Ugandan activist turns shea waste into fuel to protect indigenous trees

Lucy Everlyn Atim founded Moyao Africa Initiative to convert discarded shea husks into briquettes, providing an alternative to charcoal.

• Atim founded Moyao Africa Initiative in 2023, employing six staff and working with over 1,200 women to collect shea waste and produce briquettes and shea butter.
• Makerere University research found that mature shea tree populations on fallow land fell from about 20 trees per area in 2008 to 10–15 by 2017.
• Atim said she is saving to buy a carboniser, crusher, and briquette-making machine costing about $530 to increase year-round production.
• The initiative runs environmental clubs in 20 schools and works with the National Agricultural Research Organisation to distribute tree seedlings.