An issue of mushrooming waste

With the increase in population and in garbage production, Lusaka's shantytowns are gradually becoming engulfed with waste. But the community members of Ng'ombe, a sprawling compound in Lusaka with over 50,000 people, have pulled together to tackle the problem and rid themselves of the mountains of rotting rubbish. In addition, advice is being provided by the Zambia Waste Management Association (ZWMA) on how to deal with weeds and domestic waste material and, with support from the University of Zambia, communities are being encouraged to cultivate and receive training in growing mushrooms on organic waste.

Community action

credit: Singy Hanyona

Lusaka, with a population of about 2 million, produces over 250,000 tonnes of rubbish each year. The increasing piles of waste pose a health threat to local people because nearby water is becoming contaminated resulting in the increasing incidence of waterborne diseases, such as cholera and dysentery. However, though the formation of a Residents' Development Committee, community members of Ng'ombe have built large concrete midden boxes (3 x 10 x 6m), which have been placed in 13 high density zones. These boxes are then used as provisional dumping facilities before garbage is collected for disposal to the main site outside the city. Several of the boxes have been placed around trading areas and the community traders have been encouraged to keep the area clean and to help load waste from the boxes into the refuse trucks. They have also participated in meetings and workshops to raise local awareness about the clean-up scheme. Initial funding or 'seed money' has been provided by the Sustainable Lusaka Programme to help the project to become self-sustaining and to provide capacity building with the community for managing the project once the financial support comes to an end.

The efforts of the Ng'ombe community have been recognized by the city authorities and the Residents' Committee has been given the mandate for managing future development in the area. Partly as a response to this initiative by the local people, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is working in the region, is providing a multi-million water project that will serve approximately 300 households. With the help of community members, JICA is currently sinking a borehole and erecting a 10,000 litre water tank to reduce the current health risk associated with people washing, bathing and drawing drinking water from a nearby valley stream, which is becoming increasingly contaminated.

From debris to delicacy

The cultivation of a crop that does not require fertilizers, can be grown through the year and makes use of waste is being promoted throughout Zambia. Mushroom farming is already reasonably well established in the country but researchers and waste officials are keen to encourage the training of local people to stimulate the production of mushrooms on a larger scale. ZWMA is trying to raise public awareness to the fact that the burning of weeds and domestic waste material in backyard gardens should be avoided as these can be composted for soil enrichment or used as for cultivating mushrooms. The Oyster mushroom, in particular, has proved adaptable to the Zambian climate and it can be grown on waste such as bean trash, maize stover, cotton waste and even water hyacinth (see also news 00-4). The Oyster mushroom has also increased in popularity because it is high yielding and full of flavour.

With funding from the Belgium government, mushroom spores (seed) has been produced by the Crop Science Department at the University of Zambia since 1997 and is sold to anyone interested in mushroom cultivation. Women entrepreneurs, in particular, have been encouraged to attend seminars and short courses. Margaret Chitulango, Chairperson for the Makeni Women Association, a women's development group in a farming area of Lusaka, agrees that her organization has benefited greatly from the availability of oyster mushroom spores.

"With little investment, wastes can be turned into a healthy food in an interesting way," says Reuben Lifuka of ZWMA. Approximately one tonne of organic waste is sufficient to provide 150-300 kgs of edible mushrooms. And, in addition to the oyster and 'button' mushrooms currently being grown, some wild edible mushrooms are being domesticated and opportunities for commercializing the production of these local varieties is being explored. Meanwhile, the University of Zambia intends to increase the present production of mushroom spores to enable those in rural, as well as urban, areas to be involved in the mushroom from waste projects.

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