Cabo Delgado: families turn organic waste into natural fertilizer in Pemba city

Home composting is gaining momentum in the neighborhoods of Cariacó, Natite, and Ingonane in Pemba, thanks to an initiative promoted by the Pemba City Council and the E35 Foundation, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funding from the Government of Japan. The initiative encourages families to repurpose organic waste to produce natural fertilizer, benefiting gardens and farms. 

Recently, teams from the initiative visited the communities to monitor the results and collect the organic compost produced in households. The participating families expressed great satisfaction with the benefits of the practice, which not only improves soil quality but also reduces the amount of waste discarded.

So far, 234 compost bins have been built in the neighborhoods of Natite (95), Ingonane (87), and Cariaco (52), promoting the sustainable management of organic waste. In the Ingonane neighborhood, five families that protected the compost bins from rain managed to produce 156.5 kg of compost from 960 kg of organic waste accumulated over three months, now using the fertilizer in their gardens.

Additionally, surveys are being conducted to quantify the compost produced by other families throughout the neighborhoods. A satisfaction survey was conducted among the participating families, and the results show a high level (80%) of acceptance and enthusiasm for the initiative, as they no longer need to dispose of waste, turning it into a useful resource for domestic horticulture production.

The implementation of home composting has been led by environmental activists trained in 2024 by the Pemba City Council, in partnership with the E35 Foundation and AMEC-Rural. The project represents a significant step in promoting local sustainability, strengthening food security, and encouraging ecological habits in the communities. (Pemba City Council)