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.

Who am I to be one and part of BROSDI? It is over five years since I became part of the organization as a Patron Teacher of Musita Primary School a member of Hope Children’s Club (HCC). They say God only gives special children to special people and so I have to say that special organizations like BROSDI must also be for special communities. I will not call my self the special one in the community, but I am so much privileged to be one of these wonderful development initiatives in our community. As a teacher I have benefited from the organization both directly and indirectly. Indeed my benefits are immeasurable.

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 …

“Since I came to BROSDI, I have gained what I would call tremendous knowledge on how to use computers. My instructor says ICT is quite a wide area and that new things, programs and applications come up every now and then each suited for a particular purpose.” “I have seen learnt the BROSDI module which includes Introduction to Computers, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Word 2003 and the Internet,” these are the words of 17 year old Mariam Namwende Bagenda.

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

With the BROSDI centre in Mayuge and its almost free internet to the clients, miracles will never stop happening. This time we have Pastor Patrick Wandera of Bulanga Baptist church testifying what the power that the centre holds. Bulanga Baptist church is just 1 Km from Bulanga Trading centre and it is about 3 Km from the development centre.

“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

A new pilot project for farmers using SMS has been started in Mayuge District by Applab (Application laboratory) with the assistance from MTN Uganda, Google and the CELAC project being the content provider.

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

Above from L2R: Mrs Mpungu, chairlady of CELAC Masaka, Mrs Nuwagaba Miriam, chairlady of CELAC Bushenyi and Ms Nangonzi, group member to the CELAC Masaka District Farmers Network.
Below: More views of the same tree

CELAC has done a lot yet more is still uncovering. However, we cannot stop people of their pride to reveal what exactly the journey with CELAC has taken them.

Mr. OLUNDA DODOVIKO a residence in Bugodi, Baitambogwe sub-county, Mayuge district confesses that he has gradually changed with in these 3 years as pioneer. He rears domestic animals like Pigs, Cattle and he plans to venture into poultry. But this time he wants local birds since they are a bit resistant to disease out breaks. “As a hobby I preferred to keep Bee to get Honey but it seem to owe me a lot in future,”
he talks of the Bee Hive behind his houses.

Next to that is a piggery which has played an important role in educating his children. He has alos diverted his focus to growing of oranges with varieties like Amurrine, Valansia and Washington.

“I got the knowledge through the forums held occasionally together with other CELAC farmers. We are 30 but only 13 prove to uphold our project. We were provided with hand outs. I used them to maintain my farm and change in my farming tactics. “I always consult CELAC farmers to go about bee keeping, treat my crops with urine and other mad made manure. Now, I save my money for other uses but not buying fertilizers.” he added. He thanks CELAC for reaching out to every farmer and urges other farmers to join immediately.

Besides G-nuts, we did not forsake our purpose of visiting this farmer’s firm just at a stone throw. Selenium gilo(Entula) and Local Kale(Sukumawikki) are his favorite vegetables. Some still breed in his near by seed bed. Upland rice garden that prophesy hope in future. Corn(Maize) which he is soon going to harvest. The Bananas he had lost hope in before. He scattered them and yielded less but now planted more and expect a lot. He is skilled as any one else could say.

The question is ..Where has WAISWA got the courage to tighten his belt to stitch in Agriculture? The answer is too simple. “CELAC!” he answered boldly as a king. He commenced to tell us that 3 years before becoming a member in this group, he practiced subsistence farming to cater for his family and guard it against famine.
Later on, he begun sharing the knowledge with fellow members on how to develop and produce qualitable yields. Few months, experts taught them modern Agriculture basing on local compost manure application in the gardens. That’s why he seen to be successful.

“ I educate my children, pet necessities don’t burden me either because it’s a matter of selling some vegetables from my garden to finish up the demands.” he said.
He added on “ am popular a round this village due to my produces and to crown it all I have got enough skill to maintain my firm.” He no longer take things for granted as he did before joining CELAC. And on this note he adjourned summoning every farmer to join and catch up with the booming market in Agriculture.

Still, I admired his skill to explain the use of the herbs surrounding his home. I asked about Malaria and cough treatment. He answered jokingly “…..e e eee!” pointing at “Molinga” and some other small tree, Boter brush. He said, they are so good in relief of Malaria, Cough and other infections. But due to literacy and
religious doctrines most people think its witchcraft. Can you imagine?

He concludes saying that CELAC has been a turning point for him to venture into modern Agriculture.

…..written by;

Waiswa Tom and Ochieng Batista

“ … many times while I am going about my farming activities, I find challenges; but these have been made easier because I immediately send an SMS to Maria (CELAC Staff) who sends to me a reply within which is the solution to the challenge I have encountered… ” narrates Mrs. Mpungu Elizabeth, a farmer from Masaka district during a discussion in the recently conducted CELAC Village knowledge brokers’ training at the BROSDI Development Center, Mayuge. SMS is one of the ICT methods used to disseminate and share knowledge in the CELAC project.

CELAC, Collecting and Exchange of Local Agricultural Content, is one of the BROSDI Project. It targets improving rural farmers’ livelihoods and food security through engaging the government and the civil society in knowledge sharing and information management using ICT methods. The project has representation in all the four regions in Uganda, and promotes adoption of use of indigenous farming knowledge to particularly grassroot farmers that cannot afford modern farming inputs in order to realize a fruitful harvest.

ICT methods used for sharing indigenous knowledge (local content) in the CELAC Project include an informational website, radio cassettes, telephone calls and SMS, newsletters, brochures, knowledge sharing forums and fairs.

Phase 1 of the CELAC Project proved that sharing indigenous knowledge using ICT methods has made and; can still make a significant contribution to resolving local problems, with the adoption of mobile telephony taking lead. This is probably because of the liberalization of the airwaves enabling various telecommunication networks which have extended their services to rural areas. The private companies have a number of times subsidized the costs of obtaining a telephone, an advantage the rural folks have taken of. SMS is also an affordable option, often calling for a cost which is a quarter the price of a phone call. This is more affordable to the grassroot rural person, and especially the women farmers who are the major family income earners. The grassroots farmers in rural Uganda earn barely one US dollar a day.

Short Message Service (SMS) is a service available on most digital mobile phones (and other mobile devices, for example, a Pocket PC, or occasionally even desktop computers) that permits the sending of short messages (also known as text messages, or more colloquially SMSes, texts or even txts) between mobile phones, other hand-held devices and even landline telephones.

SMS was originally designed as part of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), but is now available on a wide range of networks, including third Generation networks. GSM is still the most popular standard out there for mobile phones; though not all text messaging systems use SMS, and some notable alternate implementations of the concept include J-Phone’s SkyMail and NTT Docomo’s Short Mail, both in Japan. E-mail messaging from phones, as popularized by NTT Docomo’s i-mode and the RIM BlackBerry, also typically use standard mail protocols such as SMTP over TCP/IP

The first SMS message was sent over the Vodafone GSM network in the United Kingdom on 3 December 1992, from Neil Papworth of Sema Group (using a personal computer) to Richard Jarvis of Vodafone (using an Orbitel 901 handset). The text of the message was “Merry Christmas“. The first SMS typed on a GSM phone is claimed to have been sent by Riku Pihkonen, an engineer student at Nokia, in 1993. Information got from the wikipedia reveals.

Today, use of SMS as a communications tool is growing exponentially and its use has shifted away from primarily focusing on leisure aspects to addressing day to day challenges.

An example of an SMS sent to the farmers:

It is important that the SMS’ sent to the farmers hold the characteristics of “affordability” and “accessibility” of inputs to the grassroot farmer.

SMS can be used anywhere provided one has a mobile telephone and network. Airtime is necessary if one wants to send, otherwise.

Mrs. Mpungu continues, “… take an example; I got an SMS one time that indicated that you should add manure to your crop while weeding, which I did. During the second weeding, I noticed that the Matooke crop looked like it was wilting. I sent an SMS to Maria and she advised me that though it is true I should add manure to the crop during the weeding activity, I should not place it directly on the crop as it would have a burning effect. Maria also said that this could easily become a breeding point for pests and diseases.”

This is one way the farmers are using SMS to address their challenges in a largely farming community. The CELAC Project collects information during Knowledge Sharing Forums, written and e-literature repackages it and sends to the telephone numbers in its database every Monday using both a mobile phone and Gmail services. These telephone numbers belong to farmers globally, with the bigger majority from Uganda. They are normally collected at the end of Knowledge Sharing Forums, during workshops where the CELAC Project is asked to show case their model and during both formal and informal visits made to other persons and organizations.

The SMS’ is disseminated in both English and Luganda, a Ugandan local language, with the farmer choosing the language of preference.

Some of the SMS are got from Village Knowledge Brokers who send local content in form of SMS to the CELAC Staff, which is in turn forwarded to all other farmers attached to the project and others that may request for it. Cissy Serunjogi, an orange fleshed sweet potato farmer in Luwero district (also the current Luwero CELAC District Farmers Network Chairperson) is active in sending SMS’ to alert other farmers of the approaching dry spells and reminds them to start preparing their gardens for the next season. She emphasizes that “… late planting leads to low yields”.

Once the SMS is received, the farmers record it in a book or paper and put in a file for future reference. Other farmers without mobile phones at their will can access this knowledge and further freely disseminate it. Such places act as the major info points to other farmers within the village.

The SMS’ sent have no defined word number count, many times the recipients phones breaking it into six-to-eight messages due to its long length. “We don’t mind that the SMS is divided into batches …. infact this attracts other colleagues when they hear my phone ring a number of times. They often ask me why it does so and who is calling, then I use that opportunity to explain the project goal and how they too can benefit from it. This of course also makes me proud when they consider me as the source of information”… Mr. Mwanja Edwin, a CELAC Farmer from Mayuge district(also Coordinator of the Mayuge CELAC District Farmers Network Chairperson and also the Agricultural Extension Officer in Baitambogwe sub county), went on to say. It is interesting to note that the nature in which the SMS is received is also liked by other farmers especially since it increases curiosity to those that hear the phone ring.

“… the SMS’ sent have been of great significance especially because they give practical solutions to many of our farming challenges, that have led to our household development through increasing our income avenues and amounts” … said Mrs Mpungu.

Information sent to the farmers’ rallies around better farming practices using local content during garden preparation, planting, harvesting and post harvesting, marketing, pests and disease control measures.

There are many alternative ways in which SMS can be used to address the challenges faced by rural farmers today.

It is possible, for example, using local telecommunication companies to access prices of various agricultural commodities within a defined market space. This is done in close partnership with described organizations and/or companies; whose role is to supply regular updated information to the system. This is then accessed by the users via SMS. Take an example of Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN) in Uganda. They have partnered with Food net, Kyagalanyi Coffee, Mukwano Seed and UCTF Coffee to provide regular agricultural market price information in various districts to users.

The sole reason why the farmer has to increase his income base is to be able to support the family. For the children, is an added expense in obtaining educational requirements. SMS is a cheaper and faster way for school administrations to inform the parents of their children’s absence and accidental health problems.

Using a username, pin code and patient’s mobile phone number, the Health Units can store the farmers’ medical and health records. This will enable them access them at will and also probably engage automated reminder doctor appointments and presence, drug collection notices and availability. This is especially because it will save on the expense and time to go to the Health unit. It is important to note though that, the system developed needs to enable effectively authenticated records to ensure privacy and accuracy.

Farmers are coming of age as far as adoption and use of technology is concerned. However use of technology comes along with its related challenges.

In some parts of the rural areas, the farmers have to travel long distances to access the network. This is because preferential installment by the telecommunication companies if given to the urban settings first.

Some of the farmers also have to endure the long distances to access a Village Knowledge Broker with a telephone. The telephones need to be charged. Electricity is not evenly distributed especially to the rural areas. Those that have it, be it solar or hydro power, charge exorbitant costs to charge a mobile phone.

Even with the given challenges, use of SMS has realized positive impact on the development of a rural farmer.

… article written by

Maria Nakirya

Program Coordinator.

References

1. http://blog.ipipi.com/blog/_archives/2005/2/17/329057.html

2. http://www.grameenphone.com/index.php?id=63

3. http://www.linkinglearners.net/downloads/RepICTstudy.pdf

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS

As told by Pastor Mesulamu to Maria Nakirya and Ochieng Baptista (both BROSDI Staff)

“This church you see (see picture below) is a result of BROSDI’s niche especially on that thing called internet…you see those daughters of mine Maria and Ednah deserve abundant reward from God. Do you know why?” Pastor Mesulamu asks.” I was immature, purely illiterate, because those buttons extremely scared me”

Those were words of Pastor Mesulam Maisonswa who owns a small church in Mayuge district in a village near Magamaga town about 7 kilometers away from BROSDI center.

He said that people used to tease him as he sloped to the center almost daily trying to learn the machines that he had heard can be used to communicate so many miles away. They wondered whether an old man would ever be able to learn the machines as they claimed they were so hard even for the youth. But he never lost hope as he got encouraged whenever he would surface at the center.

The pastor was pleased to mention that, BROSDI work is appreciated by those who make good use of it especially the clients who cautiously look for its help. One is not only allowed to use free internet for the first 30 minutes but is also taught on how to use the computers and the internet; and how it can help you achieve your goals.

At one point he said he had sent so many mails that he thought he was wasting time. However, he says these emails encouraged him not to give up. At first he would visit internet cafes in Iganga and Jinja which is far and he didn’t have enough transport to travel most of the time. So at times he had to ride his old spoilt bicycle up to these towns, repairing it at certain points. This was so tiring.

He also had to pay for any tiny services offered yet he had to ask the people there to send for him the mails. This would give them chance to read his mails and at times leaving them open. But at BROSDI it was different. Much as the staff would help him send some mails, they also taught him to do it himself and now he is glad that he can open, read and type his own mail in addition to a few other computer skills he has learnt thought he is still slow.

He noted that he was in pain to better the church standing at low ebb thatched with Banana leaves, later using rice stalks which could decay in no time. He also noted in grief that at times Caterpillars would drop like heavy rains of the desert on people as they prayed in the church! Rain also used to pass through the banana leaves so it was really hard to pray during the rain seasons. Because of the poor conditions, some people had started running away.

Now that is history, those days ended as he stiffened at BROSDI. All maims are becoming legends since now support prevails from abroad all the way from Australia.

“These nifty daughters of mine helped me through yet at that time I didn’t even know how to pinch those white things of the flat plastic”. (literally meaning the key board). He boasted that now he communicates to whites all the way in Australia and; he has been able to get funds to improve his church.

He explained that what made him establish a church was that one time he and his wife prayed for a sick woman who was suffering from AIDS and showed her love, through counseling and of course food but sadly she died shortly. During burial ceremony he preached and got 12 converts into his denomination. But since it was too distant to move to attend services in his church in Wainah, he decided to establish a church in the area but what he lacked were the funds to start. He constructed a small church roofed with banana leaves where people used to come and attend prayers. He now rides a bicycle about 7 km to attend to the church at times spending a night with them praying overnight using a candle as source of light.

He recalls his first time in a new village; Lukoli where his church was established.  He rented with his wife but was chased away and when they went to a nearby village, the same incident happened.

As he kept on communicating to Pastor Ken in Australia with the help of BROSDI’s  free internet and machines, explaining his problems to him; he and his friends donated some money which facilitated to start the present Baptist church in Lukoli ¼ km off Iganga Jinja road near Magamaga trading center. He was able to purchase land, remove the banana leaves replacing them with iron sheets, put doors and windows and also construct a descent alter using the donations.

Pastor Maisonswa (in picture above at BROSDI Development Office) thanks GOD that the church is now strengthening every moment, thanks BROSDI and Pastor Ken for the support.

Alice Nangonzi (elderly lady above in picture wearing a gomesi) used to be one of the many farmers that only join a program because there is financial gain. When she heard about the CELAC Project from a fellow farmer she joined the group. However, after realizing that there was no immediate financial exchange of hands, she quit.

Mrs Mpungu Elizabeth, chairperson of CELAC Masaka district farmers’ network approached her and convinced her to give it a try. The farmers’ network group was heavily involved in the use of knowledge sharing of local agricultural content to improve their household food security.

From the network group, she learnt how to till her barren land so that it yields more. Previously she had the banana type which is eaten steamed (matooke). Unfortunately, this was not yielding much because of the poor soil fertility. From the knowledge sharing forums, she was able to learn that if a farmer has a nature of land like hers, then the better alternative is to plant the banana plant type that is eaten raw, locally known as endizzi. She now has over 120 banana plants, the fruit from which she sells to add to her other income generating activities.

She also has a vegetable garden from which she is able to feed her family with vegetables all year round. See in picture below as Mrs Mpungu (clad in purple CELAC Project tshirt) explains to network guests: Cissy Sserunjogi (in cream sweater) , Margreet van Doodewaard (in black vest and cream top), Karamagi Ednah (in spectacles). Ms Nangonzi (at the back) and her son look on. Cissy is the chairperson of CELAC masaka District farmers network, Margreet is from Hivos and Ednah is from BROSDI.

She also learnt the value of savings and income management. The result of which are evident of her house and ability to educate and fend for her children.

The bricks from her house were made by her children.The actual construction involved hiring one expert male who worked tirelessly with her children. Originally, she had a mud and wattle house (see picture on the right) which she still occupies as she completes the new one.

She has expanded to rearing chickenand goats as well. Today, from the forum and relation with other farmers, she has learnt how to grow food for her chicken (see picture to the left). She has also learnt to target growing food that will not only be nutrituous to her chicken but also enable them to lay eggs with deep yellow yolks as these have a higher demand and fetch more in terms of price.

She has also learnt the need to quest for more information. Hygiene is paramount and together with her children, they have dug a decent pit latrine as compared to what they had before.

Today, the above picture is a result of Mrs Mpungus persistence and Mrs Nangonzi’s acceptance to give it a try.

Story illustrated by Nangonzi Alice

You will agree with me that the World Wide Web is a platform where one can easily not only get addicted but also get lost within. This is because of the enormous amount of information relayed.

At BROSDI, it is compulsory that when a community member requests for training on how to use the computer, Internet training is an added component. We then take the ’student’ a step further in how to use the Internet for personal development … and that is exactly what Mulopi Joseph, a farmer in Mayuge district did.

Before, Mulopi used to plant cabbages on a small scale and after each harvest, which was once a year, he sold the cabbages for UG SHS 100/= (less than half a euro) irrespective of the size. Mulopi took advantage of this training, searched the Internet using Google, got the telephone number of a buyer in one of the Kampala markets. Today, he produces cabbages all year round which he sells at UG SHS 300/= per kilo to his contact. He has also managed to convince his three friends to grow cabbages. He buys from them and sells them.

This is just one such example of how one can use the Internet.

Posted by Karamagi Akiiki Ednah, BROSDI

This is an SMS i received on 06 January 2008 from Evelyn Ogwang, the Chairlady of CELAC, Apac District Farmers Network.

“Happy New Year … this year we got a very good market of simsim. Our farmers are very happy. Me i got 3 bags and have plastered my house and the floor. GBU. THANKS“

Apparently, we had sent to all farmers vital telephone numbers for key brokers in the main markets in kampala so as to avoid them being reaped off by conmen when they bring their produce to these markets.

Apac district farmers tried out one of the numbers and they got an amazing response. The broker not only came to Apac to pick the produce, thereby saving them the transport costs and related hazards, but also demanded more than they could give. As a result, the CELAC farmers acted as brokers in teh village by buying from other farmers and seeling to this individual outlet.

From a telephone conversation i followed after receiveing the SMS, Evelyn told me that the profits were shared and each farmer advised to use it productively. some bought animal traction equipment, others bought land and other put up their more permanent homes.

On the onset of BROSDI, we found one interesting aspect … with each district visited, knowledge sharing for personal development is a new concept among the farmers.

After the first knowledge sharing forum in Pallisa District, one farmer Namutosi Rose acclaimed that:

“Gwiko is my friend, everybody’s friend… We all know him and that he rears turkeys… What we didn’t know is that he has such enormous amounts of knowledge in turkey rearing… Our turkeys die everyday yet we have the cure in our homes… More so, we call the ‘cure’ stubborn weeds and keep digging them out!”

Gwiko Geroshom is one of the biggest local turkey farmers in Pallisa District. He uses purely local methods to treat his turkeys. He even conducts surgical operations himself. When the CELAC Team asked the only veterinary doctor in the village to affirm this, he said that Gwiko had never been to his clinic for drugs or any form of assistance for his turkeys. Gwiko is in his late 40s, has been a turkey farmer all his life and acquired all his knowledge from his parents and through trial and error.

Namutosi on the other hand is another farmer whose livelihood is largely dependent on turkey rearing. Unfortunately, most of her turkeys always die off within the first five months after hatching and she has spent enormous amounts of money on medicinal drugs from a nearby veterinary clinic. From the Knowledge Sharing Forum, she was able to learn how to use weeds to treat her turkeys that she incidentally has on her farmland and which she has been destroying. She also learnt how to maintain the turkey houses and rear the young birds to maturity. She learnt all this from a man she knew but it never occurred to her that he had practical answers to her challenges.

Today, Namutosi has constructed a house for her turkeys that she keeps clean and disinfects weekly as compared to them sleeping outside where they were previously being stolen and/or bitten by snakes. She is also earning money from the sale of her turkeys, the eggs as well, money of which she uses for other household expenses.