A new generation of young innovators and inventors has received funding to further develop green growth solutions, including turning human hair into organic manure and milk waste into animal feed.
Through the United Nations Environment Programme, the Restoration Factory awarded a total of $21,000 in grants to a group of 33 innovators who have spent more than six months developing ventures that restore Rwanda’s environment while creating economic opportunities.
Standing before a qualified jury this week, seventeen of them, largely young women entrepreneurs, presented their final pitches in land use, restoration, carbon credits, waste management, among others, to get more than grants but an opportunity to gain tips on how to further sharpen their business approaches.
Amon Muberuka, founder of Icyizere Consultant Ltd and proprietor of Fumbila Organic Farm Technologies, which turns food waste into protein-rich livestock feed and organic fertilizers to boost productivity while conserving the environment.
From attending the Commonwealth Youth Government meeting in Kigali in 2022, Muberuka says he was inspired to contribute to Rwanda’s green growth agenda to reduce emissions by 38% by 2030 (4.6 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide) but realized that the ecosystem had too much animal and farm waste dumping, which increases pollution, and yet farmers face high costs of animal feed.
“So I realized that this is a very great opportunity. I can use that, address food waste, create or produce protein-rich feed and full organic fertilizers, not only that would be used by my family for our farms, but also supplying the community,” he said.
Starting in Nyagatare district by changing smelly waste into organic fertilizers and animal food, Muberuka is currently collecting 20 tons of milk waste in the eastern province and working with 30 cooperatives.
“We sell it at 900 Rwandan francs, which is 20% less than the current price because normally they sell at 1,100 kilograms of imported feed for fish meals. So we sell one kilogram at 900, which means that every month we supply each cooperative 100 kilograms,” he explained.
While other investors normally use worms, soldier flies to produce organic manure, Josiane Mujawayezu, a university graduate and researcher, has taken a step further to add waste paper, human hair, eggshells to the composition – creating more waste management and incomes for collectors.
“In my research, I discovered that hair, paper, and eggshells have carbon which can be decomposed by worms, and that carbon is vital in balancing the carbon-nitrogen ratio needed in good organic fertilizers,” Mujawayezu said.
Mujawayezu mixes all these ingredients with other wastes (animal and food) to produce organic waste that has a recommended less than 25 carbon-nitrogen ratio.
She is currently working with farmers in Nyanza and Musanze districts whom she supplies 20 tonnes per month but plans to increase waste collection in hotels and salons to reach 45 tonnes per month.
“There is a lot of waste out there, and instead of dumping it, we buy it and use it to manage waste, thus creating incomes and jobs,” she said.
From Rubavu district, professional agronomist Ariane Uwimfura chose self-employment and founded Rally Agrisolutions Ltd to pursue her love for mushrooms into a sustainable business to supply a big market demand in neighboring DR Congo.
Realizing that the mushroom production sector in Rubavu was affected by high contamination, post-harvest waste, and using a lot of firewood that increased carbon emissions, she invested Rwf1.5M to invent a carbon-free electric pasteurizing machine to reduce loss and damages.
For instance, Uwimfura says that one firewood releases 1.8 kilotons and uses firewood worth Rwf15,000 per week.
“By inventing this fabricated machine, I have increased production from 350 tubes to 800 tubes weekly. This guarantees reduced emissions, low costs, and ensures a sustainable market supply,” Uwimfura said.
With the electric machine, Uwimfura has reduced costs to Rwf500 per week and plans to introduce a solar-powered.
Christelle Igihozo, Senior Program Manager, Bridge for Billions, said that these innovations will kickstart a journey that will enable Rwanda to meet its green growth goals outlined in Vision 2050.
These are some of the top 4 solutions that received funding to boost their inventions to enable Rwanda to meet its Sustainable Development Goals on zero hunger (2), affordable and clean energy (7), reduced inequalities (10), sustainable cities and communities (11), responsible consumption and production (12), and climate action (13).
They received $2,500 each (Innovation, Socio-Environmental Impact, Female Entrepreneurship, Local Impact) – USD 10,000 total, and a Completion Pool of $11,000 shared equally among the 29 other graduates, resulting in approximately $380 per entrepreneur.
Maria Mira, Market Development Consultant- UNEP Climate Finance Unit, said the restoration factory program seeks private sector impact-driven business models among young entrepreneurs to create social solutions beyond profits.
Mira said that through this program, they have supported several projects, and as the prrogram phases out in Rwanda, there is a need to keep the network of innovators to sustain the gains.
Jean Pierre Nizeyimana, Green Economy Specialist, Ministry of Environment said that this is a learning experience and reflects objectives in the Vision 2050 green growth, climate, and nature financing, green taxonomy among other government-led initiatives.
“The target for each innovation is in line with the government’s ambitions to have high income and low carbon emissions, a strategy to protect the environment and increase per capita income in 2050, that is why it is important to engage youths like you,” the official said.
