Category Archives: Uganda

Stories from the Field: Uganda Farmer Field Schools

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This post comes from Jim Kelly, Chairman of the Board for IIRR.  He has been working with IIRR for 25 years, and works closely with the US Office and Field Offices.

Our work at IIRR is always more rewarding when we get really great stories from our field offices, and I especially love having a face to pair with our great initiatives.

Our Farmer Field Schools in Uganda bring education to a normally marginalized community, and provide alternative and sustainable mechanisms for education in rural Africa.  We facilitate these schools so the farmers can adopt improved farming technologies like integrated pest management and organic farming, and learn livelihood skills to raise the incomes of their families and their communities.  The farmers gain new farming techniques, business tools, and also learn how to integrate disaster risk reduction planning into their farming plans.

The greatest stories are those that show the direct impact of our programs on individual lives.  Knowing that someone who attended our programs gained valuable skills, and then was able to transfer those skills into a tangible gain for their family, is a really powerful aspect of the work we do.

Obua Janan, who attended our classes in Abura Mwonya, is 32, married, and has 4 kids. Before IIRR developed a Farmer Field School in his town, Obua had never been a part of any farmer group.  He was farming, but he was only planting low acreages of land, and lacked basic agriculture knowledge and business skills. Upon joining the FFS, he worked with a group that set up a commercial enterprise, planted 4 acres of groundnuts, and received a huge return on their investments with a 15-bag harvest. After the success of the groundnuts, the group planted tomatoes, sunflowers, maize, and beans.  They also began construction on a poultry house.

After just a few months in the program, and upon learning how to incorporate a savings plan into his business model, Ubua has saved thousands of Uganda Shillings.  He is using his earnings to build a house with iron sheets, to pay school fees for his children, and to buy household items.

“My income level has increased, and I am able to pay school fees for my children.  Everyone in my home is very happy,” says Ubua.  He plans to use his new skills and business savings plan to invest in bigger acreage next season, and to become a mentor for new FSS members.

Unique Opportunity for Women Agricultural Scientists in Africa

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AWARD Fellowships announces the 2011 Call For Applications (March 25th deadline)

The AWARD fellowship is a two-year program open to women agricultural scientists from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia. There is no age restriction but you must have completed a bachelor’s degree at minimum in one of the approved agricultural majors (see AWARD’s website for details).

 

AWARD is a professional development program that strengthens the research and leadership skills of African women in agricultural science, empowering them to contribute more effectively to poverty alleviation and food security in sub-Saharan Africa.

AWARD is unique because it:

  • selects women scientists already working closely with the rural poor on tackling poverty and hunger;
  • focuses on career development, adding value to existing academic training programs;
  • nourishes the talent pipeline for agricultural R&D through carefully tailored fellowship packages for women with bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees; and
  • engages with African leaders of agricultural R&D, both men and women, to raise awareness and build networks.

IIRR schools in Kenya to receive new school books valued at over $8,500.00 US!

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Children enrolled in IIRR’s Pastoralist Education Project schools in Kenya are about to receive new books thanks to a generous donation of 38 cartons of books from the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation (JKF).

IIRR believes that education is a basic human right and is critical to a community’s development.  We are leading the way to quality basic education for all through our Pastoralist Education Project serving children and adults in pastoralist areas of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda. Through this project, we have supported more than 60 communities in building schools, training teachers, designing curriculum and school schedules to fit the pastoralist lifestyle, and along the way have introduced many children and adults to school for the very first time.

While the project has been very successful, we continue to need funds and supplies to expand to new areas and to cover basic needs within the schools. The book donation from the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation includes Math, English, Social Science, and Kiswahili textbooks, workbooks, and some storybooks. We applaud the foundation’s generosity and cannot wait to see the faces of the children when they receive this gift!

Class

If you are interested in supporting the Pastoralist Education Project, your online donation can be made here-

https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/IIRR_2/OnlineGiving.html

IIRR donations can be made as a gift! We will include an e-card or printed card with a personalized message to your recipient. Past gift ideas have included – a solar light for a classroom, a teacher’s salary for a year, student desks, or a clean water well. Please contact Lara.Crampe@iirr.org if you are interested in this option.

IIRR Facilitates Documentation Training for @RedCross Staff in East Africa

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IIRR facilitated training on documentation during the Netherlands Red Cross planning meeting of the Community Development Approach implementation program for Red Cross societies in East Africa. The meeting was held from 18-19 March in Nairobi to guide and support Regional Red Cross National Societies in implementing the community development approach. IIRR facilitated day two of the workshop where the writeshop process, authorship and copyright issues were discussed. The meeting was attended by staff of Uganda Red Cross Society, Kenya Red Cross Society, Eritrea Red Cross, International Federation of Red Cross and Netherlands Red Cross. 

 

IIRR discussions and information on documentation processes helped to provide guidelines for collecting information during the implementation. Information collected will be compiled and used in a writeshop at the end of the two-year project.

IIRR Uganda Renews Partnership with FAO

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IIRR Uganda signed a new letter of agreement with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to continue with the Farmer Field School project in Amuru District. The project is to enroll 600 new farmers who will be organized into twenty Field School groups. The project will also continue with its support to existing farmer groups.