hope means future 2014 - 15...2 send a cow uganda annual report 2014-15 hope means 1.0. our history:...

Hope | Means | Future

Annual Report

2014 - 15

2 Send a Cow Uganda Annual Report 2014-15

HOPE

Means

1.0. Our History: 3

2.0. Geographical Coverage 4

3.0. Governance Structure 5

Governing Board 6

Message from the Board Chairperson 7

Management Team 8

From the Country Director 9

4.0. Overall Objective: 10

4.1. Specific Objectives: 10

4.2. Process to Attain the Set Objectives 10

4.4. Delivering the Programme through Hope, Means and a Future 13

4.5. The Impact of our Work: 15

6. Lessons Learnt 16

7. The Future: The 2015-2020 Strategy 16

8. Financial Statement for 2014/15 17

Success Story: Restored Hope in the Life of Lucy Ajok 18

Contents

MEANS

FUTURE

3Send a Cow Uganda Annual Report 2014-15

Send a Cow Uganda (SACU) was founded in 1988 by a group of British dairy farmers as a result of an appeal by a Ugandan Bishop for help to combat poverty which, had increased dramatically as a result of a long period of civil war the country had faced.

SACU is a livelihood improvement non-governmental organisation which, evolved from a stock aid initiative to community

groups with the principle of “passing on a gift” as the core of programme focus. Today, SACU is a successful livelihoods NGO

delivering three key components: Gender and Social Development, Farming Systems and Enterprise Development. SACU

works with an average 4,500 rural smallholders annually, 75% female delivering our proven capacity-building approach to

livelihoods development.

1.0 Our History:

Our Vision:

A confident and thriving rural Uganda

Our Values:

• Integrity• Stewardship• Accountability

Our Mission:

To give communities and families the hope and the means to secure their own futures from the land

FUTURE


2.0. Geographical Coverage

Current Geographical areas of operation

NTOROKONTOROKONTOROKO


3.0. Governance Structure

Board of Directors

ProgrammeCommittee

3 Board members + Country Director

Communication andMarketing Committee

3 Board members+ Country Director

Finance and Audit Committee

3 Board members + Country Director


Our Governing Board

Rev. Simon BARNESMember

Mr. Paul SENYOMOMember

Mr. Patrick SAMBAGASecretary

Dr. Florence KASIRYEMember

Dr. Jackson MUBIRUMember

Ms. Florence OCHAGOMember

Mrs. Miriam KANAKULYAChairperson


SACU operates in31 districts and hasreached 93 groups

For the last 27 years, Send a Cow Uganda (SACU) has been involved in addressing poverty among the poor and needy in Uganda. Today, SACU operates in 31 districts and has reached 93 groups within the selected communities.

The current staffing level is at 55 staff members including 39 extension workers, who were formerly not full time employed staff. This was done in order to improve service delivery and to increase efficiency.

SACU has undergone a restructuring process, which led to the creation of a new management team headed by Mr. Patrick Sambaga, the Country Director. The Senior Management Team comprises of a Programme Manager, Finance & Administration Manager and a Programme Funding Manager.

With the new team in place, it is hoped that more meaningful life transformation will be brought to the most vulnerable families in the project areas.As a Christian organisation, SACU seeks to bring hope to the communities and families as a means to secure their own future. It is against this background that the board together with management and the entire Send a Cow family, has come up with a new strategy that will enable us fulfil our dream.

I am grateful to all the supporters of SACU who have tirelessly worked with passion, professionalism and uncompromising commitment to ensure that the lives of many disadvantaged Ugandans are improved.

Thank you.

Mrs. Miriam KanakulyaBoard Chairperson

Message from the Board Chairperson


Management Team

Mr. Henry KITAKA Finance & Admin Manager

Mr. Alex BAGORAProgramme Funding Manager

Mrs. Pamela EBANYATProgrammes Manager

Mr. Timothy NJAKASIProject Manager - UKAM

Ms. Roselyn AKIKIProject Manager - GPAF

Mr. Patrick SAMBAGACountry Director


I am delighted to share with you our 2014/15 Annual Report. I joined Send a Cow Uganda (SACU) one year ago at a time it was developing its 2015-2020 Strategy. I was blessed to be part of the process where SACU will be working with 159,600 people annually by the year 2020. In the last one year, I have been a witness of seeds of hope being

sown, confidence of children, youths and women being built, mindsets changed and whole communities envisioned to take charge of their own destiny and families transformed. Our role has been and will always be to give a hand up to the farming families, giving them hope and the means to secure their own futures from the land. We will always do so by giving them the right knowledge and skills and appropriate start up inputs to ensure that communities are thriving. We have put in place a team that will deliver on every aspect of our strategy.

To deliver the plan, we recruited a new Programme Manager to spearhead effective delivery of our model. We acquired the services of an experienced fundraiser, and a Finance & Administration Manager to support programme delivery. During the period, we came to the end of projects in Bunyole supported by Heifer Netherlands and Riho Foundation. The Oxfam-funded project in West Nile and parts of Acholi too came to a close and in all the three projects, we delivered on our promise. We are grateful for the trust to be your implementing partners. In the last year, we launched our partnership with Sustain for Life at Kampiringisa National Children’s Rehabilitation Centre (KNCRC). The Centre is home to at least 300 children at any one given time. Our job at the centre is to give children skills and help utilise the centre’s land to produce enough food for them. Our DFID-funded projects are performing extremely well as per the set objectives. Smallholder farmers are transforming into entrepreneurs and are actively saving.

In the coming year, we will consolidate on strategic partnerships that translate into economic empowerment of farming families through Gender & Social Development, Farming Systems and Enterprise Development. It is my hope, that the impact of our work in this report will keep you inspired. Thank you all and God bless you.

PATRICK SAMBAGACountry Director

From the Country Director

SACU will be working with 159,600 people annually by the year

2020.


To spearhead the effective programme delivery and impact the lives of 20,000 people for the year 2014/15

Selecting the people we work with

Selection

Process

Building blocks of change

Outcome

Impact

Over-riding principles Passing on the Gifts

Sustainability and Self-relaince

Gender & family focus

Genuine need & justice

Training & Education for Knowledge

Accountability Full participation

Sharing & caring Spirituality

4.1. Specific Objectives

1. To build resilience of the farmers in various value chains to improve their incomes by 70% by year end.2. To spearhead and strengthen farmer resilience to climate change and promote interventions to adaptation and mitigation

measures against climate shocks.3. To support farmer groups to be food secure and access diversified and nutritious food and reduce hunger months.4. To strengthen gender equity and rights training to promote non-discrimination of vulnerable groups and ensure inclusion by

year end.5. Strengthen organisational capacity to deliver the programme

4.2. Process to Attain the Set Objectives

To broaden and deepen our impact and achieve our objectives, a balanced and fairly rigorous process was followed to reach the beneficiaries as shown in the chart below.

Families invest incomes from their various enterprises (income generating activities) into education of their children and improving their household resources

After working with households for 3 years, members become confident and resilient. Sustainability of the programme is by Passing on the skills, knowledge or seeds to other needy farmers.

4.0. Overall Objective

Environment

Farming systems

Enterprise Development


Summary for the Year 2014/15 Achievements

Number of households we worked with 3,433

Number of farmer groups we worked with 93

Number of groups that graduated 31

Number of new households that came on board 845

Number of households that received inputs 3,433

Number of youths we worked with 300

Number of children we worked with 687

Number of households that completed P.O.G 342

4.3. Performance in Detail

During the year, we worked with various partners and friends that included Heifer Netherlands in Bunyole, DFID – GPAF in eight districts of Eastern and Northern Uganda, DFID – UKAID Match in North, East and Central Uganda, AusAid in Lango Sub region, Presbyterian Hunger Program in Acholi Sub region, Sustain for Life in Mpigi and Oxfam in West Nile and Acholi Sub regions. With this support, we transformed and changed the future of 24,031 lives in 3,433 households developing their sustainable farming systems, increasing their gender and social development consciousness and a focus on farm enterprise development. We worked with 93 groups in 31 districts of Eastern, Northern and Central Uganda.

Fig 1: Women in Nwoya District during a gender training

4.3.1. Improved Sustainable Farming SystemsUnder sustainable farming systems, soil conservation, soil rejuvenation and fertility building was emphasised. At the start of the year, only 15% of targeted households demonstrated better soil conservation practices but by close of the year this had risen to 44%. Farmers practicing better cropping rose from 07% to 30%. Farmers were trained in animal improvement management to ensure that animals are free from thirst and hunger and better disease control.

At the end of the year, of the 164 households that received in-calf cross-bred cows, 89% of those households were found to have fodder in the feeding troughs and water in drinking troughs for the animals all the time. 123 out of 164 households showed evidence of regular vector control by either spraying or pour-on methods. Each lactating cow produced an average of 12 litres of milk per day. In addition, 253 households received 506 oxen to increase their acreage under cultivation. From the animal traction units that were placed, 2,408 acres of land was opened for planting in the year.

4.3.2. Graduated GroupsA total of 31 groups graduated from the programme having built their resilience to withstand economic shocks as they had sustainable agro enterprises and four diversified income sources. At the beginning of the three years, only 33% of the targeted groups had visible agro enterprises but at graduation, this had risen to 67%. At the start of the three years, only 32% of the targeted households had diversified Income Generating Activities (IGAs) beyond agriculture but by end of the three years, households with IGAs had risen to 81%.

Fig 2: Part of the livestock that was placed during the year


the Netherlands.

4.3.5. Improved Agricultural Skills among Children at Kampiringisa Rehabilitation Centre

During the year, we worked with Sustain for Life at Kampiringisa National Rehabilitation Centre in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, where 300 children were trained in life skills including farming. SACU supported the centre to grow food for the children who before intervention, most times lacked adequate food. During the year, 5 acres were cultivated for maize growing and after harvesting the maize, the same acreage was put to the growing of cassava. 3 acres were cultivated for sweet potato growing and 1½ acres for pumpkins. Half an acre was under vegetable growing such as onions, kale and tomatoes. 5 acres were planted with animal pasture and 2 lactating cows were given after constructing a cowsheds. The cows are milked by children with guidance from a livestock/agricultural extension worker residing at the centre. The children were given practical income generating agricultural skills where this may be their lifeline since many have limited opportunity to attain mainstream school education. After serving their terms at the centre, 52 children who were interested in agriculture were each given 15kgs of start-up maize seeds and a hoe to continue with agriculture in their homes. These children indeed established their own gardens in their homes. Two children, one from Buikwe and another from Kabong in Karamoja who have eventually acquired phones are in touch with the Social Extension Worker at the centre and regularly update her on their progress.

Fig 3: Farmers receiving their certificates on graduation day

Fig 4: Children at Kampiringisa show their harvest

4.3.3. Training in LeadershipPart of our target was to ensure that women take up leadership positions in the management of their group affairs. At the start of the year, of the 1,600 leadership positions available in the 93 groups only 28% were occupied by women but by year end, women occupied 72% of those leadership positions. These positions existed in producer groups, farmer associations and farmer clusters. At the start of the year, only 36% of the women said they were comfortable speaking in public, by year end, this had risen to 68%. This was as result of the training in leadership whose emphasis was into building their self-belief.

4.3.4. Improved Educational StandardsSACU supported 11 teachers at Buweesa Primary School in Butaleja district by completing 3 staff houses with 6 units. Teachers who walked long distances were now residing at school and therefore, available to the pupils for consultation. Because children took maize porridge with milk added to it for lunch, school attendance in the first year rose to 45% and by the third year of the project (2014/15), school attendance stood at 87% from 63% of the 687 pupils (371 girls and 316 boys). And for the first time in 20 years, the school was able to register 5 first grades at the national Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).

SACU reached out to the 250 parents of the school encouraging them to have interest in their children’s education. Parents who visited the school were keen on kitchen gardens established. The parents were trained in better agronomic practices and those interested were each given 15kgs of maize and 15kg of soya seeds for planting. This initiative was supported by Riho Foundation from


4.4. Delivering the Programme through Hope, Means and a Future

4.4.1. Hope is about envisioning While women farmers work so hard to feed their families, they remain in the background with no attention to ‘their issues’. Through our intervention, seeds of hope were planted in communities by empowering men and women through gender and social development. This was through training in and promotion of gender consciousness and facilitating gender dialogue in all the 3,433 households during the year. At the start of the year, only 34% of the women reported that they were involved in making decisions affecting them and their families. At the end of the year, 50% of the married women reported being consulted by their husbands and were involved in taking major family decisions such as acquisition of land or children’s education. This 16% rise was attributed to the training.

Fig 5: A happy and hopeful farmer in Nwoya

4.4.3. Future is about enterprise and Asset acquisitionThe future for the rural smallholder farmers is bright. There are more opportunities as a result of the programme design to equip them with information through extension service, knowledge, skills, inputs for enterprise development and collective marketing. As part of “Rebuilding Communities in Northern Uganda” project, among other start up assets to boost incomes was provision of a milk cooler stationed in Nebbi, West Nile. The milk cooler has gone a long way to increase the shelf-life of milk and enhanced collective marketing for better prices. This milk is sold in towns such as Pakwach and Arua and various restaurants within Nebbi town.

4.4.2. Means is about better farming systemsIn the past year, SACU trained 3,433 targeted households in better farming systems; sustainable agriculture and Improved Animal Management, environmental conservation and management through disaster risk reduction efforts, soil and water conservation and afforestation campaigns. SACU provided targeted households with improved start-up seeds of various crop types. The seeds included cabbage seeds, kale, groundnut seeds (Serenut 3), sweet potato vines and yellow beans. At least each family received 30kgs of either yellow beans or groundnuts for planting. A total of 40,000 trees were planted by the targeted households. Of these, 20,000 were gravellier species and 20,000 were of various tree varieties including fruit trees.

Fig 6: A farmer in Manafwa in her garden of cabbages

Fig 6: A farmer in Manafwa in her garden of cabbages

Fig 7: A dairy attendant pours milk in the milk cooler in Nebbi District, West Nile.


Under DFID-Global Action Poverty Fund (GPAF) project, 40 groups consisting of 260 men and 1,418 women had by December, 2014 saved Ugx.174,362,450/- (US$52,837). Some of them used their savings to acquire assets such as bicycles, motorcycles and grinding machines to ease and improve the quality of their lives. Others acquired solar kits, mosquito nets and mobile phones.

Fig. 8: A beneficiary shows off her solar panels

4.5. The Impact of our Work

4.5.1. Increased Confidence among WomenImpact is measured according to the levels of individual empowerment among women and girls, men and boys to make informed choices and decisions. It is also about access to information, knowledge and skills and application to improve their lives. Of the 3,433 households SACU worked with, 95% of the women said were now confident to speak in public.

4.5.2. Increased Diversified Incomes Sources and savings Families diversified their income sources through other Income Generating Activities (IGAs) such as crafts and embroidery, crocheting, tailoring, needle work and jewelry. Income earned was saved under the Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA).

Farm

Farmer Extension

Inputs

Fig 9: SACU supported couple in Nebbi with their grinding mill as they mill cassava

4.4.4. Our Delivery Mechanism of the programmeSACU delivery mechanism of the programme to the targeted groups is through social, agricultural and livestock extension service. Focus is on the farming households and farmland as seen in the illustration. During the year, 39 extension staff were employed on fulltime basis and deployed to deliver the training, the hope and the envisioning that the households needed. Programme delivery was supported by 16 technical staff in programme management and administration.

Under the “Social resilience and sustainable agro-enterprise development in post-war communities project in Northern Uganda” at baseline, average income of participating households was at Ugx. 85,781. By end of the project average income per household was Ugx. 160,597 per month, giving an increase of 82.1%. The proportion of women who had savings accounts in commercial banks by the end of the year was 43%. Majority (86.8%) had access to credit in the past 12 months and this was mostly from Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs).


4.5.4. Increased School EnrollmentAfter securing food for themselves, families look to the needs of the next generation. They invest in the education of their children especially the girl child. Our internal Gender Assessment and external Gender Impact Study conducted in 1678 households in 8 districts of East and Northern Uganda revealed that at the start of the year, only 767 girls were going to school, and by the end of the year, 1,033 girls were now going to school, which is a 26% rise. At the start of the year, 1,131 boys were found to be going to school and by the end of the year, 1,309 boys were going to school showing a 14% rise.

4.5.5. Increased joint decision making at household levelThe Gender Assessment revealed that 53.9% of the women were solely responsible for taking care of children; 65.7% were solely responsible for preparing food in the home, 56.7% were solely responsible for drying and storage of crop produce. At the start of the year, only 33% of the members of the targeted households reported being consulted on major decisions. By year end, this had risen to 49.6%.

4.5.6. Improved Hygiene and sanitation:Aware of the fact that 80% of the tropical diseases are a result of poor hygiene and sanitation, from the onset, every new family that came on board had to have a dish rack, where utensils must be washed and let to dry up before use. Under UKAM project, latrine coverage at baseline was 30% but by end of the year, latrine coverage had risen to 100%. This rise in latrine coverage is envisaged to improve hygiene and sanitation and reduce disease in the years ahead.

Fig 10: Happy children from supported families who are now in school

The proportion of households engaged in value chain development activities rose from 49.4% at the beginning of the year to 70.6% at the end of the year. Furthermore, 88% of The proportion of households engaged in value chain development activities rose from 49.4% at the beginning of the year to 70.6% at the end of the year. Furthermore, 88% of the 3,433 households SACU worked with had access to sustainable markets. The findings of the assessment further show that 78% of the participating households had acquired an asset in the past 12 months prior to the survey. The asset base increased from 33% to 79.6% by end of year. Notably, in one season, due to increased bulking and access to markets, five farmer groups in Amuru district sold 4 tonnes of shelled groundnuts at Ugx.14million and had reserved enough for their families. By selling the surplus farm produce, household incomes increased to $3 a day, which is over and above the national average of $1.5 a day.

4.5.3. Improved Food Security and NutritionIn regard to the levels of food security, at the start of the year, 18% of the targeted households felt they were food secure but at the end of the year, 86% felt food secure. At the start of the year, 37% of the targeted households were severely food insecure but by year end, 0% felt severely food insecure. In terms of nutritional levels, at the start of the financial year, 13.2% of the targeted households said they had three dietary meals a day but by year end, 72.7% had three dietary meals a day indicating 59.5% increase. At the start of the year, 24% of the targeted households were eating at least one animal or cereal based protein a day, by year end, households eating an animal or cereal based protein had risen to 45%, indicating a 21% increase. At the start of the year, only 14% of the targeted households ate vegetables rich in vitamins but by year end, households that ate vegetables had risen to 38%.

Fig 11: A grandmother shows her grandson how to wash hands using a tip tap after using of the pit latrine.Fig 10: Happy children from supported families who are now in school.


5.1 Long term preparation of up to six months of the farmers before giving them livestock enhanced the survival rate of the animals.

5.2 Follow up mechanism involving farmer group executives and peer farmers promotes programme sustainability and ownership.

5.4 It is important to build group capacities in the communities for sustainability.

5.0. Lessons Learnt

Starting with the FY 2015-16, SACU embarked on new 2015-2020 strategy of reaching out and impacting the lives of more than 159,600 per year. We have to double our income. We

have to treble our programming and reach as many people as possible. It is not about reaching many people, it is about making

6.0. The Future: The 2015-2020 Strategy

a lasting change for generations. We have to increase our focus on an enterprising community. And this is within our means and reach. We have the expertise and experience. We have the model. We simply need the means to do it and we can.

5.4 Beyond food security, households want to acquire assets and invest in their children.

5.5 Gender inclusion is at the heart of programme delivery and agro-enterprises.

5.6 Farming as a business requires a longer period of time to measure impact. A year is a short time.

SACU embarked on new 2015-2020 strategy of reaching out and impacting the lives of more than 159,600 per year.


7.0. Financial Statement for 2014/15 Learnt

The financial information is extracted from our annual financial statements which were audited by KPMG Certified Public Accountants and was approved by the board on 3rd December, 2015

AuSAID21,071Income by

Source in Ush ‘000Send a Cow UK2,199,980

Other Cash Income16,999

Presbyterian Church USA14,075

DFID895,421

Livestock pass on income 31,950

Heifer Netherlands84,230

Sustain for Life116,771

Oxfam- Novib279,105

2015

Ushs '000

Our In-coming Resources

Grant income 3,610,653

Other income 51,549

3,662,202

Expenditure

Project Expenditure 1,846,096

Direct project expenditure 1,846,097

Other project expenditure 771,872

Implementation costs 1,126,976

Total Expenditure 3,744,945


Success Story: Restored Hope in the Life of Lucy Ajok

At the age of 13, war broke out in Northern Uganda and Ajok was separated from her family. She found herself in an Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) camp in Keyo in Amuru District. In order to survive camp life, she had to get a husband. At 14, she had her

first child. Food was from UN agencies but it was never enough. It was most times fought for. In 2010, as the guns went silent, she returned with her husband and five children. Unfortunately, her husband died that same year due to HIV/AIDs. She was widowed at the age of 30 and as a single mother she struggled to feed and educate her children on top of getting essential medicines for herself especially the ARVs. She is HIV/AIDS positive but she has a positive outlook to life. Every time, she is visited by new people, she shares her status.

I first declared my HIV status to my children to prepare themfor my eventual death. But also I did not want them to second

guess what I would eventually die of. However, I was helped by Send a Cow to know that I was not dying anytime soon as long as I took my medicines and ate healthy foods. I did not know

how to live long though until they showed me how, Ajok reveals.

Lucy Ajok

SACU Intervention

SACU works with women and widows like Lucy Ajok. In 2013, under the Global Poverty Action Fund project, her group of Ngom Koro in Amuru district partnered with SACU. She was trained in gender and social development, hygiene and sanitation, sustainable agriculture and improved animal management. She was given assorted start up seeds with high nutritional value including fruit seedlings. Some of the seeds included 30kgs of groundnuts (Serenut 3 Red beauty, 10kgs of yellow beans, 10 pawpaw seedlings and two indigenous cows.

Today, Lucy Ajok is not only food secure and healthy, she is able to send her four (4) children to school. Her first born son unfortunately, was unable to continue beyond Primary Seven (P.7). Her son however, is helping around the home and supporting Ajok to raise the rest of the children. With the land that her husband left her with, together with her children, they are able to grow food for themselves. They have been able to get surplus for sell. From

Send a Cow is my saviour.With my children in school

and the two cows I received, I have greater reason to live.


Fig 12: Lucy the treasurer at the centre, counting money

Fig 13: Lucy Ajok with her family and her two cows

the 30kgs of groundnuts, Ajok planted a full acre and got seven bags of unshelled groundnuts. From the sale of groundnuts, she bought a bicycle to ease her weekly journey to Lacor Hospital in Gulu town to collect her ARVs medicines. Ajok also adds that per season, she earns at least Shs.500,000/- from various enterprises per season.

Lucy now looks healthy and on interaction, she will ask you, “Do I look like someone who has ‘slim’ meaning HIV/AIDS?” Before, she was so emaciated and she was many times referred to her as a ‘moving coffin’ by her neighbours.

“That stigmatized me. They knew my husband had died of HIV/AIDS. They knew I would follow him shortly. But thanks to Send a Cow Uganda, I am now alive. Send a Cow is my saviour. With my children in school and the two cows I received, I have greater reason to live. I want to build a better house, a tin-roofed than the one my husband left me in. My husband did not leave me with a bicycle, now I have one. He died when my daughter, Lillian was in Primary six now she is in senior school in S.3. And so many other achievements.

I am empowered, I can do it myself. I have skills. From the surplus food I grow, I earn an income to buy my own medicine and utensils. I am able to buy pens, pencils and books for my children. I am no longer scared of the future”.

Because of her hard work and commitment to savings, she was elected a treasurer of her group. She has gained confidence and respect, which, she lacked and has hope for the future.

HEADQUARTERS

Plot 1, Ssemawata Road, Ntind,P.O. Box 23627, Kampala, UgandaTel Off: +256 414 286 887, +256 392 700 627/8Fax: +256 414 286 778

hope means future 2014 - 15...2 send a cow uganda annual report 2014-15 hope means 1.0. our history:...

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