March 2010 Newsletter
Dear Global Citizen and Friend, Kindness and giving prevail in Kibooba as 4 Oneworld created invaluable partnerships in March.Scroll down to learn more details about exciting 4 Oneworld news.
- Partnering with Makerere University Experts
- Eggs for Education Project
- Garden Project
- 4 Oneworld hires Kibooba project manager
Makerere University, Department of Animal Sciences & 4 Oneworld Partnership
4 Oneworld Director, Tara McKinney has spent February and March researching viable income generating projects to support the Kibooba Primary School. She talked with parents and guardians in the village and learned that the community is interested in agriculture and livestock projects.Tara has no experience in either field and decided to consult the experts! She connected with Doctors (Professors) of Agriculture in the Animal Sciences Department at Makerere University. This prestigious University was founded in Uganda in 1922 and is one of the oldest in Africa.
After sharing the story of Kibooba with the Doctors they said they wanted to help. Each Doctor has a different area of expertise; David Mutetikka specializes in cows, Denis Mpwaire specializes in goats and Connie Kyarisiima specializes in chickens. All three have agreed to donate their time and knowledge to benefit the Kibooba Primary School Project. They are currently assessing available resources in the village and will develop a model that will empower the community and support the education of the children of Kibooba. Everyone at 4 Oneworld is thankful and thrilled to have this partnership with the Doctors.
Eggs for Education
4 Oneworld has recently taken over management of the Friends of Kibooba Poultry Project. The Friends of Kibooba project began in 2006 with the intention of funding teachers’ salaries. Due to many challenges, like disease and use of poor feed formulas, the chickens have yet to be sustainable.
Kibooba Women’s Group member, Amina Nakiryowa started in mid-March as the poultry manager. She is now responsible for the daily tasks of feeding and watering the chickens, collecting and selling eggs and keeping records for the project. Another Kibooba citizen, Saleem also helps with the daily routine.
The foundations are in place for a successful venture that would benefit the Kibooba Primary School. 4 Oneworld is confident that, with the proper management and resources the business will be profitable by 2012.
Garden Update
There have been some setbacks in the garden. Heavy rains prevented an early start of the planting, but now things appear to be on track. As of March 30th the garden has been planted just in time for the upcoming rainy season.
The Makerere Doctors evaluated the garden project and have encouraged the original plan to move forward with beans and maize production for this season. The first harvest is expected in June.
4 Oneworld has also established a business plan for the garden project which includes an infrastructure for the garden volunteers. The volunteers are five ladies from the Kibooba Women’s group who are eager to contribute their time and energy to make a difference in the lives of the children of Kibooba. Catherine Luyiga is the garden manager and will be overseeing the project with Saliima Mugalu. 4 Oneworld hopes that the teamof ladies, with the cooperation of Mother Nature, will provide a fruitful harvest.
4 Oneworld Hires Project Manager
4 Oneworld is pleased to announce the addition of their first Project Manager, Petra Namakula! Tara McKinney knew that having a Ugandan 4 Oneworld representative was essential for the success of the Kibooba project. The Executive Director of Friends of Kibooba, Teresa McElroy, recommended Petra as a quality candidate for the position. Petra completed her Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and began her professional career in research. She has been a research assistant in the fields of health, education and agriculture, conducting research for Universities, the government of Uganda and International non-profit organizations. Her most recent work was with the UN World Food Program.
The position of project manager is part time with an average of three days per week. Petra will manage the Kibooba Projects. She will work with those involved to try to achieve optimal garden and poultry production. An important part of her job is to identify any potential problems and work with project volunteers to create solutions. She will be communicating regularly with the Makerere Doctors and 4 Oneworld to ensure the project is running smoothly.
4 Oneworld President, Adam Stubbs commented, “Having Petra on the ground in Kibooba will provide us with insight into how the projects function, how we can effectively problem solve and a better understanding of how we can achieve success.”
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