Food Security Through Sustainable Agriculture (Uganda)
In December 2001, I travelled on a cultural trip through to Timbuktu in Mali, West Africa. During the trip I saw a need for a school in the Dogon area. On my return home to the, I presented my idea to raise funds to build a school to some extremely generous Nikken friends and distributors (www.nikkenuk.com) who donated approximately £3,000!
However, due to increasing prices of raw materials as a result of wars (according to my contact at the UN) and some challenges and concerns about getting information from my contact on the ground in Mali, I decided not to pursue this project.
Although I felt disappointed that I had failed to raise sufficient funds to build the school, I was uncomfortable with having the money sitting in a bank account while I tried to raise the remaining funds. After much deliberation, I decided that the money raised would be of more benefit to others if it were to go towards a suitable project that would benefit from a small financial injection.
I contacted Plan International and chose a programme that was in need of funding and donated all funds raised specifically for this project. These funds were used to support a food security programme in Uganda (see below).
The following documents, the description of the programme and the acknowledgement of my contribution, were provided by Plan International. I also have a follow up document on this programme available.
To all my Nikken friends, this is your doing. Thank You for your generosity.
Food Security Through Sustainable Agriculture (Uganda)
Plan International
Plan is a child-centred community development agency seeking to enable family and communities in 45 of the world’s poorest countries to make a lasting improvement to the lives of their children. Our vision is of a world in which all children realise their full potential in societies which respect people’s rights and dignity.
Plan strives to achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries through a process which unites people across cultures and adds meaning and value to their lives by:
· Enabling children, their families and communities to meet their basic needs and to increase their ability to participate in, and benefit from, their societies
· Building relationships to increase understanding and unity among people of different cultures and countries
· Promoting the rights and interests of the world’s children
Project Background
Uganda is a mountainous, landlocked country that stretches along the equator in the heart of the African continent. The country has a turbulent post-colonial history with the dictatorships of Idi Amin (1971-79) and
Plan has been working in since 1992 supporting mainly rural development projects in the central provinces of Luwero, Tororo, and Kamuli, where this project is based. Most households in the region are dependent upon subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods and rapid population growth has produced growing pressure upon scarce natural resources. Approximately 90% of families in Kamuli live off less than 2 acres of land using traditional farming techniques which do not provide families with enough food to last them to the next harvesting season. Over half the families in the Plan area consume less than the Food and Agriculture Association’s recommended intake of 2,000 calories a day and malnourishment is common among the young with 29% of children under 5 years age suffering from stunted growth.
An added consequence of these pressures is the increasing devastation of the area’s rich natural environment. Kamuli is one of ’s main suppliers of charcoal and hard timber and the rate of deforestation is growing steadily as people attempt to improve their household income and search for additional farmland to cultivate crops. Whilst these actions are understandable given the extreme poverty within the district they are also storing up big problems for the future. Deforestation causes soil erosion and creates imbalances in the local eco-system which will make it even more difficult for local communities to make a living from the land. This creates a vicious circle as can be seen in the illustration below:
Project Summary
The current project will attempt to address these problems through a community-based environmental sustainability programme. The project will first identify 500 families to participate in the programme with emphasis given to female-headed households and those living with HIV/AIDS. In women often play a leading but unrecognised role in agricultural related activities and their voices are rarely heard in decisions around resource management.
These families will participate in an education and training programme delivered by the local partner Africa Network 2000 that will raise awareness about the vital link between environmental degradation and poverty. The programme will be based around the following practical activities that will improve the ability of households to practice ecologically sustainable management enterprises:
· Soil erosion control and fertility management
· Establishment of fruit nurseries as an erosion prevention tool and method of improving family nutrition
· Vegetable growing as a means of diversifying income and improving nutrition
· Gender balanced work schedules and the importance of involving women in decisions regarding land use, income generation, energy conservation and nutrition
· Importance of a nutritious and balanced diet
· 30 Participants will also be trained in peer-to-peer education methods that will enable them to train other farmers.
Farmers will then be encouraged to adopt the new methods of farming. Participating households will be provided with all the necessary technical assistance and farm inputs (such as new crop varieties, farming tools, fruit and vegetable saplings) will be provided on a revolving basis. These inputs will be ‘loaned’ to the farmers through the project committee and paid back to the community in-kind once the harvest is gathered.
Project Benefits
· 500 households in Kabuli district to benefit from training in sustainable environmental management leading to improved productivity and diversification into fruit and vegetable production
· All household members, but particularly children, to benefit from improved nutrition through a diet that contains both fruit and vegetables
· Local economy to benefit from increased household incomes and additional produce delivered through the project
· Local environment to benefit from erosion control, improved soil fertility management and a reduction in the rate of deforestation
Sustainability and Local Involvement
Plan recognises that poor women, men and young people are in the best position to identify and articulate their needs. This project has therefore been developed through an existing community development committee made up of women, men and young people selected by the local community. The committee identified the aims of the project and will be responsible for all aspects of the project’s delivery from planning and implementing the activities to monitoring and evaluation. Plan’s role will be to support and, where needed, provide technical assistance to this process in partnership with Africa Network 2000, a local organisation which has experience in supporting community development projects and will deliver the training programme.
The project is supported by local civic leaders and the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture and will promote community-initiated by laws to limit and reduce tree cutting and erosion. The main risks include the weather which could make growing conditions difficult in the event of a prolonged dry spell and the HIV/AIDS pandemic which could reduce productive labour needed for agricultural production. Contingency for these will include the production of a more diverse range of crops to reduce weather dependency and the creation of a labour pool through the project committee to support households experiencing difficulties at harvest time.
Received from Plan International
Plan is a child-centred community development agency seeking to enable family and communities in 45 of the world’s poorest countries to make a lasting improvement to the lives of their children. Our vision is of a world in which all children realise their full potential in societies which respect people’s rights and dignity.
Plan strives to achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries through a process which unites people across cultures and adds meaning and value to their lives by:
· Enabling children, their families and communities to meet their basic needs and to increase their ability to participate in, and benefit from, their societies
· Building relationships to increase understanding and unity among people of different cultures and countries
· Promoting the rights and interests of the world’s children
Project Background
Uganda is a mountainous, landlocked country that stretches along the equator in the heart of the African continent. The country has a turbulent post-colonial history with the dictatorships of Idi Amin (1971-79) and
Plan has been working in since 1992 supporting mainly rural development projects in the central provinces of Luwero, Tororo, and Kamuli, where this project is based. Most households in the region are dependent upon subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods and rapid population growth has produced growing pressure upon scarce natural resources. Approximately 90% of families in Kamuli live off less than 2 acres of land using traditional farming techniques which do not provide families with enough food to last them to the next harvesting season. Over half the families in the Plan area consume less than the Food and Agriculture Association’s recommended intake of 2,000 calories a day and malnourishment is common among the young with 29% of children under 5 years age suffering from stunted growth.
An added consequence of these pressures is the increasing devastation of the area’s rich natural environment. Kamuli is one of ’s main suppliers of charcoal and hard timber and the rate of deforestation is growing steadily as people attempt to improve their household income and search for additional farmland to cultivate crops. Whilst these actions are understandable given the extreme poverty within the district they are also storing up big problems for the future. Deforestation causes soil erosion and creates imbalances in the local eco-system which will make it even more difficult for local communities to make a living from the land. This creates a vicious circle as can be seen in the illustration below:
Project Summary
The current project will attempt to address these problems through a community-based environmental sustainability programme. The project will first identify 500 families to participate in the programme with emphasis given to female-headed households and those living with HIV/AIDS. In women often play a leading but unrecognised role in agricultural related activities and their voices are rarely heard in decisions around resource management.
These families will participate in an education and training programme delivered by the local partner Africa Network 2000 that will raise awareness about the vital link between environmental degradation and poverty. The programme will be based around the following practical activities that will improve the ability of households to practice ecologically sustainable management enterprises:
· Soil erosion control and fertility management
· Establishment of fruit nurseries as an erosion prevention tool and method of improving family nutrition
· Vegetable growing as a means of diversifying income and improving nutrition
· Gender balanced work schedules and the importance of involving women in decisions regarding land use, income generation, energy conservation and nutrition
· Importance of a nutritious and balanced diet
· 30 Participants will also be trained in peer-to-peer education methods that will enable them to train other farmers.
Farmers will then be encouraged to adopt the new methods of farming. Participating households will be provided with all the necessary technical assistance and farm inputs (such as new crop varieties, farming tools, fruit and vegetable saplings) will be provided on a revolving basis. These inputs will be ‘loaned’ to the farmers through the project committee and paid back to the community in-kind once the harvest is gathered.
Project Benefits
· 500 households in Kabuli district to benefit from training in sustainable environmental management leading to improved productivity and diversification into fruit and vegetable production
· All household members, but particularly children, to benefit from improved nutrition through a diet that contains both fruit and vegetables
· Local economy to benefit from increased household incomes and additional produce delivered through the project
· Local environment to benefit from erosion control, improved soil fertility management and a reduction in the rate of deforestation
Sustainability and Local Involvement
Plan recognises that poor women, men and young people are in the best position to identify and articulate their needs. This project has therefore been developed through an existing community development committee made up of women, men and young people selected by the local community. The committee identified the aims of the project and will be responsible for all aspects of the project’s delivery from planning and implementing the activities to monitoring and evaluation. Plan’s role will be to support and, where needed, provide technical assistance to this process in partnership with Africa Network 2000, a local organisation which has experience in supporting community development projects and will deliver the training programme.
The project is supported by local civic leaders and the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture and will promote community-initiated by laws to limit and reduce tree cutting and erosion. The main risks include the weather which could make growing conditions difficult in the event of a prolonged dry spell and the HIV/AIDS pandemic which could reduce productive labour needed for agricultural production. Contingency for these will include the production of a more diverse range of crops to reduce weather dependency and the creation of a labour pool through the project committee to support households experiencing difficulties at harvest time.
Received from Plan International
Plan strives to achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries through a process which unites people across cultures and adds meaning and value to their lives by:
· Enabling children, their families and communities to meet their basic needs and to increase their ability to participate in, and benefit from, their societies
· Building relationships to increase understanding and unity among people of different cultures and countries
· Promoting the rights and interests of the world’s children
Project Background
Uganda is a mountainous, landlocked country that stretches along the equator in the heart of the African continent. The country has a turbulent post-colonial history with the dictatorships of Idi Amin (1971-79) and
Plan has been working in since 1992 supporting mainly rural development projects in the central provinces of Luwero, Tororo, and Kamuli, where this project is based. Most households in the region are dependent upon subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods and rapid population growth has produced growing pressure upon scarce natural resources. Approximately 90% of families in Kamuli live off less than 2 acres of land using traditional farming techniques which do not provide families with enough food to last them to the next harvesting season. Over half the families in the Plan area consume less than the Food and Agriculture Association’s recommended intake of 2,000 calories a day and malnourishment is common among the young with 29% of children under 5 years age suffering from stunted growth.
An added consequence of these pressures is the increasing devastation of the area’s rich natural environment. Kamuli is one of ’s main suppliers of charcoal and hard timber and the rate of deforestation is growing steadily as people attempt to improve their household income and search for additional farmland to cultivate crops. Whilst these actions are understandable given the extreme poverty within the district they are also storing up big problems for the future. Deforestation causes soil erosion and creates imbalances in the local eco-system which will make it even more difficult for local communities to make a living from the land. This creates a vicious circle as can be seen in the illustration below:
Project Summary
The current project will attempt to address these problems through a community-based environmental sustainability programme. The project will first identify 500 families to participate in the programme with emphasis given to female-headed households and those living with HIV/AIDS. In women often play a leading but unrecognised role in agricultural related activities and their voices are rarely heard in decisions around resource management.
These families will participate in an education and training programme delivered by the local partner Africa Network 2000 that will raise awareness about the vital link between environmental degradation and poverty. The programme will be based around the following practical activities that will improve the ability of households to practice ecologically sustainable management enterprises:
· Soil erosion control and fertility management
· Establishment of fruit nurseries as an erosion prevention tool and method of improving family nutrition
· Vegetable growing as a means of diversifying income and improving nutrition
· Gender balanced work schedules and the importance of involving women in decisions regarding land use, income generation, energy conservation and nutrition
· Importance of a nutritious and balanced diet
· 30 Participants will also be trained in peer-to-peer education methods that will enable them to train other farmers.
Farmers will then be encouraged to adopt the new methods of farming. Participating households will be provided with all the necessary technical assistance and farm inputs (such as new crop varieties, farming tools, fruit and vegetable saplings) will be provided on a revolving basis. These inputs will be ‘loaned’ to the farmers through the project committee and paid back to the community in-kind once the harvest is gathered.
Project Benefits
· 500 households in Kabuli district to benefit from training in sustainable environmental management leading to improved productivity and diversification into fruit and vegetable production
· All household members, but particularly children, to benefit from improved nutrition through a diet that contains both fruit and vegetables
· Local economy to benefit from increased household incomes and additional produce delivered through the project
· Local environment to benefit from erosion control, improved soil fertility management and a reduction in the rate of deforestation
Sustainability and Local Involvement
Plan recognises that poor women, men and young people are in the best position to identify and articulate their needs. This project has therefore been developed through an existing community development committee made up of women, men and young people selected by the local community. The committee identified the aims of the project and will be responsible for all aspects of the project’s delivery from planning and implementing the activities to monitoring and evaluation. Plan’s role will be to support and, where needed, provide technical assistance to this process in partnership with Africa Network 2000, a local organisation which has experience in supporting community development projects and will deliver the training programme.
The project is supported by local civic leaders and the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture and will promote community-initiated by laws to limit and reduce tree cutting and erosion. The main risks include the weather which could make growing conditions difficult in the event of a prolonged dry spell and the HIV/AIDS pandemic which could reduce productive labour needed for agricultural production. Contingency for these will include the production of a more diverse range of crops to reduce weather dependency and the creation of a labour pool through the project committee to support households experiencing difficulties at harvest time.
Received from Plan International
· Building relationships to increase understanding and unity among people of different cultures and countries
· Promoting the rights and interests of the world’s children
Project Background
Uganda is a mountainous, landlocked country that stretches along the equator in the heart of the African continent. The country has a turbulent post-colonial history with the dictatorships of Idi Amin (1971-79) and
Plan has been working in since 1992 supporting mainly rural development projects in the central provinces of Luwero, Tororo, and Kamuli, where this project is based. Most households in the region are dependent upon subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods and rapid population growth has produced growing pressure upon scarce natural resources. Approximately 90% of families in Kamuli live off less than 2 acres of land using traditional farming techniques which do not provide families with enough food to last them to the next harvesting season. Over half the families in the Plan area consume less than the Food and Agriculture Association’s recommended intake of 2,000 calories a day and malnourishment is common among the young with 29% of children under 5 years age suffering from stunted growth.
An added consequence of these pressures is the increasing devastation of the area’s rich natural environment. Kamuli is one of ’s main suppliers of charcoal and hard timber and the rate of deforestation is growing steadily as people attempt to improve their household income and search for additional farmland to cultivate crops. Whilst these actions are understandable given the extreme poverty within the district they are also storing up big problems for the future. Deforestation causes soil erosion and creates imbalances in the local eco-system which will make it even more difficult for local communities to make a living from the land. This creates a vicious circle as can be seen in the illustration below:
Project Summary
The current project will attempt to address these problems through a community-based environmental sustainability programme. The project will first identify 500 families to participate in the programme with emphasis given to female-headed households and those living with HIV/AIDS. In women often play a leading but unrecognised role in agricultural related activities and their voices are rarely heard in decisions around resource management.
These families will participate in an education and training programme delivered by the local partner Africa Network 2000 that will raise awareness about the vital link between environmental degradation and poverty. The programme will be based around the following practical activities that will improve the ability of households to practice ecologically sustainable management enterprises:
· Soil erosion control and fertility management
· Establishment of fruit nurseries as an erosion prevention tool and method of improving family nutrition
· Vegetable growing as a means of diversifying income and improving nutrition
· Gender balanced work schedules and the importance of involving women in decisions regarding land use, income generation, energy conservation and nutrition
· Importance of a nutritious and balanced diet
· 30 Participants will also be trained in peer-to-peer education methods that will enable them to train other farmers.
Farmers will then be encouraged to adopt the new methods of farming. Participating households will be provided with all the necessary technical assistance and farm inputs (such as new crop varieties, farming tools, fruit and vegetable saplings) will be provided on a revolving basis. These inputs will be ‘loaned’ to the farmers through the project committee and paid back to the community in-kind once the harvest is gathered.
Project Benefits
· 500 households in Kabuli district to benefit from training in sustainable environmental management leading to improved productivity and diversification into fruit and vegetable production
· All household members, but particularly children, to benefit from improved nutrition through a diet that contains both fruit and vegetables
· Local economy to benefit from increased household incomes and additional produce delivered through the project
· Local environment to benefit from erosion control, improved soil fertility management and a reduction in the rate of deforestation
Sustainability and Local Involvement
Plan recognises that poor women, men and young people are in the best position to identify and articulate their needs. This project has therefore been developed through an existing community development committee made up of women, men and young people selected by the local community. The committee identified the aims of the project and will be responsible for all aspects of the project’s delivery from planning and implementing the activities to monitoring and evaluation. Plan’s role will be to support and, where needed, provide technical assistance to this process in partnership with Africa Network 2000, a local organisation which has experience in supporting community development projects and will deliver the training programme.
The project is supported by local civic leaders and the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture and will promote community-initiated by laws to limit and reduce tree cutting and erosion. The main risks include the weather which could make growing conditions difficult in the event of a prolonged dry spell and the HIV/AIDS pandemic which could reduce productive labour needed for agricultural production. Contingency for these will include the production of a more diverse range of crops to reduce weather dependency and the creation of a labour pool through the project committee to support households experiencing difficulties at harvest time.
Received from Plan International
Project Background
Uganda is a mountainous, landlocked country that stretches along the equator in the heart of the African continent. The country has a turbulent post-colonial history with the dictatorships of Idi Amin (1971-79) and
Plan has been working in since 1992 supporting mainly rural development projects in the central provinces of Luwero, Tororo, and Kamuli, where this project is based. Most households in the region are dependent upon subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods and rapid population growth has produced growing pressure upon scarce natural resources. Approximately 90% of families in Kamuli live off less than 2 acres of land using traditional farming techniques which do not provide families with enough food to last them to the next harvesting season. Over half the families in the Plan area consume less than the Food and Agriculture Association’s recommended intake of 2,000 calories a day and malnourishment is common among the young with 29% of children under 5 years age suffering from stunted growth.
An added consequence of these pressures is the increasing devastation of the area’s rich natural environment. Kamuli is one of ’s main suppliers of charcoal and hard timber and the rate of deforestation is growing steadily as people attempt to improve their household income and search for additional farmland to cultivate crops. Whilst these actions are understandable given the extreme poverty within the district they are also storing up big problems for the future. Deforestation causes soil erosion and creates imbalances in the local eco-system which will make it even more difficult for local communities to make a living from the land. This creates a vicious circle as can be seen in the illustration below:
Project Summary
The current project will attempt to address these problems through a community-based environmental sustainability programme. The project will first identify 500 families to participate in the programme with emphasis given to female-headed households and those living with HIV/AIDS. In women often play a leading but unrecognised role in agricultural related activities and their voices are rarely heard in decisions around resource management.
These families will participate in an education and training programme delivered by the local partner Africa Network 2000 that will raise awareness about the vital link between environmental degradation and poverty. The programme will be based around the following practical activities that will improve the ability of households to practice ecologically sustainable management enterprises:
· Soil erosion control and fertility management
· Establishment of fruit nurseries as an erosion prevention tool and method of improving family nutrition
· Vegetable growing as a means of diversifying income and improving nutrition
· Gender balanced work schedules and the importance of involving women in decisions regarding land use, income generation, energy conservation and nutrition
· Importance of a nutritious and balanced diet
· 30 Participants will also be trained in peer-to-peer education methods that will enable them to train other farmers.
Farmers will then be encouraged to adopt the new methods of farming. Participating households will be provided with all the necessary technical assistance and farm inputs (such as new crop varieties, farming tools, fruit and vegetable saplings) will be provided on a revolving basis. These inputs will be ‘loaned’ to the farmers through the project committee and paid back to the community in-kind once the harvest is gathered.
Project Benefits
· 500 households in Kabuli district to benefit from training in sustainable environmental management leading to improved productivity and diversification into fruit and vegetable production
· All household members, but particularly children, to benefit from improved nutrition through a diet that contains both fruit and vegetables
· Local economy to benefit from increased household incomes and additional produce delivered through the project
· Local environment to benefit from erosion control, improved soil fertility management and a reduction in the rate of deforestation
Sustainability and Local Involvement
Plan recognises that poor women, men and young people are in the best position to identify and articulate their needs. This project has therefore been developed through an existing community development committee made up of women, men and young people selected by the local community. The committee identified the aims of the project and will be responsible for all aspects of the project’s delivery from planning and implementing the activities to monitoring and evaluation. Plan’s role will be to support and, where needed, provide technical assistance to this process in partnership with Africa Network 2000, a local organisation which has experience in supporting community development projects and will deliver the training programme.
The project is supported by local civic leaders and the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture and will promote community-initiated by laws to limit and reduce tree cutting and erosion. The main risks include the weather which could make growing conditions difficult in the event of a prolonged dry spell and the HIV/AIDS pandemic which could reduce productive labour needed for agricultural production. Contingency for these will include the production of a more diverse range of crops to reduce weather dependency and the creation of a labour pool through the project committee to support households experiencing difficulties at harvest time.
Received from Plan International
An added consequence of these pressures is the increasing devastation of the area’s rich natural environment. Kamuli is one of ’s main suppliers of charcoal and hard timber and the rate of deforestation is growing steadily as people attempt to improve their household income and search for additional farmland to cultivate crops. Whilst these actions are understandable given the extreme poverty within the district they are also storing up big problems for the future. Deforestation causes soil erosion and creates imbalances in the local eco-system which will make it even more difficult for local communities to make a living from the land. This creates a vicious circle as can be seen in the illustration below:
Project Summary
The current project will attempt to address these problems through a community-based environmental sustainability programme. The project will first identify 500 families to participate in the programme with emphasis given to female-headed households and those living with HIV/AIDS. In women often play a leading but unrecognised role in agricultural related activities and their voices are rarely heard in decisions around resource management.
These families will participate in an education and training programme delivered by the local partner Africa Network 2000 that will raise awareness about the vital link between environmental degradation and poverty. The programme will be based around the following practical activities that will improve the ability of households to practice ecologically sustainable management enterprises:
· Soil erosion control and fertility management
· Establishment of fruit nurseries as an erosion prevention tool and method of improving family nutrition
· Vegetable growing as a means of diversifying income and improving nutrition
· Gender balanced work schedules and the importance of involving women in decisions regarding land use, income generation, energy conservation and nutrition
· Importance of a nutritious and balanced diet
· 30 Participants will also be trained in peer-to-peer education methods that will enable them to train other farmers.
Farmers will then be encouraged to adopt the new methods of farming. Participating households will be provided with all the necessary technical assistance and farm inputs (such as new crop varieties, farming tools, fruit and vegetable saplings) will be provided on a revolving basis. These inputs will be ‘loaned’ to the farmers through the project committee and paid back to the community in-kind once the harvest is gathered.
Project Benefits
· 500 households in Kabuli district to benefit from training in sustainable environmental management leading to improved productivity and diversification into fruit and vegetable production
· All household members, but particularly children, to benefit from improved nutrition through a diet that contains both fruit and vegetables
· Local economy to benefit from increased household incomes and additional produce delivered through the project
· Local environment to benefit from erosion control, improved soil fertility management and a reduction in the rate of deforestation
Sustainability and Local Involvement
Plan recognises that poor women, men and young people are in the best position to identify and articulate their needs. This project has therefore been developed through an existing community development committee made up of women, men and young people selected by the local community. The committee identified the aims of the project and will be responsible for all aspects of the project’s delivery from planning and implementing the activities to monitoring and evaluation. Plan’s role will be to support and, where needed, provide technical assistance to this process in partnership with Africa Network 2000, a local organisation which has experience in supporting community development projects and will deliver the training programme.
The project is supported by local civic leaders and the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture and will promote community-initiated by laws to limit and reduce tree cutting and erosion. The main risks include the weather which could make growing conditions difficult in the event of a prolonged dry spell and the HIV/AIDS pandemic which could reduce productive labour needed for agricultural production. Contingency for these will include the production of a more diverse range of crops to reduce weather dependency and the creation of a labour pool through the project committee to support households experiencing difficulties at harvest time.
Received from Plan International
The current project will attempt to address these problems through a community-based environmental sustainability programme. The project will first identify 500 families to participate in the programme with emphasis given to female-headed households and those living with HIV/AIDS. In women often play a leading but unrecognised role in agricultural related activities and their voices are rarely heard in decisions around resource management.
These families will participate in an education and training programme delivered by the local partner Africa Network 2000 that will raise awareness about the vital link between environmental degradation and poverty. The programme will be based around the following practical activities that will improve the ability of households to practice ecologically sustainable management enterprises:
· Soil erosion control and fertility management
· Establishment of fruit nurseries as an erosion prevention tool and method of improving family nutrition
· Vegetable growing as a means of diversifying income and improving nutrition
· Gender balanced work schedules and the importance of involving women in decisions regarding land use, income generation, energy conservation and nutrition
· Importance of a nutritious and balanced diet
· 30 Participants will also be trained in peer-to-peer education methods that will enable them to train other farmers.
Farmers will then be encouraged to adopt the new methods of farming. Participating households will be provided with all the necessary technical assistance and farm inputs (such as new crop varieties, farming tools, fruit and vegetable saplings) will be provided on a revolving basis. These inputs will be ‘loaned’ to the farmers through the project committee and paid back to the community in-kind once the harvest is gathered.
Project Benefits
· 500 households in Kabuli district to benefit from training in sustainable environmental management leading to improved productivity and diversification into fruit and vegetable production
· All household members, but particularly children, to benefit from improved nutrition through a diet that contains both fruit and vegetables
· Local economy to benefit from increased household incomes and additional produce delivered through the project
· Local environment to benefit from erosion control, improved soil fertility management and a reduction in the rate of deforestation
Sustainability and Local Involvement
Plan recognises that poor women, men and young people are in the best position to identify and articulate their needs. This project has therefore been developed through an existing community development committee made up of women, men and young people selected by the local community. The committee identified the aims of the project and will be responsible for all aspects of the project’s delivery from planning and implementing the activities to monitoring and evaluation. Plan’s role will be to support and, where needed, provide technical assistance to this process in partnership with Africa Network 2000, a local organisation which has experience in supporting community development projects and will deliver the training programme.
The project is supported by local civic leaders and the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture and will promote community-initiated by laws to limit and reduce tree cutting and erosion. The main risks include the weather which could make growing conditions difficult in the event of a prolonged dry spell and the HIV/AIDS pandemic which could reduce productive labour needed for agricultural production. Contingency for these will include the production of a more diverse range of crops to reduce weather dependency and the creation of a labour pool through the project committee to support households experiencing difficulties at harvest time.
Received from Plan International
· Soil erosion control and fertility management
· Establishment of fruit nurseries as an erosion prevention tool and method of improving family nutrition
· Vegetable growing as a means of diversifying income and improving nutrition
· Gender balanced work schedules and the importance of involving women in decisions regarding land use, income generation, energy conservation and nutrition
· Importance of a nutritious and balanced diet
· 30 Participants will also be trained in peer-to-peer education methods that will enable them to train other farmers.
Farmers will then be encouraged to adopt the new methods of farming. Participating households will be provided with all the necessary technical assistance and farm inputs (such as new crop varieties, farming tools, fruit and vegetable saplings) will be provided on a revolving basis. These inputs will be ‘loaned’ to the farmers through the project committee and paid back to the community in-kind once the harvest is gathered.
Project Benefits
· 500 households in Kabuli district to benefit from training in sustainable environmental management leading to improved productivity and diversification into fruit and vegetable production
· All household members, but particularly children, to benefit from improved nutrition through a diet that contains both fruit and vegetables
· Local economy to benefit from increased household incomes and additional produce delivered through the project
· Local environment to benefit from erosion control, improved soil fertility management and a reduction in the rate of deforestation
Sustainability and Local Involvement
Plan recognises that poor women, men and young people are in the best position to identify and articulate their needs. This project has therefore been developed through an existing community development committee made up of women, men and young people selected by the local community. The committee identified the aims of the project and will be responsible for all aspects of the project’s delivery from planning and implementing the activities to monitoring and evaluation. Plan’s role will be to support and, where needed, provide technical assistance to this process in partnership with Africa Network 2000, a local organisation which has experience in supporting community development projects and will deliver the training programme.
The project is supported by local civic leaders and the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture and will promote community-initiated by laws to limit and reduce tree cutting and erosion. The main risks include the weather which could make growing conditions difficult in the event of a prolonged dry spell and the HIV/AIDS pandemic which could reduce productive labour needed for agricultural production. Contingency for these will include the production of a more diverse range of crops to reduce weather dependency and the creation of a labour pool through the project committee to support households experiencing difficulties at harvest time.
Received from Plan International
· Vegetable growing as a means of diversifying income and improving nutrition
· Gender balanced work schedules and the importance of involving women in decisions regarding land use, income generation, energy conservation and nutrition
· Importance of a nutritious and balanced diet
· 30 Participants will also be trained in peer-to-peer education methods that will enable them to train other farmers.
Farmers will then be encouraged to adopt the new methods of farming. Participating households will be provided with all the necessary technical assistance and farm inputs (such as new crop varieties, farming tools, fruit and vegetable saplings) will be provided on a revolving basis. These inputs will be ‘loaned’ to the farmers through the project committee and paid back to the community in-kind once the harvest is gathered.
Project Benefits
· 500 households in Kabuli district to benefit from training in sustainable environmental management leading to improved productivity and diversification into fruit and vegetable production
· All household members, but particularly children, to benefit from improved nutrition through a diet that contains both fruit and vegetables
· Local economy to benefit from increased household incomes and additional produce delivered through the project
· Local environment to benefit from erosion control, improved soil fertility management and a reduction in the rate of deforestation
Sustainability and Local Involvement
Plan recognises that poor women, men and young people are in the best position to identify and articulate their needs. This project has therefore been developed through an existing community development committee made up of women, men and young people selected by the local community. The committee identified the aims of the project and will be responsible for all aspects of the project’s delivery from planning and implementing the activities to monitoring and evaluation. Plan’s role will be to support and, where needed, provide technical assistance to this process in partnership with Africa Network 2000, a local organisation which has experience in supporting community development projects and will deliver the training programme.
The project is supported by local civic leaders and the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture and will promote community-initiated by laws to limit and reduce tree cutting and erosion. The main risks include the weather which could make growing conditions difficult in the event of a prolonged dry spell and the HIV/AIDS pandemic which could reduce productive labour needed for agricultural production. Contingency for these will include the production of a more diverse range of crops to reduce weather dependency and the creation of a labour pool through the project committee to support households experiencing difficulties at harvest time.
Received from Plan International
· Importance of a nutritious and balanced diet
· 30 Participants will also be trained in peer-to-peer education methods that will enable them to train other farmers.
Farmers will then be encouraged to adopt the new methods of farming. Participating households will be provided with all the necessary technical assistance and farm inputs (such as new crop varieties, farming tools, fruit and vegetable saplings) will be provided on a revolving basis. These inputs will be ‘loaned’ to the farmers through the project committee and paid back to the community in-kind once the harvest is gathered.
Project Benefits
· 500 households in Kabuli district to benefit from training in sustainable environmental management leading to improved productivity and diversification into fruit and vegetable production
· All household members, but particularly children, to benefit from improved nutrition through a diet that contains both fruit and vegetables
· Local economy to benefit from increased household incomes and additional produce delivered through the project
· Local environment to benefit from erosion control, improved soil fertility management and a reduction in the rate of deforestation
Sustainability and Local Involvement
Plan recognises that poor women, men and young people are in the best position to identify and articulate their needs. This project has therefore been developed through an existing community development committee made up of women, men and young people selected by the local community. The committee identified the aims of the project and will be responsible for all aspects of the project’s delivery from planning and implementing the activities to monitoring and evaluation. Plan’s role will be to support and, where needed, provide technical assistance to this process in partnership with Africa Network 2000, a local organisation which has experience in supporting community development projects and will deliver the training programme.
The project is supported by local civic leaders and the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture and will promote community-initiated by laws to limit and reduce tree cutting and erosion. The main risks include the weather which could make growing conditions difficult in the event of a prolonged dry spell and the HIV/AIDS pandemic which could reduce productive labour needed for agricultural production. Contingency for these will include the production of a more diverse range of crops to reduce weather dependency and the creation of a labour pool through the project committee to support households experiencing difficulties at harvest time.
Received from Plan International
Farmers will then be encouraged to adopt the new methods of farming. Participating households will be provided with all the necessary technical assistance and farm inputs (such as new crop varieties, farming tools, fruit and vegetable saplings) will be provided on a revolving basis. These inputs will be ‘loaned’ to the farmers through the project committee and paid back to the community in-kind once the harvest is gathered.
Project Benefits
· 500 households in Kabuli district to benefit from training in sustainable environmental management leading to improved productivity and diversification into fruit and vegetable production
· All household members, but particularly children, to benefit from improved nutrition through a diet that contains both fruit and vegetables
· Local economy to benefit from increased household incomes and additional produce delivered through the project
· Local environment to benefit from erosion control, improved soil fertility management and a reduction in the rate of deforestation
Sustainability and Local Involvement
Plan recognises that poor women, men and young people are in the best position to identify and articulate their needs. This project has therefore been developed through an existing community development committee made up of women, men and young people selected by the local community. The committee identified the aims of the project and will be responsible for all aspects of the project’s delivery from planning and implementing the activities to monitoring and evaluation. Plan’s role will be to support and, where needed, provide technical assistance to this process in partnership with Africa Network 2000, a local organisation which has experience in supporting community development projects and will deliver the training programme.
The project is supported by local civic leaders and the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture and will promote community-initiated by laws to limit and reduce tree cutting and erosion. The main risks include the weather which could make growing conditions difficult in the event of a prolonged dry spell and the HIV/AIDS pandemic which could reduce productive labour needed for agricultural production. Contingency for these will include the production of a more diverse range of crops to reduce weather dependency and the creation of a labour pool through the project committee to support households experiencing difficulties at harvest time.
Received from Plan International
· 500 households in Kabuli district to benefit from training in sustainable environmental management leading to improved productivity and diversification into fruit and vegetable production
· All household members, but particularly children, to benefit from improved nutrition through a diet that contains both fruit and vegetables
· Local economy to benefit from increased household incomes and additional produce delivered through the project
· Local environment to benefit from erosion control, improved soil fertility management and a reduction in the rate of deforestation
Sustainability and Local Involvement
Plan recognises that poor women, men and young people are in the best position to identify and articulate their needs. This project has therefore been developed through an existing community development committee made up of women, men and young people selected by the local community. The committee identified the aims of the project and will be responsible for all aspects of the project’s delivery from planning and implementing the activities to monitoring and evaluation. Plan’s role will be to support and, where needed, provide technical assistance to this process in partnership with Africa Network 2000, a local organisation which has experience in supporting community development projects and will deliver the training programme.
The project is supported by local civic leaders and the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture and will promote community-initiated by laws to limit and reduce tree cutting and erosion. The main risks include the weather which could make growing conditions difficult in the event of a prolonged dry spell and the HIV/AIDS pandemic which could reduce productive labour needed for agricultural production. Contingency for these will include the production of a more diverse range of crops to reduce weather dependency and the creation of a labour pool through the project committee to support households experiencing difficulties at harvest time.
Received from Plan International
· Local economy to benefit from increased household incomes and additional produce delivered through the project
· Local environment to benefit from erosion control, improved soil fertility management and a reduction in the rate of deforestation
Sustainability and Local Involvement
Plan recognises that poor women, men and young people are in the best position to identify and articulate their needs. This project has therefore been developed through an existing community development committee made up of women, men and young people selected by the local community. The committee identified the aims of the project and will be responsible for all aspects of the project’s delivery from planning and implementing the activities to monitoring and evaluation. Plan’s role will be to support and, where needed, provide technical assistance to this process in partnership with Africa Network 2000, a local organisation which has experience in supporting community development projects and will deliver the training programme.
The project is supported by local civic leaders and the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture and will promote community-initiated by laws to limit and reduce tree cutting and erosion. The main risks include the weather which could make growing conditions difficult in the event of a prolonged dry spell and the HIV/AIDS pandemic which could reduce productive labour needed for agricultural production. Contingency for these will include the production of a more diverse range of crops to reduce weather dependency and the creation of a labour pool through the project committee to support households experiencing difficulties at harvest time.
Received from Plan International
Sustainability and Local Involvement
Plan recognises that poor women, men and young people are in the best position to identify and articulate their needs. This project has therefore been developed through an existing community development committee made up of women, men and young people selected by the local community. The committee identified the aims of the project and will be responsible for all aspects of the project’s delivery from planning and implementing the activities to monitoring and evaluation. Plan’s role will be to support and, where needed, provide technical assistance to this process in partnership with Africa Network 2000, a local organisation which has experience in supporting community development projects and will deliver the training programme.
The project is supported by local civic leaders and the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture and will promote community-initiated by laws to limit and reduce tree cutting and erosion. The main risks include the weather which could make growing conditions difficult in the event of a prolonged dry spell and the HIV/AIDS pandemic which could reduce productive labour needed for agricultural production. Contingency for these will include the production of a more diverse range of crops to reduce weather dependency and the creation of a labour pool through the project committee to support households experiencing difficulties at harvest time.
Received from Plan International
The project is supported by local civic leaders and the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture and will promote community-initiated by laws to limit and reduce tree cutting and erosion. The main risks include the weather which could make growing conditions difficult in the event of a prolonged dry spell and the HIV/AIDS pandemic which could reduce productive labour needed for agricultural production. Contingency for these will include the production of a more diverse range of crops to reduce weather dependency and the creation of a labour pool through the project committee to support households experiencing difficulties at harvest time.
Received from Plan International
Received from Plan International
From: Blake, Rosemary
Sent:
To: Lorna Jones
Subject: Thank you
Dear Lorna
I thought I would drop you an email to let you know that the £3,550 you told me about has just arrived into our bank account.
We are delighted that you chose to benefit Plan's work with this donation. Please pass on our sincere thanks to all the other donors who so generously contributed. I can assure them that the money will gratefully be received by Plan who are working with 500 Ugandan families and their children to improve the supply of food through sustainable environmental management. I have attached more information on the project, should you wish to pass it on.
I will be happy to provide a short update on the project in approximately 6 months time, upon completion of the project.
If you or any of the other donors would like to drop in and visit us, to learn more about our work with children and their families, please don't hesitate to give me a call.
Once again, on behalf of all the children and families we work with thank you for support.
Yours sincerely
Rosemary Blake
Plan
Phone:
I thought I would drop you an email to let you know that the £3,550 you told me about has just arrived into our bank account.
We are delighted that you chose to benefit Plan's work with this donation. Please pass on our sincere thanks to all the other donors who so generously contributed. I can assure them that the money will gratefully be received by Plan who are working with 500 Ugandan families and their children to improve the supply of food through sustainable environmental management. I have attached more information on the project, should you wish to pass it on.
I will be happy to provide a short update on the project in approximately 6 months time, upon completion of the project.
If you or any of the other donors would like to drop in and visit us, to learn more about our work with children and their families, please don't hesitate to give me a call.
Once again, on behalf of all the children and families we work with thank you for support.
Yours sincerely
Rosemary Blake
Plan
Phone: