On 6th September 2025, Bamboo Pathways, in partnership with Bamboo Innovation Hub, held a successful hands-on bamboo craft training at the Uganda Bamboo Association offices in Kabale Village, Busega, Kampala. The session attracted more than 30 enthusiastic participants and focused on equipping them with practical skills to transform bamboo poles into simple, marketable products such as keyholders, earrings, bangles, and necklaces.

Hon. Flavia Nabugere, Secretary General of the Uganda Bamboo Association, applauded the initiative, noting that Uganda’s bamboo industry has long been sustained by semi-skilled artisans using rudimentary tools. She emphasized that a new era is emerging in which educated and skilled individuals are joining the bamboo conversation. “We are witnessing a transition that I first envisioned in 2011 as State Minister for Environment,” she remarked, highlighting at least 23 entry points into the bamboo industry ranging from eco-tourism and agroforestry to value addition and renewable energy. Even without large-scale processing units, she noted, anyone can use simple tools to produce millions of bamboo products.

David Munaaba, the Founder and CEO of Bamboo Pathways underscored bamboo’s immense potential to drive both wealth creation and environmental protection, stressing the importance of collaboration. “No single individual can fully harness the bamboo value chain alone. We must push the bamboo conversation to the masses and eventually to policymakers so the industry can thrive,” he said.

Participants were guided by lead trainer Mr. Drake Ndyamuhaki of Bamboo Innovation Hub, who set up a mobile workshop and demonstrated how to strip bamboo into uniform pieces — the foundation for thousands of products. The participants not only observed but also made keyholders and jewelry themselves, leaving with confidence to replicate the skills at home and in community enterprises.

Adding an international perspective, guest speaker Mr. Zeng Weiren, a renowned bamboo artisan from Anji Province in China, praised the quality of Ugandan bamboo, comparing it favorably to varieties in China and Latin America. He explained that Uganda’s bamboo can meet global product standards and encouraged participants to adopt a zero-waste model where even offcuts are used to make new items. He urged Ugandans to replace single-use plastics with bamboo alternatives, helping both the environment and household incomes.

The event closed with participants calling for more specialized training sessions. Bamboo Pathways reaffirmed its commitment to building partnerships, providing practical skills, and enabling Ugandans to fully harness bamboo’s potential for sustainable development, job creation, and environmental stewardship.

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