In 2016, the Ministry of Water and Environment issued a report which showed that Uganda’s forest cover was 4.9 million hectares in 1990. However, this had reduced to 1.8 million hectares in 2015.

Several other Geographic Information System (GIS) mappings that have since followed also show a serious reduction in the forest cover of the country, and Kyenjojo in particular has been severely affected.

For instance, according to Global Forests Watch (GFW), an online platform that provides data and tools for monitoring forests, between 2000 to 2020, Kyenjojo lost 62,000 hectares of tree cover.

With a value of environmental stewardship in mind, the Joint Effort to Save the Environment (JESE) with funding from Forests of the World started implementing a project titled “Engaging farmers in the restoration of Kibaale-Matiri-Itwara Elephant corridor”, to reverse the situation.

The project is being implemented in the sub counties of Kihura, Kyarusozi, Butunduzi and Kigoyera, and is mainly targeting the farmers who are adjacent to these forest reserves.

Sam Nyakoojo, an agroforestry expert at JESE, explains that the approach being taken in Kyenjojo is the one where farmers are encouraged to integrate high-value crops like cocoa, vanilla and coffee, with indigenous trees. He explains that this is being done to ensure the trees provide shade to the vanilla and cocoa which in turn earns income to the farmers.

“So, it is one way of harnessing restoration because we are looking at cash in form of Cocoa, Coffee and vanilla but also the environment conservation using the indigenous trees like maesopsis, grevillea and others,” Nyakoojo explains.

The JESE agroforestry systems are well designed to meet the requirements of the high-value crops and they are being implemented in three models namely; A1, A2 and A3. The models are dependent on the needs and location of the farmer and the agroforestry system being implemented.

For instance, if the farmer is located near the forest reserve, then the A1 model, which looks at more trees than the crops, is used.

“If the agroforestry system is near the farmer’s household, then we use fewer trees with much high-value crops,” Nyakoojo explains.

So far, there is good adoption of the models. Godfrey Emmanuel is one of those farmers who has already adopted the agroforestry system. The resident of Butunduzi says he was a usual farmer engaged in the growing of beans, maize and such other crops until JESE introduced him to high-value crops.

Emmanuel says that other than planting trees that have grown so well, his vanilla and coffee are looking so nice too and he expects to harvest soon.

“From the first harvest, I might get like 15 kilograms and each kilogram is Shs 50,000. That will be some good income,” Emmanuel says.

But that is not all. He also grows some indigenous trees like Maesopsis Emiini (Musizi) and is expectant that around 8 years from now, he will also be earning from them.

“JESE gave us a lot of advice on coffee and how to dry it. I used to harvest one sack of coffee and at times I would even fail to get the one sack. I can now harvest three sacks when the season has gone well. I hope in future, I will not be the same way I’m today,” Emmanuel says.

Deus Muhwezi is a resident of Kawaruju parish in Kihura sub county. He explains that before JESE intervention, he was earning little money from his agricultural produce. He says he didn’t know about vanilla or cocoa and agroforestry in general, but he is now an expert.

“But I got a chance and JESE selected me to be a Community Based Trainer. So I was selected to have a model agroforestry garden. I started with cocoa and vanilla and I’m about to harvest,” Muhwezi says.

To Muhwezi, agroforestry is not just helping him grow high-value crops. He says he also has an apiary and the trees in the system provide the bees with the nectar.

“Actually, in this area, I’m the leading producer of honey because of this agroforestry. Like last season of harvest, there are farmers who didn’t get even a kilogram of honey, but for me I managed to get like 40 kilograms because I planted trees like cadiandra; they have flowers all the time. So, bees keep there. So I see I’m getting a lot of money through this agroforestry, there is a time I managed to buy a cow after making over Shs 1.8 million from honey,” Muhwezi explains.

CHALLENGES

Ensuring total protection of the environment is a huge task. Non-governmental organizations that partner with JESE like Kyaninga Forest Foundation (KFF), Natural Resources Defense Initiative (NRDI) and others are doing their best to ensure forests and other natural resources are well protected.

But like the Kyenjojo Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Julian Ayesiga, recently stated, the task is so big since some of the encroachers are the same people who are supposed to be giving the protection.

“There is a huge cartel that has infiltrated even us the security. You find that if someone is getting timbers from Muhangi, our own officers are in the know and you will find they have planted some people along the way and as you are moving, they will tell them that the RDC is there. By the time you reach there, you hit a dead end,” said Ayesiga at a meeting of stakeholders in environmental protection that was held in Kyenjojo recently.

Also, over a year ago, JESE in collaboration with NBS TV, carried out an investigation which exposed the people behind the loggers’ cartel. It was found that even when timbers are cut and authorities informed, they do not respond on time and in other cases, even the timbers that are taken as exhibits to police stations end up disappearing without a trace.

These challenges coupled with the poor mindset about agroforestry among some farmers adjacent to forests are still hindering the successful restoration of environment.

CALL TO GOVERNMENT

Nyakoojo says what is being implemented in Kyenjojo is just a pilot and the goal is to ensure that government adopts the same models and apply them to a wider area.

“So, what we are putting in place should be able to create learning so that the government learns and adopts the implementation of the systems into their annual budgets and plans.,” Nyakoojo says.

Leaders in Kyenjojo district have appreciated the Joint Effort to Save the Environment (JESE) and the partners for the SkillUp project, which has equipped the youth with technical skills in hairdressing, motorcycle and motor vehicle mechanics, welding and carpentry.

The leaders made the remark during the graduation ceremony of 57 youth at Tropical Gardens in Kyenjojo town council, Kyenjojo district on Tuesday. The youth were assessed by the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) which also awarded them certificates.

The Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Allan Bamuha, said the SkillUp project by JESE and its partner, Welthungerhilfe, has now contributed to the government’s effort of fighting youth unemployment, and is optimistic that those who were trained will pass on the skills to other youth and also create jobs in the long run.

Bamuha, however, advised them to adopt a culture of saving and avoid unnecessary expenses on things like betting, parties and alcohol if they want to develop.

“Now all your relatives are going to look up to you. All the money you will be making will now be going to supporting your siblings. Before you know it, you will be required to send condolences to families that lose loved ones. Parties will also come in! Please, you need to understand that that you need to save money. You can never solve all the challenges in the world,” Bamuha advised.

For his part, the Kyenjojo District LCV chairperson, Gilbert Rubaihayo, thanked NGOs like JESE for doing tangible work in his district, adding that youth unemployment was becoming a serious challenge that was forcing some into drug abuse, encroachment on forests to do charcoal burning and others crimes.

He advised other youth who have skills but lack money to embrace government programmes like Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga to get a starting capital.

“JESE and Weltihunger have done their part. I urge you to now go and work so hard, well knowing that there is nothing good in this world like hardworking while still young. Know that if you don’t work hard, you will have serious problems in your future,” Rubaihayo said.

The head of Youth Skills Development Programme at JESE, George Kaihura, said as an organization, they deemed it necessary give vacational skills to the youth who were out of school and at the same time unemployed.

Kaihura said they believe it will help tackle the problem of scarcity of jobs by giving the trained youth a source of income which in turn will enable them live a decent life.

Benjamin Kennedy, the Skillup Project Manager at Welthungerhilfe, congratulated the trainees upon the successful completion of the training. He, however, asked them to protect their lives against the many diseases including HIV and Ebola which have claimed many lives in the country.

He also encouraged them to be innovative, saying it is the only way to earn a better income and live a happy life.

“You diversify. Add on what you have studied. Be creative so that you can have multiple sources of income and have happy families. You are still energetic knowledgeable,” Benjamin said.

He also asked the youth to jealously protect the environment while referring to Module 6 of the Life Skills Manual titled, Nature Conservation and Climate Action, which talks about climate change resilience and environmental conservation.

“You have studied all these things in Life Skill [which was part of the training]. Take them serious, reflect on them, remember them so that they can be useful to you and the country at large,” Benjamin added.

On their part, the trainees could not hide their excitement. They promised to use their skills to create income generatign businesses that will improve on their incomes.

Bridget Kobusinge, the only female youth who opted for motor vehicle mechanics, said she chose the trade bcause she has always wanted to be a mechanic. She said she is hopeful that with the skills she aquired, her livelihood will greatly improve.

“i dropped out of school from Primary Seven and I have been struggling to make ends meet.  I will use my skill to ensure that my future is bright. I thank JESE so much for the skills I have today,” Kobusinge said.

Natukunda Patience said her father died when she was four years old and her mother died when she was 12 years. She added that life got so hard for her and she was forced to get married at an early age but still, due to domestic violence, she was forced out and rendered very helpless. She thanks the SkillUp project for the skills she acquired from toilering.

“I’m now hopeful that I will now be able to educate my three children, buy a house where shall stay and ensure they do not suffer like I have suffered. I thank JESE for enabling me to reach here, I will forever be grateful,” she said.

SELECTION PROCESS

Kaihura said that the youth who were trained under the Skillup project were picked after a through process and it is the most deserving who were given the opportunity. He explained that an announcement was sent out via radios and local leaders were also contacted to help reach the call to the ground.

After this, those who were interested applied for the opportunity and a team was set up to carefully scrutinize the applications. This process was followed by interviews where emphasis was being put on the most underprivileged. In the whole process, district leaders including LCV, LC1s and Community Development Officers were all involved.

SKILLUP APPROACH

In skillUp, all the beneficiaries are vulnerable and financially constrained to meet costs like transport, accommodation and such other expenses. It is against this background that a unique approach was employed for the project.

The approach works in such a way that trainees are given to qualified trainers who are close to them in terms of distance, where they can walk to and return to their homes. This in a way solves issues and worries around transport costs and any other expenses that would be incurred if the traditional approach of using technical schools was employed.

Additionally, the trainees are given life skills that include personal development, community and leadership, healthy living, inclusiveness and belonging and enhancing employability. At the end of the training, Kaihura said, the youth will be complete with both life and vocational skills.

“We also give them a startup kit that includes some tools to enable them to start to work right away,” he added.

The SkillUp project in Tooro Subregion is being implemented in the districts of Kyenjojo Bunyangabu and Fort Portal Tourism City by JESE in partnership with Welthungerhilfe with support from BMZ – the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in Germany. 

It was joy on Monday, November 7 as Joint Effort to Save the Environment (JESE) in partnership with Countryside Environmental Conservation- Uganda (CECO-Uganda) distributed relief items to persons of concern in Nakivale refugee settlement, Isingiro district. 

This was made possible with funding from Oxfam- US through the Emergency Response Fund (ERF).  

The items distributed included; water purifiers, reusable sanitary pads, jerry cans, and soap. In Rubondo zone, 100 jerry cans and 50 purifiers were supplied to the most vulnerable people who were struggling to access clean water and 250 women and girls were given reusable sanitary pads. These were supplied because of the many women and girls who experience menstruation amidst a financial crisis, which leads to stigma and social exclusion.

At Rubondo Community Secondary School, students and staff received 200 bars of soap to improve on their cleanliness and hygiene.  

Justine Gonza, who works with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) as the Assistant Commandant of Rubondo, appreciated JESE and the partners, saying the relief items were timely.

“This has been a stone added to our efforts to ensure that these people live a dignified life. But we still ask for more. Most of the school girls here lack pads and the women among the new arrivals also need more jerry cans and soap. So, we ask for more support,” Gonza said.

BENEFICIARIES APPRECIATIVE

During water crises, it is normally women and children who suffer most as they walk long distances to fetch water that they can use in their homes. This was the exact situation in Rubondo. The only major water source was a pond in a farm and it is used by the cattle at the same time.

According to a member of the Robondo C Village Health Team, Rose Dushimimana, the water is highly contaminated and was posing a higher risk of causing them waterborne diseases. Dushimimana was, however, appreciative and optimistic that the water purifiers will help them solve the challenge of unsafe drinking water.

The Rubondo C chairperson, Gamara-Yeli Rwamuhizi, said their area had many people who depended on unsafe stagnant water and was hopeful that the jerry cans will be used to collect and store rain water that is more safe.

“Women walk very many kilometers looking for firewood to boil water. With the support you have extended to us, we shall do our best to ensure we take clean and safe water,” Rwamuhizi said.

At Rubondo Community Secondary School, the head teacher, Edmond Mukasa, said that due to the high number of persons of concern, there is high competition for basic needs that are provided in the area and as a result, some households miss out. He asked other well-wishers to extend more support to them to ensure students, especially the girls, keep in school.

PRIVATE SECTOR ENGAGEMENT

To ensure the objectives of the intervention were achieved, JESE brought on board Spouts of Water, the manufacturers and supplies of Ceramic water filters (Purifiers).

According to Lucky John, the company’s Team Leader at the Fort Portal regional office, the ceramic water filters are locally made from clay and are very effective. Once the filters are modelled into a perfect shape, they are put inside a locally produced plastic bucket to give a complete filter.

“The filters work in two ways: physical filtration and chemical disinfection. The tiny pores in the clay containers that are placed inside the buckets trap all the germs and disease-causing bacteria while the thin layer of silver nitrate kills any remaining germs within the clay. The water that gets filtered out is natural, contains no harmful chemicals and is very clean and safe for drinking,” John said.  

Johns added that the filtration rate is an average of 3 to 4 liters per hour and the life span is 2-3 years. The cost of each filter depends on the needs of the buyer. For instance, the one of 20 liters is at Shs 90,000 and can serve from 1-20 people. The one of 75 liters can serve 30 people and above and is sold at Shs 300, 000.

Rebceca Angumye, the ERF Program officer at JESE, said spouts of Water was particularly engaged because their filers are effective and have the capacity to purify stagnant.

BACKGROUND

The ongoing M23 insurgency in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has seen an increase in the number of people being displaced from their homes into the neighboring Uganda. Hundreds of these – especially women, girls and children – have been given settlement in Nakivale, Isingiro district, but the need for basic needs is overwhelming. Gonza said that over 20,000 people have already been settled in Nakivale, while thousands of others are in different refugee settlements around the country.

JESE as one of the members of the Western Uganda humanitarian Platform (WUHP) and also a consortium member ERF came in to provide emergency non-food relief items. The ERF was launched early this year as an initiative through which local humanitarian actors could respond timely to the various forms of humanitarian needs with in their respective communities of operation, timely and rapidly, to alleviate human suffering.

With support from Oxfam, the ERF facility focuses on providing more flexible funding to local humanitarian actors and enhance their capacity to make urgent and timely responses to emergencies and disasters.

Due to the overwhelming number of new arrivals from DRC, access to basic sanitation facilities remains a huge challenge especially among women, girls, elderly, the disabled and the children. The support from development partners is scanty compared to the population with over powering demand ranging from basic needs to non-food items. Access to safe water is a challenge as majority depend on open wells/ponds and stagnant water during the rainy season.

It is against this background that JESE in partnership with CECO-Uganda decided to focus their support on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) interventions. This leveraged on the current JESE program of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) that is already being implemented in Isingiro district.