Launched in 2012 as the ‘Peters’ Chicken and Seeds project’, the Business and Agriculture project is the longest-running project within Nnina Olugero. The main objective of the project is to provide opportunities for people in hopeless situations to become financially independent.

AIM

• To improve the living standards of less fortunate people through agricultural training and provision of the means to change their own lives.
• To work and network with other organizations, dealing with related to Nnina Olugero’s aims.
• The promotion and training of (agricultural) business to less fortunate people.
• To create self-sustainable families who can generate their own income through agriculture.
• To improve the nutrition of HIV positive families, single mother households and others.

FOR WHO?

We have a focus on the following groups:

• The poorest families who have difficulty finding job opportunities

• Families with HIV / Aids, single parent families

• Vulnerable people like (former) prostitutes

WHY?

According to the Central Intelligence Agency*, 36 million people live in Uganda of which 25% live below the poverty line. This means that most of the basic needs are not provided and many people suffer from hunger. Children mostly go to the free government school, but have to stop after a couple years because they cannot provide the money for the schoolbooks and/or clothes and because they have to earn an income for the family.  Most of these families are HIV positive (or  at risk) and stigma/discrimination is high. Most women are taking care of the family alone and with this stigma they feel like they aren't capable of starting their own businesses, they can't find a paying job and feel hopeless. Therefore act accordingly. This project shows them they do have options and skills and gives them the possibility to grow and provide for their family.

HOW?

The ‘Business’ part of Business and Agriculture focuses mainly on learning commercial skills to transfer income to their income generating activity. In addition, Business and Agriculture has the Nnina Village, Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) program, in which women are connected with women in similar situations and guided as a group, learning how to get asset finance for agriculture and start businesses. Nnina VSLA provides training and guidance for a year where people learn to unite and can take care of their savings group without the assistance of Nnina Olugero.

By collectively saving, they eventually have enough start-up capital to start their own businesses. These businesses can be in agriculture, but also in other segments such as making crafts or making clothes. If possible, part of their savings is held separately to save for welfare so that in case of a medical emergency they have money to take care of themselves.

The ‘Agriculture’ part focuses on learning the skills needed to keep chicken and grow vegetables. People get a startup package consisting of: 5 chickens, feed for a month, chicken vaccinations the first 3 months, vegetable seeds and intensive training for 3 months.

To maximize the benefits of the possibilities of farming this project is very interactive with other Ugandan farming related organisations for example:

• Agent For Integrated Rural Development (AFIRD)
• Uganda Youth at risk Development Network (UDYNET)
• Bwaise Facility
• Caritus
• Bowa Poultry Universal Care foundation Uganda

Nnina Olugero is interacting with those organisations or groups because of their expertise in farming. The project will also coordinate with sister projects within the Nnina Olugero foundation like Condomwise, Get Up, Stand Up and the Health Care project. It will help their beneficiaries and their beneficiaries will help ours. This way we give people a multi-disciplinary approach and make a step towards creating a chain of good community work all through Uganda.

In this project we have a piece of land where we will start our own chicken and vegetable farm. The purpose of the land is to create an organisational income generating activity and also as a learning opportunity for participants of the project where they can gain experience as a kind of internship. In addition, this long-term revenue concerns that the foundation as a whole is no longer totally dependent on sponsors.

In addition this project is also being included in the programs of other organizations / institutes in form of group training. For example street youth centers and mental health institutions where income generating activities are much needed for these people if they want to be self-sufficient in the future. Additionally, it provides a therapeutic environment which include the growth of self-confidence through the sharing of responsibilities.

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