Joint Effort to Save the Environment with funding from Ilex de Paix (IDP) is implementing a program called Mpanga Super Farmers Program (MSFP) in Kabambiro sub county, Kamwenge District. This program aims at striking a balance between environmental, social and economic aspects in the implementing communities.
This program targets small holder farming households. In the year 2018 and 2019, maize price was at an average of 300 shillings in Kamwenge and our beneficiaries suffered great loss amidst much efforts of negotiating for better prices from potential buyers like New Kakinga and JB Kaganga but could not yield much. In the year 2020, MSFP beneficiaries started working towards maize value addition while processing it to posho and bran as a bi-product.
During the meeting to discuss the planned ideas on maize milling, JESE initiated the process of forming a marketing association (MA) for collectively marketing beneficiaries’ harvests. The meeting also resolved that members should start fundraising through members’ registration and buying of shares. JESE took the responsibility of building the MA capacity in areas of quality management, business development packages, leadership and governance packages.
Through MSFP, the MA in partnership with JESE undertook the initiative to raise money for MA maize milling business. This initiative had a primary purpose of providing milling services to program beneficiaries and the community so that they can spend less on acquiring posho and bran for human and live stock. The MA started a fundraising drive from its members where an approximate of 11 million shillings was raised.
After raising the money, it was agreed that the money be used in acquiring land for the business and JESE pledged to support them with a full set of milling machine, electricity installation and connection. Last year, the MA were able to buy a plot of land with a permanent structure and also restructured it to suit the milling project. Thereafter, JESE installed and connected power to the structure and also procured and delivered a full set of milling machine. On 24/12/2022 the MA started its milling business while serving its members and the entire community. All community members were very happy with the quality of posho produced and they pledged to support the business. By the end of April 2023, the business was able to generate 6.860.000 million shillings from milling for community members.
This interested JESE to negotiate with the MA leaders to do a co-funding on supporting the business with branding and packaging of their product, secure a digital weighing scale and a tricycle to facilitate marketing of posho within the sub county and nearby sub counties.