Tuesday 4 November 2014

IF WE BELIEVE, WE CAN ACHIEVE IT



However much NAADS was put at Holt by the government of Uganda, it benefited concerned citizens and they are proud of the program”

Despite other   peoples attitude towards government programs in most sub counties and districts of Uganda especially the NAADS program where it was taken as a surviving venture for some of the beneficiaries who  after getting enterprises, disappears with it and no benefit is realized according to the original plan of the government. This is not true for the residents of Kahunge Sub County in Kamwenge District who benefited much from NAADS program because of their commitment towards the program.
This was realized after different interventions implemented by KALI in the sub county. These interventions include, monitoring the program at the grass roots, sensitization of the farmers, budget tracking and analysis, meetings with the farmers forums, interface meetings at sub county level and dialogue meetings between the farmers and the duty bearers. These interventions helped to streamline many issues that were hindering NAADS progress in the sub county. They also empowered farmers who are now confident enough to take on the program successfully.
During the recent monitoring and follow up by KALI staff on the NAADS program in the sub county, I could not believe my eyes and what my ears were listening to. I interacted with some individuals, and was just moved by their experience and what they have managed to benefit from NAADS program. Some of their stories;
Mr. Francis Ngwanziri
                                   
                  
         
On the left is Francis Ngwanziri with the cow he benefited from NAADS program and on the right is his wife with a calf it had produced which follows a bull that they sold.
He was given one local breed cow in 2011, it produced in 2012 a young bull and after maturity Francis sold it at a cost of 350,000=, in a day he could earn 4,000= from selling 5 liters of milk got from the mother. In 2012 still Francis had kept some money from selling milk, topped with what was got from the bull  plus income he was getting from sugarcane plantation and managed to buy  eight goats which he later sold  and bought  one acre of land at a cost of 2,000,000=. Alongside animal rearing Francis is also involved in sugarcane plantation and cassava growing which after harvest is able to pay school dues for the children and this has improved their livelihood as a family.
Peace Kabito
  
Peace with KALI staff in her Banana plantation
She was given 250 banana sackers under market oriented selection in 2009. In a month Kabito can manage to earn 600,000= during a good season and this has enabled her to pay tuition for the children, bought a plot at a cost 3,000,000= and undergoing contrition of a two block house on this plot. Peace has also managed to buy 60 goats from banana selling earnings.  It is thus my able appreciation to government for having brought NAADS program since it has improved my income, food security in my family thus improved livelihood, said Kabito
.NdagnjemanaJohn  
                          
On the left is John and KALI staff in his coffee plantation and on the right is john in his farm.
I received a cow from NAADS program in 2011 which produced and currently it has a calf, at the beginning I would milk five liters only in the morning and could sell at a cost of 2000 which was used to buy drugs and pesticides, however the milking harvest was low compared to what we were projecting as told by the suppliers.
In 2012 John again received   500 coffee seedlings for the start and his now undergoing coffee harvesting but has not yet sold anything, however John wants to buy 1000 seedlings of coffee after selling the previous harvest. Alongside coffee plantation and animal rearing, John has a pineapple plantations which harvest approximately 500,000= per season and this has assisted him to pay fees for the children in private schools and have also been in position of making land extension at a cost of 12miilions which I am using for both animal rearing and growing of crops, said John.

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 Compiled by
KULE OBED
Project Officer