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. 

Significant design and purposing is developed through utilising community skills that already exist. Products developed from recycled and repurposed abandoned nets display local character, flare and application. Incorporating story and background provide introduction to DYI projects available to tour groups and school programs

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.

T his building block focuses on raising awareness and providing tailored gender training to highlight the interconnectedness of GBV, particularly exploitative practices like "sex for fish," and environmental degradation in the fisheries sector. With men dominating fish harvesting and women constituting 90% of post-harvest activities, the sector reveals stark gender dynamics. The initiative educates communities and stakeholders on how these transactional relationships exacerbate resource depletion, harm biodiversity, and perpetuate power imbalances between men and women. Using diverse forms of communication, such as roadshows, community dramas, and GBV Watch Committee activities, the project aims to transform perceptions, foster collaboration, and inspire action to address these interwoven challenges.

This building block focuses on improving the management of GBV cases and facilitating access to justice for survivors within the environmental (fisheries) sector. Given the unique challenges, such as the remote locations of fishing camps and the limited reach of formal judicial systems, this intervention aims to bridge the gap between GBV referral pathways and the Fast Track Court system. Through community-driven mechanisms like GBV Watch Committees and engagement sessions with key stakeholders, survivors are supported in navigating complex legal processes. This initiative also works to raise awareness of the specific dynamics of "sex-for-fish" practices and ensure that judicial actors and environmental agencies collaborate effectively to address these intersecting challenges. 

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.

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.

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.

The system combines data from drones, satellites, camera traps, and geospatial tools to create a comprehensive monitoring framework. This approach can be adapted for other environmental challenges, such as flood monitoring, by integrating relevant data sources specific to those contexts.

Amphibians are more threatened and are declining more rapidly than either birds or mammals. Amphibian populations are decreasing due to multiple factors, such as climate change, the chytrid fungus, and other anthropogenic factors such as species trafficking. However, the level of threat to amphibians is undoubtedly underestimated because 1294 species (22.5%) are too poorly known to assess, as compared with only 78 birds (0.8%) (Stuart et al., 2004). 

This knowledge deficit underscores the vital importance of educational tools like Ribbit in democratizing scientific research. By lowering barriers to ecological monitoring, apps like Ribbit transform passive observers into active conservation participants. Educational technologies enable citizen scientists to directly contribute to understanding and protecting vulnerable ecosystems, addressing critical research limitations through expanded data collection in under-researched regions.

These innovative platforms increase public awareness about biodiversity challenges while providing accessible pathways for scientific engagement. Unlike bird-focused apps with well-established research infrastructures, anuran conservation has lacked comprehensive citizen science platforms. Ribbit fills this critical gap by empowering individuals to become crucial contributors to amphibian research, turning the tide on data deficiency and supporting global conservation efforts through collaborative, technology-enabled environmental stewardship.