Growing bamboo can easily turn someone into a millionaire. As the world’s fastest growing perennial woody grass, bamboo has a variety of uses. Filtering water is just one of hundreds of different ways bamboo can be put to use.
Besides protecting the environment, Karuhanga says the two bamboo species have the capacity to change lives of many Ugandan farmers. Every part of the bamboo plant, from roots to leaves, is useful.
Bamboo can serve as food for both animals, especially mountain gorillas, and human beings. The shoots of certain species, like the one found on the slopes of Mt. Elgon, can be eaten, while leaves can be fed to goats and cattle.
The stem, however, is the most sought after part of the bamboo. Besides being popular with constructors because it is strong yet light, the stem can be processed into hundreds of products including tooth picks, furniture, jewellery, clothes and medicine.
Other products that can be made out of bamboo are musical instruments, cooking utensils, bags, water and sewerage pipes, match sticks, floor tiles, textile material, curtains and furniture. There is even a bicycle made purely out of bamboo.
Below is the A-Z of bamboo products;
A: Activated charcoal, acupuncture needles, airplane wing members, alcohol, anchors, antenna supports, aphrodisiac, arbors, arrows and arrow tips, ashtrays and awnings.
B: Baby carriages, bagpipes, barrels, baskets, beads, beanpoles, beds, beehives, bicycles, blinds, blowguns and darts, boards, boat hoods, boats, bolts, bookcases, bottles, bowls, bows , boxes, bracelets, bridges, brooms, brushes, brush pots, buckets, buttons.
C : Cables, candlesticks, canes, carts, castanets catalyst (tabasheer), caulking, chairs, chisels, chopsticks, cigarette holders, clothes, clothe-racks, clubs, combs, cooking vessels, chicken coops, couches, cow bells, crates, cribs, crosses, crutches, cultures for bacteria, cups, curtains.
D: Dams, defensive fortifications, deodorizers, desks, diesel fuel, dikes, dirigible, dolls, domes, dowel pins, dredge (fishing), drouges, dustpans.
E: Egg-cups.
F : Fans, fences, fenders, fertiliser, firearms, fire starters, firewood, fishnets, fish poles, flagpoles, floats, flooring, flowerpots, flutes, flying art, food, forage, frames, fruit pickers, furniture.
G: Gabions, games, garments, gates, grain, grain storage, graters, greenhouses, guns, gutters and gypsy vans.
H: Hairpins, hampers, handles, hats, hay, helmets, hen houses, hinges, hoops, hookahs.
I: Iceless coolers, incense sticks, insect cages, irrigation waterwheels and pipes.
J: Jackets, jars, jewelry, joss sticks, junks
K: Kiosk, kites.
L: ladders, ladles, lampshades, landing docks, landscaping, lanterns, laundry poles.
M: Markers, masts, matting, mattresses, medicines, mills, musical instruments, mahjong tiles.
N: Nails, napkin rings, net floats, nets, needles
O: Organs, ornaments, outriggers, ox cart beds, ox goads, oyster cultivation.
P: Packaging, paper cutters, paper pulp, pegs, pen and pencil holders, pins, pipes, plates, poles
R: Racks, rafts, raincoats, rakes, rattles, rayon, record needles, reeds, rings, ritual objects, roofing, ropes, rug poles, rulers.
S: Sailcovers, sails, sailstays, salt well drilling, sandals, scaffolding, scales, scarecrows, scoops, scratchers, screens, scrubbers, sedan chairs, shades, shavings, sheaths, shields, shingles, shoehorns, shoe soles, spears.
T: tables, tea strainers, tents, tiles, toys, trailers, transport, traps.
U: Umbrellas.
V: Valiha (musical instrument).
W: Wagons, walking sticks, walls, water jugs, water pistols, water storage, waterwheels, waxes, weapons, weaving shuttles and looms, whips, whistles, wicks, windbreaks, windmills, wine storage, winnowing machines, writing brushes and pens
X: Xylophones
Y: Yurts
Z: Zithers
