UgandAid have been involved in the village area of Nyenga for nine years, and have constructed multiple latrines, local houses, brick houses, chicken coop, pig pen, protected water supply etc. for people who have been selected by the community themselves as needing support. The village community have progressed to form a community co-operative group (NJECODA), intent on using the education that they have received from the NVI Community Based Training program to become more developed and self-sufficient.
For 2018 they have requested a community facility that will hopefully enable them to build their self-sufficiency by increasing their combined income potential.
Whilst UgandAid are not always able to give what the community say they want, their history with the village community, and the personal friendships made with many of the individuals met and embraced over the years, has persuaded them to focus on this single community project for 2018. We need to raise the funds necessary to pay for it, plus the paint and materials for the other project work at NVI itself.
I will be joining the UgandAid team in Uganda on 12th February 2018 for two weeks to support their work with the project, the village community of Nyenga and NVI. The trip I have completely funded myself and have put £100 towards the project; so all the funds raised will go straight to UgandAid and the 2018 community facility project described below.
Thank you so much for taking the time to look at my page and for any support you give! :D
NJECODA and NVI
NVI - Nile Vocational Institute is a private vocational institute was founded in 1987 at Njeru to give opportunities to the most needy, especially orphans. It provides good skills training in a sound, loving environment where youngsters are prepared practically, socially and emotionally for adult life.
NJECODA - Nyenga community development association is a community group that was formed through the support of NVI under the Community Based Training program.
The Community Project for 2018
The project is to fund a storage facility which will be able to store 10 tons of produce per season; produced locally by the farmers of Nyenga as well as stock bought from other local farmers. The facility will be used for bulking and selling to better customers like large industries, buyers and schools in the area.
The community group is in advanced stage of registering as a cooperative society, which will enable them to engage in bulk buying and selling of cereals and other agricultural products at better prices. This is in line with the government’s efforts to help community groups to register as cooperative societies, and so provide further existing opportunities.
The Primary members of the group are 50 farmers, however the cooperative society will target 8 villages with over 20,000 farmer households. This will enable them all to boost their welfare and that of their children.
For NJECODA to succeed in this dream of becoming self-sustaining, they need to construct their own cooperative stores for storage of cereals for bulk selling and as a strategy of moving towards more large scale production. The cost of the project is around £5,000.
Outcomes of the project and Sustainability
- The community group hopes to generate their own income which will enable them to support others in the community with varying needs;the group has already started to support the elderly by providing them with soap and sugar.
- After 2 years of the project the community group will be able to support and pay education fees for about 5 children.
- They will also be able to support the construction of at least 3 local houses each year after 2 years from the proceeds of the business.
- The activities of the group will increase the production of cereals which will scale up the storage systems introduced by the world food program.
