Ecodet Project Proposal
Ecodet Project Proposal
Ecodet Project Proposal
0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Nearly 75% of the world’s people who live on $1 or less per day live and work in
rural areas. Although urban poverty is more often the focus of public attention,
hidden is the rural poverty that drives it. Around the world impoverished people in
rural areas face enormous challenges. Not only do they confront limited economic
opportunities and underdeveloped markets, but they also tend to have less access
to public infrastructure and services such as health, sanitation and education, and
are less able to engage in advocacy with decision makers. Resource pressure and
environmental degradation create additional challenges to rural communities and
their livelihoods, exacerbating conflict prone situations and accelerating rural-urban
migration flows.
Rather than tackling each symptom of poverty one by one, ECODET instead looks
holistically at innovative approaches to foster sustainable livelihoods and
communities based on asset building. We apply our Sustainable Rural
Development programming in the context of our related work in Risk
Management. All ECODET’s work attempts to both meet the needs of and
respect the rights of impoverished peoples. Through our work with Risk
Management, programs aim at enabling communities to identify and manage their
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individual and collective risks in order to increase their resilience – which in turn
improves their ability to further develop their core assets.
Livelihoods
Core to the communities’ development is their capacity for productive work.
Agricultural production, and access to financing, collective bargaining, and the
market are all critical community assets. ECODET works to increase and expand
these assets by:
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Environment/Sustainable Resources
In addition to productive work, central to the community capacity is its ability to
protect and control its natural resources. ECODET’s work focuses on:
Health
In order for communities to be productive and sustainable they need healthy
foundations. If people cannot work due to illness, or must sacrifice productive
hours searching for clean water, the community’s asset base is eroded, increasing
the obstacles to development. ECODET works to build community health assets
by:
ECODET works in rural areas in Rukungiri District and Mubende District seeking
to make an impact and build sustainable, resilient, productive and just
communities through programs that:
• Assist communities in satisfying their basic human rights for liberty and
security, education, food, health, and livelihood, in ways that are socially,
economically and environmentally sustainable; and,
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We approach these four goals through programming in emergency response, risk
management, and sustainable rural development. These three aspects of our
work are integrally linked, each building on the other symbiotically to meet the
needs and defend the rights of the community. Together, they work to increase
rural community independence, augment the means to pursue and achieve
productive livelihoods, and strengthen rural community voice in decision making
processes, while reducing rural community vulnerability to external forces and
events.
ECODET centres all of its work in a philosophy & framework called “dynamic
complementarity.” Rooted in ECODET’s deep-rooted tradition that believes
empowerment and justice happen only by ‘standing with’, rather than ‘doing for’
others in need, dynamic complementarity is a dynamic relationship between diverse
partners with complementary resources and skills working together to empower
poor communities to improve their lives. It recognizes that all poor communities
already have resources and assets that can be harnessed to improve their own
wellbeing. Building on these pre-existing assets, dynamic complementarity is based
on shared values and objectives, and uses jointly-developed strategies with
flexibility and openness to achieve sustainable results. Characterized by mutual
trust, respect, accountability, and transparency, the relationship contributes to each
partner’s growth and learning while carrying out its primary goal of improving the
well being of the poor.
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2.1 The Poverty Context
Africa has the greatest proportion of people living in extreme poverty—more than
40 percent or roughly 300 million people living on less than $1 a day. The
continent's environmental, epidemiological and geographical challenges—including
low-productivity agriculture, a high disease burden, and high transport costs—
render African rural communities most vulnerable to persistent extreme poverty.
This means that to collect safe drinking water and firewood for cooking, people
must walk several miles every day. It means that a child in sub-Saharan Africa dies
of malaria every 30 seconds, and that 1 in 16 women die in childbirth. With these
rural communities stuck in a poverty trap, they are unable to make the investments
in human capital and infrastructure required to achieve self-sustaining economic
growth.
With the help of new advances in science and technology, Enterprise &
Community Dev’t Trust [ECODET] works with people in Bulyankuyege Village
– Kamusenene Parish [Mubende District] and Nyakiju Parish [Rukungiri
District] to create and facilitate sustainable, community-led action plans that are
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tailored to the villages' specific needs and designed to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals.
Enterprise & Community Dev’t Trust [ECODET] bases its core activities in the
fields of social-economic development such as environment protection and
management, production which includes agriculture improvement, introduction of
new crops to revive the old ones, Health which includes fighting malaria, HIV/AIDS,
health awareness and sensitization campaigns, family nutrition and disease-
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prevention education, access to clean and safe water, improved sanitation; Income-
Generating Activities like Bee keeping, livestock rearing and many more others.
Beyond this, ECODET has continued to undertake the following; training and
education on (leadership and organizational management); situational analysis and
problem-solving; consensus building; livelihood and enterprises management;
conflict management; advocacy; facilitation; networking; socio-economic
monitoring and evaluation; and facilitation in the development of good
communication channels and open discussions as well as the promotion of dialogue
between the needy groups and community members and governments (national
and local governments) through meetings and for us for discussions.
ECODET is an active member to both national and local organizations and has
managed to make friends from USA, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. This has
enabled ECODET to network, share information and experience as well as link
national, regional and international issues in practice and to shape policies at all
levels. ECODET has, therefore, emerged as a credible voice for the resource poor
needy groups and communities in Uganda.
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3.0 INTRODUCTION
The institution of this project draws inspiration and guidance from the
trailblazing, compassionate and exemplary work of helping the
disadvantaged and under-privileged segments of the community that was
conducted with a great deal of passion, commitment and enthusiasm within
the designated project areas in the past by the late Mzee Yeremiya
Nyakairima [grandfather to Mwesigwa David Rwamatungi – the
principal project promoter of ECODET]. A deeply religious and devout
personality with a philanthropic aptitude for reaching out to the poor and
disadvantaged in society, the late Mzee Yeremiya Nyakairima devoted his
time and energies to initiate such projects basing on local church support
structures and jurisdictions. In using this sort of approach to initiate and
implement rural community socio-economic enhancement projects, the
principal idea was to simplify the process of project programme uptake and
fast propagation of project activities within the targeted communities by
utilizing the local community church leadership and mentoring roles,
organizing and mobilization capacities so as to influence the rapid
achievement of project objectives, principles and concepts within a limited
timeframe. It was also felt at the time that churches have a lot of external
connections and network linkages that can be put to good and productive
use in generating the requisite resource envelopes and facilities necessary in
motivating and expediting this kind of rural community socio-economic
development project work in the most deserving areas.
The economy of these two districts is predominantly agrarian with the primary
sector contributing more than 70 percent to the districts’ domestic product. It is
characterized by unevenly exploited natural resource endowments. Some rich
and exploitable resources like forests and dense vegetation cover are locked out
through national policy for the sake of national environmental conservation.
Thus, the two districts bear the burden of maintaining the bio-diversity and
ecological balance of the entire mainland and are unable to utilise these
resources for economic upliftment of their people. Consequently, people have to
look for alternative economic support, which is insecure and unsustainable.
Some 95% of the two districts’ labour force is in the informal sector, and do not
have secure and sustainable livelihoods. There is severe under-employment and
surplus agricultural labour.
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The Project seeks to address vulnerability of local people living in Bulyankuyege
and Nyakiju Parishes, which are remote and largely underdeveloped.
Success of the Project will be judged on the basis of progress made on these
several fronts.
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3.3 Principles
Flexibility
Capacity-building
Process-orientation
Participatory decision-making
Sustainability through ownership
Experiential and experimental learning
Sharing of learning with a wider forum
Decentralisation of finances
Efficiency – as related to financial and other resources
Leveraging and combining resources from various sources
The Project is designed to be different from other projects in following ways:
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⇒ The Project will follow an ‘Area Development Plus’ approach combining
area development and individual beneficiary development, including
entrepreneurship.
⇒ The Project will seek to improve conventional approaches (like watersheds
and Joint Natural Resource Management) through experimentation.
⇒ The Project will seek to shift the initiative from government to village
communities, encouraging people to explore innovative ideas for livelihood
generation. (An Innovation Fund will be used as a catalyst).
⇒ The Project will manage a Livelihood Forum that will bring together
diverse agencies and actors involved/interested in poverty and livelihoods within
the target project areas and elsewhere.
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4.0 PROJECT MISSION AND GOALS
4.2 Vision
4.3 Goals
The first GOAL is to instigate and push for the formation of a national collection of
community-based development organizations with a fundamental mandate to
strengthen and empower resource-based community organizations with good
governance structures and broad layers of supportive grass root communities to
drive and advance, on a sustainable basis, rural community development processes
aimed at improving their livelihoods. This will be achieved through community-wide
mobilization and organization campaigns, socio-economic and demographic issues
awareness and sensitization programmes, resource-mobilization strategies,
advocacy and lobbying, training and research plus networking and information
sharing.
The second GOAL is to achieve sustainable improvement in the living standards and
welfare of and for the people, with the accompanying social discipline, through the
application of a blend of the centuries old traditional community development
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approaches and modern guidance practices, with contemporary development
strategies.
5. To tackle the social aspects of life that limit community development especially
the HIV/AIDS pandemic, poor sanitation and health related issues in general, in
the rural communities.
3. Community Health
1. To increase access to HIV/AIDS specialized care and support services within the
project operation areas.
2. To advocate for policies and programs in order to improve care and support for
the people living with HIV/AIDS [PLWHAs].
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3. To prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and its mitigation effects.
8. To fight the spread of malaria through provision to free mosquito nets [ITNs] and
treatment/care.
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• Assess the market opportunities and potential for establishing market
linkages;
• Improve the capacity of the staff and provide facilities for improving the
capacity of the rural poor and the farmers; and
7. Community education
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1. To promote Functional Adult Literacy and computer skills to the rural
communities.
1. To establish links with rural women groups with a view to assisting them in
developing initiatives that secure sustainable livelihoods and ensure food
security and creation of Income-Generating Activities (IGAs).
3. To help the orphans and other vulnerable children [OVCs] in education and
any other material support possible.
5. To attract and induce back the energetic youths from towns and the city to
where they have migrated in search of employment and high standards of living.
The project intends to achieve this objective by creating a conducive
environment and incentive-based production system within the target areas of
its operation where the youth can be actively engaged and absorbed in gainful
economic employment projects and also educating their mothers and fathers
about this. The association will target the youths as they are the fathers and
mothers of tomorrow.
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1. To network with any organization or agency that has similar objectives and aims
both locally and internationally.
4. To build and strengthen strategic alliances and networks for joint efforts to
maximize and effect change.
1. To identify critical gaps in policy areas and facilitate participation in activities that
foster understanding of all aspects of human rights issues, peace, unity and
solidarity in the grassroots communities for national development.
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6.0 SITUATION ANALYSIS
Causes of Poverty
A lot of research has been carried out by both the GOU, academic institutions and
the civil society organizations. Selective review of literature on socio-economic
indicators and patterns in rural Uganda indicates that poverty is perceived as a
complex phenomenon, which manifests itself in various forms at the individual,
community and regional level and occurring during different seasons. In Mubende
and Rukungiri Districts poverty varies from locality to locality, with the urban
centres better off than the countryside and the educated people having better
access employment opportunities than the semi/illiterates, and business proprietors
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earning better income than those in agriculture. Such variability in poverty requires
complex, selective and sometimes an integrated approach.
People tend to experience poverty at a given time of the annual calendar. The peak
is mainly the month of January, February, May and June, September and October
(Department of Sociology, Makerere 2002). The months of January and February
are characterized by low earnings, low harvest, dry spells, which normally coincide
with high household expenditure on diseases, school fees, visitors, tax etc. And
worse still most of earning must have been spent on end of year festivities
(Christmas, New Year, last funeral rights and weddings). Similarly, the months of
May and June, September and October were reported to be ‘worse’ due to school
fees obligations.
Participatory poverty study findings in Uganda indicate that Poverty is regarded as:
• Inability to meet the basic necessities and social services.
• Lack of basic income or income earning opportunities.
• Lack/limited access to productive assets (land, credit, roads and
communication)
• Poor health
• A state of helplessness or lack of social support, especially among the
vulnerable groups.
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Off-farm Activities Intervention Failure
7.1 Introduction
The local church in most cases has not been involved in the development process in
most African countries. What usually happens is that development departments
are set up at the church denominational levels and are given the responsibility to
carry out development programmes at the community level. In some other cases,
para-church organisations carry out development programmes at the community
level. These organisations employ staff who are posted to serve in various
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communities. Although in many cases, the development workers go through the
local churches in order to reach the communities, the local churches do not see
such development programmes as part of their ministry. Rather, they see
themselves as part of the beneficiaries of the programmes. The local church is only
asked to give support to the efforts of the development department or the para-
church organisation but it is not seen as part and parcel of the development
process. In many cases, the local church is by-passed and the Christian
development organisations deal directly with the local communities.
Although many pastors have received training on the role of the church in
development, most of them are yet to translate that into involving the local church
in the development process. Most local churches see their ministry as limited to
evangelism, teaching and discipleship. Social work is often limited to financial and
material assistance to the needy. Little or no efforts are made to mobilize
communities to take action to solve common problems that affect the community.
It is often felt that it is the responsibility of the church development department to
carry out development programmes.
This lack of involvement of the local church in the development process has made
the church not to be truly the light and salt of the community in which it is situated.
It has also made the church not to have a positive influence on the community. It
also makes the church’s evangelistic efforts less effective as the church tends to
look over look many needs in the community. The lack of involvement also makes
the church to be more inward looking instead of being outward looking; reaching
out to the people around and beyond.
The local church should see development programmes as part and parcel of their
ministry. As the local church is part of the community, it should embark on
community mobilisation programmes aimed at enabling people identify, analyze,
plan and take action to solve their problems so that people can live fulfilled lives as
intended by God. If local churches are involved in this way, then the role of church
development departments would then need to change from direct involvement with
communities to building the capacity of local churches to carry out holistic
development programmes.
For this change of approach to succeed, there has to be awareness creation among
the church leaders/pastors and re-orientation of church development
departments/para-church organisations involved in development work.
Denominational church leaders, leaders of church development departments, local
church pastors, Christian development organisations and Christian donor agencies
would need to understand and agree with the concept of focusing on the local
church as the primary development agent.
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7.2 Rationale for Local Church as Primary Development Agent
Jesus Christ came and established the church that is the visible body of Christ
represented by those people who have accepted him as their Lord and saviour.
John Stott describes the church as “the chosen and beloved people of God, his own
special treasure, the covenant community to whom he has committed himself for
ever, engaged in continuous worship, a haven of love and peace, and a pilgrim
people headed for the eternal city.” This describes the ideal church. There is the
universal church that refers to the body of all Christians world - wide. There is also
the local church which refers to the body of Christians in a specific local setting. Our
focus is on the local church which is in direct contact with the local community.
Because of the direct contact with the local community, the local church is
strategically placed and has a great opportunity to minister to the needs of the
members of the community be they spiritual or physical.
God called and equipped the church not to minister to its members only, but to
reach out and minister in a holistic way to needy people who are outside the
church. The mission of the church is to declare and demonstrate the gospel
(Matt.28:18, 19; Matt.22:37-39) to a sinful and a suffering world unto the
building of the Kingdom of God. There is always the tendency for the local church to
be inward looking and not outward looking thereby concentrating its programs on
its members forgetting about the needy people outside there. Jesus said we (the
church) are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. (Matt.5:13, 14). This
means the local church must have a positive influence on the community in which it
is situated. The local church must therefore be prepared to go out where the people
are, listen to them, find out what their needs are and together with them design
programs to meet their needs.
If every local church effectively carries out holistic community outreach, the impact
of this both at the local and national levels would be great. It would mean a wider
range of communities would be reached and transformed to the glory of God. In
this way, the church would positively influence the society at the national and
international levels.
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Involving the local church in the development process will be more cost effective as
there would be more use of volunteers rather than full time workers. The local
churches would be less dependent on donors as many local churches are able to
generate funds which could be used to support the work of the volunteers. This
would make the local church programmes more sustainable. Where some local
churches are not able to raise sufficient funds, the church denomination could make
arrangements in such a way that financial assistance can be given to them with
funds from the richer churches.
7.3 Stakeholders
The stakeholders in the whole process of enabling the local church to serve as the
primary development agent at the community level would be the following:
Community Leaders.
They would need to understand the importance and need for community
development efforts to improve the quality of life of their people and give their full
support for community development initiatives.
Theological Institutions.
They would have a key role to play in the training of pastors and church workers on
holistic development, biblical basis of development and the role of the local church
in development.
Training Providers/Consultants.
These are organisations or individuals that would provide training for the church
development departments and Christian development organisations that assist local
churches in the development process. The training provided would be wide ranging
including strategic planning, leadership, management, holistic and community
based development approaches, monitoring and evaluation. They would also
provide follow up support and counselling.
Donor Agencies.
They would need to understand this approach and provide financial and technical
support to some of the stakeholders for this approach to succeed.
There are 2 main roles that the church should play in the development process at
the community level. These are values transformation and community organizing.
Values Transformation.
One of the first programmes that churches should embark upon is moral recovery
through intentional values transformation based on the Bible the infallible word of
God. It is clear to any discerning person that some moral values previously up held
high are being lost or watered down. People should value the good and best aspects
of their traditions and culture and work at enhancing them. Valuing the best that
there is will motivate them to positively envision the future and work towards
actualizing it.
Value systems must be transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit. This
should be done through consistent and in-depth Bible study and preaching on
various themes related to values.
The values that must be in place to enhance poverty alleviation and community
transformation would include the following:
Community Organising.
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Community organising is the process of getting people to identify and solve their
community problems through collective actions that will neutralise or eliminate the
immediate or radical causes of the problem and constraints to a holistic quality of
life of the community. They go deeper to find out the root causes of their poverty
and find possible solutions to them. All members of the community are involved in
the whole process. Community organising values the worth, dignity and capability
of people as human beings created in the image of God. Through this process,
people are actually awakened, empowered and organised to identify their own
problems as they assess their situations and take initiative and responsibility in
finding solutions and in using their own resources. Given the opportunity to develop
and organise themselves, the powerless poor are enabled to collectively advance
their common interests and aspirations before the powerful - those who have the
wealth and control of resources both internal and external of the community. Thus,
the community begins to have a hand in decisions for their community life and
freedom to direct their destiny for a better quality of life.
Since the main goal of development is the empowerment of people, it is paramount
that the people are enabled to organise themselves to form community or people’s
organisations through which they can exercise control over their affairs and
undertake activities that will lead to the benefit of all concerned. Community
organisations could take the form of self-reliant cooperatives, savings and credit
associations, women and youth groups, farmers associations and trade
associations. The important thing is that they must be mutual benefit organisations
that derive their legitimacy on their abilities to serve their members interests. In
addition, they must have democratic structures that give members ultimate
authority over their leaders. The members must be able to hold their leaders
accountable. They must also be self-reliant in the sense that their continued
existence does not depend on outside initiative or funding. When properly
managed, these community organisations should be able to carry out both
economic and political functions very well thereby empowering the people. They
can organise training for their members based on their needs. These community
organizations can and should form alliances at various levels depending on each
country’s structure of government.
The local church should play a facilitative role in the whole process of community
organizing with assistance from Christian development organisations.
For local churches to play their roles as primary development agents, they must be
adequately supported or assisted by Christian development organizations. The main
role of Christian development organizations in this approach would be to assist in
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building the capacity of local churches and community organisations to facilitate
and undertake holistic and community based development programmes. In order
for the Christian development organisations to be able to play this role effectively,
they would have to be trained in various aspects of capacity building. The capacity
building role to be played by Christian development organisations would include the
following:
Training.
Training should be provided for the local churches on holistic ministry and the role
of the church in development. In addition, training should be provided in areas such
as: Community based development/Participatory Rural Appraisal; leadership and
management; resource mobilisation; financial control and accountability;
appropriate technologies; monitoring and evaluation. Training should be
participatory, learner-centred, experiential and contextualized. Community
organisations too need to be adequately trained in various aspects of development
work as mentioned above so that they can carry out their responsibilities
effectively.
Follow-up/Counselling.
Christian development organisations should make themselves available to the local
churches for giving advice and encouragement especially at the initial stages of the
programme. At the initial stages, local churches would need a lot of coaching on
how to play their facilitative roles in the community organising process especially
considering that mistakes could be made and discouragement could set in. There is
also the need to build their confidence in applying the various methodologies. This
would entail constant visits by staff of the Christian development organisations.
Networking.
Different community groups and organisations should interact together for the
purpose of sharing and exchange of information, ideas and experiences. Access to
basic and relevant information is very crucial towards enabling communities to
develop themselves. Very often, development is hindered by lack of adequate
information. The information required could be in the areas of agriculture, health,
housing, appropriate technology, water and sanitation, etc. Networking helps to
provide this basic information. Christian development organisations should
therefore promote networking among community groups and organisations by
organising exchange visits, creating forums for regular meetings.
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7.6 4-D Strategy for Community Development
Enterprise & Community Dev’t Trust [ECODET] uses a 4-step strategy for
doing Christian Community Development in a given area. This strategy will lead to
long lasting growth and change in a community. Our biblical convictions
concerning ministry to the poor are the foundation of this practical strategy.
[The areas we have chosen in Mubende and Rukungiri Districts are entire
parishes with more than 10 square miles each. These two pilot project areas
are some of the most poverty-stricken areas in Western and Mid-Western
Uganda with very low social and demographic indicators as well as low per
household incomes.]
2. Describe the needs of the community, giving special consideration to the felt needs
of the people living there
[Even our ten square mile areas are an endless ocean of need. Rather
than scatter our efforts randomly over the target pilot areas, we believe it is
more effective to focus on key families/households that are responsive to
building relationships with us. They, in turn can assist others.]
3. Distribute resources and services to the community through relationships with the
people
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4. Develop responsibility among people in the community, especially the youth, for its
continuing development
• Target the young children to prevent damage from gang involvement, lack of
education, and drug addiction
• Use programs that develop Christian community leaders
• Raise up community members who walk with Christ, graduate from high
school, pursue higher education, get jobs to provide for their families, find
decent & affordable housing and become leaders in their community
8.0 EXPERIENCE
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ECODET has successfully started, engaged and propagated a number of self-
initiated community development programmes since it commenced its programmes
in September 2007. In the fields of health [malaria prevention], agriculture and
animal husbandry [goat production and multiplier project], micro-finance [laying
the foundations for village-based savings and credit co-operatives societies], IT
development under the computer literacy project, and Environment.
ECODET has developed a reputation for actively involving the rural resource poor
women, men, youth and other marginalized groups such as orphans and the
community at the grassroots level to effectively participate in their own
development programmes such as:-
Promoting environmental programmes and proper sanitation for the target area;
Networking with organization and agencies with similar aims and objectives both
locally and internationally;
To advocate for children’s rights, change social and economical factors governing
them, generate public sympathy for them, and reduce the condition which
disadvantage them.
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with improved health and education, this transformation encourages women and
men to establish their own businesses, to take advantage of microfinance and
micro-enterprise opportunities and to explore income earning possibilities
beyond farming.
The participation and support of the central government [GOU] is also key to the
success of the ECODET project programmes. The conceptual thrust of the
ECODET project programmes is to win the national leadership’s support and
engagement with the programme. Agreeing on cost sharing from the outset and
making sure the programme is consistent with broader national development
plans ensures that the government [GOU] is a full and complementary partner in
the project in both the short- and long-term.
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10.0 BASIC PRINCIPLE AND VALUES
The priority plans stipulated below will be implemented using basic principle and
values that will guide the future existence, survival, and resilience of Enterprise &
Community Dev’t Trust [ECODET]. These basic principles and values will serve
as catalyst in programme planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and
resource mobilization. These principles will be:
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components and stakeholders have one voice on one enemy (poverty) and
one action (reduction) under the leadership of the project administrative
structures, and under the coordination of the local C.O.U.
• Charity: A spirit of sharing our livelihood with the less advantaged will be
fostered, respect and value the concerns of the marginalized, the poor, the
aged, women and the disabled will be encouraged in order to promote social
justice.
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development work is intended to supplement rather than substitute the
existing development action.
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11.0 PROJECT RATIONALE
The ECODET Project will support the development and propagation of modern
sustainable agricultural practices [including organic] farming, the production of on-
farm bio-inputs, strengthen the transfer of technology with the involvement of
other networking CBOs and the private sector and is thus in line with Central and
Local Government policies. This focus notwithstanding, in line with IFAD
[International Fund for Agricultural Development] strategy, the ECODET
Project will assist in technologies demanded by the farmers and not just modern
sustainable agriculture and organic farming. The ECODET Project is fully aligned
to the IFAD’s strategy for Uganda: capacity building, facilitating access to resources
and diversification of livelihoods and also in line with its policies of involving the
private sector in the rural development and poverty reduction campaign.
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12.0 PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION
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While the central government is directly in charge of establishing macro-economic
stability and fostering good governance, ECODET is intended to directly contribute
the two pillars of PEAP [Poverty Eradication Action Plan] namely; improving the
incomes of the poor and improving the quality of life. However, effective
implementation of the four sectoral programmes indirectly contributes to macro-
economic and political stability through civic stimulation of production and
empowerment of the civil society.
The primary beneficiary of the ECODET project programmes in 2009/10 will be all
people/communities in Mubende District and Rukungiri District, which have a
combined estimated population of 1 million with majority [about 70% of the
population] being subsistence farmers living in rural areas. The secondary
beneficiary will be communities living outside these two first project target areas
through the spread-effect of development activities.
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13.0 COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT THROUGH MICRO-CREDIT
SUPPORT
13.1 Introduction
There are certain misconceptions about rural poor people that they need loans at
subsidized rates of interest on soft terms; they lack education, skills, capacity to
save, credit-worthiness and therefore are not bankable. Nevertheless, the
experiences of several SHGs [self-help groups] reveal that rural poor are actually
efficient managers of credit and finance. Availability of timely and adequate credit is
essential for them to undertake any economic activity rather than credit subsidy.
Since the credit requirements of the rural poor cannot be adopted on project
lending approach as it is in the case of organized sector, there emerged the need
for an informal credit supply through SHGs. The rural poor with the assistance from
CBOs have demonstrated their potential for self-help to secure economic and
financial strength. Various case studies show that there is a positive correlation
between credit availability and poor rural community empowerment.
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Empowerment is the expansion of assets and capabilities of poor people to
participate in, negotiate with, influence, control, and hold accountable
institutions that affect their lives.
First of all, community empowerment through the ECODET Project will have social
impacts at different levels:
• National
• Community
• Individual
44
captive market by which the private service providers generates income and
other service-sustaining resources.
• Promotion of new relationships between communities. They become
more open and are oriented towards communication, learning about
others’ practices. A good example of this is the initiative of community
networking.
13.4 Background
The activities and programmes of the ECODET Project were designed for the
economic empowerment development of the poor and economically-disadvantaged
sections of the community in Mubende District and Rukungiri District respectively.
These two districts have a high percentage of their population who are technically
classified as living below the poverty line [BPL] and have no ownership or access to
productive assets – mostly the unemployed youth who constitute the largest
segment of the population more than 60 percent of the local population]. The two
districts do not have any major industries apart from a few agro-processing units.
They also generally lag behind other districts in Uganda in terms of basic amenities.
The rapid growth of population has aggravated poverty, unemployment and
environmental degradation in Mubende and Rukungiri Districts respectively. Some
45
of the government-sponsored anti-poverty programmes [e.g. PAP and PEAP] have
not proved to be not quite as effective at tackling rural poverty, as they are more
bent on target achievement rather than human development. Moreover, the rural
poor have not been involved in the stage of programme planning to the stage of
programme implementation and evaluation meant for their socio-economic
emancipation.
13.5 Objectives
ECODET considers the following four interventions as crucial for the poor to reach
the stage of social consciousness and empowerment.
46
To tap the potentialities and managerial capacities of poor rural communities
ECODET will have to implement several activities. ECODET has as of necessity to
play an instrumental in organizing the rural poor people to show their strength and
defend themselves for their rights with the formation of Community Management
Committees [CMCs]. These CMCs will have to work under the direct supervision
and guidance of ECODET and also, get regular information about Government
programmes, bank financing, marketing trends etc. The main output of this
approach is that the successful working of CMCs will result in the formation of a
large number of Self-Help Groups [SHGs].
For the rural poor to get gainful employment especially belonging to the integral
ECODET Project programme components, the ECODET Project will provide
training facilities and generate innovative programmes. The vocational skills, thus
acquired, help the rural poor [especially the women and youth] to be self-reliant.
13.8 Constraints
• Lack of support from male members (of the families) as well as banks
• Large magnitude of the target group of poor people
• Attitudinal rigidities
• Difficulty in creating awareness among people
• Limited resources with the CBOs
• Large requirements of training and sensitization of issues
• Limited number of experienced intervention agencies
47
• Diversities of situations due to wide coverage
13.9 Overall Impression
48
14.0 PROJECT LOGICAL FRAMEWORK
49
Narrative Summary Verifiable Means of Assumptions and Risk
Indicators/Expected Results Verification/Performance Indicators
[by end of project unless Measurement
otherwise specified]
The overall project ERR [Economic Rate of Return] is about 20%. Sensitivity
analysis of Net Streams of investments and benefits under two scenarios: one,
the investment costs excluding the convergence investments by the government,
and two, investment stream excluding the convergence investments by the
government. In the analysis, a positive NPV is obtained under the current
Opportunity Cost of Capital and it remains positive even for a 15% discount rate.
The switching values indicate that the ERR is robust even under extreme scenarios
of increasing costs and declining benefits. Sensitivity analysis of IRR under
above-mentioned two scenarios indicates that the ECODET Project remains robust
both to decreases in benefits and increases in costs.
Beneficiaries: Under Phase I, the project will cover about 300 villages that are
targeted for soil and water conservation [SWC] and organic farming
demonstrations over a two year period. Some 164 households in each of these
villages will be directly benefited by SWC measures and technology transfer
demonstrations and training. The remaining landless households will be benefited
from interventions and facilities such as, SME [small and medium enterprises]
training and orientation, cattle & goat breeding training, marketing, establishment
of non-farm activities, women self-help group (SHGs). Thus the total number of
households that will benefit by the project is about 49,200 or roughly 250,000
million people.
Benefits: The benefit will come from modest increases in crop production due to
training and demonstrations. On an average, a household’s food production benefits
will increase from 1440 kg/household to over 2652 kg at full development and
incomes from the current less than UShs. 1 million/year to well over UShs. 12
million/year. The enhanced income is largely due to reductions in costs of
production, which ranges between 20 and 25% over the existing levels as a result
of introduction of sustainable agriculture practices, introduction on new higher-yield
crop varieties, increased livestock ownership and better animal husbandry
practices, and marginal production increases due to in situ moisture conservation
and other agronomic practices that are demonstrated to farmers in the targeted
villages.
In qualitative terms, minimized soil erosion in the cropped area, reduced runoff and
increased infiltration, and organic contents of the soil are some of the benefits,
which have not been quantified. Improvement in farming practices and land
management is brought in slowly but steadily by involving the farmers: from about
5,400 ha in year 1 to 12,200 ha in year 2. Enhanced soil moisture will result in
increases in cropping intensities from 104% to 109.5% at full development.
Increased livestock ownership coupled with intensive animal health care support,
52
will see dramatic increases in livestock reproduction and multiplication rates for the
benefit of the rural poor in the project target areas over the project period.
Households will also benefit by way of being supported to grow food crops and
commercial crops [e.g. coffee, vanilla, spice crops], creation of IGAs, community
health, environment protection through planting of trees, provision of safe and
clean water and improved sanitation facilities, education support to orphans and
vulnerable children (OVC), marketing of agriculture products and livestock. This will
enable them to increase their income and hence access and enjoy improved
standards of living.
53
The Project area under Phase I of the ECODET Project will include the three
counties of Mubende District [Buwekula, Kassanda and Busujju Counties – and 11
Sub-Counties], and the two counties of Rukungiri District [Rubabo and Rujumbura
Counties – and 11 Sub-Counties] with a combined population of 1.015 million
persons, of which nearly 45% are below the poverty line [BPL]. There are about
700,000 farmers [representing about 161,500 households] operating with an
average farm size of around 2.6 ha. [about 6.4 Acres]. More than half of
landholdings are in the marginal and small size group of less than 2 ha. Overall, the
small marginal farmers, landless labourers/farmers, uneducated/unemployed
youth, and physically and socially disadvantaged and economically deprived women
constitute two-thirds of the rural poor. Some 27% of them face food insecurity. Of
the total poor households, about 75% are landless; some 14% of the poor
households with land, they hold less than 1 ha. Plots and mostly depend on rain-fed
farming practice.
In all, 300 villages will be identified and covered under the end-to-end projects
including in situ water conservation and sustainable agricultural development
including organic farming. Marketing and pro-poor market linkages will be targeted
in response to market signals and private sector preference. Self Help Groups
[SHGs] and Community Management Committees [CMCs] will also be set up in
these villages but may have some more villages due to overlapping. Villages will be
selected using the pre-determined selection criteria and response from the
respective village communities.
The project’s target group will be the rural households belonging to (i) uneducated,
unemployed and economically-marginalised youths, (ii) landless labourers/farmers,
(iii) the rural women, (iv) the small and marginal farmers and (v) the farmers
under agrarian distress.
First level targeting will be the selection villages with predominant population of the
BPL [below-the-poverty line] households. Within these villages, the project will
identify the poor and their needs using the bottom-up approach, where households
will be facilitated to join SHGs and strengthen their own organisations. Selection of
households will be on the basis of their BPL status. To control the possibility of
capture of benefits by the correspondingly better-off among households, a
prioritisation process will be set up. These processes and the resultant list of
identified households will be placed before the Community Management
Committees for validation. These processes will also be extended while identifying
the target groups for pro-poor linkages between producer groups, who will be
eventually converted to producer companies, and the private sector.
17.0 ANTICIPATED RESULTS/PROJECT INDICATORS
54
At the end of two years [Phase 1] of active project work implementation and
engagement with the concerned stakeholders, the net change result will not reflect
in overall changes in the portfolio, but rather in changes in the various activities
comprising the portfolio.
General Assessments
• Market opportunities for farm produce and potential for market linkages
through private sector agencies and market players.
• Commodity profiles for 20 potential commodities prepared and more than
120 sub-projects designed and validated for use by stakeholders.
• Technical and managerial capacities of some 200 SHGs, 120 joint liability
groups, 30 producer companies with seed capital support [micro-credit project
facilitation support], over 90 community development committees enhanced
with seed capital support[micro-credit project facilitation support] to provide
value chain services in an inclusive manner.
• Livelihoods opportunities facilitated through support to some 600 agri-based
enterprises and 150 livestock-based enterprises within the Phase 1 target
project areas.
• Equitable and non-exploitative marketing facilitated and value chains
established for selected commodities through 120 negotiated partnerships,
several contract farming in organic coffee, maize and beans, vegetables and
fruits, vegetable oil crops, and facilitating vocational training to 3,600 selected
village youth achieved.
• Convergence of agricultural interventions in public and private sector ensured
through staff training and orientation and skill upgrading to provide services in
an inclusive manner.
Agriculture
More than 80 percent of the households in the project areas are expected to be
involved in agriculture. There will be indicative changes in cropping patterns
because of project interventions, with the incidence of cultivation of better-
yielding crop hybrids. The introduction of higher yield crops varieties will be one
of the focus areas of intervention in many of the project districts.
The project will positively impact on the level of access of services related to
agriculture in comparison with pre-project situation. Improved access will be
significant especially for availability of improved seeds, fertilizers, credit,
trainings etc. The increase will be maximum (6 times) for agricultural related
information followed by seeds (more than 4 times) and fertilizers (3 times).
Almost 60 percent of the households in the project villages are expected to
undertake soil and water conservation activities in their agricultural fields
compared to the almost 0 percent under the present circumstances. About 50
percent of the households in the project villages are expected to report change
55
in the seeds used for cultivation. Both of these are indicative of the increased
access to agricultural services and information that will be the focus of project
interventions.
Two years down the road, and incident to the project interventions,
approximately 20 percent of households in project villages are expected to have
visualized increase in production of agricultural crops. The increased production
will be for maize, beans, upland rice, sweet potatoes, irish potatoes, cassava,
matooke [plantains], and vegetables crops. The enhanced level of production
will be incident to the project interventions.
At the end of two years of project work, a regression analysis will be taken-up to
establish cause-effect relationship between increase in agricultural production
reported and causal factors. It is expected that the same project interventions
used during the project implementation period will feature as the most
significant contributors for the change.
Livestock
One of the project outputs is to engender transition from “wage labour to micro
enterprise or self employed service provider”, the same being achieved through
household members upgrading their skills or starting an enterprise.
A significant impact of the project interventions will be that a sizeable proportion
of the households in the project villages will have members who will have
started their own micro-enterprise [IGA] or up-scaled existing traditional
enterprise in the project duration. Out of these, about 80% of the households
will have earlier been involved in wage labour activities.
Out of these 10 percent households who will have started on their own or up-
scaled traditional skills, more than 30 percent households will report that they
have discontinued wage labour activities they were earlier engaged in.
56
Inclusion in groups
A very high percentage [over 90 per cent] of households in the project villages
will indicate that they have gained membership to any community based
organization.
By associating with the locally-based Self-Help Groups [SHGs] and village-based
savings and credit co-operative schemes active in the designated project
villages, the rate of savings among the targeted households is expected to jump
up significantly than is the case at the present.
Credit
There will be an increased rate of loan uptake during the project implementation
period by households/individuals within the project villages.
Access to institutional credit in the project villages will also increase as result of
the project interventions.
This increase will be found to be maximum from ECODET as a credible and
reliable credit institution. The enhanced access from other institutions providing
credit facilities viz. SACCOS, other Micro-Credit Institutions, and village Banks
will also increase to some extent.
Food security
More that 80 percent of the households in the project villages will have access to
safe and clean drinking water as a result of having nearby access to Hand
Pumps and protected springs.
The sanitation situation will radically improve for the better – with at least 90
percent of the households in the project villages having their own pit latrines
57
since such a facility will be used as the basis of qualifying and providing
production input support and micro-credit to each one of the households in the
project villages.
58
18.0 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
A. ESTABLISHMENT Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 PERSONS/ORGANIZATIONS
B. ACTUAL PLAN
59
8. Set up, management and implementation of social
development projects and programmes including
health, education, training and public utilities DIR, M&E, PIO, CMCs
10. Sensitize communities about HIV/AIDS prevention DIR, M&E, PIO, CMCs, DLG,
and care for PLWHAs NGOs. CBOs
11. Engage in general health awareness and DIR, M&E, PIO, CMCs, DLG,
sensitization campaigns NGOs. CBOs
13. Provide mosquito nets [ITNs] and malaria treatment DIR, M&E, PIO, CMCs, DLG,
and care NGOs. CBOs
14. Promote environmental conservation programmes PIO, CMCs, DLG, NGOs. CBOs
15. Induce and facilitate the formation of Self-Help DIR, M&E, PIO, CMCs, DLG,
Groups [SHGs] NGOs. CBOs
17. Improve agricultural production by availing the DIR, M&E, PIO, CMCs, DLG,
necessary resources [including microfinance loans] NGOs. CBOs
18. Improve local agriculture through extension services DIR, M&E, PIO, CMCs, DLG,
and marketing NGOs. CBOs
60
DIR, M&E, PIO, CMCs, DLG,
19. Promote Functional Adult Literacy in the community NGOs. CBOs
20. Promote computer literacy and skills as part of the DIR, M&E, PIO, CMCs, DLG,
necessary Information Technology to the community NGOs. CBOs
61
8. Conduct final evaluation, analyze findings & share
information M&E, DONOR
KEY: DIR = Director – Projects, PIO = Field Projects Implementation Officer, FAA = Finance and
Administrative Assistant, M &E = Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, DLG = District Local
Government, NGOs = Non Governmental Organisations, CBOs = Community Based Organisations,
CMCs = Community Management Committees
62
19 .0 PROJECT MANAGEMENT, ADMINISTRATION AND SECURITY
ECODET will have governance and management structures in place at both the
headquarters and branch level. Headquarters will guarantee the proper coordination
and sound resource management and also link up to other participating community
welfare improvement and empowerment organizations and networking agencies in
funneling and directing technical and logistical support to the intended beneficiaries
in the selected project rural areas.
19.2 Administration
At the field level, there will be Parish-based Project Facilitation Teams which will
be under the direct tutelage of the Director of Projects. The Project Facilitation
Team Coordinators will be directly answerable and coordinate to the Director of
Projects within the ECODET Project hierarchical set-up. Much of the field work
and direct implementation and oversight of ECODET Project programme
components will be the responsibility of the Project Implementation Officers
[PIOs].
64
Figure 1a: ECODET Project Organization Chart [Institutional Arrangements]
Village level
65
ECODET Board of Directors
Director General
Office Assistant
Director of Projects
P/M P/M P/M P/M P/M P/M P/M P/M P/M P/M P/M P/M
PASD FSN CH ENRM ICB MLSA CE WYC NAL H&SI M&E PMgmt
PIOs PIOs PIOs PIOs PIOs PIOs PIOs PIOs PIOs PIOs M&EO PAS
Key:
P/M: Programme Manager; PASD: Poverty Alleviation and Social Development Prog. Component; FSN: Food Security and
Nutrition Prog. Component; CH: Community Health Prog. Component; ENRM: Environmental and Natural Resource
Management [including provision of sanitation and safe clean water] Prog. Component; ICB: Institutional Capacity Building &
Partnerships Prog. Component; MLSA: Marketing Linkages & Sustainable Agriculture Prog. Component; CE: Community
Education Prog. Component; WYC: Women, Youth, Children and Disable People Prog. Component; NAL: Networking, advocacy
and lobbying work Prog. Component; H&SI: Humanitarian & Sociological Issues Prog. Component; M&E: Monitoring and
66
Evaluation Prog. Component; PMgmt: Project Management Prog. Component; PIOs:
Project Implementation Officers; M&EO: Monitoring and Evaluation Officer; PAS:
Project Administration Staff.
CAPITAL INPUTS
Office Inputs
OPERATIONAL ITEMS
FINANCIAL ITEMS
• Funds towards the women. Youth, children and disabled people component.
67
• Funds towards the networking, advocacy and lobbying work component.
RUNNING INPUTS
Office Recurrent
MANPOWER
Material Production
• Research
• Training
• Education
• Promotion
68
19.5 Marketing
69
20.0 COSTS & BENEFITS
The direct economic benefits from the project are expected to be in five areas:
• Poverty reduction impact: this will result from the cumulative impact of
interventions through the following: increased earnings from land and non-
land based activities for the poor; increased availability of staple foods,
reduced levels of debt as a result of improved incomes and from improved
access to financial services; improved access to existing social protection
schemes; and, accent laid on ensuring more equitable distribution of benefits
for the poorest.
70
through the Community Management Committees. This could arise from:
better skilled personnel; better skill mix in institutions; enhanced
organizational capacity; and increased ability among primary stakeholders to
articulate their needs and access various development Projects.
• Policy and system impact: this should arise from the project’s efforts to
work in a “programme mode”, and from the proposed work on improving
planning systems (micro planning and block planning), and policy
formulation.
71
21 .0 SUSTAINABILITY
The staff deployed with the ECODET Project’s Project Management Unit [PMU]
and Project Facilitation Teams [PFTs] will be on contract basis and their primary
objective is to transfer their expertise and experience to the SHGs and the village-
based CMCs and prepare a framework for up-scaling. This would have been
achieved during the project implementation period. Thereafter, the activities would
be continued by the respective SHGs and CMCs with the support of the ECODET
Project and other experienced CBOs and the market players.
22.2.2 At the outset of the next two-year phase a baseline survey covering the
new villages and households will be commissioned. It will feed into the
comprehensive MIS [Management Information System] which is being developed. It
is expected that the design, piloting, and implementation of the MIS and baseline
survey will be subcontracted to an organisation with appropriate specialist
expertise. The role of this organisation will be to establish a robust and user friendly
information tracking system, helping the decision making process and monitoring
the progress, both qualitative and quantitative, in close partnership with ECODET,
stakeholders, the Community Management Committees and the collaborating Donor
Agency.
• Establish baseline information which can be used as a starting point for all
Project activities, both as a management tool for targeting but also to assess
progress against key indicators;
• To plan the monitoring and evaluation framework to take into account the
scope for wider convergence with existing government systems;
75
be determined (tbd) after the baseline survey and secondary data from the field
plus relevant departments in the districts of operation.
Objective
Impact
indicator
It will assess and periodically review information and decision support needs of
communities, and the Project (all functions and departments). Based on this, it will
develop:
> integrated data collection formats and procedures to ensure that all data
elements are captured close to the point of occurrence in space and time. It will
avoid loading communities and operational staff. It will avoid unnecessary and
repetitive data capture.
> protocols for eliminating/minimizing errors close to the point of occurrence in
space and time
> networked computers for recording captured data
> programs and procedures for integrating data into a relational database, leading
to meaningful analysis
> timely (periodic) customized report formats for all stakeholders, particularly
communities
> access and procedures for ‘on demand’ non-standard querying by all
stakeholders, particularly communities
An information management plan will be developed in the first year of the
project, and reviewed regularly.
77
78
24.0 LIVELIHOODS FORUM
> provide a pool of intellectual and professional resources for the project
> identify lessons from project experience relevant to state and national
policies.
> help the ECODET Project to access external knowledge and information
> invited to offer critical comments and suggestions from time to time,
The Steering Group will engage with the ECODET Project on a regular basis. It
will develop themes and issues for discussion and research. It will enlarge, foster
and catalyze the Livelihoods Forum. It will develop researchable issues relevant
to the project, and issues of wider interest. It will oversee and guide research that
follows. Research and related work will be contracted out, using funds available to
the project.
In the first year of the Project, the Steering Group will be constituted and a
research and action plan developed.
79
25.0 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS, RISKS AND ASSUMPTIONS
The first is that Community Management Committees may not have the skills
and incentives to orient their activities and resources to target the poorer and the
more marginalized households. With a considerable amount of resources flowing
into the rural-based community development system not just from the ECODET
Project but also from other government-financed community development
programmes and other donor agencies, the stakes of the vested interest groups are
going to be substantial. It will call for a sustained and significant effort, particularly
by PFTs [Project Facilitation Teams], to ensure that the resources reach the
deserving. Specific mechanisms and tools to do this will be incorporated into the
Phase 2 Operational Guidelines.
The second risk is to that the ECODET Project may be unable to attract, retain
and develop staff with the necessary skills and experience to tackle this challenging
agenda of gender and social inclusion. With the scaling up and new emphases of
Phase 2, the Project will need to find more competent and sensitive staff (including
preferably women). Many of the ECODET Project areas may not be preferred
areas for better-qualified people and for women in particular because of poor
facilities (housing, school for children, health services) and poor connectivity. The
ECODET Project will respond to this challenge in the first phase by recruiting
local people and building their capacities. It will still do the same in the second
phase but the capacities required will be of a higher order.
80
25.3 Other Categorically-defined Risks
The risks are deemed medium, but with prospects for high return. This sub-section
outlines the key external and institutional risks which may arise and specific
mitigation measures that will be undertaken to handle these risks.
F. Key local service providers fail to respond to increased demand from the
Community Management Committees or to adopt innovations in service
delivery (medium probability, medium impact). Phase 2 envisages a number
of close partnerships with other programmes which plan to make inputs which are
complementary to the ECODET Project . Close partnerships will enable SPMU to
flag up any weaknesses in implementation at an early stage. The Livelihoods
Forum and the District-level Executive Committee will provide a mechanism to
raise and address these constraints.
G. The funds are not used for the intended purpose or are misappropriated
(medium probability, medium impact). A 2007 assessment of financial systems
of most medium- to large-sized CBOs has identified three areas where systems
must be strengthened (internal audit, roll out of the Financial manual, and 6
monthly reviews of external audit recommendations). A plan of action is in place to
strengthen systems and should be monitored by the financing donor agency on a
quarterly basis. A number of mitigating measures have been identified to improve
accountability and transparency specifically at the Community Management
Committee level.
Probability
HIGH
MEDIUM D, E A, C, F, B, G
LOW
25.4 Assumptions
26.0 TROUBLESHOOTING
83
This project document is not designed to anticipate and address every possible
contingency. A number of unforeseeable contingencies are sure to arise. The
Project will respond to these with flexibility and imagination.
Where a competent authority is not available, and there is need for immediate
action, a committee of three persons may take decisions on behalf of the
competent authority. The committee will include concerned subject matter
specialist, and two peers of equal rank in the same unit. Such decisions will be
recorded in writing, and submitted to the competent authority for ratification at the
earliest opportunity. Reference to higher authorities will be made only when
problems cannot be solved otherwise.
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27.0 DETAILED BUDGET
The second phase of the project will be to establish a central revolving fund where
savings realized from ECODET-initiated micro-enterprises will be consolidated will
be rotated through a central fund as the core part of the micro-credit system to
support and sustain subsequent village-level micro-enterprises for new entrants to
the system. The central fund will also function as a repository account for any
further funding assistance towards meeting the costs of Phase II project activities
and collective micro-enterprise investments that cannot be adequately funded by
community savings and other generic resources created by the SHGs and any other
group socio-economic initiatives.
A POVERTY ALLEVIATION
& SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
2 Awareness programmes on
health, poverty-alleviation
& development 0 13,457 13,457
85
needy groups
1 Integrate nutritional
support and food security
activities 0 13,588 13,588
2 Increase household
incomes through
environmentally-sensitive 0 20,500 20,500
food production practices
C COMMUNITY HEALTH
1 Increase access to
HIV/AIDS specialized care
and support services 5,023 0 5,023
5 Sensitizing communities
86
about HIV/AIDS prevention 0 6,791 6,791
and care for PLWHAs
D ENVIRONMENTAL AND
NATURAL RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT +
SANITATION & SAFE
WATER PROGRAMMES
1 Promote environmental
awareness programmes
and proper sanitation and
access to clean and safe 0 20,115 20,115
water for the target areas
E INSTITUTIONAL
CAPACITY-BUILDING &
PARTNERSHIPS
87
1 Promote skills development
and project management
capacities with the partner
CBO’s and other agencies 0 15,000 15,000
and their networks
0 8,911 8,911
F MARKETING LINKAGES
& SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURE
88
5 Encourage and support
rural poor to take up other
livestock-rearing activities 0 6,474 6,474
G COMMUNITY
EDUCATION
H WOMEN, YOUTH,
CHILDREN & DISABLED
PEOPLE
1 Economically empower
rural women groups to
improve and sustain their 10,531 0 10,531
livelihoods
89
Sub-Total 17,864 18,776 36,640
I NETWORKING AND
ADVOCAY WORK
J HUMANITARIAN AND
SOCIOLOGICAL WORK
K MONITORING &
EVALUATION
1 Strengthen ECODET’s
monitoring and evaluation
component 52,307 0 52,307
L PROJECT MANAGEMENT
28.0 CHALLENGES
91
1] Development of a more integrated approach to the support of needy people in
the target project areas of our focal interest.
3] More funding and support is needed to replicate the innovative practices carried
out by the ECODET Project in other areas beyond the first pilot project areas in
Mubende and Rukungiri Districts.
4] Financing limitations at the moment constrain our capacity to extend the Goat
Outreach Project to other physically and socially disadvantaged and economically
deprived communities in other deserving districts of Uganda.
5] Currently offering limited rural smallholder farmer training sessions owing to lack
of demonstration materials, physical assets, materials and other essential
agricultural inputs to make the program an effective and high-impact one with
measurable indicators of success.
7] Due to the overwhelming demand for our services [as evidenced from our
preliminary surveys and other baseline studies on the ground] in the districts of
Mbarara, Ntungamo, Bushenyi, Kabale, Kamwenge, Kyenjojo, Kabarole, Kasese,
Masaka, Mityana, Sembabule, Kabula, Kiboga and Kibaale Districts, there is an
absolute need to acquire a plot and set up a coordinating office [preferably in a
centralized location like Mbarara Town or even Kampala] to smoothen and
effectively administer our field operations instead of hiring costly offices in
downtown Kampala that clearly puts a strain on our operational efficiency and
sufficiency.
8] The Project still faces stiff challenges in outsourcing the key inputs and resources
from donor organizations and government agencies due to limited publicity and
networking outreach. Such critical inputs that are at the centre of Project’s
continuity and success such as seeds, agricultural implements, demonstration
materials and teaching aids, anti-malarial drugs and ITNs, audio-visual aids for
health education and sensitization campaigns, water-purification chemicals, water-
drilling equipment and machinery, tree seedlings, simple appropriate technology
equipment, and micro-credit seed capital are all lacking as a result of this being a
very young project that has not yet built and consolidated its linkages and contacts
with important stakeholders.
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29.0 ANNEXES
Introduction
The Goat Outreach Project aims to alleviate food insecurity and to diversify the
livelihood of subsistence farmers in its mandate areas. The project seeks to link
economic rehabilitation through a credit-in-kind approach, with a strong focus on
gender and the empowerment of women farmers. The Goat Outreach Project was
identified after the importance of goat in the farming systems of Mubende and
Rukungiri Districts was recognized. The primary objective of the Goat Outreach
Project is to improve the poor rural farmers’ welfare by generating income and
promoting milk consumption. This annex examines the effects of the Goat
Outreach Project on the rural poor farmer beneficiaries in the focal project areas.
Need
• Many families in rural Uganda are looking for ways to generate income to
ensure adequate nourishment and healthcare.
• Rural poor famers in the mandate area showed a willingness and capacity to
generate income by rearing goats but lacked the necessary capital to initiate
such a project.
The goats are given to groups of poor rural farmers [Self Help Groups] and also to
individuals [especially women] with a commitment and passion to succeed. Each
group may consist of 100 poor rural farmers, and each rural farmer in one group is
assigned a counterpart in the other. The rural farmers often targeted are the
poorest of the poor, or women who have no collateral in land or sale-able assets, as
well as no livestock. Women-headed households are also given priority although
women farmers from men-headed households are also included. The farmer
beneficiaries are selected by the local Community Management Committees
[CMCs], and occasionally assisted by the Village Councils [LCIs] and local C.O.U.
congregation network structures and development committees. Locally adapted
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goats of 8 to 12 months old and free of visible defects are purchased from local
markets. The goats are first quarantined for ten days and then examined for any
disease-related problems.
Training of Farmers
Farmers are trained in all aspects of goat management and production, including
housing, feeding, health care, and record keeping. With regard to the goat’s general
management, feeding and health care, group-training sessions are also conducted
in their local villages. From time to time, the ECODET Project organizes a team
consisting of goat production experts from Makerere University to make regular
visits to follow up on the development of the goats and the performance of the
farmers in the pilot project areas. The university team also administers drugs and
additional health care advice when goats become sick. The women farmers are also
required to transfer the first two female goats born and raised at each farm to their
counterparts in the second group of farmers. To coordinate this agreement, a
Memorandum of Understanding is signed between the rural farmers and the
University.
• The targeted poor rural farmers managed to generate income from goat
sales. As a result, they acquired assets and diversified their livelihoods to
include the raising of poultry, cows, oxen, and donkeys. Moreover, they
invested in the purchase of improved agricultural inputs such as improved
seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. Such a multiplying effect helped to increase
crop and animal production, which in turn enhanced the household’s capacity
to send their children to school and improve the family’s welfare. As a result
of the project, considerable changes were observed in poor rural farmers’
welfare and their attitudes towards goat production and management, and
their capacity to share their new skills and knowledge with other rural
farmers in their neighborhoods.
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• There is evidence that a growing segment of poor rural farmers are able to
acquire milk from their goats, estimated to be 0.5 to 2 liters per day. It is
clear that the income from goat sales has had a substantial impact on the
rural poor by enabling them to secure their food supply and improve their
livelihoods. Providing rural farmers with goats enhances their ability to
provide adequate nutrition to their families via the direct use of goats
products, such as milk and meat, or through the use of cash derived from the
sale of live animals or their products. Cash income becomes especially
important for families to pay for education or to buy other household or farm
necessities. The sale of excess livestock and livestock products also had a
beneficial effect on the region’s economy.
• The goat credit project has shown a marked success at raising living
standards and strengthening household’s livelihoods. Improvements in
housing condition of rural farmers were observed. For instance, the 53% of
rural farmers who owned an iron-roofed house before the project increased
to 85% afterwards. About 47% of the rural farmers who owned grass-roofed
house before the goat credit scheme reduced to 15%.
• The rural farmers are now more confident they can get through the dry
season without food aid. They are able to send their children to school and to
pay for better health care for their families. The integration of milk into
children’s diet improved their nutritional status and reduced their
susceptibility to disease. Families are now able to eat meat occasionally
slaughtering a goat for a festive occasion, or for when an ill family member
needs a protein richer diet.
• Relative to cattle and sheep grazing, raising goats is more productive in the
district’s unfavorable arid ecosystems or in its agricultural highlands that face
pressure from high population [e.g. in some areas of Rukungiri District].
Consequently, goat production in these areas plays a key role in rural
prosperity given its various agro-product possibilities and its socio-economic
benefits including food security, income generation, nutrition, and farm
system stability. By virtue of its hardiness to adapt and thrive in diverse
ecosystems constrained by climatic stresses and resource limitations, goat
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farming is clearly a viable strategy for improving the livelihood of the rural
poor in developing countries of Africa and Asia.
• While animal products such as meat, eggs, cow’s milk and butter are more
important as sources of cash revenue than as means of fulfilling nutritional
needs, goat milk is utilized for home consumption particularly by family
members, such as children, lactating mothers and the diseased, who have
more critical protein requirements.
Benefits to Women
Requirements
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Annex 2: Peripheral Project Support Staff
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Volunteers
With the gradual evolution of the ECODET Project, we expect to host hundreds of
English- and French-speaking volunteers from countries such as India, South Africa,
Canada, Latin America, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Kenya, Nigeria,
Norway, Uganda, Sweden, and the United States to participate in helping ECODET
to achieve its mission. ECODET expects to see these volunteers leaving significant
legacies in the country-side districts where they will have worked. College students,
recent graduates, working professionals, retirees, are among the many
occupational categories that we can look up to serve as volunteers and interns for
ECODET.
Volunteers are given high levels of responsibility, and in return they have the
opportunity to accomplish meaningful work in collaboration with ECODET's
employees and local community members. As a result, volunteers return home with
multicultural perspectives and a wealth of experiences that stay with them
personally and professionally for the rest of their lives.
The Facilitator
Facilitators are the backbone of the ECODET programme. Since women in Uganda
are at the core of agricultural production work, it is only a natural outcome that the
majority of the facilitators in the field will be women - many of whom will be former
or active participants in the ECODET program. Before facilitating each of the
different ECODET modules, these facilitators will be taken through an orientation
course in rural community development work and coordination know-how. The
facilitators are typically placed in a community of their same language and ethnic
group, preferably close to their own home village. ECODET also expects to see
these facilitators sticking with the program for many years to come, thus
reducing training costs and providing stability to the organization.
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Project Implementation Officers [PIOs]
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Annex 3: Elaboration on some Core Project Programmes
ECODET sees its future success stemming from the organization’s belief that
development is a collaborative process. The CMCs themselves embody ECODET’s
vision for sustainable development: democratic, community-based organizations
that consult and coordinate with partner organizations in order to meet the needs of
the community and improve the well-being of all community members.
With the necessary development tools and leadership skills in hand, CMCs can
develop and implement specific action plans through subcommittees focused on
topics of importance to the community: from environmental issues, to community
health topics, from education and social mobilization, to income generating
activities and child protection. With ECODET’s collaborative approach as the
cornerstone of the ECN, and with the CMCs as the vehicle for this collaboration,
ECODET hopes to link these trained CMCs with government authorities, other
development NGOs, international organizations, and other service providers in
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order to connect community-identified development goals with domestic and
internationally funded resources.
Donor funds enable CMCs to be agents of their own development and undertake
projects at the grass-roots level that directly improve the lives of community
members. ECODET will also help to link NGO partners, microfinance institutions,
businesses and government services with ECN members that are:
Many African economies have been experiencing growth over the past few years.
Unemployment remains high, however, and economic opportunities are limited,
particularly in rural areas. ECODET is addressing these issues by providing villagers
with:
• the sale of staples such as bananas, maize and beans, and millet;
• the production and sale of locally made bricks, handicrafts, etc.;
• collective projects such as community gardens and animal-raising
cooperatives.
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ECODET’s microcredit activities offer participants, particularly women, the
means to start a small business and earn an independent income. Access to credit
encourages entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency while opening up new
opportunities for income generation. Achieving a measure of economic security is
critical to developing a sense of autonomy in the family and the community.
In an area of the world where women have often struggled to make their voices
heard, female participants in the ECODET programme are proving that women can
break gender barriers and take active leadership roles in their families and
communities. ECODET classes foster dialogue in which men and women contribute
equally to discussions regarding community affairs. For many female participants,
these classes represent the first opportunity they have had to voice their opinions
before a group of men and women. Not limited to adults, adolescent girls lead
movements for the protection of their human rights and speak out in public against
discrimination in the education of the girl child and child/forced marriage.
ECODET's modules on health and hygiene provide villagers with the necessary
knowledge and skills to find creative solutions to the environmental problems in
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their communities. As a result, ECODET community members actively improve
their physical environments, including:
Every year between 300 to 500 million people become sick with malaria and more
than one million of these people die. Of these deaths, over 85% occur in sub-
Saharan Africa, primarily among children under the age of five. However, despite
the deadliness of the disease, malaria is treatable and preventable given the proper
knowledge and resources to combat it.
With this new knowledge, program participants organize with their Community
Management Committees [CMCs] to take the following actions:
These preventive actions will reduce the prevalence of malaria infection in the
present, and more importantly, create lasting changes in how communities combat
the disease in the long term.
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