By Moses Sserwanga
The youth and women are a
critical mass for social and economic development and in northern Uganda a
region that has steadily recovered from a brutal 20 year Jospeh Kony’s LRA war,
they are leading the recovery efforts to rebuild communities that were
destroyed during the civil unrest.
In the remote sub counties
of Kwera and Kangai in Dokolo district the
Youth Social Work Association (YSA) a Ugandan Non Governmental Organization is
working with 2,000 households to empower youth and women to increase their
agricultural business competitiveness .
The organization which was founded in 2005, according to Mr.
William Osal (28), the Project Officer, promotes the welfare of children and youth . YSA
is currently operating in the districts of Gulu, Pader Dokolo, Bushenyi with
it’s head office in Kampala.
In the 2008, YSA started
working with Orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC) in Dokolo district
with a focus on core programme areas of education, health, child protection,
Social economic support, food and nutrition as well as care and support.
Osal says that YSA has since distributed goats, provided household care
items, uniforms and scholastic materials to orphans and other war affected children . Training
of caregivers for abandoned children was
also carried out.
“ Whileoffering these services
we noted that there was a big gap
in business competition and gender inequalities
among the youth and women in the
war affected areas . So we wrote a proposal to aBi Trust to secure funds to
promote business
competiveness among women and youth sunflower producers to attract better
markets and reliable incomes, Osal flanked with fellow youth, John Baguma (24)
and Cate Alumo (26), explains .
He said that the vuknerable farmers had to be
trained in agricultural production and
product handling that sustains buyer needs in terms of quantity and quality.
The abi Trust was accepted YSA proposal and in offered a grant of shs.400m
aBi
Trust support beaars fruits
After securing the
finacial support from aBi Trust YSA has since December 2012 trained 100 women and 20 youth groups in Kwera, Knagai
and Agwata sub counties in Dokolo District.
At least3,600 farmers from 100 women and 20 youth
groups each with 30 members in 3 sub counties in Dokolo district have been equiped with technical skills in sunflower
production and marketing to sustain
threshold yield and quality crop production that is attractive to targeted buyers. The
farmers are also organised in groups to improve marketing of sunflower through
collective bargaining .
Gender
mainstreaming in 3,600 sunflower growing households for better utilization of proceeds from
sunflower sales hence improved livelihood of both women and men has been
undertaken.
And
with increased incomes at the family level , the farmers the farmers have been
encouraged to set up village Savings and Loans Associations to inculcate a
culture of savings and investments to stir economic development in the rural
areas.
The farmers
have embraced the VSLAs concept and Osla says that from 120 groups savings portfolio has grown from zero to shs.260m. “ This a remarkable achievement
for us . Because the farmers are now in position to plan together and budget
for their resources .men and women are working together which was not the case
before ,” he says.
Sharon Akello,
an extension work says that gender relations have greatly improved following
the introduction of gender training session in the communities .“ cases of
gender related violence have substantially reduced and the people are happy to work together .
We have also mobilized 100 and 20 new women and youth groups for support in
sunflower value chain. Farmers have also been trainedin entrepreneurship,
business development, negotiation skills, making of records and collective
business plans“ akello stated.
Because farmers are organised in groups , 480
pre-season planning meetings for timely and coordinated sunflower production
operations have been held. The preseason planning meetings are helld once every
year at the beginning of the first season per group.
The
farmers with support from aBiTrust ,have received 360 Kg of certified hybrid sunflower seeds
from Mukwano company for planting in one
acre demonstration gardens in each group and carry out the demonstration using
farmer field school methodology.
The demostration gardens help farmers to acquire skills and knowledge in sunflower agronomy, disease and pest
control, post haverst handling produce management.
Couples have also bee trained in 3,600 households to
carry out joint planning and benefit sharing and gender roles in sunflower
value chain.
Farmers welcome
aBi Trust support
Syndrella
Ebil (27) a member of the Oraibaing
youth group said that the farmers
have benefited alot from the trainings which have been extended to them by YSA with the support of aBi Trust
We
are now preacing the gospel of education
because we can now save and take our children to school. Our farm yeilds have improved and everyone is happy
because we are getting better income,“
she stated.
Ebil’s
comments were supported by those of
Moses Otim(40) another member of the group
who said that their group had mobilised savings of shs.2m and families
were peacefully living togther.
Achievements
§
Increased productivity using the
improved hybrid sunflower seeds as opposed to the local hybbridie from 400kg
per acre to 600kg per acre leading to increased income among farmers ie from
320,000= to 480,000= respectively.
§
Initiated and Promoted savings within
groups and individuals up to the tune of 260,000,000= as saving portfolio.
§
There is a drastic reduction in the
cases of domestic violence and improved gender relations due to intensive
sensitisation carried out by gender change Agents. For example gender based
violence cases have reduced from 30-340 cases to 5-10 cases reported in a month
in three sub counties.
§
YSA registered 120 women and youth
groups with the sub counties as viable enterprises. This has guaranteed for
them support from other government interventions and development partners.
§ There
is increased knowledge and skills in growing sunflower hence increase in
production ie on average, individuals are now growing at least two acres
compared to half or nothing before the intervention.
Challenges
§ Sunflower
as an enterprise is dominated by Mukwano as the supllier of seeds and a buyer
of the proceeds, this tend to make framers adhere to unfair business terms offered especially pricing.
§ It
is becomig extreamly difficult for the VSLA groups to manage thier saving
portfolios as they continue growing. Therefore theirs need to set up Saccos
that will help manage farmers’ savings better.
§ Unfavourable
weather patternsresulting to poor harvest by farmers.
§ There
is also problem of transporting the farmers produce to the nearest market. For the members of
Oraibaing youth group the nearest market
is in Kwangwata which is a long distance
.
§ Women
are also faced with the problem of accessing land due to traditional barriers.
Exit
strategy/Sustainability mechanisms
YSA has
designed to main ideas for sustainability of the project benefits;
1. Procurement
of a sunflower processing plantaccording to their business plan.
2. Starting
a Savings and Credit Cooperative.
The
writer is a Media and Communications consultant/Advocate of the High
Court of Uganda
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