Achieving Official NGO Status

This year, the IDIN Uganda chapter hopes to achieve a first for IDIN chapters around the globe: achieve the official status as a non-governmental organization. The chapter is in the final stages of the process, working closely with the National NGO Board of Uganda’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The registration will enable the chapter to be recognized as a legal entity in Uganda, so it can fundraise and do community development activities. After registration, the chapter plans to open a bank account, establish offices, and a local innovation center.

The IDIN Uganda chapter is also designing a website, which will increase its visibility among chapter members, other chapters, donors, and the general community interested in knowing more about the chapter activities.

Design and Innovation Training
The IDIN Uganda chapter recently trained 15 people about innovation and design, and these will soon join the wider network of innovators. The 15 innovators come from different districts in Northeastern Uganda, and bring a wealth of innovative ideas for the network. The training is aimed at harnessing ground staff in order to help design, develop, and disseminate innovations in coordination with the IDIN network and communities. These will bring creativity, experience, and innovation to the chapter and the wider network.

Learning & Sharing with IDIN Zambia

This summer, the IDIN Uganda chapter in partnership with TEWDI Uganda had an opportunity to host a team of innovators from the IDIN Zambia chapter. The purpose of the visit was to enable participants learn from one another and share knowledge in clean cooking technologies. The team visited Kingfire Briquette Enterprise, MASUPA Briquette Manufacturers, and B.M. Cookstove Enterprise based in Kampala, and Appropriate Energy Saving Technologies (AEST) in Soroti. The team also had an opportunity to visit the Tet Centre, an IDIN-supported innovation center in Pader. Both the Ugandan and Zambian teams had a lot to take back from each and from other enterprises visited.

Upcoming Training In Mukono

In September, as part of the outreach training activities, the IDIN Uganda chapter will train teachers as trainers in charcoal briquette making at a school run by IDIN Network member Nicole Van Seters in Mukono. Nicole is also the founder and director of a nearby clinic and a CBO in the community of Banda Kyandaaza Mukono district. This activity will enable the school to produce its own briquettes, and also build the young people’s skills to make clean fuel, which they can in turn share with their families.

Looking Forward

With IDDS Cookstoves being held in Kampala, Uganda in 2016, the IDIN Uganda chapter looks forward to participating in the organization of the summit, an opportunity for the chapter to recruit innovators in the community to attend the summit and share their knowledge and experiences, especially in clean cooking technologies. 

Betty Ikalany is an IDIN Network member, one of the organizers of the IDIN Uganda chapter, and the founder of TEWDI and its subsidiary, Appropriate Energy Savings Technologies.