Eco home construction

Worldwide over 500 billion tons of plastic bottles are produced every year, and according to NEMA, in Uganda 600 tons of plastic waste are poorly disposed of in Kampala every day, 51% of this plastic remained uncollected, without a waste disposal system in place the plastic waste ends up in waterways, clogs pipes, floods the city centers and affect aquatic life. In Addition, due to increased population putting massive pressure on the housing sector where the annual need for new housing in Uganda is estimated at 200,000 housing units of which 135,000 are in rural areas and 65,000 in urban areas. With an average income of $65 a month it is not surprising that over two-third of Ugandans live in substandard housing. The lack of quality housing compromises people’s health and development opportunities. The convention construction is still much reliant on ordinary build materials, majorly burnt bricks, the process of burning these bricks consumes a lot of wood that accelerates the existing challenges of deforestation.

Upcycle Africa eco homes project protects the environment and promotes innovative mind-set while empowering marginalized women and youth in communities. Through tactile learning, we skill communities in waste management by transforming plastic waste into eco bricks as well as construction of homes/ houses from plastic waste. Bottles replace environmentally unfriendly bricks, which are burnt for days promoting deforestation. Plastic bottles are collected and compacted with soil, making the houses very cost effective and affordable, durable, easy to replicate and provide source of employment as waste collectors, sorters, compactors and constructors.  Furthermore, the eco homes are strong, buffer heart and earthquake resistant. Lack of quality housing compromises people’s health and development opportunities. Our houses are constructed by communities for communities.

The target population include marginalized group of people including school
drop outs, widows, teenage mothers, refugees, orphans, People with disabilities
who fall in the age bracket of 19 years to 60 years. Majority of the target
population are unemployed, excluded in the communities, live in temporary
houses, cannot earn a dollar a day and are affected by effects of climate
change thus cannot depend on agriculture which is the back born of Uganda’s
economy. Our eco homes are solving all these challenges by providing employment
opportunities through skilling the beneficiaries in upcycling and recycling of
plastic waste, transforming waste into eco bricks and construction of eco homes
to solve the challenge of housing shortage and huge accumulation of plastic
waste in our communities. By use of eco bricks, we are conserving our forests
which are used as fuel in the burning of bricks used in conventional
construction of homes in Uganda

First and foremost, Upcycle Africa uses human right based approach in all its implementation activities whereby our founding team grew up in the communities they are serving right now and use needs assessment when formulating activities to carry out in our community including upcycling and recycling skills training on making eco homes as well as other recycling products include earrings, bags, necklaces among others. After understanding the concept of design thinking, they came to realize some of the challenges affecting people including unemployment, plastic waste accumulation, deforestation, climate change, and housing deficiency in their localities and come up with solution to solve them. By involving directly people within these localities, Upcycle Africa developed holocracy system of governance where it gives every person a role through distribution of authority and decision making. This makes everyone grow in their specific roles. Within the community, we have heads of sorting, compacting, and constructing of eco homes.

Our team is comprised of personnel with specific specialized skills in the areas required for the successful implementation of our solution. Team leader, Kemigisha Tryphine has 6 years’ experience in Social entrepreneurship and heads Women empowerment department. Founder, Kavuma Johnmary is a certified business developer with over 6 years’ experience in business development; Co-founder, Monday David is an engineer by profession with 6 years’ experience in eco-home construction and heads the construction department; Nampeera Sophia hold a bachelor’s degree in environmental science with 5 year experience and heads training/skilling department; Abditam Shaban an accountant with over 8 years experience in financial management; 

Upcycle Africa expect to join  MIT-backed network, where we hope to receive nine months of personalized support/ training/ mentorship for coaching in equity financing, raising funds, and increasing revenue as well as on  entrepreneurial skills and knowledge on business management such as business financing, marketing, staffing, leadership and scaling up of business. We also hope to build partnership that we need to accelerate our work and scale up to different communities in different communities in Africa, validate our impact and business model. 

Skills training.

Through labour based approaches, we skill marginalized groups of people especially women  youth and refugees on waste management and how to transform plastic waste into eco bricks using the method of tactile learning.  The project is unique in that it uses discarded plastic waste to turn it into products of inherent value through skills development to marginalized groups of people we bring hope to the needy and the most vulnerable. We turn plastic waste into door mats, jewelries, wallets, bags, pencil holders, flower vase, necklaces and earrings. Our products are affordable, environmentally friendly, durable, artistic and contribute towards a social cause “Waste to wealth” The project also connect waste collectors to recycling companies hence improving their livelihood.

Waste education.

We create awareness on plastic waste management and the need to save our environment on the climate crisis. Through our zero waste campaigns in schools and communities, we disseminate information on the need to control plastic waste littering, clean our oceans and manage waste properly. by changing their mindset, we are letting them know that plastic waste can be used as a resource and turned into different products of inherent value including door mats, jewelries, wallets, bags, pencil holders, flower vase, necklaces and earrings. Our products are affordable, environmentally friendly, durable, artistic and contribute towards a social cause “Waste to wealth” The project also connect waste collectors to recycling companies hence improving their livelihood.

Construction.

Upcycle Africa eco homes project protects the environment and promotes innovative mind-set while empowering marginalized women and youth in communities. Through tactile learning, we skill communities in waste management by transforming plastic waste into eco bricks as well as construction of homes/ houses from plastic waste. Bottles replace environmentally unfriendly bricks, which are burnt for days promoting deforestation. Plastic bottles are collected and compacted with soil, making the houses very cost effective and affordable, durable, easy to replicate and provide source of employment as waste collectors, sorters, compactors and constructors.  Furthermore, the eco homes are strong, buffer heart and earthquake resistant. Lack of quality housing compromises people’s health and development opportunities. Our houses are constructed by communities for communities.

 YuPlastic App

The app will be in position to bridge the digital gap between the waste collectors and recycling companies hence making it a medium of rescheduling of plastic waste pickups, amount of plastic waste, type of plastic waste, demography and current market price. This will help in reduced plastic waste in communities, fulfill demand and bringing back plastic waste into value chains.

Empowerment in green business.

The project aims at empowering people at the bottom of the pyramid to start their own social enterprises from the skills learned. This includes making artisan work  and linking them to different local and international markets.

We envision to see that the immediate goal for Upcycle Africa include increased number of women, youths and refugees involved in transforming plastic waste into building materials from 252 people to 420 people in 1 year and reach total beneficiary of over 2,500 people employed in recycling and upcycling of plastic waste within the next five years and get their source of livelihood from plastic waste management. This will result into increased recovering of plastic bottles to over 4,000,000 in the next 1 year and out pass a total of 6,000,000 in the next five years.

In the next year we will increase community awareness on plastic waste that is 5 community awareness campaigns and carry out sensitization campaigns/zero waste campaigns in 3 schools targeting over 800 students and this will be tripled to 15 community awareness campaign on plastic waste management and zero waste campaigns in 9 schools targeting over 2,400 students in the next five years. Also in the next five years we expect to come up with an innovative upcycled app called YuPlastic. This up will link plastic waste collectors and processing companies where the waste collectors will be able to get orders from the processing company and in the end be paid through the app in Ugandan shillings or using cryptocurrency as means of payment. 
Finally, in the next 1 year, Upcycle Africa expect to increase its effort in promoting eco home construction and in doing so we target to construct 50 eco houses and this will be tripled to 150 eco homes within the next five years.

SDG Goal 1. No Poverty in all its form everywhere. SDG Indicator 1.1: By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than 1.25$ a day.

Project Indicator 1.1.1 Number of people employed as waste collectors, sorters and constructors.

SDG Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. SDG Indicator 4.4 By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship

Project Indicator 4.4.1 Number of marginalised youth, women and refugees trained in change in mindset shift.
Project Indicator 4.4.2 Increase in improved knowledge of marginalised youth, women and refugees.
Project Indicator 4.4.3  Number of YuPlastic subscribers joining the project.

SDG Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
SDG Indicator 5.a Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws.                                                           Project Indicator 5.1 Number of women supported to start social enterprises.

SDG Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
SDG Indicator: 8.6 By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training
Project Indicator 8.1: Number of youths supported to start social enterprises.

SDG Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. SDG Indicator 11.1 By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums
Project Indicator 11.1.1 Number of eco houses constructed.

SDG Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
SDG Indicator 12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
Project Indicator 12.5.1 Number of zero waste campaign held.
Project Indicator 12.5.2 Number of community sensitization programs conducted on waste management.
Project Indicator 12.5.3 Number of plastic waste collected.
Project Indicator 12.5.4 Number of plastic waste sold to other plastic companies.

Upcycle Africa works  with the most vulnerable and marginalized group of people including school drop outs, widows, teenage mothers, refugees, orphans and people with disabilities in communities in Mpigi District with skilling in upcycling and recycling of plastic waste, transforming waste into eco bricks and construction of eco homes to solve the challenge of housing shortage and huge accumulation of plastic waste in our communities. The beneficiaries are also mentored to set their own social enterprises and even linked to companies that buy or promote waste collection and innovation. The short term outcomes include; a) improved knowledge, attitude and mindset change on waste management and recycling are improved in communities within Mpigi District Uganda. b) gaining knowledge in eco home construction, this will provide livelihood opportunities in terms of beneficiaries being employed as waste pickers, sorters, compactors and constructors. c) Through labour based approaches, marginalised women, youths and refugees are trained on waste management and how to turn plastic waste into eco homes through tactile learning. All this will lead to increased resource recovery as plastic waste collected is put into good use of eco home construction.
In the long term, this reduces water, soil and air pollution by preserving natural resources, also the beneficiaries use the income gained from waste collection, compaction, eco homes construction to support their livelihoods including paying school fees for their children, buying food and clothing among others. We also eliminate the negative effect of poorly managed waste of the most vulnerable including women, youths, refugees  & disabled people and marginalised communities in Mpigi District.

Construction of eco homes from plastic waste. Plastic bottles replace environmentally unfriendly bricks, which are burnt for days promoting deforestation. Plastic bottles are collected and compacted with soil, making the houses very cost effective and affordable, durable, easy to replicate and provide source of employment as waste collectors, sorters, compactors and constructors. After getting the eco bricks, the process of the construction remains the same. However, we ensure that these bottles stay in line and stick together by entangling it with strings in the process of construction. Furthermore, the eco homes are strong, buffer heart and earthquake resistant. Lack of quality housing compromises people’s health and development opportunities. Our houses are constructed by communities for communities.

 YuPlastic App

The app will be in position to bridge the digital gap between the waste collectors and recycling companies hence making it a medium of rescheduling of plastic waste pickups, amount of plastic waste, type of plastic waste, demography and current market price. This will help in reduced plastic waste in communities, fulfill demand and bringing back plastic waste into value chains.

Upcycle Africa incorporates inclusivity, and equity in its work through focusing on community empowerment regardless of race, sex, colour, background. We believe in diversity and holocracy system of governance where they have no hierarchy but distributed authority and accountability, this gives everyone to be a leader responsible and accountable for their specific roles. Our focus is on partnership, innovation and team work where everyone has a seat at the table and we leave no one behind when we design our policies, practices and resources to serve people of different backgrounds where everyone feels respected, valued and respected. 

The Social Business Model Canvas is a tool for creating a solid business model around your social enterprise. It’s also a collaborative tool that helps you communicate different business models with your stakeholders and brainstorm new ones.

Under beneficiary Segments. We clearly identify who our beneficiary segments are. They include vulnerable persons including refugees, women, youths, disabled persons.

Social and Customer Value Proposition. Our most compelling rationale that drives our customers to buy includes our products are affordable, unique, durable, heat & earthquake resistant and ecofriendly.

Impact Measures. The social impact we are creating include changing people mindset on the way they think and dispose of plastic waste, creating employment for marginalized groups of people, contribute towards environmental conservation, it also solves the housing needs in most disadvantage communities. This will be measured by the number of: plastic waste collected, number of eco homes constructed, people sheltered, number of people employed, number of startup nurtures, improved knowledge on waste management and number of zero waste campaigns held.

Surplus. When we sale our services and products, the surplus is reinvested back to make an impact in the communities we serve.

Upcycle Africa enterprise business model is an embedded one because the enterprise and the social program are one and the same and the business is created to serve clients (central to the mission). We offer entrepreneur support to have their start up social enterprises. We also provide market intermediary model services; where we provide services to clients and beneficiaries in terms of helping them access markets. Under employment business model, we provide employment to vulnerable youths, women, disabled and refugees in terms of waste collectors, pickers, sorters and constructors of eco homes. Free-for-service, under this business model, we train marginalized youths, women and refugees on the skills of waste management and construction using plastic bottles at no cost/ for free. Lastly , low-income client business model. We provide affordable eco homes to low income clients hence solving their housing needs.

Our revenue is generated through the construction of plastic bottle's house, also generated from the materials/products we create and sell for example compaction of bottles and other roofing materials upcycled car tires, jerry-cans for roofing. The revenue is generated through the construction of plastic construction including the use of plastic bottles, Rubber, and many other kinds of plastics each constructed house will be put on a negotiable price. Revenue will also be generated from the training of masonry especially those who would like to take plastic construction as their career. It will also be generated from subscribers like donors and well-wishers. As well as from advocacy grants for example from organizations and schools by teaching them how they can properly do waste management while training youths constructing using bottles. We also generate income through social tourism by constructing homes for the needy. This attracts both local and international tourists to connect for visit to these homes for a fee.

So far we have been successful in being financial stable by sourcing funds from various donors and well wishers.

 We have been able to receive a total of 13,091 USD as grant from: Tony Elumelu-2018 (5,000 USD), Acumen IKEA-2020 (7,091 USD) and Amaolu-2020 (1,000 USD).

From well wishers we were able to receive a total of 134,070 USD from; Jangu International (SINA)-2018 11,806 USD, Jangu International (SINA)-2019 22,542 USD, Africa Rural Wealth Creators Organisation-2019 1,667 USD, Jangu International (SINA)-2020 11,111 USD, Jangu International (SINA)-2021 30,556 USD, SINA global (Kyaka II Refugee Camp) 2022-9,722 USD, Youth Initiation for Community Development 2022-10,556 and Lady Catherine 2022- 36,111 USD