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Staff News
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ECOTRUST was able to purchase a new field vehicle, 16 motorbikes and 18 bicycles which will be going to the districts of Hoima, Kasese, Masindi, Mitooma and Rubirizi. With thousands of Trees for Global Benefit farmers in some of these hard to reach areas, this equipment will allow for quicker and more efficient recruitments, monitoring and training.
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Upcoming Events
Training of guides at the Gateway
UCOTA will embark on a 3 day training exercise of tour guides at the Rwenzori Gateway from the 12th - 15th of this month, after which they will be issued certificates. This is part of our strategy to promote Eco-tourism at the Gateway.
SEED Symposium in Nairobi Kenya
The SEED Africa Symposium, scheduled for 9-10th September at the Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, is the largest gathering on social and eco entrepreneurship in Africa, and is supported by a variety of partners. The Symposium takes a unique approach that emphasizes cross-sector collaboration and peer-learning. It brings together entrepreneurs, business leaders, policy makers, the community of finance
and practitioners to co-create, and build together an effective ecosystem for social and eco-enterprises.
World Forestry Congress in Durban South Afrrica - September 2015
The XIV World Forestry Congress, hosted by the Republic of South Africa, will bring together the global forestry community to review and analyse the key issues and to share ways of addressing them.
The Congress - the first to be held in Africa - is inclusive of people from all countries, regions and sectors, whether they belong to a government organization, NGO, private company, scientific or professional body, a forestry society, or simply have a personal interest in attending. The broad participation and inclusive discussion on forestry issues will facilitate their mainstreaming in global agendas on sustainable development as well as building new partnerships.
The Congress programme will be professionally and culturally rewarding, with a variety of sessions, events and dialogue, to ensure that all participants are engaged in defining a vision and strategies for the sustainable future of forests and forestry.
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Equator Snow Lodge
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Equator Snow is a sensational destination for the experienced
mountaineer, the casual trekker or the ordinary traveller. Working in close collaboration with the Ruboni Community, and Rwenzori Mountaineering Services, a selection of mountaineering activities can be organised from Equator Snow Lodge, ranging from guided mountain walks with low endurance hikes, to climbing the mountain peaks for the technically more competent.
You may choose just to rest and relax at Equator Snow Lodge with its spacious mountain cabins, and wooden decks, it is designed for comfort and relaxation.
The Rwenzori Mountains have been declared a World Heritage Site. Accordingly, the public restaurant, lounge and bar areas are designed around the history of the Rwenzori Mountains, with displays of significant historical illustrations.
Come and experience the legend that has surrounded the Mountains of the Moon, as they were named by Greek historians more than two thousand years ago.
For inquiries and bookings; Contact Jimmy Muheebwa on 256 772550177 or 256 704550177
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Solvatten
Solvatten is a solar water treating system which uses energy from the sun to purify water, making it safe for drinking. It is an 11 litre jerrycan made from Sweden which uses filtration, heat and UV from the sun to kill all the micro - organisms in the water, making it safe for drinking and personal hygiene.
It reduces the burden of water-borne diseases thus improving health, promotes sanitation and hygiene, and reduces costs on electricity and wood fuel needed to boil water among others.
You can get yourself a Solvatten unit from our main office in Entebbe or any of our branch offices in Masindi and Mbale. For any information regarding sales. Please contact Priscilla Nabuyemba on 256700150426 or 256787031149
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About Us
The Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (ECOTRUST) is a non - governmental environmental conservation organization established in 1999. ECOTRUST has developed a valued niche in 'conservation finance' and pursued relentlessly a clear vision of 'a healthy environment with prosperous people' and a mission,' to conserve natural resources and enhance social welfare by promoting innovative and sustainable environment management in Uganda.'
ECOTRUST's core values of' accountability and transparency in all our dealings, Creating value for our stakeholders, Pursuit of excellence and continuous improvement, Commitment to personal integrity, creating a culture of teamwork' remain the jealously protected business principles of the organization, guiding all business decisions and entire management ethics.
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www.ecotrust.or.ug
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Welcome to yet another edition of our monthly Bulletin. We have added a new segment to this one, the TGB Farmer Focus which is a short documentary on the average TGB farmer, your feedback on this will be highly appreciated. In the month of July, we conducted a series of TGB farmer trainings in Eastern Uganda, and are now embarking on a new round of farmer monitoring. In this regard,we are happy to announce that we will soon be launching our new mobile app for field monitoring. We also attended the first ever East African Carbon fair in Kampala and formed a partnership with World Vision. This and more in our July Bulletin.
Pauline Nantongo Kalunda
Executive Director.
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ECOTRUST Partners with World Vision to Promote HIV/Health CARE around Protected Areas
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As part of its initiatives to promote social capital and inclusiveness for the rural remote communities within its programme areas, ECOTRUST has partnered with World Vision to promote access to HIV/Health Care for communities around Ugandan National Parks and Wildlife Reserves. Due to their remote location, these communities lack access to many social services including health care. Using its already existing infrastructure within these communities, ECOTRUST will work with World Vision to engage in activities that promote access to clean water, income-generating enterprises, and Village Savings and Loan Associations for HIV at-risk and PLWHA youth, in community enclaves in and around the national wildlife parks, and fishing communities around the parks. This will include facilitation of mobile outreach clinics which provide comprehensive prevention services and referrals to health centers, and mobilize community members to attend outreaches. ECOTRUST will raise HIV and AIDS awareness through outreaches among hard-to-reach communities in the park areas by engaging members of the community in health promoting activities.
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The East African Carbon Fair at Sheraton Hotel - Kampala
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The Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUB) in collaboration with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Regional Collaboration Centre (UNFCC/RCC), the Gold Standard Foundation and the East African Community organized the first ever East Africa carbon fair on the
14-15 July 2015
at the
Sheraton Hotel Kampala
.
The fair brought together project developers from East Africa, international companies that purchase emission reduction certificates from voluntary (VERs) and compliance (CERs) markets, financial institutions, carbon consultants and companies seeking to undertake Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with green projects.
The two day event featured a good number of presentations and interactions that answered questions such as; Which types of certificates exist in the market? How can you ensure that you get the amount of emission reductions you need? How can co-benefits help to make your investment
more attractive? Is it politically and economically safe to buy in East Africa?
The event gave the members in attendance a
better understanding of the context of carbon projects in East Africa and
emissions trading at both the compliance market and voluntary market.
Some of the issues raised during the event will be presented and addressed during the UNFCCC Cop21 Conference on Climate Change in Paris later this year which aims
to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate, with the aim of keeping global warming below 2°C by the year 2020.
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| Bill farmer with the Uganda Carbon Bureau demonstrates use of energy efficient cookstoves |
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| In attendance were project developers, policy makers and buyers/traders of carbon credits |
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TGB Farmer training in Mbale - Eastern Uganda
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From the 7
th
- 23
rd
of July 2015, ECOTRUST carbon farmer coordinators, carbon farmers and interested farmers at the sub-county level from the districts of Mbale, Manafwa and Bududa - Eastern Uganda were trained on a number of issues that included; The importance of trees, e
ffects, causes and ways to reduce on the impact of climate change, appropriate l
and management
systems as well as proper tree spacing. They were also given guidelines on how to join the Trees for Global Benefit Program and coached on ways to meet their performance targets among others.
Among the sub counties that were trained included Nakatsi, Bukibokolo, Bushika, Bubitha, Bulucheke, Bududa S/C, Bumashet, Bukigayi, Bushilibo, Bushika, Nabweya and bududa TC in Bududa district. Kaato, Butha, Buwagogo, Bukusu, and Bumbo in Manafwa District while Wanare, Nyondo and Budware in Mbale District.
The main aim of this training was to build social capital and also provide a platform for carbon farmer recruitment. The training involved taking farmers through the TGB cycle and facilitating them to identify the key environment and development issues that they face within their areas and the possible solutions to these issues.The training was attended by 70
women and 251
men totalling to 321
farmers.
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| Farmer training session in Bushika subcounty - Mbale District |
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Trail Opening at the Rwenzori Gateway
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The trail opening at the Rwenzori Gateway is progressing well with new routes being mapped out that will lead to several exciting sites around the Rwenzori's. The training of new tour guides at the Gateway is set to commence this week, from the 12th - 15th of August under the guidance of UCOTA (The Uganda Community Tourism Association).
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| Trail clearing at the Rwenzori Gateway - Kasese |
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TGB Farmer Focus - Musiko Mikaya
TGB Farmer Focus is a new segment that gives you a personal look at the life of the everyday Trees for Global Benefit farmer.
Trees For Global Benefit is a cooperative carbon offsetting scheme that combines carbon sequestration with rural livelihood improvements through small-scale, farmer led, forestry/agro forestry projects. Currently operational in six districts of Uganda, this scheme has registered over 3,000 farmers each growing indigenous tree species on atleast one hectare of land. Not only has this scheme contributed to the mitigation of Uganda's climate, it has diversified the livelihoods of the rural poor by linking them to the financing of the carbon market.
In this first episode of TGB Farmer Focus, we meet 70 year old Musingo Mikhaya, a farmer from Bukuso subcounty, in Manafwa district - Eastern Uganda. He tells us his story on how he got started with tree growing and the benefits he has reaped. He shows us around his farm and shares his perspectives on life, culture and family.
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