Nature Smiles
Uganda | Young People for Change | 2024
Hello!
We are Young People for Change, a youth-led movement tackling waste management and environmental sustainability. In 2024, we launched Nature Smiles, a campaign to promote proper waste disposal, recycling, and community-led waste management initiatives. Our mission? To empower youth to be pioneers in environmental conservation by turning waste into useful resources and making sustainability a community priority.
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18 to 25 years old
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The Right-Sized Problem
In Tikalu Parish, waste management is a growing crisis, with plastic pollution, littering, and lack of community waste disposal systems threatening both the environment and public health. Without proper education, sustainable practices, and community engagement, waste accumulation will continue to degrade natural spaces and water sources.
What did we do?
Through school outreach, community partnerships, and creative recycling solutions, we engaged thousands of people in rethinking waste management.
Offline Impact
🏫 School Outreach in 9 Schools – Trained students and teachers on proper waste disposal, recycling, and upcycling waste into useful materials.
🛍️ Market & Boda Boda Awareness Sessions – Educated vendors and boda boda riders in Tikalu Parish’s weekly market and three transport hubs.
♻️ Recycling & Upcycling Innovations – Transformed waste into functional and creative products.
🏛️ Collaborations & Partnerships – Worked with Gombe Polytechnic and Buganda Kingdom leadership to organize clean-up drives and environmental education sessions.
Online & Media Impact
📱 Social Media Awareness – Used Facebook and WhatsApp to share updates and amplify the message.
📢 Community Audio Towers (Public Announcements) – Broadcast messages on waste management, reaching a wider audience.
Campaign Impact
792 individuals engaged through direct outreach.
Formation of school-based environmental clubs for long-term sustainability.
Market vendors established a waste management committee.
Boda boda stages implemented structured waste collection.
Gombe Polytechnic and Buganda Kingdom partnerships strengthened community sustainability efforts.
One of the most inspiring success stories came from a boda boda rider who, after attending a waste management awareness session, transformed his stand into a model of cleanliness. His efforts inspired nearby vendors to follow suit, creating a ripple effect in the community.
What’s Next?
We are expanding our impact by:
📌 Increasing community training on waste management and recycling.
📌 Scaling up partnerships to implement broader clean-up campaigns.
📌 Using digital advocacy to reach more young people and policymakers.
