Katara Women Crafts: Elephant Dung Paper Making Experience

About this Experience

Kataara Women’s Group is a Community Based Organization registered under Rubirizi Local Government Reg.No.181 with its offices in Kataara I village ½ km from Kichwamba Sub County Headquarters in Bunyaruguru County – Rubirizi District. Our Vision A community with sustainable livelihood. Our Mission Building the capacity of community members to alleviate poverty and conserve the environment for sustainable livelihood. The enterprise works with women to make paper from a unique local product - elephant dung. The innovative paper is used to make handicrafts like cards, menus, and notebooks that are sold to tourists. Women are also trained to construct energy-efficient cook stoves, which the enterprise markets locally. Women work as paid employees and contribute a small membership fee to the enterprise. Profits are reinvested back into the enterprise as well as a micro-loan scheme that serves members. Using the dung is also creating a strong sense of community cohesion; people see the benefits in looking after the elephants and work together to better their habitat and the overall environment. Elephant dung paper is an eco-friendly, sustainable craft made by cleaning, boiling, and sanitizing raw elephant waste to extract undigested plant fibers, which are then blended into pulp, screened, and dried into usable paper products. The process, which turns a waste product into notebooks and stationery, helps reduce tree cutting and supports wildlife conservation. Key Facts Why Elephant Dung? Elephants have a highly inefficient digestive system, digesting only about of what they consume, leaving behind large amounts of raw cellulose fibers. Sustainability: It is an eco-friendly process, often avoiding harsh chemical bleaches, and promotes recycling No odor: The thorough washing and boiling process ensures the final paper does not smell.

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