Africa-Press – Uganda. Mr Denis Bithum,40, from Nebbi district who is a degree holder in Development Studies from Makerere University has turned solid waste into money-making opportunities.
Bithum who has been considered a mad person dwelling on Nebbi streets collecting scraps has become creative and is generating money by turning assorted solid wastes into Arts and Crafts.
Bithum started his intervention as a ‘joke’, he is so passionate about protecting the environment from getting destroyed and wanted to be an entrepreneur fighting the negative impacts of climate change due to poor usage of waste by recycling them into useful materials.
Bithum has seen profits in using the solid wastes where in a month he pockets about Shs300,000 after deducting all his monthly expenditures of rent, utilities and some tokens to his employees.
“Due to scarcity of jobs in the country, many of the youth who are capable of doing everything have resorted to the drinking of alcohol and drug abuse and this needs more capacity building into income generating activities,” Mr Bithum said.
He says, his products have an 80 per cent market share from travellers and customers within and are mainly parents and nursery school teachers who buy motor toys made out of metallic scraps, and tables made of motor tyres.
He added that to build a formidable customer relationship, he is focusing on building confidence in himself by promoting local tourism centres in Alur land and also setting up a business which reclaims back the lost traditional cultural outfits.
How he started the business
Mr Bithum who was working with BRAC after his graduation said, he was motivated by his savings and decided to invest them.
He noted that, though he has customers for his arts and crafts products, his workshop is still small and rent is also a challenge
“Though the workshop needs the expansion, there’s a need to invest heavily into the enterprise that can attract more customers and we turn assorted wastes into products that can earn income and also save the environment from pollution,” Mr Bithum said.
Mr Erick Wawelo, a student at Mamba SS who does part-time work with Bithum says, he has gained skills in arts and crafts and the money he gets has changed his livelihood.
“I admire arts and crafts because it’s so profitable and I would love to extend it to the next level for more skills,” Mr Wawelo said.
The environmental officer of Nebbi Municipality Mr Emilio Odongo says, for innovative minds, solid waste can turn into a lucrative business if well planned.
“We have seen people who are innovative in nature reap big from assorted solid wastes and this calls for more youth to do the same. They can as well write an environmental proposal for grants from donors,” he said.
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