He retired from that job more than a year back and decided to attend forums and forums with his wife and other women in the area. From one of those, he was able to learn bee keeping and decided to try it out.By now,even if the wife is engaged in other farming activities, he mainly feed the family on bee keeping.

He says most men in Uganda do not attend such meetings as they think farming is for women. Also most teachers under look farming and end up suffering with the little pay they get. He also says that had he not joined such groups, he thinks he would be suffering with no food to put on the table as many other men do.

wagutu showing his bee hives

It is a common practice that in most rural areas in Africa, children cannot speak on their own. This is because of inferiority complex or due to their continued suppression. The situation is worse when these children are orphans.

Through Nezikokolima project, (HCC) hope children’s club in Mayuge has overcome this through monthly debates organized by BROSDI together with patron teachers. . Under this program, the children choose topics from thematic areas  like HIV, Agriculture and Education. They then work hand in hand with the teachers and organise debates.

This has helped them to develop decisive awareness. The children are now able to take position and decide on different issues.  They are now able to identify logical contradictions and challenges. This has helped them to improve their academics in school.

When we  first introduced the program, many of the children could not express them selves even in their own languages. Currently majority can even speak in front of an audience in English.

It has helped them to develop their personality. It is obvious that one cannot remain shy and still manage to debate. You must speak up when your opponent challenges you.

Some of the children where even able to express what has been on their mind for long. One boy while suggesting topics insisted that HIV victims should be killed. We all wondered why he was so insistent on a very tough punishment. Later we discovered that one of his parents passed away as a result of rape by an AIDS victim. He was cancelled and since then is aware that not all victims are like that. This helped him to reduce the anger which he had before on all people with HIV/ AIDS.

The children from the active schools have greatly improved their academics and results show higher grades from the last two year’s P.7 results.

This has further helped children to balance their emotions and behaviors while relating with other students.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the founders and all those that contributed to the establishment and growth of . In a special way, I thank our donor partners for the tremendous moral and financial support accorded to the open source with numerous facilities.

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector is one of the fast growing sectors not only in Uganda but worldwide. ICT sector is one of the key factors towards the success of any business or educational institution. I thank the administration for providing us with a well finished computer laboratory, fully connected to the internet at a free cost where I was able to learn what a computer is and also how to use it and it’s really working for me because I use it in chatting with people worldwide, learning different categories of things in different places. I also use it in searching for information majorly about my class work. It is so wonderful since all services are rendered at a free cost. I want to assure my colleagues that BROSDI is contributing to the development of the ICT sector by offering ICT/ computer studies to the future workforce of the country. A computer literature shall always dictate what and where to work, while the illiterate shall always have the world dictate for them.

I express my sincere thanks and gratitude to the administration of BROSDI for facilitating the library department with adequate resources. The library is well congested with text books, novels, magazines and newspapers, past examination question papers and anyone can enter and utilize whatever she/he is supposed to. I always go there for my revision and because of this library I have improved on my academic performance.

The “Nezikokolima” project has done us good and we are very appreciative. We do school activities like learning that curriculum of the ministry of education and sports. When I was still in my primary level it was through this that I was able to pass my P.L.E.  It also focuses on stopping HIV/AIDS among young people through the main measures as to; Abstain from sex and giving children a voice to be heard through debating on matters that concern children.

I thank the members who are working towards the development of BROSDI and I pray that the organization stays because it has done us better than harm.

By: Dhigudya Vincent

H.C.C (Busoga SS)

Nankwanga Salimat is a member of CELAC group from Bugodi village, Baitambogwe Sub-county in Mayuge district. She is now well known as one of the most successful and progressive farmer of ground nuts in the area. By dint of perseverance hard working, intelligent farm planning and management, ably supported by trainings, study tours out side the district and assistance received from CELAC, she has attained this status.

Nankwanga says “I joined a CELAC group in 2006 which had 26 members; before I joined, my farm activities were so indigenous …… I used to do things the way I thought was right yet not. I used to plant ground nuts wherever I knew they would grow and at any spacing, and I could only do the weeding when they have started flowering. I also had a feeling that if some body passed across the garden of ground nuts it stunts thinking that the stunting was caused by bewitching.”

“I have not looked back since that time…….. step – by – step I have moved to success…… before I could harvest less two sucks of shelled ground nuts out of an acre. At the moment, I plant the same acre but my harvest is above 10 sucks of shelled ground nuts. I used do the harvesting alone in the garden but now I call on my group members to come and help me do the harvesting” Nankwanga gives her testimony

“my life has changed and I really say there is no loss in agriculture…… buyers come to me at the start of the new season to buy seeds and the money I get I afford buying clothes for my self, buy scholastic materials for my children…… and other things that may require at home. Our family income has increased” she tells

The framers under CELAC accord their success to the trainings which they get from their trainer …….. “We have learned a lot about crop and animal handling and whenever we follow the pieces advise and knowledge we get from the trainings, our harvests are always positive”  groups members said.

“I call on my fellow farmers to stop the indigenous way of farming and adopt the new methods of farming for bigger harvests” says Nankwanga

By:

Joseph Mulopi

Filed under: Agriculture ]]> http://successtories.wordpress.com/2010/07/30/from-stream-to-river/feed/ 1 brosdi DSC09167 http://successtories.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/persistance-yields-success/ http://successtories.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/persistance-yields-success/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:20:56 +0000 celac http://successtories.wordpress.com/?p=158 ]]> The members of Hope Children Club (H.C.C) from Nabalongo primary school have something to be proud of. The children started with a small garden of beans and potatoes at school, it seemed hard at first because of the harsh weather due to much sunshine. The harvest was poor and really they got nothing from their garden.

To any one who started up a venture and you get disappointed, you will agree with me that most of the times we tend to give up and think of doing something different. But there is something to learn from these children that though the first season didn’t work out well, the struggle never ended, instead they gave it another trail.

With the help of their patron teacher; Madam Kaudha Deborah, they managed to have another garden of potatoes almost quarter an acre last season and this time they planted at early season when the early rains were still on following the piece of advise they got from Mr. Mulopi the chairperson CELAC Mayuge Farmers Network. They had a new variety of potato veins their teacher got from a friend. This time things seemed good and every body was very happy of the harvest. Being a small garden, they made no sales but they consumed everything at school together with their teachers.

Something I want to bring to the notice of all the readers of this article is that, there is something new and if you visited their school garden, believe me, you will admire something, and your eyes will appreciate what you will see. The school buying another piece of land was of great advantage and the H.C.C members made use of this advantage. A big garden of half an acre was established and indeed it is doing very well.

“We expect a very good and wonderful harvest this season and if it becomes true, we shall make some sales and the balance we shall eat at school together as a team and our staff. The money we shall get from the sales, we hope to buy seeds for vegetables like cabbages and egg plant that we can plant next season because now we need to change the crop on this land to get good harvests.” says the Patron teacher.

“We have acquired more knowledge and skills, we can now have our own gardens at home and we believe we can use this knowledge to have greater harvests such that we can have much food at home and even sell to get scholastic materials. At the beginning of next season, we shall take potato veins home that we can have our own gardens. Truly persistence has yielded success for us” said the children with smiling faces

“All what we have achieved is due to our team work, the children are active and they love the project. The school administration gave us land to do our activities, BROSDI has been very supportive through the CELAC project in giving us information concerning better methods of modern farming and we are grateful. In a special way we appreciate Hope Children Club for the Gardens for life node. We look at doing much and we believe we shall benefit more………long live H.C.C” Deborah said. 

By:

Mathias Walwana

Mr. kasajja Grace working on a PC.

Kasajja Grace is a member of CELAC – Mayuge District Farmers Network. He is a teacher in Buluba Day & Boarding Primary school in Baitambogwe Sub-County, Mayuge District.

From the time he joined CELAC, there are many things that he has positively gained in addition to his professional skills. Grace has a true story to tell about how he came to access and learn how to use a computer.

“When I joined CELAC, I was elected to be the General Secretary of the Network. This seemed an easy task and I accepted. However, during the course of our activities, a challenge came that I was requested to be typing the minutes of our meetings and save them on a computer. This sounded like carrying a stone of 200kg on my shoulders. I knew nothing about computers; I couldn’t type, hold a mouse or do anything by a computer though I am a teacher by profession.” Grace testifies

There is something to admire from Grace that he has turned the challenge into an opportunity. If you met him using a computer now, you will be more right to say that Grace learnt computer from school during his early age.

“I am so happy that I have new experience now. The past has gone, the fear and worry which were in me went and I had to start learning how to use the machines. At the beginning it was quite hard to adopt the new language of clicking and selecting but I persisted and eventually I have reached at some admirable level. Typing is no longer a problem to me; I have advanced that I can even browse the internet now. This has been so helpful to me that I am more updated than before, the content I deliver to my learners is more classic and first hand content.” Grace Explains

You will believe me when I let you know that Grace can now do all the work for the CELAC group that require computer, he can surf information about the crops they plant concerning pests, diseases and market. The group is even more proud of him because he is even helping to train other group members how to use computers.

By:

Mathias Walwana

The group members quickly mobilized money amongst themselves, bought telephone airtime credit and urged Evelyn to try the telephone numbers. All but one was useful to the group: one of the Market Managers of Owino Market expressed interest in the simsim crop. Owino Market is one of the largest markets in Uganda and is situated over 350 kms away from Apac. The manager was willing to travel and pick it at his own cost on condition that they could fill a Fuso Truck – they agreed, fully aware that the crop they had all harvested as members could not fill the truck. Still, they went ahead and agreed to the date of collection. After, the members went ahead and frantically bought simsim from other farmers in the village to add to theirs so as to meet the agreed bargain.

The manager paid them in full. Their earnings from the sale of the simsim crop as well as from the extra they had made from buying other farmers crop was put to use by the members in various ways. The CELAC Apac group has a policy that calls for each member to openly account for the profits that they have received as a result of group selling. Richard on his part bought a motorcycle.

Richard, his second name, Okwir, is a typical farmer from Teibuu Village, Akere Parish in Apac District. He is 54 years old and has one wife, Alum Secondina, with whom he has fathered seven children – 5 boys and 2 girls; with the eldest born in 1980 and the youngest in 1995. His household is comprised of his children, wife and an orphan child left in his care by his late brother in law. He is mainly a crop farmer , growing sim sim, maize, ground nuts and sweet potatoes though has two cows and some chickens and goats as well. He has also started an orange garden. Buying a motorcycle was extra addition to his other sources of income.

Today, he uses this motorcycle to mainly transport people in the village and its hinterland for a fee. He claims that his net daily income earnings are 40,000/=. When we learnt of this we inquired how he manages such high incomes from the motorcycle as compared to his other counterparts who earn much less, to which he responded that it is because he rides it himself. He further went on to say that other motorcycle owners prefer to hire out to others and as a result, they are cheated.

He has since used the income to boost his sim sim production for which he now has a guaranteed market. He also uses the profits to cater for other household basic expenditures like medical care and education for his 9 dependants, 7 of whom are his children.

Article compiled by Ednah Karamagi and Mary Nakirya
BROSDI Staff

“I am happy with what God gave me,” Micheal says happily.

With a humble beginning of just a kitchen garden in 2002, Micheal only dreamt of owning a bigger garden of tomatoes.

To date, he owns a bigger garden (1/2 acre) of tomatoes “I am starting to realise my dream,” he says with a broad smile.

“I get four troughs of tomatoes daily,” he says. This translates to 28 troughs a week. At sh7,000 a trough. Michael earns sh.196,000 a week selling the tomatoes.

“Tomato growing is one of my hobbies and always tend to my garden after 5:00Pm daily when am done with teaching.” says Micheal

Micheal acquired the knowledge of tomato growing and management from the CELAC (Collection & Exchange of Local Agricultural Content) group of Mayuge. “I never left the knowledge in the group but I carried it home and put it in practice and here I am” he explains.

“Sincerely, I could get farming information on my phone through SMS. This helped me to manage my tomato garden well and surely even the friends I shared with the messages I got benefited” he explains how he continued to manage his garden

For Micheal to reach this level that has glued a permanent smile on his face, it has been patience, hard work, and above all knowledge tips from BROSDI ICT tools. He therefore calls on all farmers to always be patient in farming and do all it takes to acquire the necessary information. At the end of it they will gain.

As Narrated to:

Mathias by Micheal Mulime

CELAC Apac District Farmers Network build a store to boost their incomes as well as eliminate the middle man

Video by Mathius Walwana, Jackson Wante, Joseph Mulopi and Ednah Karamagi

We, that is me and other farmers as well as other business practitioners who were either members of BROSDI or WOUGNET were taken through a series of training. We were also given basic journalism tool kits that comprised of a digital camera and recorder. We were also given written material as well as taught how to write good articles and take photos that tell a story. We received a lot I must say.

When I returned to the village, I started writing some articles. These I would take to the BROSDI center. I also started taking photos to accompany these articles. This I did because I learnt that an article accompanied by a photo further gives more evidence and truth in what is said in the article. It also makes the article more attractive and interesting to read.

With time, people in the village knew that I take photos. One day a friend of mine was getting married and asked me to take photos at his wedding. At first I refused because I thought that the camera was meant for articles only. I approached Matthias one of the staff at BROSDI and he asked me one question: “if you don’t use the camera to make money, how will you repair it in case it gets damaged? BROSDI may not!”

From that day onwards, I have become the most popular photographer. This is because with my camera, after I have taken your photo, I show it to you. I can also delete the ones you don’t want. After taking the photos, either the customer chooses the ones for printing immediately or we travel with him or her to Iganga and sometimes to Jinja to print them.

It is true that I have earned money from this. I have used this money to reduce at least on my weeding costs. Also, I use this money to buy basic day to day home essential commodities like sugar, salt, and even sometimes, books for my children.

by Mulopi Joseph

Tree nursery bed at Waitambogwe village -Mayuge

Studies have shown that hospital patients with a view of trees out of their window recover much faster and with fewer complications than similar patients without such views.  Most urban dwellers appreciate wildlife in their day-to-day living.

Trees provide habitat to a wide variety of living creatures, including birds and squirrels and make wildlife a common occurrence in the surrounding environment.  Trees also help record the history of your property.  If your father or grandfather planted an apple tree at home many years ago, what is the sentimental value of that?  Can you really put a price to the maple tree that you climbed as a kid or the tree that you and your Dad planted together when you were in kindergarten?  Everyone has memories linked to trees and nature sometime throughout their lifetime.  A value that is sometimes overlooked when discussing the importance of trees. (These are words from Tenywa and Kowa of Waitiambogwe village sharing out the functions of trees and the BROSDI services)

For not more than a few times, we visited the BROSDI internet centre with the intensions of getting some information about rising up nursery beds of different tree seedlings. The time we spent to go to the centre was big but we don’t regret because the information we received has made us different people and we have managed to start up our tree nursery bed project where we now raise tree seedlings like; pine, musizi, eucalyptus, careapple, mangoes, oranges, avocado and flowers.

Just from the nursery beds, we can now secure a living from the seedlings and we can afford the necessities of our lives. Our incomes have increased, we used to save nothing because we could only earn a little for buying chapatti but now our savings are big and we development taking on pace. To a young man who has no any academic qualification now, it is very hard to secure a job in any office but we are grateful that we have our own office though without any qualification.
This would serve to the rest of the young men out there, you should not despise your selves, though you don’t know how to surf, get to BROSDI their staff will help you out like we were also helped.

The knowledge we received from the internet at BROSDI has made our work more different from the rest of the nursery beds in the locality. Our nursery beds are on standard and very classical that we can now supply direct seedlings to organizations and companies planting forests like BIDCO Uganda Ltd.

This will serve as an advert; For whatever reason that you may value a tree, whether it be for the smell, the touch, the taste or just the sight of a tree on a beautiful fall day, a tree can provide important memories that can last a lifetime, or find the cure for a foreign disease.  Whatever the importance may be to you, there is an importance, one that either consciously or unconsciously provides pleasure for generations.

May BROSDI be there to stay that even us the non qualified can get knowledge and start up money generating projects

By;
TENYWA & KOWA
WAITAMBOGWE VILLAGE

I have always wondered and wished to know the day some one slept and had a dream to start up something of this nature in the rural setting. I have moved across this beautiful country Uganda but never before have I seen a village with a Tele-center. From North to South and from East to West but nothing. It is more surprising that a bigger centre with free internet services is here in a rural village – Wainha, Mayuge district. This is so rear more so in Africa. It takes God to move out of his chair than some super natural forces to cause such greater happenings.

With great pleasure, I thank God for the Gift of BROSDI that He gave us in our rural community. How many areas even in some towns that have loved to access internet but no way out, oh! we are so blessed- this is a village indeed worthy staying because we are always on internet.

All this I see personally I think it’s God at work. Am one of the clients that has been blessed, blessed in the sense that what we have been hearing over the Radios and televisions is right here with us L I say Praise be to God!  Believe me when you visit this place, you will see no difference between a town and a village.

I had known the computer before, but just a little bit of it, I had not been so much used to it and typing was my problem. I had the e-mail address but it had become dormant, I mean I had even lost its purpose because I could take time with out even checking my mails, moving to town to cyber cafes was expensive to me, so I had fewer friends I was in touch with.

Things have now changed to a level I never imagined, courtesy of BROSDI. I am in touch with quite lots of friends abroad, in Uganda and even here in the rural community. I have been able to get to know about other useful sites, my typing skill is now fine,

My cost of communication has greatly reduced since I use the internet to do this. Things like yahoo messenger, meebo, as well SMS to mobile phones. Social networks like facebook, have also helped me get in touch with both friends and family. One of the greatest tool I have come to appreciate is blogging since it has given me wider exposure to the world over.

I make inquires about agriculture issues more especially in horticulture, and effective answers and solutions are provided BROSDI sites and blogs, search engines, BROSDI mobile phone google tips etc.

Before I can forget, I thank God for the management of BROSDI down here in the village, they are just too good to us, very helpful and supportive and social.

In a Special way many thanks goes to all our DONORS that support all BROSDI activities, but more especially the ICT department. We appreciate so much. God Bless you.

Truly writing, the achievements and benefits i have fished from BROSDI are so many that it can take me much time to recite right from the beginning. However, with the little mentioned so far, I think and I must be right to say that BROSDI as an organization is worthy an award for its contribution to the local communities

I adopted one instruction from the Bible that says “Go to all nations and preach and spread the gospel of the Good news” so I have also spread the BROSDI gospel all over and I have managed to persuade more other friends of mine access the services here, and each other day they thank me for letting them know about the services down here at BROSDI.

Thank you God, thank you BROSDI

By:

Robert T Dhikusooka.

Just as anything else can start, the organization also started small but now it is all through the community and in other districts. I and other teachers became part of it to run and push on its activities to schools in our area. With all the activities and programmes done by the organization like; education, health, agriculture and ICT, I have benefited almost from all. I started coming to BROSDI when I even didn’t know how to hold a computer mouse but now, I can do all that I want on a computer ranging from typing to internet surfing. This has helped me increase on my efficiency and to become more effective in all that I do.

I have been transformed in a positive way both economically and socially. Through the other programmes like the one of Agriculture – Collecting and Exchange of Local Agricultural Content (CELAC), I have become a farmer and a modern one too. This has helped me have food at home and also earn some income because I take the surplus to the market. I have a big garden of cassava and maize and I am now a strong farmer that even other farmers come to me for consultation about proper farming methods.

Malime Micheal taking Part in one of the HCC activities

Because of BROSDI, I have attained more leadership skills because I am the Vice Chairperson Hope Children Club (HCC) and at the same time the Patron teacher in charge of Practice Makes Perfect (PMP) project.

Great work has been done by BROSDI that is worthy appreciating to our schools, our pupils have been helped more especially those in candidate classes; they have never remained the same. They have received both educational and extra curricular knowledge that enables them pass with flying colours; they have attained skills notably in spoken English, Agriculture, Health and Computers.

My participation in the Youth and HIV AIDS Awareness Program (YOHAAP) Project has farther increased my knowledge on HIV & AIDS. I can boost of having vast know how of this dreaded plague as well.

The little above is among the many things that I have benefited from the organization and my sincere prayer is that may BROSDI live to stay.

Malime Micheal

Patron Teacher Musita Primary School

Mayuge Uganda

Enoc shares a story of how he learnt to rear chickens from information he got from the CTA Agricultural Brochures …

Born in a humble family with 15 children, Mariam the seventh born was only able to have formal education up to senior 4 and then her future seemed to have hit a dead end until she decide to try her luck at BROSDI. Taking advantage of the service offered at BROSDI Mariam has been able to resurrect her hopes of a better future. “I am so glad that many parents in Mayuge district have found light on what BROSDI does and keep advising us and their children to join computer studies at BROSDI centre,” she says. “I had no idea on computers and this meant I knew nothing concerning a computer, I could not even tell what the keyboard did. But I just knew how a computer looked like and not knowing its work and how it worked. Never lose hope when you don’t know something and always struggle and have an idea on it (this forced me to work and read hard my notes so that I could gain what I deserved).”

“It did not take many weeks for me to learn something, remember the first week I knew nothing concerning computers but was glad when I started learning, I came to know all about the computer and per now I can do the following: – Typing, Formatting and all that concerns Microsoft word, I can also teach my fellow students the little I learnt on the computer and with time I will come to learn what Microsoft excel is and how it works because I have just started it off. This makes me always glad and I also advise my fellow students so that they can get to know what is in the world and how it is going on through the computer because when you have learnt computer you get to know how to search for all kinds of information such as country and world news.”

Mariam Helps out clients at BROSDI

“I can’t miss to appreciate the work done by the staff of BROSDI and its administration, their services are free and the beauty of it all is that you have access to computers and the internet all throughout the year. This makes perfection much short as the more one practices the easier it is for them to get perfect” Asked if whether it was the time? She’s like of cause, “I can now say that given a chance I can be employed as secretary or office administrator although am looking at having my small secretarial beaural.” Mariam is now able to do several tasks on her own and of let volunteers to do some work at the BROSDI center. She is usually seen teaching and helping out new students and clients as well as gives support when called upon to the staff.

Mrs Tuzaire Enid, a member of CELAC Bushenyi District Farmers Network tells how she has diversified her household income avenues from zero.

Mrs Kabaterine Erina, a member of the CELAC Bushenyi District Farmers Network illustrates how she read the agricultural brochures from CTA, implemented and now is reaping fruits

“I have walked for many times to the BROSDI centre but my movements have been for something. On my first time to reach the place after being directed and briefed by a friend, I never imagined where to start from as everything seemed so strange to me.

People looked so busy in office but I picked up courage by the help of the Holy Spirit and I entered with my dear wife Winfred Wandera and talked to one of the staff members who has been our source of help till this time” says Pastor Patrick. “I came with an address (email address) from a friend of mine who visited my church at some one time back. On his visit, he gave me nothing apart from this address. This made me uncomfortable because I knew nothing about all this. He however told me to write to him using this address when he gets back to Australia” Pastor Patrick continues to testify (A conference in an open roof church)

With the persistence and determination that Pastor Patrick has, he started on the communication with his friend after getting back to his home country and this has yielded much more than what we can imagine. From just a roof and poles that used to make the church building, a well constructed church has been built at Bulanga, seats have been put, the church members can receive support in form of food from the donors and all this has been the power of internet.

This has made the man of God keep trusting in the God he serves and his faith has been raised.

When ever he reaches the BROSDI centre, he has to at least offer aprayer to God that BROSDI should stay for more. “Even us who had no hopes of constructing a church can have a beautiful church! The Lord is great” “I used to pastor four (4) church members simply because none wished to fellowship from such an open roof. I could get some big number only during functions like conferences, seminars and overnight prayers.

The situation was at no moment good because when it rained on Sunday, then we could not have Sunday service but Glory be to God the father who will never forget His servants (Joshua 1: 6 – 9). I now have a church of ninety (90) members, change of weather is no longer our threat and I am organizing to wed my dear Winfred and the bells will ring on 27th/November/2009” Pastor Patrick shows out the joy in his heart. (The new church building) It could be so rare if in his conclusion, Pastor Patrick forgot a prayer “I call on my dear fellow Pastors and the entire community that let us make us of the BROSDI.

Thanks go to the initiators of BROSDI and all the stake holders. May the Lord God reward and bless the works of your hands”

By; Mathias Walwana

Under this project, farmers using this service in this area no-longer have to go for expensive drugs and other farm inputs for their animals or plants. All they have to do to send an SMS through selected SPOs (Shared Phone Operators) who are located in areas like Musita trading centre,Lukone,Namagera,Ntinkalu,Lugolole, Mayuge Town,Nondwe trading centre,Bwalula trading centre,Bugoto landing site,Bulanga,Busiiro and BROSDI centre at Wainah.

When I interviewed one of the SPOs Walwana Mathias of BROSDI Wainah, this is what he had to say about the way this project works and how it has helped the farmers in his area,‘ when a farmer comes for example with a farming problem like how to control tomato pests, I type this information onto my phone and then send to a direct number 6006.Within three or more minutes I get a feed-back which I read to the farmer or let him read by himself that is if he/ she can.An example a farmer may ask how banana wilt can be controlled ,he may get an answer like; ferment human urine for two weeks, add water at a ratio of 1:2,add mashed cabbage leaves, then spray.

Mathias went on to say, that farmers can also know the weather forecast of a particular area for example if a farmer wants to know the weather forecast for Mayuge, I just type in my phone w. Mayuge send it to given number and I will get the feed back which I give to the farmer said Mathias.

Since the services are free and the information received is working out he continues, farmers no longer have the burden of looking for much money to buy the very expensive farm inputs and this in return has helped so much in improving their incomes and livelihoods. The project is to be launched officially this year.

One Mr. Olunda a farmer from Bugodi who is using this service when asked how this project has been useful to him had this to say “this project has been very useful because I no-longer have to spend money to buy most of my farm in-puts since all the feed-back information I get, that is the cure, disease control e.t.c I get just within my surrounding and locally.

Bravo, Applab Uganda, bravo CELAC for all the Agricultural data collection and all the staff

By Thomas Waisswa