Latest news with #Ugandans
6 hours ago
- Health
In Uganda, an affordable alternative to dirt floors is a big boost to human health
JINJA, Uganda -- Simon Tigawalana dreamed for years of doing something about the dirt floors in his small house, blaming them for making his family sick. But in a rural area in one of the world's poorest countries, making them over with concrete was simply out of reach. Then a company called EarthEnable approached him to offer an alternative: a clay-based earthen floor that could give him a durable, sealed floor for less than half the cost of concrete. Tigawalana now has the new floor in two rooms and hopes to add it soon in the last room. 'I'm happy that we now have a decent home and can also comfortably host visitors," said Tigawalana, a 56-year-old father of 16. "Ever since we got a clay floor my kids no longer get cough and flu that used to come from the dust raised while sweeping the dirt floors.' EarthEnable, which seeks to upgrade housing across Africa, has been promoting and installing the clay-based floors in Uganda since 2017. Besides eliminating dust that can irritate breathing, they're credited with reducing infestations of jiggers — a parasitic flea that can burrow into the skin and lead to pain, itching and infection. Uganda's health ministry says poor hygiene due to dirt floors contributes to such infestations. 'Our floors help to prevent pathogens and other illnesses linked to dust floors, since most of these families can't afford hospital care,' said Noeline Mutesi, a sales and marketing manager for EarthEnable. The first step in building the floor is digging and leveling the surface. Then murram — local red soil rich in iron and aluminum oxides — is mixed with sand and water and then compacted. After two weeks of drying time, masons use wooden floats to smooth and further compact the surface. Next is pasting: applying a fine clay screed to further smooth the surface and prepare it for a final sealant, a flaxseed-based varnish that hardens into a durable plastic-like resin. A typical floor costs around 240,000 Uganda shillings (about $65), which Earth Enable says is about 70% cheaper than concrete. Buyers can pay in installments. EarthEnable, a U.S.-based nonprofit, operates for-profit subsidiaries in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya, and says any profits are invested into startup costs in new markets as well as research and development. EarthEnable said it's installed about 5,000 floors in Uganda, more than 39,000 in Rwanda and more than 100 in Kenya. The company also does wall plastering to help reduce dust, moisture and insect infestations common in mud homes. In Jinja, the company's program employs more than 100 masons from within the community. Many are disadvantaged boys who have dropped out of school because they can't afford fees, said Alex Wanda, a construction officer at the company. 'We focus on employing these young village boys that we train in skills to build these earthen floors, thus creating for them employment opportunities,' Wanda said in an interview. About 42% of Ugandans live in extreme poverty. Its Bureau of Statistics says the country has a housing deficit of 2.6 million units, and it's growing. The country needs to add 300,000 housing units per year to make up the deficit, mainly in rural areas, where many Ugandans live and where housing quality and availability remain pressing concerns. The company also touts the clay floors as a more sustainable alternative to concrete, which besides being more expensive generates major carbon emissions in production. The cement industry is one of Uganda's biggest contributors to carbon emissions, accounting for about 628,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2023, its highest recorded level. More broadly, building and construction accounts for 37% of global emissions, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Uganda, like much of the rest of the world, has seen a rise in extreme weather events made more likely by climate change, including flooding and prolonged drought. 'Initiatives like this are crucial in the global effort to decarbonize the construction sector,' said Penina Atwine, a program officer at the Uganda-based organization Environmental Alert. 'Such innovative local solutions that address both climate change and social needs like EarthEnable's model could inspire similar approaches across the globe." In the village of Budima, Rehema Namukose spent most of her family's savings to build a house. She couldn't afford a cleaner floor until she worked through EarthEnable to pay for a clay floor in installments. She lives there with her three children and credits the new floor for improving the health of a sickly daughter. 'This is affordable for my family and will help us maintain hygiene,' she says 'We are now living a better life.'
The Hill
7 hours ago
- Health
- The Hill
In Uganda, an affordable alternative to dirt floors is a big boost to human health
JINJA, Uganda (AP) — Simon Tigawalana dreamed for years of doing something about the dirt floors in his small house, blaming them for making his family sick. But in a rural area in one of the world's poorest countries, making them over with concrete was simply out of reach. Then a company called EarthEnable approached him to offer an alternative: a clay-based earthen floor that could give him a durable, sealed floor for less than half the cost of concrete. Tigawalana now has the new floor in two rooms and hopes to add it soon in the last room. 'I'm happy that we now have a decent home and can also comfortably host visitors,' said Tigawalana, a 56-year-old father of 16. 'Ever since we got a clay floor my kids no longer get cough and flu that used to come from the dust raised while sweeping the dirt floors.' EarthEnable, which seeks to upgrade housing across Africa, has been promoting and installing the clay-based floors in Uganda since 2017. Besides eliminating dust that can irritate breathing, they're credited with reducing infestations of jiggers — a parasitic flea that can burrow into the skin and lead to pain, itching and infection. Uganda's health ministry says poor hygiene due to dirt floors contributes to such infestations. 'Our floors help to prevent pathogens and other illnesses linked to dust floors, since most of these families can't afford hospital care,' said Noeline Mutesi, a sales and marketing manager for EarthEnable. The first step in building the floor is digging and leveling the surface. Then murram — local red soil rich in iron and aluminum oxides — is mixed with sand and water and then compacted. After two weeks of drying time, masons use wooden floats to smooth and further compact the surface. Next is pasting: applying a fine clay screed to further smooth the surface and prepare it for a final sealant, a flaxseed-based varnish that hardens into a durable plastic-like resin. A typical floor costs around 240,000 Uganda shillings (about $65), which Earth Enable says is about 70% cheaper than concrete. Buyers can pay in installments. EarthEnable, a U.S.-based nonprofit, operates for-profit subsidiaries in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya, and says any profits are invested into startup costs in new markets as well as research and development. EarthEnable said it's installed about 5,000 floors in Uganda, more than 39,000 in Rwanda and more than 100 in Kenya. The company also does wall plastering to help reduce dust, moisture and insect infestations common in mud homes. In Jinja, the company's program employs more than 100 masons from within the community. Many are disadvantaged boys who have dropped out of school because they can't afford fees, said Alex Wanda, a construction officer at the company. 'We focus on employing these young village boys that we train in skills to build these earthen floors, thus creating for them employment opportunities,' Wanda said in an interview. About 42% of Ugandans live in extreme poverty. Its Bureau of Statistics says the country has a housing deficit of 2.6 million units, and it's growing. The country needs to add 300,000 housing units per year to make up the deficit, mainly in rural areas, where many Ugandans live and where housing quality and availability remain pressing concerns. The company also touts the clay floors as a more sustainable alternative to concrete, which besides being more expensive generates major carbon emissions in production. The cement industry is one of Uganda's biggest contributors to carbon emissions, accounting for about 628,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2023, its highest recorded level. More broadly, building and construction accounts for 37% of global emissions, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Uganda, like much of the rest of the world, has seen a rise in extreme weather events made more likely by climate change, including flooding and prolonged drought. 'Initiatives like this are crucial in the global effort to decarbonize the construction sector,' said Penina Atwine, a program officer at the Uganda-based organization Environmental Alert. 'Such innovative local solutions that address both climate change and social needs like EarthEnable's model could inspire similar approaches across the globe.' In the village of Budima, Rehema Namukose spent most of her family's savings to build a house. She couldn't afford a cleaner floor until she worked through EarthEnable to pay for a clay floor in installments. She lives there with her three children and credits the new floor for improving the health of a sickly daughter. 'This is affordable for my family and will help us maintain hygiene,' she says 'We are now living a better life.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Winnipeg Free Press
7 hours ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
In Uganda, an affordable alternative to dirt floors is a big boost to human health
JINJA, Uganda (AP) — Simon Tigawalana dreamed for years of doing something about the dirt floors in his small house, blaming them for making his family sick. But in a rural area in one of the world's poorest countries, making them over with concrete was simply out of reach. Then a company called EarthEnable approached him to offer an alternative: a clay-based earthen floor that could give him a durable, sealed floor for less than half the cost of concrete. Tigawalana now has the new floor in two rooms and hopes to add it soon in the last room. 'I'm happy that we now have a decent home and can also comfortably host visitors,' said Tigawalana, a 56-year-old father of 16. 'Ever since we got a clay floor my kids no longer get cough and flu that used to come from the dust raised while sweeping the dirt floors.' EarthEnable, which seeks to upgrade housing across Africa, has been promoting and installing the clay-based floors in Uganda since 2017. Besides eliminating dust that can irritate breathing, they're credited with reducing infestations of jiggers — a parasitic flea that can burrow into the skin and lead to pain, itching and infection. Uganda's health ministry says poor hygiene due to dirt floors contributes to such infestations. 'Our floors help to prevent pathogens and other illnesses linked to dust floors, since most of these families can't afford hospital care,' said Noeline Mutesi, a sales and marketing manager for EarthEnable. How the floors are built The first step in building the floor is digging and leveling the surface. Then murram — local red soil rich in iron and aluminum oxides — is mixed with sand and water and then compacted. After two weeks of drying time, masons use wooden floats to smooth and further compact the surface. Next is pasting: applying a fine clay screed to further smooth the surface and prepare it for a final sealant, a flaxseed-based varnish that hardens into a durable plastic-like resin. A typical floor costs around 240,000 Uganda shillings (about $65), which Earth Enable says is about 70% cheaper than concrete. Buyers can pay in installments. EarthEnable, a U.S.-based nonprofit, operates for-profit subsidiaries in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya, and says any profits are invested into startup costs in new markets as well as research and development. EarthEnable said it's installed about 5,000 floors in Uganda, more than 39,000 in Rwanda and more than 100 in Kenya. The company also does wall plastering to help reduce dust, moisture and insect infestations common in mud homes. In Jinja, the company's program employs more than 100 masons from within the community. Many are disadvantaged boys who have dropped out of school because they can't afford fees, said Alex Wanda, a construction officer at the company. 'We focus on employing these young village boys that we train in skills to build these earthen floors, thus creating for them employment opportunities,' Wanda said in an interview. About 42% of Ugandans live in extreme poverty. Its Bureau of Statistics says the country has a housing deficit of 2.6 million units, and it's growing. The country needs to add 300,000 housing units per year to make up the deficit, mainly in rural areas, where many Ugandans live and where housing quality and availability remain pressing concerns. A more sustainable floor than concrete The company also touts the clay floors as a more sustainable alternative to concrete, which besides being more expensive generates major carbon emissions in production. The cement industry is one of Uganda's biggest contributors to carbon emissions, accounting for about 628,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2023, its highest recorded level. More broadly, building and construction accounts for 37% of global emissions, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Uganda, like much of the rest of the world, has seen a rise in extreme weather events made more likely by climate change, including flooding and prolonged drought. 'Initiatives like this are crucial in the global effort to decarbonize the construction sector,' said Penina Atwine, a program officer at the Uganda-based organization Environmental Alert. 'Such innovative local solutions that address both climate change and social needs like EarthEnable's model could inspire similar approaches across the globe.' 'Living a better life' with a cleaner floor In the village of Budima, Rehema Namukose spent most of her family's savings to build a house. She couldn't afford a cleaner floor until she worked through EarthEnable to pay for a clay floor in installments. She lives there with her three children and credits the new floor for improving the health of a sickly daughter. 'This is affordable for my family and will help us maintain hygiene,' she says 'We are now living a better life.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
San Francisco Chronicle
7 hours ago
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
In Uganda, an affordable alternative to dirt floors is a big boost to human health
JINJA, Uganda (AP) — Simon Tigawalana dreamed for years of doing something about the dirt floors in his small house, blaming them for making his family sick. But in a rural area in one of the world's poorest countries, making them over with concrete was simply out of reach. Then a company called EarthEnable approached him to offer an alternative: a clay-based earthen floor that could give him a durable, sealed floor for less than half the cost of concrete. Tigawalana now has the new floor in two rooms and hopes to add it soon in the last room. 'I'm happy that we now have a decent home and can also comfortably host visitors," said Tigawalana, a 56-year-old father of 16. "Ever since we got a clay floor my kids no longer get cough and flu that used to come from the dust raised while sweeping the dirt floors.' EarthEnable, which seeks to upgrade housing across Africa, has been promoting and installing the clay-based floors in Uganda since 2017. Besides eliminating dust that can irritate breathing, they're credited with reducing infestations of jiggers — a parasitic flea that can burrow into the skin and lead to pain, itching and infection. Uganda's health ministry says poor hygiene due to dirt floors contributes to such infestations. 'Our floors help to prevent pathogens and other illnesses linked to dust floors, since most of these families can't afford hospital care,' said Noeline Mutesi, a sales and marketing manager for EarthEnable. How the floors are built The first step in building the floor is digging and leveling the surface. Then murram — local red soil rich in iron and aluminum oxides — is mixed with sand and water and then compacted. After two weeks of drying time, masons use wooden floats to smooth and further compact the surface. Next is pasting: applying a fine clay screed to further smooth the surface and prepare it for a final sealant, a flaxseed-based varnish that hardens into a durable plastic-like resin. A typical floor costs around 240,000 Uganda shillings (about $65), which Earth Enable says is about 70% cheaper than concrete. Buyers can pay in installments. EarthEnable, a U.S.-based nonprofit, operates for-profit subsidiaries in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya, and says any profits are invested into startup costs in new markets as well as research and development. EarthEnable said it's installed about 5,000 floors in Uganda, more than 39,000 in Rwanda and more than 100 in Kenya. The company also does wall plastering to help reduce dust, moisture and insect infestations common in mud homes. In Jinja, the company's program employs more than 100 masons from within the community. Many are disadvantaged boys who have dropped out of school because they can't afford fees, said Alex Wanda, a construction officer at the company. 'We focus on employing these young village boys that we train in skills to build these earthen floors, thus creating for them employment opportunities,' Wanda said in an interview. About 42% of Ugandans live in extreme poverty. Its Bureau of Statistics says the country has a housing deficit of 2.6 million units, and it's growing. The country needs to add 300,000 housing units per year to make up the deficit, mainly in rural areas, where many Ugandans live and where housing quality and availability remain pressing concerns. The company also touts the clay floors as a more sustainable alternative to concrete, which besides being more expensive generates major carbon emissions in production. The cement industry is one of Uganda's biggest contributors to carbon emissions, accounting for about 628,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2023, its highest recorded level. More broadly, building and construction accounts for 37% of global emissions, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Uganda, like much of the rest of the world, has seen a rise in extreme weather events made more likely by climate change, including flooding and prolonged drought. 'Initiatives like this are crucial in the global effort to decarbonize the construction sector,' said Penina Atwine, a program officer at the Uganda-based organization Environmental Alert. 'Such innovative local solutions that address both climate change and social needs like EarthEnable's model could inspire similar approaches across the globe." 'Living a better life' with a cleaner floor In the village of Budima, Rehema Namukose spent most of her family's savings to build a house. She couldn't afford a cleaner floor until she worked through EarthEnable to pay for a clay floor in installments. She lives there with her three children and credits the new floor for improving the health of a sickly daughter. 'This is affordable for my family and will help us maintain hygiene,' she says 'We are now living a better life.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
The Star
4 days ago
- Health
- The Star
Uganda launches HIV survey to assess progress, guide future interventions
KAMPALA, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Uganda's Ministry of Health on Thursday launched a nationwide HIV survey to assess progress in the fight against the virus and shape future interventions. Health Minister Ruth Aceng officially unveiled the third round of the Uganda Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA) 2025 in Kampala, the capital. The survey seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of current national HIV programs, identify gaps, and inform upcoming strategies. Conducted in partnership with Makerere University School of Public Health and the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, the voluntary and randomly sampled survey will involve around 15,000 participants aged 15 and above, selected from 6,685 households nationwide. "The last UPHIA revealed significant gaps in HIV case finding, particularly among men and youth, which have influenced our programming priorities over the past five years," Aceng said in a statement. Uganda is among five countries rolling out the third round of UPHIA, following earlier rounds in 2016 and 2020. For the first time, the 2025 survey will also assess the burden of non-communicable diseases, which health authorities have identified as an emerging public health concern. "Field teams will assess the prevalence of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and obesity among the general population and people living with HIV," the ministry said. "This information is important for developing health policies that are responsive to the changing health challenges and strengthening the health system." Of the 15,000 participants surveyed, 14,980 are expected to undergo blood draws and HIV testing to assess viral suppression and other health indicators. In addition, 1,300 children and adolescents aged 10 to 14 will be interviewed, though they will not undergo blood tests. Government data indicate that an estimated 1.3 million Ugandans are currently living with HIV, with 1.1 million on treatment. The country has recorded roughly two million AIDS-related deaths over the past three decades.
