Ecobricks and the impact in Uganda

The Angel Projects Uganda's greenhouse continues to thrive and benefit the community in various ways. APU staff members are persistent in their horticultural education, and they learn more about planting, caring for, and harvesting a variety of crops with each new season. The most important benefit of the greenhouse is the ability to grow nutritious foods to share with the members of the Elderly Project, leading to increased health. 

The concept of building a greenhouse began as a way to repurpose trash in the community.  Because there is no garbage pickup, any trash that accumulates must be tossed locally or burned, giving off dangerous chemicals. As a solution, The Angel Projects proposed the idea of building a greenhouse out of repurposed 2-liter bottles. A community-wide collection initiative was launched, and not only were enough bottles collected to successfully construct the greenhouse, but this project also created an increased interest in repurposing waste and caring for the local environment.  Out of this project the Ecobricks project was born, creating a way to reuse an even larger variety of waste materials. The greenhouse project and the Ecobricks project continue to be inextricably linked, as the old bottles from the greenhouse are themselves turned into Ecobricks once they are replaced. 

This one simple idea of building a sustainable, upcycled greenhouse has led to better health in the community for both the people who live there and their environment. It has been so exciting to see the changes that have come about because of this original idea, and it keeps on giving! Now, we see the next generation engaging in the maintenance of the greenhouse, the cleaning of the community, the growing of the vegetables, and the caring for the elderly. Healthy and productive habits are being learned and passed on, and we can only imagine what the future will hold as this community continues to grow! 

While the staff members of Angel Projects Uganda continue to collect trash and build ecobricks, another related project continues to flourish as well: the Greenhouse Project.  While Angel Projects-sponsored students were on their holiday break, many of them came to the guest house to help with tending the crops that are being grown to support our Elderly Project.  The students helped clear plots for planting, replanted crops that are being grown in the greenhouse, and helped clean the area around the guest house and greenhouse.

The students were especially impressed with our method of growing potatoes in cardboard boxes -- they couldn't believe it's possible to plant and harvest so many crops in such a small space. The students' involvement in our Greenhouse Project not only helps our staff members with their work but also teaches the students techniques that they can take back to their own families. It also provides them with valuable lessons in sustainability and caring for their environment. 

Our greenhouse is constructed out of repurposed water bottles, meaning that it serves two functions: 1) providing a space to grow vegetables year-round that can be provided to the members of our Elderly Project and 2) teaching the community about strategies for repurposing garbage and cleaning up the environment. We are always excited when our students get involved in this process because we know they're gaining knowledge that they can pass on to the next generation.  We firmly believe that all change, including environmental change, begins with education.

Thank you so much to all of our donors who make these and all of our projects possible -- you are change-makers, and we coudn't do it without you!