The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today held a ground-breaking ceremony to kick off the construction of their multi-million-dollar joint office premises in Mbuya, a Kampala suburb.
The UNICEF and WFP joint premises will enable the two agencies to reduce long-term operational costs while giving their staff a safe and healthy work environment so that they can be more productive to serve the most vulnerable populations in Uganda.
The joint premises will strengthen WFP and UNICEF partnership and make it easier to implement programmes that the UN agencies are delivering jointly, including social protection for refugees and host communities, school feeding and addressing malnutrition in Karamoja.
“These joint premises are a reflection of our commitment in Uganda to deliver as one UN, working together to maximise the use of our resources while giving our best to the people we serve,” Susan Ngongi Namondo, the UN Resident Coordinator in Uganda said.
Situated on a UNICEF leased land of 2.6 acres, the premises will feature parking space, health amenities, gender-sensitive services such as breast-feeding rooms, green gardens and a separate conference facility. Special focus will be given to making sure the premises are energy efficient, making maximum use of natural light and using renewable energy sources such as solar. It will also provide for sewage treatment, water recycling and rainwater harvesting.
The building has been designed and will be built to save 20 percent on energy use, water consumption and material used in the building. This will afford the building an EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) certificate from the IFC-World Bank, a global standard for green building.
This will be achieved by a combination of measures that will include solar power in the building, improved insulation of the wall, natural ventilation of the offices, water recycling, rainwater harvesting and sewage treatment. The scheme also targets to retain over 50 percent of the greenery and trees in the landscape, while minimising the building’s carbon footprint. The building will feature energy-efficient installations and water appliances.
“UNICEF Uganda has been working towards positive climate action and with this new construction we show once again that we walk the talk,” M. Munir A. Safieldin, UNICEF Uganda Country Representative, said. “UNICEF is proud of today’s achievement. When we move into the premises, we shall be able to save on rent and operational costs. Money should be spent on ensuring safe and healthy future for boys and girls in the country.
As the multi-million-dollar project goes into procuring construction materials and paying for services, the project will contribute to the national economy. It will create jobs for an estimated 200 people, including women and young people, will be involved in both technical construction work and providing services such as preparing food. UNICEF and WFP aim to use locally available construction materials and will ensure that the building is easily accessible by all staff and visitors including those with disabilities.
“We are building premises that will reflect our values as an inclusive and environmentally conscious United Nations. The United Nations is already a great place to work, and these premises will create an even better environment for our staff – enabling them to deliver on the UN goals no matter what,” WFP Uganda Country Representative, Abdirahman Meygag said. “Whether it is our pregnant and breastfeeding staff and clients or people with disability, we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace while minimising our carbon footprint.”
