SMEP News
Explore the latest SMEP news and stories here. Our news section showcases key events, achievements, and thought-provoking articles to keep our community and visitors abreast of SMEP happenings.
The SMEP Programme: Highlighting the socio-economic impact of grant spending in underserved geographies
Investing in donor grant spending in underserved geographies can significantly transform marginalised areas by stimulating local finance flows and local economic opportunities. We highlight two of the SMEP-funded projects which are designed to provide opportunities to those communities in difficult-to-reach areas and marginalised groups.
Illicit Trade in Waste: Bridging the Gaps between Policy and Practice
Dr Amrita Kundu and Ms Michelle Wilson, who are leading funded projects under the SMEP programme, attended the 14th session of the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Commission in Geneva on the 25th April 2024. They provided insight into the scale, scope, and dynamics of illicit trade flows in solid
The Electric Three-Wheeler Sector in Bangladesh: Regulating for Growth, Preventing Lead Pollution, and Unlocking Green Investment
A successful stakeholder workshop was held in Dhaka with key partners to discuss policy levers to address the. health impacts of used lead acid batteries, informed by the recently released policy review entitled, ‘Unified Policies, Healthier Journeys: Addressing the Used-Lead-Acid-Battery challenge in Bangladesh.”
Mananasi Fibre: An innovative start-up with a gender-friendly workplace ethic
Mananasi Fibre is a start-up based in Thika, Kenya that takes a “hands-on” approach to innovation. The company’s mission is to transform discarded pineapple leaves into textile-grade fibres, nutrient-rich compost and soil-enhancing products. Mananasi kicked off site implementation in July 2023 with the help of grant funding from the SMEP Programme. The focus has been on
A nexus of the Kenyan Blue Economy and the SMEP-funded Catchgreen project
Representatives from SMEP and the Catchgreen project, recently traveled to Kenya to observe the piloting of their biodegradable compostable fishing nets used in a local Kenyan seaweed farming initiative as well as in a coral restoration project. Read more here about this remarkable collaboration.
1st Workshop on Eco-Tanning Processes in Kenya and the East African Region
This hybrid workshop, which took place on 17-18 August, 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, was sponsored by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and co-organized by UNCTAD, the Technical University of Kenya (TUK), the Kenyan State Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and the Tanners Association of Kenya (TAK).
