cowtreemoon← 🇺🇬 Uganda
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Twenty Brick-Clay Pits in Western Uganda Turned Into One Fish Pond Feeding 150 Families

by SBE Aquafarm · HQ 🇺🇬 Uganda

#youth#livelihoods#food-security
0pitsHazardous abandoned clay pits converted into one functioning aquatic ecosystem (self-reported by founder)as of 2026-01-28
0familiesFamilies now supplied with fish who previously traveled 15 km to get it (self-reported by founder)as of 2026-01-28

Brick-making clay was dug out of the wetlands around Mutara village in Rukungiri District, western Uganda, until the deposits ran out and left hazardous, water-filled craters. SBE Aquafarm, founded in 2023 by geoscientist Syliah Kagiiga and fellow Resolution Project fellows, reshapes clusters of scattered pits into single fish ponds stocked with catfish and tilapia, then plants trees and grasses around the edges to hold the soil. By January 2026 the team reported converting 20 hazardous pits into one functioning aquatic ecosystem, with fish now reaching about 150 families who used to travel 15 kilometers for protein. Kagiiga was named a 2026 Wetland Restoration Steward by the Global Landscapes Forum and is working to scale the model across Uganda.

GLF Restoration Stewards: What if abandoned clay pits could become sources of life? ↗GLF Restoration Stewards: What happens when the clay runs out? ↗Water Journalists Africa: Turning abandoned clay mines into fish farming hubs ↗
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