DISCUSSION: Vocational Training and Income Generation Activities
Status: 
Step:
3
FROM THE HOPE ALIVE UGANDA ACTION PLAN:
"The primary beneficiaries of the programme will be orphans and needy children in Kamuli district of both sexes from 8 - 23 year of age. We also target the teenagers especially girls who end up getting pregnancies at early ages and school drop out.
The target group will also include those children whose parents are alive but don’t have interest or potential to provide them with the necessary scholastic materials.
It will include those students who have finished ‘O’ level but have nothing to do apart from offering semi-skilled jobs/labour. They will be assisted and encouraged to join technical courses to attain skills so as to become job creators than job seekers."
For this task Eddy would like to open up discussion about how to best go about providing job training to the orphaned children and accomplish the goal above. They have considered raising cows and goats as possible means of income generation and have land available to them to do this.
All ideas and thoughts on this issue are welcome to help Hope Alive Uganda develop a more specific plan of implementation in order to achieve this goal.
Attached files:
Project: Supporting Orphans in Kisozi
Hi Eddy,
What a great initiative! My first reaction after reading this brief explanation (and not really knowing enough about it) is don't dive in to the practical matters too fast. I have seen that spending time on the WHY of the project pays of in commitment and creativity down the road. I think the most valuable lesson of entrepreneurship is being able to make your own decisions that will improve the livelihood of you and your family. If you take the kids with you in the process of coming up with an idea they will learn a skill for life. To look around them and identify opportunities is a step often overlooked in small business training. Then you take them step by step through all the things they have to think about. What product? Who would be our customers? How will we reach our customers? What are our costs? What are our profits? Who's good at what and how much time would it cost? It will take you extra time to answer these questions together but in the end you have given them a great skill and maybe even more important a proud feeling. Setting a project up with a team and seeing something go from an idea to realisaty gives participants a confidence boost. It shows they can make a difference in their lives. I'm sorry if this is turning into a lecture :) but I'm very passionate about the topic. You know the old saying about teaching somebody to fish......
Good luck with this challenging project and please feel free to contact me I'd be glad to be of help. Or when you feel I'm full of ... that's okay too ;)
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Warm greetings,
Amarins Sijbesma
Amarins,
I think that you make excellent points that are very critical to the success of small business endeavors. All too often I see projects gravitating toward supplying a service that may already be in abundance in their local community. Training in these areas can be a good thing-especially if the trainees can one day secure a paid job using the skills they learn. It is quite another situation though if they are learning skills that are already offered by many others locally because then they must work even harder to show why their skill or wares should be purchased over someone elses.
Do you have any ideas or tools that might be useful to Eddy which he could use to conduct a market analysis? I think something like this would really help him identify community needs so that they can focus on training the children in areas of critical need so that their endeavors have the best chance for long-term success.
Eddy had mentioned they had thought about a computer center, as well as tailoring training if they had both computers and sewing machines. Especially in relation to the training piece, I do wonder whether or not tailors are readily available and how much of a market there actually is for this. Regarding the computers-this is typically such a costly endeavor I'm not sure it would bring the type of immediate impact they are hoping for.
If we provided a clear method for analyzing the local market and trying to find areas of need, I am wondering if this would not be very beneficial and provide good information that could be used for planning. Focusing in on areas where there is a high need in the community and low associated start-up cost I think is critical. Since Eddy has also mentioned a focus on new technology, I think this would fit well with their organizational plan too.
Amarins, do you know of any resources or have any advice that could help Eddy move forward with this?
Jennifer
Hi Eddy
I can't promise to become an active neighbour of Kisozi but I saw the request for information...
A while ago I came across a guide on how to do a market assessment for the best training to provide at a vocational training centre. It is produced by the Women's Refugee Commission based on their research in northern Uganda. The majority of the information will be relevant to any centre I think.
Its at
http://www.womenscommission.org/resources/index.cfm?limit=sector&limitID...
Actual document
Market Assessment Toolkit for Vocational Training Providers and Youth
http://www.womenscommission.org/pdf/ug_ysl_toolkit.pdf
and also
Youth and Sustainable Livelihoods: Linking Vocational Training Programs to Market Opportunities in Northern Uganda
http://womenscommission.org/pdf/ug_ysl_rep.pdf
They are both quite big documents. Eddy, are you able to download?
Mary
Dear Eddy,
This is a good project and the comments so far a interesting. I've looked briefly at the manuals Mary has supplied and they appear to be excellent. I have worked with secondary school students searching for future vocation and find that they often concentrate on something they like to do or something that will help them get out of their immediate troubles. Though these points of interest can be easily understood, they are not necessarily the basis for predicting success of their venture. It is your job to make them reflect, discuss, learn, and structure their studies so that regardless of the vocation they choose, they have all the tools necessary. They must be able to handle the tasks they might not like, but which are nevertheless important (e.g. bookkeeping), as well as allow them to do the work they do like with mastery and knowledge.
I be interested to see what steps you take.
all the best,
Lia
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lilalia
I have added Eddy's workplan for Kisozi. Any comments or advice are welcome!
Esther
Hi Esther
There are two documents attached to this task:
BUDGET FOR HOPE ALIVE UGANDA2009.doc
WORK PLAN HAU 2009 xxx.doc
They contain different information and budgets, so which is the current plan?
As well as looking for funds from outside Uganda, what is being done locally/nationally? There may be many sources of money within the country. Also, is the intention to seek ongoing outside support, or for the organisation to start income generating activities both for itself and for the children's guardians so that over time they can become independent?
Mary
I think this is the best idea to help for the poverty in the villages - no till farming and pigs - see the article below:
Paying It Forward: Ugandan Piglet Project Bringing The Benefits Of Learning Home
St Denis Secondary School in Makondo, Uganda is a shining example of how an entrepreneurial school can not only benefit its students but their families and carers too.
The harsh reality is that around 25% of the children in this community have lost one or both parents. As a result of this loss, the children are left in the care of other adults in the community or alone to find their own way in life.
Supported by their U.S. partner NGO Into Your Hands, the school has started a 'Send a Piglet Home' program targeted at orphans and the most vulnerable children.
As part of the program students are given a female piglet, learn pig-rearing skills, construct a piglet shelter at their home, and receive ongoing technical support to ensure their success.
When the piglet reaches maturity, it is able to produce a litter with 8-10 babies. These offspring can be sold at the local market providing the family valuable income for basic needs and to support their child's education.
From each litter of piglets born, one piglet is donated back to the Send A Piglet Home program. This donation generates a sustainable supply piglets to sustain and the grow program into the future.
Teach A Man To Fish is now committed to assisting St Denis to extend its programs and increase its sustainability over the coming years - expect to hear more on this soon!
And also Ken Hargesheimer's farming techniques to increase crop productivity - these 2 alone will be tremendous help.
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Ginger :)
hello Ginger,
I have read the article you sent and it looks great, i wonder whether we can borrow some of those ideas and implement them in our project as well?
I hope as you send more of the article i should be finding out how the project will run in its entirety.
As for now, am still doing the undergroung work, which i hope will be over soon.
Thanks again.
Eddy.
Thanks so much Eddy - I loved it too! You know, I have to find out from you and the villagers which kind of pig is better to raise. The local pig I know is very small and only $35 USD but the Big pig I understand is $180 USD. But!! We are talking some serious weight/profit on a pig this size!
What we need to find out is the Cost of feeding such a pig compared to the smaller one? I know the best thing in either case is to sell 2 of the babies (the boys) when they wean from the mother - 'payback' 1 or 2, and that should pay for the cost of raising the other 4 to a good weight to sell.
I have attached here a good plan for increasing the productivity of an acre of maize - maybe I sent you that yesterday also - just in case, here it is.
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Ginger :)
Ginger,
Thanks for the document, i will have to read it through!
It is a good idea, and i hope all will go on well,
thanks a great deal again.
Eddy.
I entirely agree. Good document, good plan and I think this is something to focus on and to make sure it can be realized. Esther
Eddy - here's some real specific info from Nabitende, which might be helpful - exactly how to plant vegetable gardens - real specifics, and how to treat manure, so it doesn't burn the plants.
Sat, 2009/02/07 - 01:43
HI All
It is good to note that you have started the kitchen compost heap.
Also the animal and polutry dropings are already fertiliser itself, butt needs to be prepared well so that it does not over fertilize the plants.
Once you have the people set and the plots for the farming do this:
1. Do raised beds 3m x 5m facing the rows north to south, so that you will have good sunshine as it rises from the east and sets in the west. The beds should be raised atleast 20cm with a pathway of 40cm in between each bed.
2. Clear any trees and shrubs from this raised bed and chop it up as finely as possible and throw it into the kitchen compost heap.
cut small plants and remove any flowers or seeds on weedsthrow away from the beds, rest of the weeds must be cut in level to the soil and left right were it is.
3. Mix the animals and poultry dropings with some sand ( mooist to form small marbles) and then put this into the furrows and cover with a little soil. Now you can put your seeds in these furrows and coverlightly with sand and the mulch ( weeds and grass, etc). Please water this bed twice a day once in the morning and late afternoon until the seeds have germinated and till they are strong.
4. make sure that you have proper spacings for the plants to grow healthy.
5. By this time you should have completed your drip irrigation system providinh water tp plants as the sun rises.
6. Clear any weeds that may grow on the beds.
7. After 2 weeks of germination, fertilize once again with the animal and poulty dropings mixed with some sand next to each plant.
Tips:When providing water, never water plants in mid day or evening, as this will cause stress to the plants and cause fungal diseases on the plant. Always water in the early mornings no matter how hot the day will be.
Chicken and animal dropings on their own, is very powerful for plants and has to be mixed up with sand before applying, as a rule you will use 3 handfuls of this per square meter.
Collect wood fire ash and use as a natural source of potassium for the plants, sprinkle this on the soil or mix with the animal and poultry dropings with sand. Hint, use 1 handful to 10 kgs of mixture.
a handful of wood ash mixed in 5l of water and left over night to settle is an ideal general fungacide and insecticide sprayed over plants.
Plant garlci, marigold or nasturims armound the beds as a natural insect reppler.
Crush garlic and marigold plants together and use this in 5l of water to spray onto plants as a natural insectide.
More tips will follow in due course.
Thanks
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Malcolm
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Ginger :)
Hi Eddy,
is the task still ongoing?
I have some questions about vocational training in Uganda:
You mentioned your profession is plumber. Please tell us some details about the trainings you made to become a plumber.
Which other handcrafts are common in your region? And are there companys educating young men? Or vocational schools?
Is there a hospital near and if yes to they educate nurses?
How is the vocational training normally financed?
Regards
Claudia
http://www.ruaf.org/sites/default/files/UAM22%20Nakuru%2030-31.pdf
Here is what many schools are doing to feed the children.
Greetings,
Proposal to emulate the establishment of a 4H like organizations. Raising and selling of produce in contest like competitions with neighboring villages / countries in Africa. This model works in the US why not adopt it here if possible ...
US 4H link: http://4-h.org
There is an International 4H http://www.ifyeusa.org
The Adventure of a Lifetime!
International 4-H Youth Exchange (IFYE) programs offers you the adventure of a lifetime. An opportunity to experience another way of life by living it: IFYE is truly a "learn by doing" experience. It is your chance to see new places, make new friends, and soak in another culture. If is an adventure that will pay off for the rest of your life, especially during future job interviews.
There are many different ways that you can become involved with the IFYE Association. For specific information on the various programs choose from one of the links at left.
Global Education http://www.ifyeusa.org/global-education/index.html
Here are several resources that can help you learn more about different cultures and countries. The National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4-HA) Global Multicultural Education Task Force is interested in increasing awareness and understanding of Global and Multicultural Education issues.
If you know of additional resources that we can list under "Other Resources" please let us know at globaled@ifyeusa.org
WEBSITE: http://www.epredict.org/ifyeorg/index.htm
PURPOSE: http://www.epredict.org/ifyeorg/pages/northern-america/index.htm
ABOUT THIS WEBSITE: http://www.epredict.org/ifyeorg/pages/northern-america/index.htm
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There is this Organization: Orphans International World Wide - http://www.oiww.org
Orphans International Providing Job Skill Lessons and Student Internships ... teaching job skills and internship opportunities for students. ...
CONTACT: http://www.oiww.org/contact-us/contacts
PROJECTS IN FORMATION: http://www.oiww.org/future-project/projects-in-formation.html
OI PROJECT NATIONS: http://www.oiww.org/project-nations.html
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Mugambe K. Hussein (AFSU)