Agency
Lira City continues to grapple with mounting waste management challenges, with city authorities estimating that between 40 and 50 tons of garbage are collected daily and transported to the Aler dumping site.
Despite ongoing efforts under the city’s “polluter pays” policy, heaps of waste still litter streets and public spaces, raising concerns about environmental pollution, public health, and the sustainability of urban growth.
However, a new youth-focused initiative is emerging as a potential solution to the city’s growing garbage burden.
The Global Forum for Development (GLOFORD) Uganda a Non- Governmental Organization with funding from Welthungerhilfe (WHH) an Wodan is implementing the “Wealth from Waste” project aimed at transforming waste into economic opportunities while improving environmental management in Lira, Gulu and Soroti cities.
GLOFORD Uganda Partnership Manager Irene Achen said the project was designed to address the increasing waste problem in urban centers while creating dignified employment opportunities for young people.
The two-year project, launched in June 2025, supports entrepreneurs involved in recycling and waste management ventures such as briquette production, organic fertilizer manufacturing, paper bag making, and biogas generation.
Through these enterprises, waste materials that would otherwise end up in dumpsites are converted into marketable products.
