Discuss and research options for income-generating activities for the families of students
Status: 
Step:
3
Many of the students at Notre Dame High School come from very poor families. Their parents/guardians are not able to afford to pay school fees, and lack many of the other basics as they do not have a regular source of income.
The school would like to assist these families in setting up small income generating activities of their own. Christopher has been involved with a similar project in the past while working with another organisation in a different area, and it was very successful, providing huge benefits to the families involved.
For this task, we would like to talk about different options that the school could explore to help the families begin small income-generation projects at home.
This task is focused on the families of the students - there is a separate task looking at how the school can generate income for itself.
Project: Help Improve Notre Dame High School
Yesterday while chatting to Christopher, he said that many of the students come from very poor families who have no regular source of income. The school would like to assist them in setting up small-scale income generating activities at home.
Here is a summary of what he told me:
Some would like to raise pigs (not all, as some are muslim). Most have their own land, and would like to use it for agriculture, but lack seeds and tools. Some also need training in various skills. Many are nervous about the idea of micro credit as they are unsure whether they will be able to pay back the loan.
He has worked on a very successful project with another organisation (Africa Belt), but this was in another area (Wakiso) so is too far away for the families to learn from directly.
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Christopher, please can you let us have more information on how you would like neighbours to help with this? For example are you looking for more ideas on the things that families could do to make money, advice on improving e.g. farming methods, information on where to get training, micro credit, equipment etc?
It may be that some of the projects run at the school can be extended to include the families e.g. by using some of the piglets and rabbits from the school.
Also that you can provide equipment, animals etc as loans not gifts. For example, if a family is given a piglet, then when the pig has babies, they have to give two piglets back to the school to pass on to other families. Having to work to pay back will help the families to feel as though they really own the things they are doing, and will also mean that once started the programme can continue with little or no outside support.
There are other Nabuur villages, including some in Uganda, working on similar projects.
Examples are
Kyomya http://www.nabuur.com/en/village/kyomya
Wakitaka http://www.nabuur.com/en/village/wakitaka
Nabitende http://www.nabuur.com/en/village/nabitende
All of these are near Jinja, so may not be close enough for you to visit, but you may still be able to learn from their Local Reps, especially if you were able to talk to them at the meeting in Kampala
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Last year Christopher and the wider community looked at some income generating schemes for the future. Here are the links to some of the main discussion and documents.
They did an assessment in the community to see what their main needs were. Education came out top, but there were also some income generation ideas:
1. Secondary education
2. Clean water supply
3. Trade
4. Savings and credit
5. Piggery (Pigs raising)
5. Brick making (same preference as piggery)
7. Nursery tree planting
8, Goat keeping
See
http://www.nabuur.com/files/attach/2008/07/task/10112_480728d04d136.doc
and the associated discussion, mostly on this page
http://www.nabuur.com/en/village/masaka/project/task/review-masaka-appli...
Thy have started a small-scale piggery project at the school. The proposal for doing this on a larger scale, including piglets for the community, is at
http://www.nabuur.com/files/attach/2008/07/task/10112_483a93bb6f75c.doc with discussion mostly on
http://www.nabuur.com/en/village/masaka/project/task/review-masaka-appli...
We also talked a little about Solar Cooking, both for the school and as a source of income.
See http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Sunny_Solutions and http://solarcookers.org/programs/multkenya.html and about low-energy cooking in general as the school and local community use a lot of wood for cooking which is expensive and has an impact on the environment
hi,
maybe this booklet can help (if it uploads properly this time)
Sinéad
Thanks Sinead
Your link does not work!
But seeing a link reminded me of this:
Get Up It's Time. The Business Hand-Book for Uganda
which contains many ideas for small businesses, specifically aimed at Uganda.
"Young people often lack the necessary skills to develop their business ideas, such as performing a market analysis, differentiating their product or service from the competition, preparing cash-flow statements and bookkeeping. This material has been developed to support young people with practical advice in the field."
Christopher, its rather a big file so I don't know if you will be able to download it.
According to http://opentraining.unesco-ci.org/cgi-bin/page.cgi?g=Detailed%2F2121.htm... it was produced by Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI); GTZ
If you want to get hold of a printed copy, that site gives contact details of
Telephone: 256-041-285689/286245;
Fax: 256-041-286695;
Email: uiri@utlonline.co.ug
(note: Sinead has now confirmed to me that this is the same document that she was trying to post)
Mary
Hi Christopher
Given the list of priorities you posted the other day, I am not sure if you still want to pursue this topic at the moment?
I think it would be good to if possible, as its important for the students families to be able to develop their own sources of income. And you told me that similar projects you have worked on in the past have been very successful.
As many of them will be farmers (even if only on a small scale), I would suggest that you get in contact with Ken Hargesheimer http://www.nabuur.com/en/user/minifarms/profile
He has a lot of practical knowledge of simple, low-cost techniques which will require no (or very little) outside money to use, and have been demonstrated to increase crop yields meaning more food for the family to eat and to sell. These methods have been used successfully by other Nabuur vllages, and he is happy to advise communities that wish to learn. He can send you some DVDs with more information.
For the families have have land (it does not have to be a large piece), this is something they could start now while you are looking for funding for the bigger projects.
Mary
Hi Christopher
Did you ever follow up with Ken about the farming?
Thought you might be interested in this post from Ginger a neighbour of Kisozi, also in Uganda http://www.nabuur.com/en/village/kisozi/project/task/discussion-vocation...
Something similar may work for you?
Mary
QUOTE
From: Virginia Ellsworth
Re: Market Assessment Toolkit for Vocational Training Providers and Youth
Tue, 2009/03/31 - 23:24
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 :)
END QUOTE
This can be done if they are willing to change the way they farm it can become very, very profitable.
Organic, no-till farming, in permanent beds, using only a machete/corn knife/weed knife, doubles or triples yields compared to traditional ways, reduces labor 50% to 75%, reduces inputs/expenses to nearly 0 [buy only seed for new crops and green manure/cover crops], increases fertility, stops soil erosion [no rain water runoff], eliminates most weed, disease and insect problems and greatly increases profits if marketing. Use DIY drip or DIY bucket drip irrigation [made by farmer. US$3 in Nicaragua] to produce during the dry season and in areas of low rainfall.
I can help.
www.nationsu.org
french, english,etc.