St Isaac Training Centre - Jinja

Project Report November 2008

 

Agricultural Centre

St. Isaac Training Centre has multiple purposes in the community.  It was born in 2003 in the village of Kainogoga, by Kulabako Christopher to the idea of reducing poverty in the community through new and improved farming methods.  It therefore began as a demonstration garden and training ground for households in the surrounding areas.  The centre provides training to members of the local community and others interested in our work.  The training involves theory in the classroom and practical activities in the demonstration garden.  On-going support is provided to farmers who are involved in the project.  This includes visiting their gardens and offering advice and practical help.

Nursery and Primary School

After showing to be leaders in the community, St. Isaac’s saw another need, which was to school vulnerable and orphan children, as many families couldn’t afford local schools.  Children were commonly seen playing in the dirt, in filth, with no chance at education.  In 2005, a Nursery and Primary 1-4 school was formed.  Classes were taught under trees and under temporary mud structures and they quickly became full as it was the only school catering for vulnerable and orphan in Kainogoga. 

 

At present time, the school enrollment has a total of 71 children, with 24 families; 36 girls and 35 boys.  Twenty student fees are paid completely by SITC, which is UGX 10,000 shillings per school term (4 per year).  These students would have nowhere else to go would it not be for SITC since the families cannot afford regular schools.  The remaining students rarely pay school fees in full, but are still provided with the same scholastic materials as everyone else.  The students are taught by three teachers, all female, one of which doubles as the secretary for SITC.

 

Beginning January 2009, St. Isaac’s will no longer be able to offer any Primary school levels, only Nursery.  A new building with 2 classrooms has been generously donated from Soft Power Education, with the condition to offer only Nursery and Agricultural training.  The majority of our students now have nowhere to go next year as they cannot afford regular schools.

 

Village of Kainogoga

The village of Kainogoga, where St. Isaac’s is located, is about 8km from Jinja town.  Kainogoga is supplied with one free bore hole.  The village is fortunate that it gets a decent yearly rainfall and has many family gardens.  It’s made up of a good mix of Muslims and Christians, young and old.  Many homesteads encompass their extended family, thereby showing strong family structure.  Employment here varies; garden/compound work is most common, some have a job in town, and unemployment is also prevalent.  

 

Purpose of St. Isaac Training Centre:

 

-         To empower the rural poor to become sustainable through development of their own gardens and homestead. 

o       The aim is for families to generate a consistent stream of income, therefore being able to improve basic health, afford school fees, eat properly, and construct permanent structures; improving the overall quality of life.  This is best seen through the proper use of the farming methods that St. Isaac’s trains on. 

o       SITC hosts’ bi-annual workshops where farmers come together, re-educate each other with any new project ideas (ie. Bee-keeping, livestock management, cocoa plantation, and budgeting and saving advice).  

o       We are seeking to improve the lives of women, whereby eliminating lung cancer, caused by cooking using the 3 stone-stove.  We are educating and demonstrating to women how to build energy and life-saving clay stoves. 

o       On-site is also a demonstration garden where community members are always welcome to visit and learn modern methods of farming, taught by St. Isaac Training Centre.

 

-         To support orphans and vulnerable children in a safe environment.

o       This is not just for formal text education, but also as way to be exposed to the advantages of the garden, in a fun and creative environment.  The kids also have a chance to converse with foreign volunteers, therefore improving language and understanding of the outside world. 

 

-         To provide the wider community with quality livestock feeds at affordable prices through its farm shop in the nearby trading centre - Namulesa. 

o       Any profit generated is to fund agricultural work in the community