Help draft a business plan for a community-based fruit farming business
Status: 
We need a business plan to give direction to our efforts for a community-based fruit farming business. You can help creating the businessplan by editting the wiki.
Project: Previous discussions
Dear Neighbours.
As you will notice from the business plan, substiative progress has been made towards the Nabitende Sustainable Integrated Fruit Tree Growing and Community Agroforestry Project.
However, I have made a pharse in the plan (community responsibility/participation) that says the local people will contribute at least 5,000 Uganda shillings($2.8) each towards the project. This noting that they will also provide land, and other resources like training venues. The idea behind the money contribution is to make the project demand driven while at the same time making it more valuable and protecting its sustainability. A local farmer who contributes financially towards say the cost of crop seeds/seedlings and equipment like hoes will look at the project as valuable to his life, putting extra care and effort. This is important to the achievement of the overall goal and objectives of the project.
So the debate of how much should each beneficiary contribute does arise at this stage! To me the $2.8 is fair given the fact that those beneficiaries not able to pay upfront, will negotiate with the project management team a payment installment of not exceeding 6 months.
What do you think? Have your say.
Kind regards,
Marsha Denis
Dear Derek and Neighbours
The Project plan is almost concluded. I take this opportunity of encouraging you to start engaing in developing the Budget including the work plan.
The Plan itself needs styling up including formating, and editing.
Note that a number of Key issues are still wanting such as: What should be the project duration( 1 year, 18 months, 2 or 3 years)? Though I am going in for an 18 months project given the fact that trees to be grown could mature within that period.
Depending on the project duration what should be the sealing of the budget( $25,000, $50,000 ..)?
Please read through the plan.
I have also added major information on Iganga District (under the title: Project Area) that gives us a general and clear picture of the District and Nabitende.
Thank you,
Marsha Denis Kabuuka
Hi Derek,
I have come up with a project budget. However, I am finding difficulty when saving it. The last table row of the budget in the Business plan is disappearing when the document is saved for updates. The final total to the budget is not showing up, having added it several times
I wonder if it won't be same when a table for work plan and Monitoring logframe are drawn.
Please advice.
NB: I have made a budget estimate of Uganda Shillings 85,464,110= equvilent to ($US 47,480.06) for a period of 18 months.
The budget is attached here place.
Kind regards
Marsha
Hey Marsha,
I'm trying to figure out how to solve this problem... Just read the entire document, I'll try to make a summary of it for future neighbours that join and outside partners.
Thank you so much for your work, it's really professional and in depth, I'm going to start to think of funding options...
Cheers
Derek
Dear Derek and Neigbours,
Thanks Derek for that! Actually I have not heard from all of you for a good couple of days!
At this point, I am finalising the Project Plan.
I encourage you to go through the plan and budget as again attached.
In addition, we need to start actual mobilisation and further sensitising the community about the best bet key issues and activities the project will address.
Paddy, I sent you a mail including a text phone message, I have not heard from you yet!
The project needs further editing! Your reactions to the plan will further lead to polishing it up.
I am truely waiting to hear from you.
Kind regrads,
Marsha Denis.
Dear Marsha,
My apologies for ot getting back to you sooner. I really wish that our fellow neighbours will jump in on the discussion, but you should be sure to know that I have your back and that I am here to stay and to help you out. Hopefully people will start to jump in when we can assign specific tasks to everyone...
I will try to make a power point or a summary out of the project plan and maybe that will encourage future neighbours and current neighbours to read through...
Anybody can hear us???
Cheers
Derek
Dear Derek,
Great!
Let us roll on! Actually I am already taking the initiative of summarising the project. Your input is an added gesture.
Thanks.
Marsha Denis
Hey Marsha,
So you want me to do the summary? If you are doing it, I'll wait for it, and then maybe add what I think is relevant, or most likely, make a power point presentation about it...
Once we have the action plan ready, I'll start spreading the word a out our project, see what kind of funds are out there...
Cheers
Derek
Dear Derek,
As chated out please find attached the draft project Summary of Nabitende Sustainable Integrated Fruit Tree Growing and Community Agroforestry Project.
As you can refer to the document, I summarised the ACTION PLAN-under the sub title of Work plan
Thank you for your quick response.
Its bed time here in Uganda!
Regards Marsha
Dear Derek and Neighbours,
Find attached the revised summary project.
Derek, I will be out in the field for other assignments, so you won't hear from me till Monday next week.
Kind regards,
Marsha Denis
Hey Marsha,
I have made a few corrections, mainly typos and redundancies on the summary, hope this is fine with you, I'll put it also under resources.
Kind Regards,
Derek
Hey Marsha,
well done. I'm having long look over the budget. I have a few questions for the group :Are the villagers still interessted in solar ovens and what is the distance between Nabitende and Kamuli
Sinead
Dear Derek and Sinead,
Thank you.
The Corrections in the summary are welcome.
Sinead, certainly we have not yet got the chance and opportunity of meeting with the local people in Nabitende. Once we do that, we shall get the facts about their needs. The solar ovens initiative is good and should difinately be a long term consideration to the project including getting solar dryers.
Nabitende is in Iganga and there could be a distance of over 150 Km from Kamuli to Nabitende. The distance from Jinja to Iganga is about 75 Km and that from Jinja to Kamuli is about 80 km. I will find out more and get back next week. Paddy could further assist here.
Thanks,
Marsha Denis
Dear Marsha, Deek and all other neighboors,
Im now wondering about next step I can make. is it fundraising? If not, please tell me what is the contribution I can make now...
Thanks
Jovana
Im searching on net cause sooner or later it is going to be necessary to get doors where to knock for help (funds).
here what I found so far:
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
107, Via del Serafico
Rome 00142
Italy
Tel.: (39-6) 545591
Website: http://www.unicc.org/ifad/home.html
E:mail: WebadminaIFAD.ORG
www.gatesfoundation.org
Bill Gates and Melinda foundation has programs which are going in this direction
http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-54473-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
this is site of canadian International Development Research Center. It can be worthy of trying.