RICE WEST NILE, PARTNERS LAUNCH MULTIMILLION ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PROJECT

Staff of RICE WN and Obongi district in a group photo after the launch. Photo by Stephen Unzimai.
 
Stephen Unzimai
 
Obongi

Rural Initiative for Community Empowerment (RICE) West Nile in a consortium with friends of Zoka and sustainable plan and action for community empowerment has launched a 7 billion shillings project in West Nile to provide for environmental protection.
 
The project is titled Strengthening Environment Accountability and Climate Actions in West Nile (SEA-WN) and it will cover districts of Adjumani, Obongi, Madi Okollo and Zombo.
 
During the inception meeting in Obongi at the district headquarter on Monday November 4, 2024, Mr. Olema Jackson, the consortium project manager says this would tackle climate and environmental related challenges.
 
“The project is a governance project that means it has a lot of mobilization, sensitization and implementation of laws of the government.  It has a lot of puzzles about climate change and environmental protection,” Mr. Olema said.
 
Mr. Olema added that a lot of human activities on environment are now affecting the livelihood, health and human generation.
 
Mr. Mokili Sadam the consortium project officer explained that the goal of the project is to improve protection and sustainable utilization of natural resources in the community.
 
“Many projects came with distributing seedlings but mindset change was not tackled very, people don’t know why they are even planting trees so this project has come to let them know that tree planting is important and other farming practices.” Mr. Mokili explained.
 
The new project is aimed at implementation of environmental regulatory frame work, solving low awareness on the sustainable use of the natural resources and increase in the rate of degradation and free loss due to refugee influx over dependence on environment.
 
In Adjumani district, the project is taken by Friends of Zoka, in Zombo it’s by SPACE and RICE West Nile the leading partner will take in both Madi Okollo and Obongi districts.
 
Mr. Ulema Mudashir Noah the assistant Chief Administrative Officer Obongi hope that the project will solve environmental challenges in the district.
 
“I want to believe that the project is coming to bridge that gap because its all about governance meaning there will be community mobilization and sensitization so people will get to know that destroying environment in very dangerous,” Mr. Ulema said.
Hon. Habib Buga Khemis Obongi District Chairperson appealed for concerted efforts even from local governments.  “Every hour, every minute environment destruction is taking place, so as leaders we should be exemplary at least every year you must be able to plant some few tree species.” Hon. Habib appealed.
 
The four years Strengthening Environment Accountability And Climate Actions Project in West Nile (SEA-WN) project started from August 1, 2024 and will end in December 2027 and is funded by Royal Danish embassy, embassy of the Ireland, kingdom of the Netherlands and Sweden.
 
 
  
 

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