Last year The Real Uganda, in conjunction with Hopeline Organization, began the process of applying for partnership with Kain Foundation. Tony Wanyoike and I designed a three pronged approach to community development for his home village of Kkoba, Buikwe, Uganda. I wrote about it here last August.
Tony with the students of Kkoba Parents Academy, during the 2015 Kain Foundation visit
I’m happy to announce our efforts were successful and Kain has decided to partner with The Real Uganda and Hopeline Organization to the tune of $30,000 over 2 years. We couldn’t be more excited. Looks like we don’t have to take to crowdfunding after all! In fact, our first installment of funds were received in mid-July. To recap, the gist of our programs looks like this:
1. We’re developing a farm and food trading business as a social enterprise, which will not only support local farmers by paying fair prices for their produce, but will eventually fund the building and operation of a modern primary school near KKoba village. The only full primary school in the area.
2. We’re holding 6 youth workshops focused on staying healthy, making decisions for future development, and career planning. The most involved youth will be granted apprenticeships and given inputs upon graduation that will enable them to create their own work, rather than look for it.
3. We’re chairing 24 weekly village meetings over a 6 month period that will address communication between adults, and adults and children within the home.
The food trading business and village meetings have begun… I’ll be updating as things progress.
The Kkoba Parents Academy school choir welcomes the Kain Foundation team
The Kain Foundation partnership allows us to host a team of corporate sponsors for a few days each August. We get to show off our achievements and put the sponsors to work. The 2016 Kain team visited Kkoba on August 4th. They saw the village in its current state, with no history of outside intervention. Lost hope, alcohol dependency, and family violence is common and affects the entire community. It was a heavy day, but a realistic one. I’m already looking forward to the team’s return next August so they can see what their funds have been able to accomplish.
In order to show Kain Foundation the benefits of appropriate, locally-led community based development, Tony and I took them out to Mayindo, to visit the Hopeline Women’s Group, on August 5th. This community, under the guidance of Hopeline Organization, has achieved much growth, both social and economic, over the past 3 years. The women work together, share their successes and challenges, and ultimately improve their lives. They raise animals and crops, and make handicrafts and snacks to sell in the local markets. Many of these women have been able to build their own brick homes with funds raised from their village savings group. The women are confident, joyful, and supportive of each other in every way.
Mayindo ladies sharing an afternoon laugh
For more photos and info about what the team did during their 2 days with us, please check out our blog.
For Kain Foundation insights into their time with us, please check out their blog.
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