Sustainability School Bulletin 23RD EDITION | MARCH 2020 Sustainability 2 RD School Bulletin 23 EDITION Mr. Frank Muramuzi Editorial Executive Director NAPE Welcome to the 23rd edition a track record of the key activities and the Community Green Radio. implemented within the Sustainability We thank those who have contributed of the Sustainability School School Programme and also articles and those that gave feedback bulletin which has been generating debate on contemporary on previous editions. Our special prepared both in hard sustainability issues of concern in thanks go to the Rosa Luxemburg Uganda and the world at large. Foundation of Germany whose and soft form for your Previous editions are available online financial support has enabled us to convenience. at; www.greenradio.ug continue publishing this Sustainability School bulletin. This also is the first edition to be In 2014, the Community Green Radio published in 2020. We therefore use (CGR) was born out of the main Please enjoy your reading. For any this opportunity to wish you a Happy Sustainability School Programme. This feedback, please send your comments New Year. We started publishing this bulletin therefore carries articles about to [email protected] or at.kalangi@ bulletin in 2013 as a way of keeping the Sustainability School Programme nape.or.ug Sustainability RD 3 23 EDITION School Bulletin NAPE’S COMMUNITY GREEN RADIO RECEIVES THE LIZ HUGHES AWARD FROM FARM RADIO INTERNATIONAL By Samuel Kakeeto NAPE’s Community Green Radio (CGR) on Sunday 8th March, 2020 received the 2020 Liz Hughes award from the Canada based Farm Radio Internation- al. The award was handed over to the NAPE Executive Director Mr. Frank Muramuzi by Mr. Stephen Ecaat, the Farm Radio Country Representative at a colourful function held at the CGR offices in Kiboga Town Council. In his remarks, Ecaat said the radio won the award because they devote enough time to women issues. “What made you stand out was the huge amount of time you give to NAPE staff and officials from Farm Radio International pose for a photo with the women to discuss their issues. You award certificate. Extreme left in a green shirt is Mr. Frank Muramuzi, the Executive have also allowed women to speak for Director of NAPE. In the middle in white African wear is Mr. Stephen Ecaat from Farm themselves on radio”, he said. Radio International. Ecaat said that CGR beat 59 other ra- Award for Her Farm Radio include rewarded. We are committed to giving dios picked from all over the world to RTB Gaoua from Burkina Faso, Ra- more space on the radio to women to win the award. He said that the award dio Munyu from Burkina Faso, Radio air their views,” Muramuzi said. is given annually in memory of Liz Kwizera from Tanzania, Kitulo FM from Hughes who was a renown Canadian Tanzania and Fana Broadcasting Coop- He congratulated the staff that work broadcaster on women emancipation eration from Ethiopia on the Community Green Radio for the issues. Some of the other radios that many milestones achieved in the short participated in the 2020 Liz Hughes While receiving the award, lifespan of the radio. For this particular Muramuzi thanked Farm Radio achievement, he thanked in a special International for recognising way Ms. Precious Naturinda and Ms. the efforts of the CGR in Sarah Kyeyune who gather informa- championing the cause of tion and host live radio talk-shows for women. He promised that the Nyinabwenge Programme. more efforts would be put in to amplify the voices of Muramuzi expressed unreserved grat- grassroots women espe- itude to NAPE development partners cially those facing chal- for their support to the work and lenges arising out of the development of the Community Green extractive industry and Radio. He particularly singled out the climate change. Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (RLS) of “We are so delighted Germany, the Open Society Initiative that our efforts in for East (OSIEA), the American Jewish amplifying the voices World Service (AJWS) and the Fund of grassroots women are being for Global Human Rights (FGHR) that The award that NAPE received from Farm Radio TURN TO PAGE 4 Sustainability 4 RD School Bulletin 23 EDITION Some of the listeners of the Community Green Radio that attended the award giving ceremony have since 2014 provided funds for the determine what happens to the pro- hours. This time is convenient for rural operations of the radio and capacity ceeds. The right of women to inherit women who are often busy during building of the staff. property and be heirs also needs to be the day. The programme is aired in The award giving ceremony coincided recognised,” she said. Israel Yiga, the local languages focusing on issues with the International Women’s Day Kiboga District chairperson praised the important to rural women in their area, celebrations. The function was at- radio for giving ample time to pro- like farming, environmental conserva- tended by local leaders and the radio grammes that address women issues. tion, food security, domestic violence, health, and social issues among others. listeners, predominantly women. “I have been listening to this radio and following the time they accord to Ms. Sarah Nakitende, a woman coun- The Community Green Radio was women issues. Therefore, this award cilor at Kiboga District Local Council established by NAPE in 2014 in the oil is not a surprise to me. I implore them decried the high level of gender based region of Uganda to fill the gap left by to continue promoting women issues”, violence in mid-western Uganda. She many other radio stations in Uganda the chairperson said. said that most violence at home arises in covering environmental and natural out of conflicts related to home prop- resources governance issues. Much as The CGR Nyinabwenge programme erty use. the radio still has a lot of requirements which was singled out for the award in the infrastructure development sec- “There is need to keep sensitizing runs every Saturday evening for two men to allow women to use land and tion, NAPE right from its inception has always refused to compromise on the quality of its programming and service to the listeners. The main studios of the radio are in Kiboga Town but the radio covers many Districts which include Kiboga, Kyankwanzi, Hoima, Kikuube, Masindi, Kibaale, Mubende, Luwero among others. The radio currently has over 20 lis- teners clubs based in those districts. During the 5 years of its existence, the CGR has stood out as a mouth- piece for the grassroots communities promoting food sovereignty, rights of Some of the representatives of NAPE development partners that attended the marginalised people such as women function. Mr. Samuel Kasire (left) from the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and Mr. and giving a voice the communities Richard Mugisha from the Open Society Initiative For East Africa (OSIEA) affected by the oil activities. Sustainability RD 5 23 EDITION School Bulletin ARTISANAL MINERS WANT MORE SENSITIZATION ON BORAX TECHNOLOGY TO PHASE OUT MERCURY USE IN GOLD MINING By Precious Naturinda visible dangers on their health and Mr. Bernard Mutesasira, another gold environment. miner, notes that most miners use Artisanal gold miners mercury without protective gears Mr. Ivan Kauma, a member of Kitumbi- and that the washed water polluted in Kasanda District are Kayonzo Miners’Association (KKMA) with mercury is just poured on the calling for more awareness in Kasanda says though the safer ground; contaminating the soil and and sensitization on other borax method has been introduced, underground water. the miners are still stuck on old methods in gold extraction technology of mercury use which calls “Those who have been in the business to completely phase out for intensive trainings. have complained of absorption of mercury into the skin causing mercury use which is Mr. Kauma explains that many corrosive skin, headache, back pain hazardous to environment artisanal miners are used to mixing and constant shaking which is highly and harmful to human mercury with gold ore before exposing attributed to the use of mercury,” the mixture to the heat to separate the Mutesasira says. health. gold from the rock. He explains that the miners are poisoned by mercury Ms. Joyce Katusiime, a woman miner According to artisanal gold miners, vapor released in the process of dealing in buying and crushing most of them still use mercury heating. the ore at Lubali mining site in in extraction of gold despite its Kasanda District says that though the TURN TO PAGE 6 An artisanal miner using mercury to extract gold Sustainability 6 RD School Bulletin 23 EDITION ..borax is advantageous over mercury since the former increases productivity and high gold recovery that results in better overall economics of miners, borax is readily available on the market, cheap and its use in mining legal in Uganda. Ms. Peruth Atukwatse, the Officer in charge of Chemicals Management and Climate Change at NAPE demonstration on how Borax works has not yet been done, the theory trainings they have had so far show that use of borax is better if adopted by all the miners. She explains that much sensitization is needed to ensure that gold miners work in a mercury free environment in addition to further awareness rising on the effects of mercury. National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) with support from the Global Environmental Facility(GEF)-Uganda, a small grants A miner exposed to mercury poisoning through direct contact without personal program under United Nations protective equipment (PPE) Development Program(UNDP) has been working with other partners The convention, which Uganda is a on the market, cheap and its use in and government to reduce mercury signatory, set clear time-bound targets mining legal in Uganda.