Ugandan Woman Transforms Shea Waste Into Clean Cooking Fuel

A Ugandan climate activist is helping communities protect indigenous shea trees by converting discarded shea husks into clean cooking fuel, offering an alternative to charcoal while creating new income opportunities for rural women.

Lucy Everlyn Atim launched the Moyao Africa Initiative in 2023 after witnessing widespread destruction of shea trees in northern Uganda, where many trees are cut down for charcoal production. Inspired by a similar project she encountered while working in South Sudan, Atim began turning shea processing waste into fuel briquettes.

The initiative now works with more than 1,200 women organised into savings groups, training them to produce briquettes from shea husks and process shea butter for sale. The project also employs six staff members and aims to improve household incomes while reducing dependence on charcoal.

Participants collect discarded shea husks, crush them, mix them with clay and cassava flour, shape the mixture into briquettes, and dry them for use as cooking fuel. Many women say the briquettes have reduced their spending on charcoal and provided an additional source of income.

Uganda loses an estimated 122,000 hectares of forest each year, largely due to charcoal production and logging. Environmental experts say initiatives like Moyao Africa's can help reduce pressure on indigenous trees by making productive use of agricultural waste.

To expand production, Atim plans to acquire briquette-making equipment, including a carboniser and crusher, which would allow year-round processing and increase shea butter production from 600 litres to 6,000 litres annually.

In addition to producing clean fuel, the organisation runs environmental clubs in schools and collaborates with the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) to distribute tree seedlings and promote forest restoration.

Atim says her goal is to protect the shea trees that shaped her childhood while ensuring that local communities, especially women, benefit from sustainable livelihoods and cleaner energy alternatives.

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