Information dissemination, communication with customers

The final product's value is created through sustainable development goals. It is essential this message is passed on to the customer through the acquisition of the product, whether it be furniture, a bracelet or ball pen. 

Spending time at the facility, participating in a class or tour gives exposure to the processes in an innovative and creative manner. The facilitators are expert at providing 

Recycling Abandoned nets

The focal point of recycling is a step by step process that transforms waste product into a reusable, valueable substance. The composition of the net is cleaned, crushed and restructured

Abandoned nets are broken down as raw material, the raw material transitions to a Recycler. The rPET is returned in pellet form

a lot of experimentation as to timing, size, application

5. Continuous Monitoring and Evaluation

Regular engagement allowed for the assessment of impacts and adjustments based on feedback, ensuring the project remained aligned with community needs and goals. Monitoring strengthened relationships between implementers and beneficiaries, building trust and accountability.

 

Continuous evaluation closed the loop by integrating lessons learned back into decision-making, capacity building, and implementation, ensuring the project stayed adaptive and relevant.

Multi-Sectoral Stakeholder Approach to Addressing Gender Equality and Environmental Sustainability

This building block fosters collaboration among diverse stakeholders to address the structural and systemic issues intersecting gender equality and environmental sustainability. Through activities such as training sessions, conflict management meetings, and leadership support, stakeholders from the gender sector (led by the Division of Gender) and the environmental sector (led by the Ministry of Fisheries) engage in cross-sectoral discussions to align objectives and integrate solutions. For example, fisheries stakeholders provide insights into resource management and illegal practices, while gender sector members contribute expertise on GBV prevention and response mechanisms. The initiative also influences policy by advocating for and supporting the revision of legal instruments like the Fisheries Act and the Anti-GBV Act of 2011, ensuring they address the unique challenges at this intersection. Additionally, technical support is provided for mainstreaming gender considerations in other sectors and integrating cross-cutting issues into broader policy frameworks. By aligning community-level efforts with institutional policies, this approach ensures scalable, sustainable, and contextually relevant interventions.

  1. Policy and Legal Advocacy: Engaging stakeholders in revising key policies, such as the Fisheries Act and Anti-GBV Act, ensures the alignment of national frameworks with the realities of community-level challenges.
  2. Cross-Sector Collaboration: Inclusion of diverse stakeholders—district committees, line ministries, community leaders, and local institutions—promotes synergy in addressing interconnected challenges.
  3. Institutional Support for Integration: Providing technical assistance for mainstreaming gender across sectors ensures that interventions align with broader national development goals.
  4. Accountability Mechanisms: Regular reporting and feedback loops between community actors and state-level stakeholders strengthen coordination, transparency, and long-term support.
  5. Contextual Awareness: Recognizing the socio-political and cultural dynamics, such as cross-border issues in Sesheke, enables flexible and tailored solutions.
  1. Policy Influence Requires Persistence: Revising laws and policies to reflect grassroots realities, such as integrating "sex for fish" dynamics into the Fisheries Act, is a gradual but essential process.
  2. Integration Enhances Impact: Addressing GBV and environmental issues in isolation is less effective than integrating these efforts into other sectors, such as health and education, to reflect the interconnectedness of societal challenges.
  3. Collaboration Fosters Sustainability: Strong partnerships between gender and fisheries sectors help stakeholders appreciate mutual dependencies, resulting in better coordination and ownership of interventions.
  4. Respecting Local Dynamics Is Critical: Communities dependent on resources may resist government interventions due to historical or systemic inequalities. A participatory approach rooted in respect and understanding is essential.
  5. Adaptability in Complex Contexts: Addressing intersectional challenges which are deeply embeded in neoliberal systems and structures such as intersectional inequality, rural marginalization and cross-border security issues, requires flexibility and innovative resource use to sustain project momentum.
Engagement of Men and Boys in addressing GBV in the Fisheries Sector.

This building block emphasizes the critical role of engaging men and boys in addressing GBV within the fisheries sector. Recognizing that gender equality requires collaboration between men and women, this initiative targets the predominantly male-dominated fisheries sector to foster a more inclusive and supportive environment. By involving men ie: fishermen, law enforcer, male stakeholders, landowners, transportation providers, and traditional leaders—in awareness raising, training, and GBV Watch Committees, the intervention seeks to transform negative attitudes and behaviours that perpetuate GBV, including exploitative sex-for-fish practices. It also leverages the influence of traditional leaders to drive societal change, ensuring that men play an active role in avoiding backlach and safeguarding women and addressing the interconnected challenges of resource depletion, illegal fishing, and GBV. 

  1. Inclusive Approach - Ensuring that men and boys are actively included in interventions, such as training and GBV Watch Committees, to foster collaboration and shared responsibility.
  2. Engagement with Influential Men - Involving traditional and religious leaders, teachers, and fisheries officers, fishermen and law enforcers as agents of change to drive community-wide transformation.
  3. Respecting Cultural Dynamics - Gaining the buy-in of traditional leaders by respecting their roles and aligning interventions with local governance systems.
  4. Awareness and Capacity Building - Raising awareness among men about the impact of GBV and providing them with tools to address it within their roles as resource and tradition custodians and community leaders.
  1. Collaboration Is Essential: Addressing GBV effectively requires working with both men and women, as men are often key decision-makers and actors in the fisheries sector.
  2. Cultural Sensitivity Matters: Engaging traditional leaders takes time and patience but is critical for securing their support and using their influence to enact change.
  3. Systematic Inclusion Yields Results: Including men in GBV Watch Committees and training sessions has fostered shared responsibility and reduced resistance to interventions.
  4. Sustained Engagement Is Needed: Changing perceptions and behaviors among men requires continuous awareness and reinforcement to ensure long-term impact.
  5. Sector Integration Is Key: Fisheries officers, while primarily tasked with technical duties, can play a significant role in addressing GBV once sensitized and empowered.
Establishment of community level GBV Response Mechanism

The GBV Response mechanism at community level was establish to prevent and respond to the GBV cases and fishing illegalities which occours in the fisheries sector due to the lack of reporting structures and long distances from the fishing communities to the formal GBV response structures through the establishment of GBV Watch Committees. The GBV Watch Commitees provide awareness in the fishing camp and fishing communities about the exploitative sex for fish practices. They also respond to GBV disclosures at community level, the committees also link survivors to proffessional services and operate as safe space in the community among other functions. 

  1. Engaging communities in establishing and managing GBV Watch Committees ensures community ownership and fosters trust, and sustainability.
  2. Capacity building and training of the committees and raising community awareness strengthen GBV prevention and response in the fisheries sector.
  3. Connecting committees with formal services ensures survivors receive holistic support.
  4. Integrating GBV committees into policies for further institutional support enhances their effectiveness and legitimacy.
  1. Local mechanisms to bridge structural gaps are essential where formal GBV structures are lacking.
  2. Leveraging local and traditional knowledge and adapting to their ways ensures community resilience and sustainable outcomes.
  3. Addressing cross-sectoral approaches such as GBV and environmental/climate issues together achieves a broader impact.
  4. Collaboration matters when resource-owning communities and partners work together and the results delivered are more impactful.
  5. Financing partners do not need to impose what they wish from the resource-owning communities, results may only last as much as the intervention lasts.
Cash Crop Integration for Sustainable Incomes

The cash crop integration component aimed to incentivize tree management by linking reforestation efforts with short-term income generation. Top-performing farmers, assessed based on tree survival rates and GAP training participation, were awarded cash crop inputs such as soya beans and groundnuts. These crops were selected for their adaptability to local soils, market demand, and ability to complement agroforestry systems. Farmers achieved an average 12% increase in soya bean yields (350 kg/acre) and 10% increase in groundnut yields (240 kg/acre), with incomes averaging UGX 1,050,000 ($285) for soya beans and UGX 900,000 ($244) for groundnuts. The inclusion of cash crops encouraged farmers to maintain their agroforestry systems, reducing tree felling for short-term needs.

  • Crop Suitability: Identifying crops that thrive in local conditions while supporting agroforestry practices.
  • Farmer Training: GAP for cash crops, focusing on planting density, pest management, and post-harvest handling to improve yields.
  • Market Access: Establishing links with traders and milling companies to secure 15% higher prices and reduce reliance on middlemen.
  • Monitoring and Evaluation:  Digital monitoring and evaluation, regular farm visits to assess crop performance and address challenges promptly.
  • Crop integration incentivized tree preservation and diversified farmer incomes, enhancing resilience to climate shocks.
  • Regional variation in weather and soil conditions impacted yields. Research and consultancy would help identify the most suitable varieties.
  • Poor post-harvest handling in some areas reduced profits. Training on crop drying and storage is essential to maximize market value.
  • Develop region-specific crop calendars and include low-cost storage solutions to address post-harvest losses. Partnering with buyers early ensures market demand aligns with farmer production.
Tree Planting at community Level

The primary purpose of tree planting at community level is to achieve large-scale ecosystem restoration while enhancing local livelihoods through agroforestry. The project partnered with four communities to mobilize 425 farmers for tree planting, distributing 73,867 seedlings. Farmers were trained in Good Agroforestry Practices (GAP), including tree planting techniques, mulching, pest and disease management, and soil fertility enhancement. Tree species like Grevillea robusta and Agrocarpus were selected for their fast growth, timber production potential, and ability to improve microclimates and soil structure. Tree planting activities focused on degraded lands prone to erosion and drought, effectively addressing flood control, biodiversity restoration, and ecosystem loss.

  • Farmer Training: Comprehensive GAP training to equip farmers with technical skills in tree care, pruning, and pest management.
  • Species Suitability: Selecting trees adapted to regional environmental conditions to maximize survival and growth rates including soils, weather, culture and .
  • Monitoring Systems: Continuous farmer field visits to monitor growth, survival rates, and emerging challenges.
  • Community Ownership: Collaborating with SEs and local leaders ensured trust, commitment, and adoption of sustainable tree management practices.
  • Integration of trees with cash crops enhances farmer engagement and ensures long-term care for planted trees.
  • Survival rates were highest in areas with reliable rainfall (Kapchorwa at 92%), highlighting the need for location-specific strategies in drought-prone regions.
  • Termite infestations in Busia and Mbale posed a challenge, requiring targeted pest control solutions such as biological control agents and mulching to minimize damage.
     

    Advice: Deploy tree care manuals with localized pest and soil management techniques. Integrate weather forecast systems to align planting activities with optimal rainfall periods and mitigate drought-related losses.

Community-Based Nursery Beds

The purpose of community-based permanent nursery beds is to ensure the production of high-quality, resilient seedlings for reforestation efforts while building local capacity. Each of the four project districts (Luwero, Mbale, Busia, and Kapchorwa) established one centralized nursery bed per location, equipped with essential tools, irrigation facilities, and trained nursery operators. Seeds were delivered early (December 2023–January 2024) to allow for the full growth and hardening process, ensuring seedlings met survival standards. The nurseries produced 96,423 seedlings of multi-purpose tree species, including Grevillea and Agrocarpus, which were selected for their adaptability to local climatic conditions, drought resistance, and soil stabilization properties. Nurseries also served as training hubs, where farmers learned good agroforestry techniques, seed propagation, pest control, and seedling management techniques.

  • Technical Knowledge: Trained operators with skills in seed management, seedling management, farmer training, community mobilisation and engagement, root pruning, and hardening-off processes.
  • Access to Inputs: Reliable supply of quality seeds, potting materials, and pest control inputs.
  • Water Availability: Sustainable irrigation systems to overcome drought periods and maintain seedling health.
  • Community Engagement: Active participation from farmers and local leaders to monitor and support nursery operations.
  • Early seed delivery, proper management, good nursery management and seedling hardening significantly improved tree survival rates in harsh field conditions.
  • Poor irrigation infrastructure in some locations exposed seedlings to water stress during dry spells. Investment in simple irrigation techniques is recommended to mitigate this.
  • Root damage and poor seedling management during transplanting led to seedling mortality in some cases. Ensuring proper root ball integrity during handling is critical.
     

    Advice: Establish contingency production targets (10–15% above the actual requirement) to buffer losses from pests or weather-related issues. Additionally, develop on-site water harvesting systems to support irrigation during drought periods.

Delopment of the SIREN App

This building block is to explain how I developped an App that allow fishers to contribute to marine science knowledge in Africa. 

Initially we gave fishers a pre-printed form to report opportunistic sightings they encountered. However, the form was getting lost most of the time. 

We decided to move to a digital solution. The existing App by then required internet to work and was just too complicated for fishers. So we thought we shoud develop an App that will be more userfriendly for fishers. 

We wrote the  algorithm (workflow) of the App and then contracted an Indian development company to write the code. 

Later we had to bring the development of SIREN back to Cameroon to reduce the cost of developement. 

We work with volunteer around the world that will continuously support with the development of the SIREN

  • passion and determination
  • availability of seed fund to develop an initial version of the SIREN App
  • Collaboration with local App developpers
  • Extending the collaboration to international volunteers 
  • understand
  • The first developper company I contracted for the development of SIREN was a foreign company based in India. The cost of develpment was very high and there was a lot of miscomunication due to language barriers. When we started working with local developpers, the cost of development decreased importantly and it was easier to communicate.
  • Before giving a smarphone to fisher for data collection you must develop a trust relationship with him before otherwise the phone will never be used by the fisher to report sightings.