How Ethiopian plants launched a tree nursery in Kigali
Rwanda Build Rooftop Ikawa Kafé and Tech Lab
Take a walk around the Remera district of Kigali and you’ll come across a five-storey building decked out in breath-taking murals. This is the home of Kurema, Kureba, Kwiga [Create, See, Learn] – a Rwandan social enterprise whose street art has become part of the city’s identity. At the top of the building, the UN Live Kigali portal has been attracting a steady stream of locals, many of them artists, since its installation last year. It’s nestled inside the bustling Rwanda Build Rooftop Ikawa Kafé and Tech Lab.
Rwanda Build is a start-up accelerator that is helping to grow the nascent Rwanda software tech industry, by supporting local entrepreneurs as they move from initial idea to finished product.
We met Judith Kaine (Founder of Kurema), Fiacre Mutabazi and Ruzindana (facilitators) to learn more about the climate issues facing Rwanda. What frontline solutions have the team heard about during their Global We conversations with ‘unheard voices’ around the world?
Land of a thousand hills
One of the big issues residents notice is that Rwanda weather patterns have changed dramatically over the last 10 years. Exceptionally intense heat coupled with drought has become the norm, and farmers struggle to produce crops. “Climate change will have long-term health implications”, says Judith. “In this very hilly country, crazy rainstorms cause mudslides and insecure housing just gets washed away. Personal lives are affected – homes and food. Potato prices have doubled over the last year, causing malnourishment.” Ruzindana agrees: “Farmers are fighting soil erosion, especially when the rains come”.
From tree planting to river restoration
Solutions – from irrigation trenches in crop fields, to multi-crop rotation and mass tree planting initiatives – have been eagerly discussed during UN Live sessions. The team were particularly excited about a portal conversation with Addis Ababa, describing Ethiopia’s Green Legacy initiative: “It was introduced by the Prime Minister, to plant more than a million trees all over all parts of Ethiopia. It’s something that is still going on. People are still planting trees!”
Ruzindana tells us about a local Global We participant who was so impressed with this initiative that he has taken on his own creative challenge in Kigali, planting trees and establishing his own nursery, just two months after he heard about Green Legacy! Other legacy projects have caught their attention too. Ethiopia’s Adopt a River brings together groups of citizens to restore a specific area of water, while Sunday bicycle rides in the streets of Addis Ababa are spreading awareness about emission-free transportation. A popular food waste initiative involves restaurants giving away uneaten food (unsold and leftovers). Powerful frontline ideas from a nation where “probably the quietest voices come from 70% of our population…”
In a monthly ritual, citizens take to the streets
Judith Kaine, Karema Founder
Our talk turns to Rwanda’s homegrown community programme – the Umuganda initiative, which began life as part of government efforts to rebuild the country after the 1994 civil war genocide against the Tutsi minority. On the last Saturday of every month, Kigali effectively closes down between 8 am and midday, and citizens lend a hand in community service. Hedges are trimmed, holes in the road are fixed and, in the rainy season, residents help create rain channels in agricultural fields. It’s a climate solution that Fiacre would love to see replicated – perhaps one day a month at schools in other countries?
Waste management is a frequent topic in Global We conversations and the Kigali team remind us that, in 2008, Rwanda took the lead in banning single-use plastics. The team brandish their glass water bottles as we talk, and Judith tells us that, arriving back at Kigali airport recently, staff cut up her plastic duty free carrier bag to prevent her from using it. She adds, “We’re a population of 13 million, many of whom live at the bottom of the pyramid. Just think what could be achieved if there were similar policies in Global North countries...”
Be the boss of your own trash
One of Fiacre’s favourite sayings is “Waste is waste until it’s wasted” and he’s keen to see a circular economy. He mentions a private sector initiative shared by his fellow curators in Ethiopia, who talked about “young apprentices who convert waste into other resources, like plastic waste into construction pavers, and biodegradable waste into fertiliser”. Ruzindana tells us that young Global We visitors often mention the need for funding to scale waste management initiatives. “Many of them don’t have the means to implement solutions. Funding isn’t shared equally, or it isn’t shared at all”. There’s no regular trash collection here, but the government has passed legislation deterring citizens from burning it and releasing harmful toxins into the air. “It’s a big step”, says Ruzindana. Fiacre adds ‘Every bit of trash belongs to someone. Take your trash and put it in the right place. It’s a small action, but when 1,000 people do it… Be the boss of your own trash!”
Eco-wakening
Fiacre Mutabazi outside the UN Live Kigali portal.
Judith is adamant that Global We helps people feel connected and grasp that climate change is relevant to their lives. “Usually, you can’t touch these topics because they’re too big. The portal connects us, across generations, across countries. It feels personal. Let’s say 1,000 participants visit our portal. Every one of them will tell their kids and their friends. Everyone will feel involved”. Adds Fiacre: “Culture is vital in sharing climate awareness. Think about the World Cup and the community power of football and beer! You reach so many voices”.
Our Global We portals continue to unearth small-step solutions from around the world. From donating unsold restaurant food, to Sunday bike rides around a nation’s capital city; from community awareness mornings to river adoption projects. In the words of our Kigali friends, “Small actions quickly grow into big actions”.
Advice to global leaders (offered by the team as a whole):
“Individual stories matter and it’s important to give a platform to small voices. Give everyone a chance to show what they’re capable of achieving.”
“Climate conferences need to make it easier for young people to join the conversation. Cut down on complicated application forms and lengthy selection processes.”
Judith Kaine (she, her)
Fiacre Mutabazi (he, him)
Ruzindana (he, him).
Join the Global We conversation
We are deeply grateful for the collaboration, support and leadership that Rwanda Build Program has given to the Global We programme.
You can join the Global We conversation at the Kigali UN Live portal here. The portal is located at the Rwanda Build Rooftop Ikawa Kafé and Tech Lab, 34 KN 41st, Rooftop at The Office Building, Kigali (https://ikawa.rw).
The Global We programme is supported by IKEA Foundation and powered by Shared Studios.
UN Live portals facilitate connections between people, collectives, initiatives, NGOs, organisations and leaders from all over the world. Join the Global We for Climate Action.