BUJUMBURA November 21st (ABP) – Manure production from biodegradable waste is a profitable activity, even if it is mainly social, according to Mrs. Aniella Niyondiko of “Aheza Iwacu” company collecting, processing and giving value to waste.

Mrs. Niyondiko, who spoke on the theme of “Entrepreneurship and Environmental Protection” on the World Entrepreneurship Week (November 18-24) organized by the Burundi Business Incubator (BBIN), said that the sorting of waste remains the main source of environmental protection. She explains that the waste that is put together increases the greenhouse gas emission. Thus, she said, Aheza Iwacu Company urges households to sort waste. After sorting, Aheza Iwacu collects biodegradable waste at the household level, transforming it into composted manure that they sell to the same households, for the upkeep of their gardens, but also to small farmers who make nurseries, to promote productivity from organic farming. The kilo of manure costs 1000 BIF for those who take small quantities and 800 BIF for those who buy large quantities.

“We value the promotion of organic agricultural productivity, but also community recovery,” Mrs. Niyondiko said, adding that people of the urban sector are aware that Aheza Iwacu is working with the peri-urban people. “We are implementing a project to improve food and environmental security in the Buterere zone (outskirts of Bujumbura city), next to the Mubone dump and in the Nyarumanga neighborhood. We sensitize the ladies, because they are the ones who undergo more pollution because of this dump,” she said.

The company “Aheza Iwacu” thus dreams of transforming Burundi into a “waste-free” country, through the support and promotion of a circular economy through which a second life is given to waste, via recycling, in opposition to a linear economy of use and waste throw. It also provides environmental education for responsible management of biological resources.