Access to safe water and training in organic agricultural techniques in rural communities are the main ways that QSA supports its partners in Uganda. Situated between Kenya and Rwanda, Uganda has never been far from violent conflict and poverty. Yet the people there are positive about the future.

St Jude Family Projects

St Jude Family Projects and Rural Training Centre for Sustainable Integrated Organic Agriculture is situated in Busense in the southern Masaka District of Uganda, and was registered as an NGO in Uganda in 1997. The organisation was founded by Josephine and John Kizza. Josephine is trained in Organic Agriculture and has a concern to assist her fellow Ugandans to improve subsistence agriculture using sustainable organic methods.

This modest concern has grown, and now St Jude offers residential training sessions per year to groups of farmers, in both classrooms and on the centre’s demonstration farm. Shorter training courses can also be provided. Visits to other farms are now part of the training and they learn about organic farming, improving impoverished soils, distribution of good breeding livestock, tree seedlings, and plant nurseries. The pigs and wheelbarrows in this year's Living Gifts Catalogue assist farmers associated with St Jude to earn a small income and produce their own food.

Photo: a farmer feeds her pig

School Gardens

A new, innovative project initiated by St Jude is the establishment of food gardens in nearby schools. Five Primary Schools, two High Schools, a vocational training centre and a teacher training college have been selected to establish vegetable gardens within the school grounds. Groups of around 30 students and 2 teachers from each school will be trained in organic gardening techniques and will then be provided with the seedlings and gardening equipment (including wheelbarrows, garden forks, hoes, spades, watering cans and gumboots) necessary to create their gardens. To support this project, select the Garden Equipment and Seedlings in this year's Living Gift Catalogue. Watch this space for photos of the newly established gardens.

Photos: One student puts on his gumboots (left) and High school students with their plant nursery (right)

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St Jude and Child Headed Households

Staff at St Jude were aware that numerous child headed orphan households existed in Rakai district, and have been receiving little or no support from their extended families or communities. Despite free primary school education offered by the Government, some orphans cannot attend school as most of the morning hours are spent in search of food and water and doing casual work for their upkeep. 

Thirty orphans were identified as a group who would benefit from the sustainable agriculture training. They called themselves “Tusubila” (we are optimistic) and had shown a real interest in working together. The average age of the orphans was 13yrs and 17 of the 30 participants were girls. Of the 30 orphans who participated in the sustainable agriculture training, 17 were living on their own in depleted house structures. The other 13 stayed with guardians who inherited the responsibility due to family ties rather than the capacity to adequately look after the children.

This group was given training in organic farming methods and assisted to establish their own food gardens by purchasing of tools, plants and seedlings, and some small animals for breeding. We need your support to continue this work with new groups of orphans.

Photo: Harriet, a child head of household, with her garden.

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Goat Rearing

One of our newest partnerships is with a community in Uganda who are rearing goats. The Uganda Rural Community Support Foundation (URCSF) exists to provide income for poor families through utilising surplus rural labour, developing product processing and marketing business, while protecting the ecosystem at the same time. Goats are animals that have been traditionally reared in this community, but at the moment the goat rearing capacity is limited by small scale implementation, poor farming methods and disease. URCSF is improving the situation by building a goat house with fence, a fodder bank, waste management and periodical vaccinations and training people in alternative goat rearing techniques.

With your financial support, URCSF will be able to put in place strategies that will increase the involvement of women, promote sustainable and organic agriculture practices, expand the current goat production, and contribute to rural development, food security, poverty alleviation and social stability.

Photo: goat herder with the goats

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Mitukula Women's Development Association

Women in Uganda see the relationship between the provision of basic needs like clean water, and the capacity to move out of poverty. The Mitukula Women's Development Association is a community based organisation started in 1999 by women in the Rakai district of Uganda. Their main concerns are food security due to availability of water during dry seasons and illness due to water borne diseases and poor hygiene and sanitation. Mitukula has recently purchased water tanks, and is also providing instruction to the community in good health, sanitation and hygiene practices. Currently they are receiving training in organic farming methods from the trainers at St Jude's.

Photo: Safina and her children near one of the water tanks. Credit: QSA