Uwiro Village put its first composting program in place in August 2009.
Phase I – Environmental Development - environmental efforts, including environmental education for village members, collaborative repair and development of clean water sources for village use, and community-based village clean-up are conducted. Village environmental policies must be collaboratively developed, and the village supported over time to maintain their environmental goals, policies, and activities. As environmental efforts proceed, our African project managers provide guidance and feedback concerning environmental maintenance.
The importance of clean water and land cannot be overstated for countries in East Africa. The lack of clean drinking water contributes annually to dangerous and sometimes deadly illness, including parasites, bilharzia, and other water-bourne diseases. By providing a clean water source, Green Village can have a positive impact on the quality of village life, and make it possible for the community to be healthy enough to work toward a better economic and educational future.
Many of the potential project villages are located in some of the most pristine and protected habitat left on the planet. If these villages are to be able to maintain their rightful places in these environments, it is imperative that they become effective stewards of the environment. Helping villages clean up their physical space, and to develop village policies to maintain the environment (for example, "No Plastic Trash" policies) will enable them to control their own fate and preserve their communities, as complementary partners in the growing global and eco-tourism industry in East Africa.
Additionally, local wildlife continues to be threatened by local peoples who do not fully understand the value of wildlife and the importance wildlife plays in developing a cooperative economic and social future for the village. Providing education about protection of plant and animal species can not only help the village progress, but also to continue to protect threatened and endangered species.
