OUR NGO STATUS HAS BEEN GRANTED!

 

 

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

 

To RDC Jinja District through Chairman LC2 through Chairman LC3

 

            We, St. Isaac’s Training Centre (SITC), a community-based organization since April 2007, are requesting that the RDC Jinja District recognize us as such.  With that, we would appreciate a recommendation for registration as a non-governmental organization (NGO) to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.  Since we are only community-based at present time, we are very small and work at the grassroots level.  We would like to expand and reach more people, which will be facilitated through being an NGO.   Our plan is to acquire more donations so that our organization can potentially reach all areas of Uganda.  We still have a lot of work to do, so finding donors would be most beneficial to the cause.

 

            SITC is based in the village of Kainogoga, about 8km from Jinja town.  SITC is both a nursery school and a demonstration site for other farmers to learn new and improved techniques for use in their own gardens.  The main method practiced is that of double-dug and raised bed, which increases crop yield, and creates healthier plants, faster.  Presently we run training courses from our facilities free of charge and have also helped build other demonstration gardens in surrounding villages.  SITC sits on 2.5 acres of land with hope to purchase more in the next 24 months.  We have a brand new building that was donated by the NGO Soft Power Education, with two classrooms and two workrooms.  We have one director and various volunteers who learn the techniques and help educate others in their area.

 

            We strongly believe in sustainable agriculture and development.  Our main goal is to eliminate hunger and poverty amongst the rural poor.  We see this best done through the proper use of our farming techniques.  Other goals we hope to achieve within the community are those dealing in areas of home improvement: proper nutrition, prenatal care, good health, and cleanliness (for example: pit latrines, hand washing, rubbish disposal).

 

            In a short amount of time, St. Isaac’s has achieved many great feats.  So far, we have established 85.3 acres of gardens, have 21 demonstration gardens in Jinja, Mukono, and Kamuli, and have helped create three school gardens.  Woman member of parliament, Jinja district, Ruth Tuma, has visited and donated two motorcycles to the centre.  In 2007, President Y.K. Museveni visited the centre and donated UGX 10million to the project.  We regularly work with other NGO’s: PEFO, Soft Power Education, and the Real Uganda.  We also host foreign volunteers on site.  All of these achievements are indications of the ability for us to be successful.

 

            As stated above, our initial mission is to eradicate hunger and poverty in our community and surrounding areas.  Proper growth and maintenance of gardens from which households can either eat from or sell the crop are keys to the elimination of hunger.  We are strong believers in education, and that by teaching individuals proper farming techniques they may then pass on that knowledge to others around them, thus creating a domino effect.

            With your recommendation for St. Isaac’s Training Centre to be registered as a non-governmental organization, we can continue to increase the standard of living for as many Ugandans as possible.  We appreciate your support.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Chris Kulabako

Director, St. Isaac’s Training Centre

PO Box 1770, Jinja

077 431 1222