Gender:: Male
More Details: Mr. Kabuuka is working with the Sustainable Livelihoods International-Uganda (SLINT-Uganda) as Executive Director. He comes from a poor rural area in Nalweyo village in Kibaale district where more than 90% of the population lives on less than a dollar a day. He has seen first-hand how local people are struggling to survive and create a brighter future for themselves and their children. Throughout his life, he has sought to find ways of helping people to overcome abject poverty and secure sustainable livelihoods. It is these unfortunate realities, personal experiences and aspirations that motivated him to contribute to the founding of SLINT-Uganda.
Sustainable Livelihoods International Uganda (SLINT-Uganda) was founded in 2006 and is registered under the Uganda NGO Registration Statute of 1989 (registration number S.5914/6726). SLINT-Uganda’s was founded as a result of many rural people being poor and having limited access to basic resources for their immediate and long-term survival. Fighting poverty without compromising the environment and the natural resource base is also biggest challenge in Uganda and elsewhere in the developing countries. Therefore as poor people struggle to meet their basic daily needs, they sometimes inevitably over-use the few resources available and in the process comprise their own long-term sources of livelihoods.
There is need to expand opportunities to empower them to access the basics of life – food, water, energy, shelter, health care, freedom and security – without harming the environment on which they depend.
Mission
Our mission is to assist and empower people to secure sustainable incomes, food security and improved quality of life while protecting the environment.
Where we work
SLINT-Uganda currently operates mainly in Gayaza sub-county, Kiboga district which is located in central Uganda. It has field offices in Kiboga town and a Liaison Office in Kampala. We hope to initiate other projects in Wakiso and Kampala districts also located in Central Uganda.
Core activities
SLINT-Uganda has adopted different strategies and embarked on a number of initiatives under four core programmes namely: poverty alleviation; market-oriented agricultural development and food security; environmental sustainability; and capacity development and policy advocacy. The initiatives are aimed at empowering people to diversify their livelihoods opportunities through engaging in different environmentally friendly income generating opportunities and off farm enterprises. Some of the strategies adopted include: (i) introduction of appropriate technologies (such as solar photovoltaic, biogas and rainwater harvesting); (ii) promotion of environmentally-friendly activities and practices (e.g. bee-keeping, organic farming, fruit-tree growing and agroforestry); (iii) capacity building to empower individuals and groups through training, technical assistance and extension services; (iv) public awareness on a wide range of issues; and (v) facilitation of access to markets and income-generating opportunities.
Current projects implemented
We are currently implementing with support from SLINT-Uganda members and on-line volunteers on the Global Neighbour Network (nabuur.com) three projects in Kiboga district in Uganda, which we wish to upscale:
• Kiyuni Fruit and Vegetable Growing for Sustainable Livelihoods project which is initially assisting 50 farmers to engage in market-oriented production of water melon, green pepper and cabbage.
• Gayaza Beekeeping Project which is assisting at least 50 farmers to engage in modern beekeeping. We have so far donated 30 langstroth beehives, 1 bee suit and a smoker to farmers. We aim to assist them to acquire 120 more beehives, 2 bee suits, 2 smokers and 1 honey extractor.
• Fruit Tree Growing and Community Forestry Project which will assist farmers to plant fruit trees (including avocado, mango and guava) and other tree species to reforest degraded areas and supply firewood, timber and non-timber products. The target is to raise over 24,000 tree seedlings by 2011.
The projects have started to produce tangible results which have generated a lot of excitement and enthusiasm among the local people. Many have demonstrated a determination to use the support provided by the project to achieve self-sustenance in the near future. The partnership between SLINT-Uganda and the nabuur volunteers has also offered opportunities for sharing of knowledge and experiences and has increased connectivity with different development actors. Further information about this can be accessed at: http://www.nabuur.com/en/village/butikiro.
Key challenges
These important achievements have been realised under very challenging circumstances occasioned by the effects of the global financial, food and climate change crises.
However SLINT-Uganda being a young organisation, has faced a number of challenges occasioned by the effects of the global financial, food and climate change crises. These challenges have made it difficult for poor households to sustain themselves and for young organisations like SLINT-Uganda to mobilise the necessary resources to carry out their mandate. Key challenges include: inadequate funding, lack of adequate technical staff, and limited institutional capacity. These are some of the lows that the organization continues to face and are making it difficult for the organization to carry out its mandate.
