Background
Women at the frontline of coffee
The total population of Uganda is 44.27 million (2019) and the youth comprise 70% of the population — the majority of them women. Women form 80% of the labor force of coffee farms in the Kisoro region, and yet they don't own farmlands, regardless of being at the frontline of production. House of Bwindi works to empower these women through sustainable fashion programs.
Project type: Climate Action Fashion and sustainable textiles · Location: Rushaga Tourism Sector, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Why this project matters
Fashion instead of foraging
The women in this region have the responsibility to fend for their communities — leading to foraging the forest for food such as game meat, wood for fire, herbs and medicine, which has contributed to the destruction of the natural ecosystems across the forests.
Once the coffee season commences, women are often left without employment. House of Bwindi trains, teaches and equips women with the skillsets and toolkits to make clothes and textiles for ecommerce and retail markets as a source of income. With sustainable income and equal market opportunity, women do not have to take resources from the forest to survive.
The project has over 200 young girls in school coffee clubs and over 500 women involved directly — impacting all 5,000 frontline community members.
Impact
1,000 beneficiaries in 5 years
House of Bwindi will train a further 200 students and community youth near the two National Parks every year in sewing, marketing and retailing of sustainable fashion products — aiming to reach at least 1,000 project beneficiaries in 5 years.
Materials are locally and ethically sourced: repurposed and recycled banana fibres support local banana farmers. Uganda is the second largest producer of bananas in the world and most of the stems go to waste — recycling them mitigates waste and emissions.
- EMPOWERS women and girls with important skills and opportunities through fashion and coffee.
- Enables women by creating decent work and community-backed economic growth.
- Banana fibres are sustainably sourced and recycled into finished products sold locally and globally.
Project coordinator
Birungi Mary — CAN Uganda Youth Ambassador
Birungi Mary is a fashion designer from Kisoro District in southwestern Uganda, and works with us at Gorilla Highlands Coffee. She holds a degree in Art and Industrial Design with Education from Kyambogo University and assists the GHC team in Sales & Marketing. House of Bwindi, led by Birungi Mary, trains and empowers women coffee farmers to sew clothes for income that supplements their coffee sales.
Support this project
Fund training, tools and materials for the women of Bwindi — fashion that protects a rainforest.