This program promotes environment
friendly farm enterprises that both earn income to local people, preserve
the environment as well and support social well being among communities. Through small scale farm businesses such as
livestock rearing, vegetable growing and craft making women and youth earn
incomes that support their families and provides for their basic needs.
A typical rural woman
will spend most of her time looking for firewood to make meals for her family,
fetching water and looking after their children and husband. This means that
they entirely rely on their husbands for a living since they don’t have any
employable skills and thus
live in very poor conditions in their communities and can’t support their families
on their own.
This program empowers rural women and
youth to engage in productive smallholder environment friendly enterprises such
as paper bag making, knitting, hand craft making from waste material and others
besides their farming activities to earn an extra income
besides their domestic work.
The integration of livestock such as piggery, goats and poultry with crop
farming on smallholder farm lands supports healthier and more stable soils
which supports increased farm productivity.
Some of the key issues that the
program seeks to address include;- Unemployment
among rural women and youth.
- Poverty
among farmer families that can’t afford their subsistence basic needs at
some point in life.
- The
high prevalence of domestic valance which always lead to loss of
established enterprises in farmer families.
We are working with community groups
to improve their skills in small scale businesses for as this is the only way
for rural people to help themselves out of poverty.
We have established a small computer
training center in Luteete village to give basic computer skills to young women
and other community people who want to get these skills.
Three women’s groups have been
supported with material to make hand craft products such as handbags, paper
beads, mats and others. More women have picked interest in the enterprise and
make the products from their homes and later market them collectively through
their groups.
Through smallholder vegetable
growing in kitchen gardens, some women are now able to earn some income from
the selling the vegetables in the community.
As a volunteer, you will closely
work with the people to support and boost the entrepreneurial spirit that the
local people have towards helping themselves out of poverty.
If you have got skills in organic
farming and animal husbandry you’re welcome to share sustainable farming skills
that increase productivity of smallholder farms for increased farm incomes.
For those who are interested in
other activities such as craft making, computer skills among young women and youth
who are unemployed and need these skills to earn an income to sustain their
livelihoods you're also welcome in this program.
Your roles as a Village Enterprise Assistant.
Sharing business skills with the women
so they can improve their small scale farm businesses and other side
businesses. If you have skills in product improvement and record keeping or business
sustainability, share them with the local entrepreneurs to make their businesses
more profitable.
Train the women or youths in basic computer
skills so that they can be able to use these skills to earn a living in life.
The skills can help a young woman start a small village stationery shop.
You can as well share marketing skills
with the women/youth to get better market for their products both locally and
internationally. This would mean higher profits from their products.
You can as well fundraise to support a farmer
family to start a small farm enterprise such as rearing local chicken, start a goat
or a pig rearing enterprise.
Have you got any drama or acting skills?
The drama skits made by the youth are used to raise awareness in the community
on issues affecting the community such as domestic violence and HIV/AIDS in an
educative and entertaining way. These issues are the main issues in destroying
the established enterprises in families. Help the group to improve their skits
or direct their next show.
Sensitise the community about basic human
rights and best ways how to end domestic violence against women and its effects
to development.
Your workplace surroundings.
Volunteers will be working in a
rural setting with wonderful people especially women and youth working to
improve their living conditions through small enterprises.
The area has good internet access
however, you will need a personal computer because the people you will be
working with may not have computers. The area is close to places where you can
access internet cafes in case you need this service.
You will be staying with one of our
host families in the community where you will be working, our host families are
wisely selected and they speak English so, you won’t have any language barriers
with them.
In this location is about 12 minutes
drive to Masaka town which is an urban center where you will be able to do some
more cool free time activities
Volunteers are expected stay for at
least one week, be willing to live and work with local people in a rural
community.
Uganda is one of the most gifted
countries with beautiful weather conditions, so you won’t need any special
wear. However you’re encouraged to have longer skirts or shorts since what you
may consider to be normal wear in a western culture may be considered too short
in the culture of the local people you will be working with.
When you arrive in Uganda, we will
be waiting for you in Entebbe and we will go with you to our operation area in
Lwengo near Masaka.
On arrival, you will be introduced
to important places such as restaurants, internet cafes, hospitals/ medical
centers, get cultural orientation about the local people and introductory
classes to basics of the local language so that you can get some of what locals
will be saying and speak to them too!