“ADOPT A VILLAGE” PROJECT IN BUYUKI VILLAGE, LUWEERO DISTRICT
The communities that make up the Buyuki (bu-yu-chi) village are approximately 30kms north of Kampala. Buyuki is located the famous Luwero triangle that suffered the bush war ushering in the Movement government some 20 years ago. Buyuki is estimated to have 1,440 people, 160 households with an average of about 9 persons per household and 213 adults in total. The main source of livelihood is subsistence agriculture, which includes potatoes, upland rice and cassava.
The majority of the village engages in subsistence agriculture leaving no means of earning money to purchase protein to supplement the diet. The intention of the Adopt-A-Village project in Buyuki is to provide basic elements of food security, clean water, and increased health in order to improve the awareness of the causes of the problems and to provide some of the basic necessities for helping villagers lift themselves from extreme poverty.
- To increase awareness in sustainable agriculture
- To increase the communities health and environment by preventing disease
- To address the water and sanitation problems through rainwater harvest and protection of well springs
1.0: Water and Sanitation
This village had no sources of safe water. Residents had to walk an average distance of about a kilometer to reach an open, unclean, spring water source.
Objectives:
- To sensitise community in basic community health care.
2.0: Health- Malaria Prevention
All but the very youngest of the villagers suffer from two to three episodes of malaria a year. Attacks of malaria prevent children from attending school up to two weeks a year and prevent adults from working in the fields or at casual labour. Objectives:
- To sensitize the villagers to prevention of malaria transmission using mosquito nets and to teach the practices that result in mosquito abatement by removing standing water and cutting brush near the homes.
- To provide long-lasting, insecticide treated mosquito nets to the villagers for the prevention of transmission of malaria.
3.0: Health and Environment– High Efficiency Stoves
98.5% of the Buyuki community use wood as the primary fuel for cooking. In many homes three stones constitute a cooking stove, generating harmful smoke inside the home. The smoke creates health problems particularly for those persons cooking and the children that are present. Further the gathering of wood can take up to several hours a day and results in the deforestation of the area nearest the village.
To train people from each of the 3 zones in construction of energy efficient stoves.
To provide to each family energy efficient stoves that burn up to 70% less wood.
4.0: Sustainable Agriculture: Soil and Water Conservation, and Livestock Integration
Over the years of intensive cultivation, the soils in the village have been depleted, leading to poor yields and soil erosion. Poor roads and inaccessible markets provide less return to the farmers, thereby failing to provide their families with quality protein to supplement the diet. Hunger results in high instances of diseases, lack of energy and in some cases lack of full development of mind and body. Objectives:
- To provide improved livestock to 30 families for improved household nutrition and income
- To sensitize the village to water and soil conservation and livestock management.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The project has been approved for a matching grant from Rotary International, and is being implemented by the Rotary Club of Mengo (http://www.rotary9200.org/clubdetail.asp?clubname=Mengo) in 2007-2008, working with a project management committee appointed by the Buyuki village council. International Partners are: Eugene Airport Rotary(Lead Club), Eugene SouthtowneRotary, Rotary Club of Roseburg Morning, Rotary Club of Philomath, Rotary Club of Eureka, and Rotary Club of Mt. Shasta.