Youth cleaning up Kyetume township

URF youth do not simply talk about problems in their communities, they band together to find simple solutions working as a team to make a difference.

On the Saturday, of January 28th, 2012, the “URF Youth United to Serve” group launched a community service project that involved cleaning the small town/trading center of Kyetume. A group of over 30 youth together with URF staff and volunteers spent an afternoon collecting garbage around the town and properly disposing it.

Some local official were inspired by the youths’ initiative and rolled up their sleeves to help. The officials included the Local Council III Chairperson, the DISO, the District Health Officer, the Minister of Defense, and several Counselors of the Lwengo district.

Besides, cleaning the town, the youth and URF staff talked with the residents about the importance of hygiene and sanitation in their homes and around the town. They encouraged residents to have latrines or regularly clean ones they have and importance of properly disposing off garbage to promote health living in the community.

With the enthusiasm of the URF youth together with community residents, a lot will be accomplished as URF strives to enrich lives, one village at a time.

some of the cleaning crew

First youth meeting, Jan 2011

As the youth under URF guidance, we realize the immense potential to make a difference in our communities inspired by the education URF has given us and many opportunities for leadership and personal development.

As a result we have mobilized ourselves by forming URF Youth association named “YOUTH UNITED TO SERVE.” It is basically formed by those who have been beneficiaries of URF programs, their relatives and friends. Their vision is “TO KEEP ALL THE YOUTH IN DEVELOPMENT TOGETHER”.

In our first meeting, we elected leaders who will move the association forward and mobilize other youth in the surrounding area to join us.

Mission: Youth working together in solidarity to curb poverty.

Our Objectives include:
1. fostering youth activism and community engagement
2. empowering youth with practical life skills
3. empowering young people to unite toward a common good
4. fostering networking and collaboration among young people
5. fostering personal development and enhancement of self-image of the youths

We have discussed the needs of rural youth and we plan to engage in the following activities:

• Sports activities and tournaments
• Savings scheme like the co-save which has been very successful with the women’s groups
• Peer guidance
• Community service projects – members identify needs in the community, develop a priority list, and draw up an implementation plan in collaboration with the community and URF staff.
• Group income ventures
• Educational and safari trips to cultural and wildlife sites around Uganda
• Youth camps on weekends – covering a wide range of topics
• Giving talks in schools on various topics e.g. exam preparation, friendships/relationships, peer pressure, value of education, career guidance
• Assist with orientation of international volunteers – introducing them to the community and about life in Uganda
• Assist URF staff and volunteers on various projects as your time permits
• Social nights – that may involve movies, games, etc

By Mukalazi Silver, Chairperson- YUTS

Baby chicks in the brooder

In December 2011, we launched a poultry project as one of the income-generating projects to ensure that URF becomes self-sustaining.  We purchased 600 one-day baby chicks which have made three weeks now (Jan 19, 2012).

With such a big project, the prospect of some sizable monthly income is very real. As a result, we shall be able to enrich many lives, one village at a time by using it as a model project for all the nearby communities that have the desire to venture
into commercial poultry farming. There is a steady market for eggs within Uganda and in neighboring Rwanda and Kenya.

We are also involving the Hope Academy students in this project so that they can acquire some practical skills in poultry, in addition to animal husbandry, art and crafts, and skills they learning from the various URF projects.

Special thanks go Cole and John and S.I.F.E students of the College of Saint Benedict and John’s University, USA who raised funds for the project. Also many thanks to Amina and a group of Canadian students who also provided initial funding for an earlier smaller chicken project and the first phase of construction of the chicken coop. — (by Serah Claire, staff)

building the chicken coop

building the chicken coop

Kelly and her parents with a local family in the village

“The main reason I was attracted to URF was that it is a non-profit organization run by a Ugandan. … I have seen and experienced first-hand that the most successful community development projects are those run by Ugandans themselves.“–Kelly Fischer

Kelly was with us in 2007 and this article appeared in Jan 2012 on her former high school, Crystal Springs Uplands to England (source url is at bottom of the page).

My African Experience

1/10/2012
Kelly Fischer ‘01

I’ve always had a keen desire to explore the world and I will never forget the first time I ever left the United States of America. It was on a school trip with Crystal Springs Uplands to England.

I was fifteen years old and immediately got hooked on international travel. After that experience, I sought out any opportunity to travel abroad and spent my junior year in college studying in San Sebastian, Spain, using every holiday to travel around Europe.

In 2007, I decided I wanted my next travel experience to be slightly different. I wanted to travel, experience, and learn about a developing country through the eyes of a volunteer. I wanted to travel somewhere and have an experience abroad that was meaningful. I didn’t want to be a tourist, but be someone who could bring something to a community in need and gain something from the local community members as well.

Africa had always intrigued me. I felt connected to the continent, even though I didn’t visit until 2007, through a very close friend who is from Uganda. I could sit for hours listening to stories about his country. I soon decided that Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, was where I needed to go as a volunteer.

I began searching for volunteer programs but it was not easy. I read about so many different programs but none of them felt right, until I read about the Uganda Rural Fund (URF). The main reason I was attracted to URF was that it is a non-profit organization run by a Ugandan. John Mary Lugemwa, founder of URF, is from Kyetume village which is home to URF. He has a genuine understanding of the needs of the people in Kyetume, which makes the organization sustainable. I have seen and experienced first-hand that the most successful community development projects are those run by Ugandans themselves.

My experience with URF was so incredible that it’s hard to find words to give justice to everything I gained from working with the people in Kyetume village. I had a myriad of experiences while volunteering with URF that were very emotional for me. Let me share one of those experiences to help shed light on my volunteering experience.

On my first day as a volunteer I was taken to an orphanage which is part of URF. As we pulled up to the orphanage, all the children ran out to greet me, fighting to hold my hand. I spent some time playing and interacting with the children and then spoke with the program head. I learned that most of the children were found on the street or in garbage dumps and brought to the orphanage. The woman who cares for all the orphans, Carol, is eighteen years old and was an orphan herself in this very orphanage.

I was both happy and sad after I left the orphanage as I saw both happiness and sadness in the eyes of the children. My mind was flooded with a mix of emotions. However, once I reached the home and site where I volunteered for six weeks and met the family with whom I stayed, I felt nothing but pure happiness. The family was so lovely and welcoming. Among the family members, there were tons of animals: cows, chickens, goats, ducks, pigs, puppies, cats and turkeys. The animals were also very welcoming, except for the turkeys. I developed a genuine fear of the turkeys after being attacked on one occasion. But Ja-Ja (Grandma) always came to my rescue with a stick in hand. Despite the hole in the ground (pit latrine) which was the toilet and the bucket of water for bathing, I always felt at home. It was a special place full of comfort and love.

Most of my volunteer work was in the field. We would journey out to neighboring villages, sometimes walking for hours through banana plantations, to do community outreach. We visited the family homes of the children who attended the after-school program, where I also taught. We conducted interviews to get more information about their home life and how we could further help the children to become successful learners. Most of the families only spoke Luganda, so we would ask the questions in English and the program head would then translate into Luganda. Some questions were quite sensitive, particularly those  referring to HIV/AIDS or other health concerns.

The most significant change was that my purpose and understanding of my role as a teacher became clearer. I no longer saw myself as a teacher with restrictions or limitations. I realized that I am a teacher not just in my classroom but in this world. I realized that teaching is about exploring, learning, and embarking on a collaborative journey of knowledge with both the people and environment that surround me. Being in Uganda made me realize this and that is why I knew I must return.

For four years now I have been teaching at Kampala International School in Uganda and each day continues to be a learning experience for as I teach my students they also teach me many important life skills.

Original Source: http://www.csus.org/podium/default.aspx?t=204&nid=608343&sdb=1&rc=0

Our students come from unique backgrounds and often facing tremendous challenges as a result of being raised in poor families. At Hope we make sure that each student gets the attention he or she needs in order to be supported by teachers and URF staff to address their special needs.

Teachers are always willing to assist students on one-on-one basis to go over material that the student may not  have understood during class.

However, the challenge we have, is shortage of full-time teachers due to limited resources.

Village bank meeting, Group A

As the saying goes, “Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Based on this wisdom, at URF, we believe in the empowering people to take charge of their destiny.

The village banking program provides an opportunity to members to access small loans at a very low interest rate which they use to start or improve their small businesses.

Deo making bricks

“I hope to help out with the community activities in collaboration with URF activities as my contribution for what URF has done for me.” Kasigwa Deo

Deo is one of our pioneer students and has been very active at school and in URF programs. Since his teenage years, he has been head of child-headed family since his parents died. Below is his note to URF in appreciation for the gift of an education he has received. Thanks to you, our supporters, who have made it possible for students like Deo to receive an education.

“Hello URF,

I would like to appreciate you for the great work you have done for me ever since I began my studies. Thanks so much and may God reward you abundantly.

I have now completed my O’ Level and I must say that it has not been my effort but rather your help. Thank you. I’m now for my vacation and I hope to help out with the community activities in collaboration with URF activities as my contribution for what URF has done for me. 

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year 2012.

Yours,

Kasigwa Deo”

Deo is looking forward to starting A’level in Feb, 2012 – the two last years of high school in Ugandan system. If you can help sponsor Deo to complete advanced high school, it would be a wonderful gift to him. If you can help, please contact us at jmlugemwa@gmail.com

During December, 2011 URF organized a week-long free I.T Camp for basic computer skills at Hope Academy for kids from all neighboring schools.  Over 50 participants benefited from the training. There was also some adults including teachers.

One of the students, a teacher by profession, John Bosco said that, “I have been excited to have this time to learn about computers which I missed during my study time. I have always tried to learn the computer but all along I had never got this chance to have a special time of learning computer. I have learnt much today and I hope by the end of this week I will well equiped with the basics of the computer. Thanks so much URF”.

And other also testify to their experience of the IT camp below:
“I enjoyed and learnt how to print and design cards” – Sarah
“It was fun and I learnt how to type documents and designing cards”–Rachael
“I learnt how to use some digital devices like camera, projector”–Richard
“I earnt how to design a calendar, saving documents”–Ritah
“I learnt how to open files and saving documents”–John Bosco
“I learnt how to print and make invitation cards” –James
“It was enjoyable and learnt how to make invitation cards in publisher”–Claire
“Enjoyable and learnt how to design calenders and cards”– John Mark

The challenge we have is the shortage of machines to practice on; we have had 17 computers in full usage and several students had to sit on one machine. Many thanks to Crystal Springs Uplands School, USA who donated six laptops to us and were very useful during the IT camp. We appreciate your generosity in sharing IT resources that are making a positive impact in the lives of kids in rural Uganda.

Also many thanks to volunteers in US and Canada who contributed teaching resources, and our staff and Kampala volunteers who facilitated the training.

Men receiving goats from URF

The big buzz in development is always women’s empowerment, but we forget that men play a key role in how effective and active women can become in community development activities. The men have a lot of influence on what their wives do; so, if a husband doesn’t buy into what the wife is passionate about, it doesn’t go successfully. What usually happens are heightened tension in the household and sometimes leading to domestic violence or divorce.

To address this imbalance in our approach, URF has also invested in a program for empowering men to get involved in community programs and also support their wives who might be engaged in various self-help or voluntary programs in the community.

Our outreach to men involve workshops on various topics, skills development, and some self-help projects as indicated below:

1. Men’s co-save

We have registered progress in savings whereby the group started with total shares  of eighty three thousands and five hundred shillings(83,500) and at the end of the last cycle in 2011 we had shares totaling  694,995 Ug shillings. Men take out loans from this fund to use for small businesses returning the money at a small interest rate.

2. Animal keeping

Mr. Musuza with his pig

In 2011 we have able to increase on number of animals from 11 to 26 animals. One member is given an animal and when it gives birth, all younger ones are given to other members of the group. We have given out 19 pigs and 7 goats though we have lost 2 goats and three pigs so far. “The project is very helpful to me,” said Mr. Musuuza Paul, one of URF men’s group members. He continues that, “I was among the first people who were given pigs. After eight months I had already given out the four piglets to other men. After five months it gave birth again to eight piglets and I sold them for cash. I used the money to start another business and now am trading in local produce and my income is going up steadily. Thank you URF”

3. Rental Chair project

The business started with 60 chairs and has managed to get net profit of 120,000 in 2011. Each chair is rented at 300 shs an event. They are going to use the profit to purchase more chairs. However   the challenge is having limited number of chairs and customers always need more than 200 chairs per hire which make them to be out competed.

Each chair cost $9 any donation is of great impact.