Creating Opportunities through Sustainable Agriculture
Norway and NSR 2023-2025
Lions Norway (MD 104) has for the period 2023 – 2025 developed a NSR IR Project Proposal Application titled “Creating Opportunities through Sustainable Agriculture”. The project is set in the Aruba region and build around the Anyiribu Primary School which is proposed as a starting point for a broader Local Community Development plan being the overall objective of the initiative.
Uganda’s economic growth and development relies heavily on the agricultural sector. An intervention towards empowerment through agriculture touches a great number of beneficiaries and creates a great impact.
The model project will focus at facilitating integrated sustainable approaches that empower the community to harness their land resource in a sustainable way and be able to create a sound and productive livelihood. The project will be a focal point for the region for; knowledge sharing and modern farming skills, exposure to best practices, connectivity of farmers, and a value-chain development centre. At the model project, one will pilot and champion modern farming techniques that demonstrate and ensure that farmers can move from subsistence farming to commercial profitable and sustainable farming and create productive employment in the region.
An important element to underline related to the project is that Lions Norway has been present for many years in the region and has an in-depth knowledge of the site and the local project representatives. Another imperative element is the sustainability focus of the project – represented by the objective that the involved local individuals ultimately shall drive the project forward on a self-governing basis.
Important milestones in the project:
| Activity | Description | Status | |
| 1 | Rehabilitation of classrooms | 2 blocks, 6 classrooms, a library, and a hall for meetings. | Started in January 2024 Expected to be completed in May 2024 |
| 2 | Water for production | A new borehole for water to field and greenhouse | Drilling completed successfully, next step pump-testing and installation, finished in April 2024 |
| 3 | Irrigation components | Solar pump, cables, plumbing fittings 8x solar panels 260 watts and fitting | Start April/May 2024 |
| 4 | Fencing | To keep the investments safe, there will be built a fence around the facility | Start April/May 2024 |
| 5 | Nursery Green House | 240 sqm | Starts next fiscal-year |
Status pr. Februar 27th 2024
The school is in an area with many refugees from the DR Congo and South Sudan, and therefore has a larger proportion of refugee children enrolled at the school. Because the school welcomes refugees, UNICEF has established a safe water source (improved an existing well) and built a water tower (powered by a solar-powered pump), and installed taps at the school to secure the hygiene. In addition, a new latrine has been built for the girls. A total of 8 UNICEF tents have been placed as replacement classrooms at the school. These are warm when it’s hot, and leaky when it rains, in other words not the best learning environment.
The first part of the project involves the renovation of two older classroom blocks with a total of 6 classrooms, a library, and a larger meeting room.
At the project follow-up visit on February 27th, work on the restoration of the classrooms was well under way. The school’s management was grateful for the choice of contractor, who works quickly and thoroughly.
To provide water for production a well is under construction. When the well has been completed, work begins on working up the soil, establishing water towers and irrigation solutions.
Great gratitude was expressed from the local community for the renovation of the school, and a result of this is that this school year (starting February 2024) the school has gained 200 new pupils, and the number of pupils is now up to 1,425.
We had a good meeting with the school’s management (principal, vice-principal, head of the board at the school and leader in the village) where further plans in the project were discussed (water for production, cultivation of fields, greenhouse, and training activities). The group was invited to the opening of Lions Norway’s corresponding facility at Eruba P.S. following day, and it was gratifying to see them come and participate and let themselves be excited.