Proposal accepted – what’s next?

Since approval of the project two weeks ago, we have been busy with implementation activities. The tenders for the food and seed have been finalized, warehouse space has been rented and office space has been leased and equipped with furniture and a lap top.

Staff has been hired – a Project Coordinator (Harriet) and a logistics/warehouse/office assistant (Rose) are already in action. The field officers are working with the beneficiary committees to gather an accurate list of beneficiaries that meet the criteria of the project. Surveyors were trained last Friday and are currently conducting a Baseline Survey among 25% of the beneficiaries.  This will be compared to the results of another survey to be conducted in mid-June to see what impact the distributions of food and seed have had.

A distribution schedule has been set up and all systems are ready to go!  The first distribution of food will happen from April 3 to 6 in four locations.  As a result of the urgency to get the seed out to the farmers, we have decided to distribute the seed at the same time as the food.  Although this will significantly impact the workload of the staff, they feel it is absolutely necessary that we do so as the rainy season is imminent.  Subsequent food distributions will happen during the first week of each month, until July.

We wanted to share a bit of what we saw and learned about the villagers – not so much emphasizing their needs as we have done in prior blogs but to share some things about their lifestyle and a typical homestead.  When we went to assess the situation of the people in the areas where our partners and local officials felt the greatest need is, we made visits to some individual households. With their permission, we took some photos to help us share these experiences with you.

Although we refer to villages, it may not be what you imagine a village to look like – there is no general store or post office!  A Ugandan village in this area is basically a collection of households living close together. Each household can consist of elderly parents, a married couple, their children, some of their spouses and children and perhaps other members of their extended family. Although the average household is estimated to be six to seven people, there are some with as many as 25 members. The “family” lives in a homestead which is a collection of round buildings arranged in close proximity.

The photos we are attaching best describe what the dwellings look like.  Included in the collection of buildings in each homestead you may find a separate structure to house any food stored from a previous harvest, always a designated kitchen for cooking and sometimes a covered gathering area as well. There is a separate sleeping building constructed for the parents, and several more for other household members.

The dwellings are circular with clay bricks as can be seen inside this kitchen building above. The outside is covered with a protective layer of clay like that used as “grout” for the bricks. Most buildings are eight to ten feet in diameter. In preparation for growing families or deteriorating homes, trees are planted well in advance for “supports” to facilitate the next construction. The design of the “grass” roofs is based on many generations of experience and lasts up to six or seven years before needing to be replaced.

The woman, Abayo Immaculate, in the next photos, wearing a white blouse for the occasion, seemed happier than most we met. In this family photo below, you meet most of her children including her oldest daughter who is a single mother of two children. Her new baby is hidden from view behind our host. You can see their shaded sitting room behind them. One of her little boys missed the photo-shoot as he was too busy playing!

Our host proudly showed us her kitchen building and demonstrated how she grinds flour from maize or cassava when these are available. Imagine her great joy when she cooks the food her family will receive at the first distribution!

As you read this, Harry is either on his way home, or is already home! We praise God for blessing this proposal with the needed funding and the wonderful way He has helped orchestrate the implementation steps to date. Please pray for successful distributions and rains starting right now, for a good crop at the end of the four months.

We leave this project in very capable hands.  Below are some photos of our staff and partners!