compost for sale by best schools
The packages will be done by the school as a resource mobilization and will be a monthly activity

10. Competition awards for schools
The awards will be given to both the school and the pupils by the mayor to encourage mindset change and will be a once of activity

Outputs

  • 10 stakeholders will participate in engagement sessions (Activity 1)
  • 1 curriculum / teachers ‘s instruction manual / books will be developed (Activity 2)
  • 1 set of pupils learning materials on waste management will be designed (Activity 2)
    30 teachers will be trained on waste management (Activity 3)
  • 200 stakeholders will participate in the launching of the initiative (pupils, community, recyclers, government department) Activity 4.
  • 2 Separation stations will be set up in the community (Activity 5)
  • 2 Storage bins will be set up in 2 schools - (Activity 6)
  • 1 web based Monitoring and Evaluation system will be developed (Activity 7)
  • 6 schools will receive technical backstopping on the project (Activity 8)
  • 6 school package compost for sale (Activity 9)
  • 4 schools will be awarded for their organic waste management efforts (Activity 10)

Intermediate results 

  • Reduced historical waste sites
  • Green gardens and fruit gardens in schools
  • Mindset change towards composting: teachers are aware of the benefits of composting and train students in the topic, while pupils make compost in the schools
  • Cleaner looking community
  • Waste seen as a resource

Expected impact in the medium and long term

  • To reduce the 6 historical domestic waste to less than 3 historical domestic waste in Kapwepwe ward by Dec 2023. 
  • To conduct 4 awareness per month on waste as a resource through composting
  • More than 60% of pupils at primary level trained on environmental awareness
  • More than 30%of pupils used these skills at home

Schools

  • Lilanda combined school
  • Twalumba combined school
  • Desai primary school
  • Harry mwanga nkumbula primary school
  • New chunga secondary school
  • Chunga primary school
  • Manja pamodzi (Recycling innovation Organisation)
  • Neighborhood health committee
  • Lilanda neighborhood health committee
  • Paradise neighborhood health committee

Churches

  • Lilanda catholic church
  • United church of zambia
  • Potters house
  • New hopechurch

NGOs/CBOs

  • Youth Action Zambia
  • VOWAZ (volunteers welfare association of Zambia
  • Double Impact

Media houses

  • Zambia national broadcasting corporation (ZNBC)
  • Daily Nation
  • Kwitu FM
  • Zambia Daily mail
  • Zed TV

Community Based Enterprise

  • Mountain waste Collectors
  • Komboni Innovation
  • Youth Action Zambia

Government institutions

  • Ministry of Education
  • Ministry of Youths and Sport
  • Zambia environmental management agency
  • Ministry of home affairs
  • Ministry of health
  • The University of Zambia, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies

Politicians 

Lusaka City Council. A corporate body established under cap 281 of the laws of Zambia offering 63 functions of government including social services and governance. https://www.lcc.gov.zm/

Zed Entertainment is a social enterprise limited by shares. It promotes arts and community engagement in the communities as well as philanthropy. 

Investment

(*): In kind/pro bonus

(**): Financing

Goods and inputs
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Consumables (*) (**)

u$s 18700.00

u$s 2300.00

u$s 16400.00

Launch Materials (**)

u$s 1678.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1678.00

Fence (**)

u$s 10840.00

u$s 3990.00

u$s 6850.00

Separation Skip Bins (**)

u$s 6978.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 6978.00

Protective clothing (**)

u$s 7200.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 7200.00

Tools (**)

u$s 18678.00

u$s 1568.00

u$s 17110.00

Fuel (*) (**)

u$s 5400.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 5400.00

Tablets (**)

u$s 5500.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 5500.00

Smartphones (**)

u$s 3456.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 3456.00

Education Communication (IEC) materials (**)

u$s 9567.00

u$s 2891.00

u$s 6676.00

Packaging materials (**)

u$s 5905.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 5905.00

Sealing equipment (**)

u$s 3789.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 3789.00

Services
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Venue (*) (**)

u$s 24823.00

u$s 2000.00

u$s 22823.00

Printing of Books (**)

u$s 21059.00

u$s 1500.00

u$s 19559.00

Transport (*) (**)

u$s 6890.00

u$s 1456.00

u$s 5434.00

Branding (**)

u$s 6715.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 6715.00

Telephone services (**)

u$s 1789.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1789.00

Human resources
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Consultant (*) (**)

u$s 32345.00

u$s 3600.00

u$s 28745.00

Facilitators (**)

u$s 28978.00

u$s 2907.00

u$s 26071.00

Managers (**)

u$s 10678.00

u$s 2000.00

u$s 8678.00

Technicians (**)

u$s 9100.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 9100.00

Administrative staff (**)

u$s 5890.00

u$s 1000.00

u$s 4890.00

Others
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Awards-Certificates, trophies and presents (**)

u$s 2742.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 2742.00

TOTAL AMOUNTS:

u$s 248700.00

u$s 25212.00

u$s 223488.00

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