Projects in waste management and WASH improve lives of over 36,000 refugees 
KYAKA II REFUGEE SETTLEMENT, Kyegegwa, Uganda | 10 July 2025 — Kyaka II Refugee Settlement, home to over 134,000 refugees fleeing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, faces critical challenges in waste management, water access, and public health. Since 2023, the Rotary Club of Kampala South has addressed these needs through two transformative projects supported by a $191,998 global grant from The Rotary Foundation and international partners, achieving measurable impact.
Solid Waste Management & Recycling Project ($91,998 Grant) As of March 2025, we have established five community-led waste management groups across Bukere, Kaborogota, Byabakora, Sweswe, and Itambabiniga. These groups engage 187 members, including 90 women and 88 men, who now drive waste collection efforts using distributed equipment: 36 wheelbarrows, 96 spades and hoes, and four tricycles.
Our training programs in bookkeeping, group dynamics, and the 3Rs approach (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) have directly empowered 187 refugees and indirectly impacted over 1,200 community members. This initiative has already produced six tons of briquettes and four tons of compost for local sale, with profits reinvested into group savings.
Awareness campaigns reached thousands through 10 boda-boda dialogues with 100 riders, four radio talk shows on Kyaka FM, and four community clean-up drives. Looking ahead to July 2025, we are scaling operations at our Adapt Plus recycling hub with a plastic chopping machine processing 400kg to 1000kg per hour, a MAK IV incinerator, briquette-making machines, a greenhouse drying three to four tons of briquettes weekly, and 15 roller bins.
Critically, we will distribute UGX 15 million in seed capital equally among four 30-member waste groups. This funding will maintain tricycle operations, expand recycled product lines, and transition groups into Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs) to provide loans for refugees and host communities.
Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Project ($100,000 Grant). This initiative serves over 36,800 beneficiaries, 52% of whom are women and girls, through essential infrastructure: A 300,000-liter concrete water tank at Sweswe now provides reliable water for 10,000 people. Rainwater systems at three schools and two health facilities benefit 8,000 residents.
Our mobile water laboratory monitors more than 150 water points serving 30,000 people, tackling bacteriological contamination where current safety compliance is just 48%. We have also extended electricity to Sweswe Water Plant, reducing annual diesel costs by $13,811 while ensuring sustainable water delivery.
Rotary’s Commitment in Action
On 12 July 2025, our delegation will commission completed infrastructure including the water lab, greenhouse, incinerator, and plastic chopper. We will also lead community dialogues and financial literacy sessions, reinforcing Rotary’s dedication to sustainable, community-owned solutions.
In Our Words: "By uniting waste recycling with clean water access, we combat disease while creating jobs. These projects embody refugee-led resilience." — Rotary Club of Kampala South