Bio-slurry is well-known for improving soil fertility and structure, increasing agricultural yields, and serving as an insect repellent. The head teacher of Mombasa Primary School describes how it almost instantly impacted their school.
The year 2020 saw the birth of Mombasa Primary School in Mombasa Village in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in Western Uganda. With a present-day total enrolment of 1,050 learners and 16 teachers, Mombasa has since been growing maize on three acres to produce porridge to feed the learners, with part of it used to pay the labour of the cook.
The School Management Committee and Parent-Teacher Association members have supported the farming. “They cultivate maize for the school and grow beans for their labour. The school never used manure or any other boosters due to lack of funds, so we would just harvest what we could,” says Zufurah Kaahwa, the school headteacher.
In February 2025, Mombasa Primary School was introduced to the Novo Nordisk Foundation-funded Biodigesters for Agriculture and Nutrition in Schools (BANS) project. They were selected after an application for enrolment. “The requirements were a school with a School Management Committee, access to water, land and feedstock, which we possessed,” clarifies 34-year-old Zufurah.
“In our initial meeting with the project team and the School Management Committee, we appointed a five-member Biogas Management Committee. The project team presented us a recap of the project's overview, the establishment of school biogas clubs, the effects of the biodigesters, the functions and duties of the Biogas Management Committee, and the varieties of crops that will be cultivated, among others," says Zufurah.
The project team then trained the Biogas Management Committee on nutrition. In April 2025, the team brought cabbage, tomato, onion, carrot, and collard greens seedlings for planting in a nursery bed. The five selected schools' focal teachers assigned to the Biodigesters for Agriculture and Nutrition in Schools (BANS) project went on a learning visit in Central Uganda where they learnt about several forms of agriculture, including fish farming, poultry farming, rabbit rearing, backyard farming on a small plot of land, and how a biodigester works in its entirety.
The school has so far established three nursery beds, transplanted, and mulched. They have learnt how to apply the bio-slurry, including how to measure and apply it in the garden, establish a nursery bed, and its application while transplanting and planting. "We never considered growing vegetables, but with this project, the children are able to apply this knowledge in their homes," asserts Zufurah.
In light of this recent experience, the Mombasa intends to purposely begin growing beans and maize using the bio-slurry for the school feeding programme so that the children can enjoy a whole meal, along with vegetables. They also anticipate that more learners, especially those in primary three through seven, will eat meals at school in order to benefit from the school farms.
The school encourages the children and parents to express interest, self-motivation and take initiative to farm gardens in the school with support from the community. “We would love that Mombasa becomes a demonstration centre for children and parents in order for them to apply the knowledge and skills in their households,” emphasises Zufurah.
The school hopes for the installation of a biodigester and for the community to support the initiative with feed supply and guarantee the system's safety and functionality during the long school holidays. “We plan on working hand in hand with the community by receiving feeds from them, and in turn we can provide them with bio-slurry for their gardens. Since it benefits all parties, it will also encourage them to preserve the biodigester,” concludes Zufurah.
About the project
The Biodigesters for Agriculture and Nutrition in Schools is a two-year (December 2024 – November 2026) initiative funded by Novo Nordisk Foundation. The project is implemented by CARE International as the lead, working with Joint Effort to Save the Environment (JESE), Biogas Solutions Uganda Limited (BSUL) and AVSI Foundation.
The initiative works with five schools in the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in South Western Uganda, to leverage biogas digesters for the enhancement of food security, strengthening the climate resilience of food systems, and contributing to improved short- and long-term health outcomes for children. By focusing on schools as entry points, the project seeks to explore the untapped potential of biogas digesters and bio-slurry as tools for sustainable agriculture and nutrition.