Economic Growth
Uganda’s Economic Growth Situation.
56.4% of Uganda’s population was below the national poverty line in 1993, but this decreased to 19.7% by 2013. Uganda remains among the poorest nations in the world despite reducing the poverty rate and since the Covid epidemic has recently struggled economically, especially in the rural areas. In addition two recent dry seasons has put the rural population under enormous strain.
Uganda’s national poverty line has been fixed at US$0.88–US$1.04 since 1990. This measure is much lower than the World Bank’s international figure of US$1.90. Therefore, Uganda’s poverty estimate of 21.7% in 2016 is much lower than the 41.7% in 2016 calculated using the global measure of extreme poverty.
Poverty in Kyazanga is very slowly changing. Read below about the progress that is being made.
How is Joy for Humanity Responding?
It is no good supporting education and health if the community cannot afford to pay for their health and Education. For the last five years, we have supported the community to look for ways to increase their income.
This support will continue to be a model for the future. 4 villages and 90 families have now been given small grants (seed funding) to develop their own agricultural projects – pigs, chickens, goats, seeds. The villages have been provided with two irrigation pumps to provide water for the crops. Despite several local disasters (disease for pigs, flooding of some fields) the families continue to prosper and more children are going to school and families accessing health care. Houses are being expanded and standards of living are very slowly rising. One of the keys to the success of these individual grants is that they have been working as villages to support each other. They are working together and not on their own.
We teach the community members to care for animals and raise them correctly. To plant and grow small scale commercial crops bringing the products to market earlier than others with the help of the irrigation pumps. The profits from the sale of these animals and products stay with the family members.
Each family is coached through the process so that all questions are answered and supported through the process. Financial training in partnership with Rural Inclusion has been delivered to the families.
Chickens
As a team, we have built three modern chicken houses that can keep 1,200 chicks. This works as a model training centre for our community members. First, the community purchased “layers”, but these proved difficult to care for in a way that returned a health profit. 18 months ago we changed to Kuroilers which are grown for sale in the local market. The presence of this facility encouraged the Government to give the local community a hatchery. The JFH chicken farm will be providing the fertilised eggs for this hatchery. 3,000 eggs per month. This project had been self sustaining for the last 18 months.
Anifah's Story
Anifah Nalumansi’s family received two piglets (male and female ) in November 2019 with other Self Empowerment Group Members. This family has looked after the project very well and last year they sold the boar. The income helped to cater for family needs and a small amount was also saved.
In February 2021, Anifah’s sow gave birth and the happiness witnessed in this family is beyond measure. They now have hope and are more energised to develop this project and even get more incoming generating activities to completely change their lives.
Please support our Economic Growth initiative to help increase family incomes like Anifah’s!
Black Soldier Flies
In order to feed the chickens JFH Uganda started a Black Soldier Fly farm in 2022. This farm provides high-protein larvae for the chickens to feed on, and the flies feed on waste from the local area and chicken waste. A true circular, low-environmental impact production process is being developed. In addition, the Black Soldier Fly farm is supplying eggs to Makerere University in Kampala who are duplicating the JFH Black Soldier Fly project throughout Uganda. This could be a transformational project. The Black Soldier Farm is now providing a surplus to enable further projects to be developed. In November 2023, a test project was started to provide local village members with nets for flies. This will enable them to use their own chicken waste and feed the chickens cheaply.
Slowly, the community is developing new skills and increasing its standard of living.
Pigs
We have worked with a different model with pigs. As seed funding, we have now given 12 families a couple of piglets and built 12 pigsties in the community of members’ land. So far, every family that has been involved has looked after the pigs well, and they are now starting to have litters. The community members give two piglets (male and female) away to another family from each litter. It is hoped that this will lead to the organic growth of this project without much funding. This has been growing for two years, and it is looking positive at the moment despite the problem of disease last year.