Dear Charlotte,

Thank you so much for sharing the insightful article. I will do my part to pass on best practices to the FSM sanitation workers back in my country in order to market briquettes in a much more effective way.

Regards.

Dear Prince,
Thanks for the update. Sensitization is definitely critical to be able to boost the uptake of the briquettes. In Kenya, there was a similar project done in a town called Nakuru. The uptake for the briquettes was quite slow at first. Fortunately, there was a ban on logging countrywide that made wood charcoal hard to access. Briquettes were the next best option. You can read all about it here .
All the best.
Regards
Charlotte

Hi Charlotte,

For the target customers, charcoal is the main source of energy for cooking/heating. In comparison, the briquettes made from treated faecal waste are actually cheaper; it's the stigma attached to the product (it being faecal matter, despite being treated) that creates a barrier for its mass update. 
Alot of sensitisation still needs to happen in most areas.

Although, where briquettes made from faecal matter are failing to push sales, some of our FsM sanitation entrepreneurs are sucessfully marketing the connection and usage of biogas, especially to restaurants in local markets. 

Regards,
Prince

Dear Prince,

Just to find out about the marketing and sale of briquettes,what is the main source of fuel that the people are currently using in your area? Are the briquettes cheaper than them? I would recommend a brief market study to understand the dynamics. This will determine the best strategy to use.

Regards
Charlotte

Thank you for sharing this Machrine. 
It is quite inspiring looking at how those Sanitation Entrepreneurs are innovatively generating income from treated waste by products.

Back in my country (Zambia), we also have similar Sanitation entrepreneurs generating revenue at different points of the FSM value chain. However, the marketing and sale of briquettes is something that is still lagging. 
Your post is quite insightful as it can shares some best practices some of our FSM Sanitation entrepreneurs  can learn from.

Dear Eva, 
Thanks for the questions
Quick response: The marketability of the briquettes has been simple in a way because it has created a circular economy. The main buyers of the briquettes are urban communities. 

Both firewood and charcoal are expensive especially for the small urban business communities. Also in comparison tocharcoal, they generally burn for longer and have a more consistent heat output, which is
preferred by certain market segments such as restaurants, hospitals and schools.

Apparently, the price of a briquette is competitive to charcoal, allowing domestic users among rural populationsas well as the urban and peri-urban poor to adopt them as a replacement for charcoal. 

Thanks Machrine for the insight into the businesses operating within the FSM. 

I had a follow-up question regarding the acceptance of public/buyers of the briquettes within Kampala region. Were there any concerns with respect to marketing the product from public acceptability? Also are the main consumers of the product farmers?

Thank you,

Best,

Eva

Charlotte, I am happy to know that you found that article useful. Yes, there is a lot that we learn from sharing useful information.

Dear Machrine,

Thank you for the response. The document you have attached has really been helpful. There is a service level agreement which has been written giving the different players mandate for easy operationalization. In the case of Kampala, KCCA is offering licenses and setting tariff rates whereas National Water and Sewerage Company is receiving and treating the faecal sludge.
Thank you for the insight.
Regards
Charlotte

Dear Charlotte,
Thank you for the feedback. 
Clearly I would have really loved to link you up with the Fecal sludge entrepreneurs in Kampala to get a first hand story about their challenges. 

In the meantime, I found this article very informative. Here is the link. bit.ly/3duWyaJ.

Dear Machrine,

Thank you for your continued posts. Would there be a way to know some of the challenges that the sanitation service is facing especially while working in National Water and Sewerage Corporation area of jurisdiction? Have they come into an agreement on how to operate or how is it happening?

Regards
Charlotte

Dear Esther, 
A quick note to let you know that I have dropped you an email that contains the contact details of Isaac Turinawe, the sanitation entrepreneur of Uganda. 

Regards,
Machrine Birungi