Meet Lydia

Please meet Lydia, one of our many success stories.

Lydia digging the family plot

Lydia cycling to class at UDS

Proud Lydia at work in her new job!

Lydia is now working as a secretary in Kamuli after taking computer lessons at UDS' study centre.   Lydia is 22 years old, and until recently her life was based around digging the family plot, and collecting water. 

She lives about 5 miles away from the UDS office in Kamuli and used to cycle in for her classes. But she was determined to succeed and worked very hard. As you can see, she achieved her ambition and recently got a job! Well done Lydia.

Please give on #GivingTuesday - December 2nd

Tuesday 2nd December marks the first-ever #GivingTuesday - a charitable alternative to the start of the Christmas shopping season. We at UDS are focussing our #GivingTuesday appeal on our literacy work in Uganda.   

Much of UDS' work in Kamuli is aimed at children's welfare - particularly helping children of primary school age learn to read. Literacy is an essential factor in helping populations rise out of poverty - and it's best if literacy skills are acquired in early life.

UDS books handed to Bezallel Primary School

This is why our literacy programme for primary schools is such a significant part of what we do. For the last couple of years we have actively promoted literacy in a number of schools in and around Kamuli - providing books, training teachers, starting debating clubs, getting Ugandan children enthused about books and learning. 

Teachers tell us the project has been a great success. Children are coming to them for books, and reading on their own initiative. One primary school reported that children in the year that benefitted from UDS' input were reading with much greater proficiency than the older pupils in the year above them.

You can help us supply more books to schoolchildren in Kamuli by texting UDSL14 £5 to 70070.

This short video explains further.  

Help children in Kamuli for Universal Children's Day

Thursday 20th November marks Universal Children's Day, when the United Nations draws attention to the welfare of children worldwide.

Much of UDS' work in Kamuli is aimed at children's welfare - particularly helping children of primary school age learn to read. Literacy is an essential factor in helping populations rise out of poverty - and it's best if literacy skills are acquired in early life.

UDS books handed to Bezallel Primary School

This is why our literacy programme for primary schools is such a significant part of what we do. For the last couple of years we have actively promoted literacy in a number of schools in and around Kamuli - providing books, training teachers, starting debating clubs, getting Ugandan children enthused about books and learning. 

Teachers tell us the project has been a great success. Children are coming to them for books, and reading on their own initiative. One primary school reported that children in the year that benefitted from UDS' input were reading with much greater proficiency than the older pupils in the year above them.

Here you can view a short video explaining how you can help, and find a link to a list of books we are still looking for to send to schools in Kamuli. 

Pulusuka Wotali - another UDS farmer

Pulusuka Wotali is another UDS farmer living and working in Kitukiro. The  UDS staff describe her as a hard working lady who has set an example among women in her community.

UDS gave Pulusuka  five banana suckers in 2012, and by July this year (2014) she had 160 plants. She has also prepared another plot for 100 plants, and is waiting for the second season rains before she plants.

Bananas provide a sustainable income - once they grow, they keep fruiting at different times throughout the year. In addition to her bananas, Pulusuka also grows onions and beans. In the previous season March- June 2014, she harvested over 200 kilogrammes of both crops. At  1,500 Ugandan Shillings per kilogramme, this means that from one season she earned over 300,000 shillings  in beans and over 300,000 shillings in onions - that's more than £70 sterling for each crop. 

Pulusuka told us: “ I thank UDS so much for the skills and the support they have given me. Before UDS’ intervention, I struggled to pay my children's school fees. After all the training, I concentrated on growing onions and bananas and these have greatly improved my income and now I’m able to send my children to school. I've chosen enterprises to concentrate on which have a ready market in my community." 

Please help UDS to help more farmers like Pulusuka, by texting  UDSF14 £5 to 70070. 

UDS farmer Moses Biyansi

Moses Byansi is a UDS farmer from Nsomba Parish and was also trained in 2012. Moses now has  very good banana and plots. He was initially given just five banana suckers but now he has 200 plants.

He was also provided with 440 pineapple suckers, but when he realized that pineapples were doing well he bought more suckers independently, and now he has 600 plants.

Moses at work

We asked Moses to sum up how UDS has helped him: “I have been a UDS beneficiary for the past two years and I have started getting income from the enterprises that I grow, and I get money.  I invest it in other income generating activities. For example, when I started selling banana fruits I saved this money and started a small fuel shop at my village and here am getting profit because there are many motorbikes that provide transport services in our community. 

"I started with 20 litres which cost s 73,000 Ugandan shillings, and sold them at 80,000 shillings, making a profit of 7,000 (about £1.60 sterling). Currently this shop has a capital base of 40 litres and these are consumed in a period of two weeks. 

"In addition to this, from the banana income I have been able to buy a piece of land where am going to plant the 200 banana suckers. Because my garden is good, I have gained popularity in the community and am grateful to UDS for opening my eyes and enabling me to do good work.”

To enable us to help more farmers like Moses, please donate to UDS by texting  UDSF14 £5 to 70070. 

Fred Bikaba, a UDS farmer

We thought we'd like to introduce you to a few of our beneficiaries. Over the next few weeks, we'll bring you stories of some of our farmers in Kamuli District. 

The first is Fred Bikaba.  Fred lives and works in Kitikuro, and is one of a group of 15 farmers trained by UDS in 2012.

Fred and family in their banana grove

Fred was initially given five suckers for his banana plot, but now he has over 300 banana plants. The bananas are well managed and they produce good fruit which attract a good price. Banana are highly valued in the local market, and customers often buy the fruit before they are ripe.

Fred has now  started growing other crops in order to build an income. These include African eggplants, onions, tomatoes and cabbages. His cabbage plot contains over 1000 plants,  and he plans to sell them at an average price of 500 Ugandan shillings (about 12 UK pence).

Fred tends his cabbage crop

This is how Fred described his change in fortunes to us: “I am grateful to UDS for all the knowledge and skills given to me. Before UDS’ intervention, I was practising traditional farming where I was planting mainly maize and rice as food and cash crops, and I would only get income every end of season (June and December). After gaining skills in better farming methods and production of short income crops my life has greatly improved, because currently I get money on a weekly basis. In addition to this, I learnt how to use my land profitably. For example I have a swamp and for long I was growing only rice which is seasonal. The knowledge I got from UDS opened my understanding that I can grow short term crops throughout the year regardless of whether it is a rainy or dry season and here I grow cabbages which I harvest every two and a half months."

Fred's life has been transformed by the skills given to him by UDS. To enable us to help more farmers like Fred, please donate to UDS by texting  UDSF14 £5 to 70070. 

International Literacy Day

As the world prepares to celebrate International Literacy Day on 8th September, now would seem a good time to tell you about progress in our literacy programmes in the last year. 

We've put a lot of work into our reading project for primary schools. School administrators in Kamuli do not place enough emphasis on reading, as it's not examinable. So UDS has stepped in to provide books, train teachers and get children reading. And it's working! 

Children show off their new books from UDS

Teachers in one of the schools involved told us that younger children, who have benefitted from our help, are reading better than the older children, who sadly missed out on the reading project. 

We started off in two primary schools, giving them 158 books each. And we trained four teachers in library and book management.Now four schools are involved - not only do they have extra books, including dictionaries, but they run reading events and clubs And classes stage "reading aloud" sessions, which helps the children build their confidence.

Rose, a teacher who is in charge of reading at Bezzallel Primary School, told us this: " Since we were given books last year, we have seen a tremendous change in our pupils, they can now read and write in English. Apart from that they have also developed the habit of reading on their own. This has never happened before, pupils are now self-driven, and we no longer need to force them to read during their free time."

Reading aloud in class builds confidence

The students can borrow books to take away and read in their spare time - and the teachers report that they are doing so, with enthusiasm, and at their own initiative.

The principle of Kasambira Public Day and Boarding School told us: "‘Our prayers are being answered, we have been crying out for this for a long time."

With such swift progress being made in such a short time, this project has really proved its worth. With your support, we can make it bigger and better in the coming year.  Just £5 would buy two reading books for a class which would help children get the start they need in learning to read.   Text UDSL14 £5 to 70070 to donate to UDS and make a difference today. 

A pupil shows his appreciation