Papyrus, Uganda
Uganda's swamps abound with papyrus, providing a plentiful and free source of material.
Moses standing next to wheel
Moses Kizza Musaazi uses his inventions at his own company, including this bicycle-wheel generator powered by steam from one of his three-chamber incinerators. Read more about Musaazi's inventions and solutions for Uganda here.
Struggle with water
A woman and her children at the Kyaka refugee settlement.
Lack of education
The child of a worker at a factory outside of Kampala.
Exterior of Technology for Tomorrow
Moses Kizza Musaazi's company, Technology for Tomorrow, is on the campus of Makerere University.
Exterior of Technology for Tomorrow
T4T, as Technology for Tomorrow is known, is across a dirt road from the engineering department of Makerere University, where he is a lecturer.
Musaazi holds up a sheet of papyrus that has been pulverized, mixed with waste paper and water, and dried on a frame.
Musaazi holds up sheet of dry papyrus, the primary material used to make Makapads.
Binders
The R&D facility at Musaazi's company, Technology for Tomorrow, doubles as storage space.
Musaazi holding tongue-and-groove shaped dirt bricks
A mason lays a wall of Musaazi's interlocking bricks at Masooli Primary School.
Kiln burning trees
Uganda's forests are disappearing into the ubiquitous kilns that fire clay bricks for construction.
Bricks
Musaazi displays tongue-and-groove shaped dirt bricks, whose shape means they require less mortar.
Working filling press to make bricks at Masooli Primary School
Workers fill a press—its design was modified by Musaazi—to make bricks at Masooli Primary School.
Rainwater harvesting tank
Technology for Tomorrow's rainwater harvesting tanks are larger and sturdier than other Ugandan water tanks and—because they are made of the interlocking bricks—they don't rust.
Rainwater harvesting tank
During the long rainy season, Uganda loses a lot of its much-needed water to runoff.
Children around solar water heaters Mpigi UMEA Primary School
Students surround one of Musaazi's solar water heaters at the Mpigi UMEA Primary School, which heat water for the girls' latrines.
Incinerator pipe
At the Mpigi UMEA Primary School, a pipe extends from a three-chambered incinerator into a latrine so girls can dispose of sanitary pads discreetly.
Girls in school
A classroom at Mpigi UMEA Primary School which uses several Technology for Tomorrow products, including solar water heaters, incinerators, and water tanks.
Makapads
Makapads dry on wooden frames at a plant in the Kyaka Refuge Settlement.
bundle
A worker returns to the Makapad plant with papyrus he has harvested from a nearby swamp.
Harvesting papyrus
A worker peels the green stem from papyrus stalks to expose the white pith beneath.
pole
A worker mashes pulverized papyrus with wet waste paper.
Taking shape
A worker sluices the papyrus-waste-paper mixture in water and then spreads it on wooden frames.
Cutting
Once the Makapads are sealed in plastic, a worker trims them by hand.
Bicycle wheel centrifuge
A bicycle-wheel centrifuge, invented by Musaazi, spins Makapads to hasten the drying process.
Victim No More shirt
The Makapad plant gives residents of the Kyaka refugee settlement an opportunity to make some money, which some use to educate their children.
"So little done. So much more to do."
Musaazi displays his motto on his office door. Translated from the Bugandan, it means, "So little done. So much more to do."
Moses with children
