Empowering Butikiro, Uganda To Secure Sustainability

SLINT-Uganda's mission is to empower people to secure sustainable incomes, food security and  improved quality of life while at the same time maintaining the diversity and long-term
productivity of the supporting natural resource base.

 It is well understood that the economies of most African countries draw upon land-based activities such as  agriculture.

Butikiro, one of the poorest villages in the Kiboga district of Uganda,and yet because the  villagers recognize land as a vital natural resource, and a basis for subsistence, they have gone to work on land-use activities: the Fruit and Vegetable Growing for  Sustainable Livelihoods project and the Gayaza  Smallholders Beekeeping project with support from SLINT-Uganda  members and on-line volunteers on the  Global Neighbour Network.

According to a 2007 African Development Bank report: "If sustainably managed, the African landscape, a  rich and dynamic mosaic of resources, holds vast opportunities for the development of human well-being."

The land-use efforts being made in Butikiro,appear to exemplify this idea well.

 Over the last few days,  I've been corresponding with Marsha Denis Kabuuka, Butikiro, community development  facilitator. Consequently, an interview resulted that reveals more insights about the agricultural projects being implemented in Butikiro.

Interview with Marsha Denis Kabuuka, Butikiro, community development  facilitator:

Jackie O'Neal:
 

How are you trying to achieve your mission of empowering people in Butikiro to secure sustainable incomes?

Marsha Denis Kabuuka:

To achieve the above mission, SLINT-Uganda has adopted different strategies and embarked on a number  of initiatives under four core programmes namely: poverty alleviation; market-oriented agricultural  development and food security; environmental sustainability; and capacity development and policy advocacy.
 

The initiatives are aimed at empowering people to diversify their livelihoods opportunities through engaging  in different environmentally friendly income generating opportunities and off farm enterprises. Some of the  strategies adopted include: introduction of appropriate technologies (such as solar photovoltaic, biogas  and rainwater harvesting); promotion of environmentally-friendly activities and practices (e.g. bee-keeping,
 organic farming, fruit-tree growing and agroforestry); capacity building to empower individuals and groups  through training, technical assistance and extension services; public awareness on a wide range of issues;  and facilitation of access to markets and income-generating opportunities.

Jackie O'Neal:

Why is this important precisely?

Marsha Denis Kabuuka:

Many rural people are poor and have limited access to basic resources for their immediate and long-term  survival. There is need to expand opportunities to empower them to access the basics of life - food, water,  energy, shelter, health care, freedom and security – without harming the environment on which they depend.

They need to be empowered to become active agents of sustainable development and to enjoy a secure and
prosperous future.

Jackie O'Neal:

What is the biggest challenge you face?

The biggest challenge in Uganda and elsewhere in the developing countries is fighting poverty without  compromising the environment and the natural resource base. As poor people struggle to meet their basic  daily needs, they sometimes inevitably over-use the few resources available and in the process comprise  their own long-term sources of livelihoods.

Marsha Denis Kabuuka:

SLINT-Uganda believes that the sustainable livelihoods approach is the most feasible and pragmatic strategy  to address these challenges. It is important to promote socio economic wellbeing of the people while at  the same time safeguarding the long-term sustainability of the finite natural resources that underpin their
 survival. We believe that it should not be a case of either development or the environment. The two should  be mutually supportive. And this can be achieved through the adoption of appropriate technologies, sound  polices and positive attitudes.

Jackie O'Neal:
 
How long have you been operating?

Marsha Denis Kabuuka:

SLINT-Uganda has been in operation since 2007.

Jackie O'Neal:

How were you established?

Marsha Denis Kabuuka:

SLINT-Uganda was established in response to the growing poverty, hunger and environmental degradation in
 most parts of the Uganda. A group of professionals interested and committed to promoting sustainable
development came together and decided to do something, however small, to address these challenges.
 They put together a concept paper outlining possible strategies and practical actions that could be
undertaken and then pooled together some resources to embark on some field activities in a few of the
 most needy areas. Eventually they decided to register a non-governmental organization, and called it
Sustainable Livelihoods International Uganda.

Jackie O'Neal:

Tell us something about a key person/founder behind your group/organization- what did they do before?
what was their motivation, their other interests?

Marsha Denis Kabuuka:
Mr. Erie Tamale – Chairman of the Board of Directors and Denis Marsha Kabuuka –  the Executive Director, are key persons that were behind the founding of SLINT-Uganda.
 Other Board Members have also been instrumental.

Mr. Tamale currently works with UNEP at the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity in  Montreal. Prior to joining UNEP eight years ago, he worked with WWF International in Switzerland and Kenya and before that with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in Uganda.
 Mr. Tamale had always wanted to do something to address the growing poverty in his home country,  which is exacerbated by environmental degradation. He wants to give people hope and help them secure  a sustainable future by empowering them and creating opportunities for them to overcome poverty and safeguard
 the environment. He mooted the idea of starting SLINT-Uganda in order to translate the knowledge and good  ideas he has acquired through his career into practical solutions on the ground. He wanted to make additional  contribution to sustainable development beyond his current work of drafting policy papers and facilitating  policy debates.

Mr. Kabuuka has worked with the National Social Security Fund in Uganda and with an NGO called Adult  Community Education and Development (ACED). Since his early years, he has been interested in pursuing  a career in development planning and management, encompassing sustainable development and poverty eradication.
 He comes from a poor rural area in Nalweyo village in Kibaale district where more than 90% of the population  lives on less than a dollar a day. Throughout his life, he has sought to find ways of helping people to  overcome abject poverty and secure sustainable livelihoods. He has seen first-hand how local people are  struggling to survive and create a brighter future for themselves and their children. It is these unfortunate
 realities, personal experiences and aspirations that motivated him to contribute to the founding of  SLINT-Uganda.  

Jackie O'Neal:

 Can you reveal any high and or low points that come up- personally or the organization as a whole?

Marsha Denis Kabuuka:
 
The biggest high moments for SLINT-Uganda have been the successful launch of the two projects namely:  the Fruit and Vegetable Growing for Sustainable Livelihoods project and the Gayaza Smallholders Beekeeping  project that are currently being implemented in Butikiro and Kiyuni villages in Kiboga district in Uganda,  with support from SLINT-Uganda members and on-line volunteers on the Global Neighbour Network (nabuur.com).
 The projects have started to produce tangible results which have generated a lot of excitement and enthusiasm  among the local people. Many have demonstrated a determination to use the support provided by the project to  achieve self-sustenance in the near future. The partnership between SLINT-Uganda and the nabuur volunteers  has also offered opportunities for sharing of knowledge and experiences and has increased connectivity with
different development actors. Further information about this can be accessed at:  http://www.nabuur.com/en/village/butikiro.
However SLINT-Uganda being a young organisation, has faced a number of challenges. These include:
inadequate funding, lack of adequate technical staff, and limited institutional capacity.

Currently,  the organization’s activities are funded by contributions from members of the Board of Directors and  volunteers from nabuur.com. The lack of donor funding has hampered SLINT-Uganda planned projects and  activities. The organisation also still relies on volunteer staff to implement its all activities.
Currently it has no single salaried staff. The volunteers staff also lack the much needed exposure  and training opportunities. The organization also lacks office equipment and has no internet connectivity.
These are some of the lows that the organization continues to face and are making it difficult for  the organization to carry out its mandate.

Jackie O'Neal:

Is there anything unique to how you are doing things? What’s your approach?
 
We have adopted the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) as the main guiding framework and approach for  our policies, activities and programmes. People's well-being and  nvironmental sustainability are central  to all our initiatives. The SLA, which has been adopted my many other organizations (including DFID, IFAD,
 Oxfam, World Vision, CARE and others), aims at ensuring that people are: (i) able to meet their needs and  at the same time maintain the diversity and long-term productivity and sustainability of the supporting  environment; (iii) able to cope with and recover easily from environmental and socio-economic stresses and
shocks; and (iii) do not foreclose future opportunities or undermine the options for others to make a living,
 both now and in the future.

Marsha Denis Kabuuka:

Our approach combines field-based interventions, extension service delivery, capacity-building activities
and policy advocacy and dialogue. We catalyse and support pragmatic, results-oriented projects, programmes,
 and policy campaign activities aimed at promoting social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Our interventions are facilitative in nature and aim at building upon people's strengths and fostering
self-reliance. We seek to empower people to sustainably harness the available resources and maximise existing
opportunities. All our interventions are demand-driven and responsive to peoples’ needs, priorities and
aspirations. We also aim at delivering results that have maximum and sustainable impact at the individual,
household and community levels.

SLINT-Uganda emphasizes active informed participation of relevant stakeholders in the design and
implementation of our different initiatives and encourage strategic partnerships with other stakeholders
in order to enhance synergy and operational effectiveness. We also encourage and promote the sharing and
 diffusion of knowledge, experiences and best practices.

Jackie O'Neal
 
Can you share a key frustration working in your field?

Marsha Denis Kabuuka:

Changing attitudes and practices of poor people towards environmental stewardship while at the same time
trying to improve their livelihoods is frustrating. Some people do not see sense in protecting the environment  when they can’t meet their basic needs for food, fuel, water and land for agriculture. The existing challenges  of daunting poverty, population pressure and land degradation have made it difficult to foster the concept of
 sustainable livelihoods. This requires patience and determination on the part of SLINT-Uganda.

Jackie O'Neal:

Where are you located? Geographically, what area(s) do you cover and help?

Marsha Denis Kabuuka:

SLINT-Uganda currently operates mainly in Gayaza sub-county, Kiboga district which is located in central  Uganda. It has field offices in Kiboga town and a Liaison Office in Kampala. We hope to initiate other  projects in Wakiso and Kampala districts also located in Central Uganda.

Jackie O'Neal:

Explain two things you really need (other than cash) - and why?

Marsha Denis Kabuuka:

The two other main things that we need most are:
A truck to transport the farmers’ agricultural products to markets in the urban centres while  exploring the feasibility of establishing, in the medium-term, a community storage facility and an
 agro-processing plant to add-value to their produce. As well as training opportunities for local volunteers  working with SLINT-Uganda to gain exposure and technical  skills needed to implement our programmes.

Jackie O'Neal:

Do you have a project that you need resources for?

Marsha Denis Kabuuka:

Yes: SLINT-Uganda has three projects that need urgent funding. These are: Kiyuni Fruit and Vegetable  Growing for Sustainable Livelihoods project;  Gayaza Smallholder Beekeeping project; and  Gayaza Fruit-Tree Planting and Agroforestry project.

To Learn more, visit SLINT-Uganda online: http://www.slint.org/
 

Read the whole story: GroundReport.com