Project Proposals

So, the following are the projects that I have presented and discussed with my organization. The demo of the Dew Pond is already half way finished!! I will write more on that at a later date. Next week RACOBAO is becoming an official Youth Link member through partnership with Red Cross so I will be commenting on that at a later date as well. I will be traveling to Mbale tomorrow morning through Tuesday to volunteer in an effort to help the landslide victims. Peace Love and Green M&M's:

BRIDGE FINANCING INITIATIVE


- A modified bridge loan is a method of temporary financing used to maintain liquidity while awaiting an expected cash flow.


- It is a short term loan that grants small amounts of money.


- It may be closed: having a predetermined time frame.


- It may be open: meaning that there is no fixed pay off date.


- The purpose of this loan is to offer starting capital to a small business or to IGA projects.


- The long term goal of this loan is to act as an initial ‘start up’. The contracted funds should be used to purchase all materials needed for the project. Once the project begins yielding a return, a portion of that money should be given to the lender until the full amount is repaid. After the money has been fully restored to the lender, all earnings accrued thereafter will belong to the recipient of the loan.


- A bridge loan is high risk; therefore, the following stipulations must be integrated in order to secure a timely return:

-High interest rate

-Collateral (used as security and is legally signed over)**

EXAMPLE: A farmer desires to pioneer a maize plantation; however, he needs money to buy the seeds, farming equipment, more land, etc. RACOBAO would grant him a small loan in order to purchase these required items. The farmer would sign a legally binding document stating that he will pay back X amount of money by X date. Additionally, the farmer will sign over the rights of his land, a cow, or something similar of value as collateral; therefore, if the full amount is not repaid, then RACOBAO will have a cow or land in place of the unreturned money. Ideally, the farmer would repay the full amount and, in turn, have a lucrative business from which he is now acquiring a steady income.

SIDE NOTES:

§ A criterion would have to be created to act as a guideline for any loan given.

§ The lender should have to provide proof that the project has the potential to yield return and is sustainable.

§ Every circumstance is different; therefore, the financing should be flexible.

§ This type of initiative will help the community by offering enterprising individuals the chance to ‘own responsibility’. Loans, when utilized correctly, instill a sense of ownership to the project or endeavor pursued by the individual.

§ Additionally, initiatives such as this can help RACOBAO steer away from donor dependency.


IGA WATER ENTERPRISE

1) Rain Harvesting Project:

The focus of this project would be to equip X amount of community leaders with the supplies needed to have their own rain catchment systems. RACOBAO would endow the selected members with the materials needed in order to create this water system. In partnership with RACOBAO, additional members of the community would be selected to buy water from the chosen community leader for the same price that one normally would pay to retrieve water from the nearest water source. This small circle would buy exclusively from the selected leader; in turn, creating a local water source and an IGA. An agreement would be made that the local leader(s) chosen will pay RACOBAO back for the cost of materials to build the system. After the debt has been paid, those leaders will benefit through a profit from those who use his/her water source.

a. OVERVIEW

i. Area can be selected after scrutinizing the following:

§ Distance from the nearest water source

§ Reliability of the entrepreneur(s)

§ The degree of need for a water source

§ Asset (human and monetary) availability

ii. Supplies needed (monetary):

§ A gutter system (preferably plastic)

§ Barrels to catch the water

§ A security system (pad locks/chains)

iii. Supplies needed (human):

§ A reliable entrepreneur(s)

§ A reliable and constant partnership with community members (numbers may vary)

b. LIMITATIONS

i. The leaders could choose to be dishonest and keep the water only for themselves.

ii. Thieves could steal the barrels or parts from the system.

iii. There is a possibility that community members would not stay loyal to the leader; inevitably resulting in no profit.

iv. Too many people would want to buy from the chosen leader; hence, producing a shortage of water.

c. BENEFITS

i. A lucrative business and IGA opportunity

ii. Community ownership

iii. Convenience

iv. Development of a new water source

2) Dew Ponds

The focus of this project would be to equip certain areas with Dew Ponds. A dew pond is an artificial pond usually sited on the top of a hill, intended for watering livestock, or in some cases to act as a water source for drinkable water. Dew ponds are used in areas where a natural supply of surface water may not be readily available. They usually are shallow, saucer-shaped, and lined with clay or cement, and banana leaves or bamboo shoots to insulate the bottom layer. To deter earthworms from their natural tendency of burrowing upwards, which in a short while would make the clay lining porous, a layer of soot would be incorporated. The clay is usually covered with the banana leaves or bamboo shoots to prevent cracking by the sun and, if necessary, a final layer of broken stone may be added to protect the lining from the hoofs of sheep or cattle, or a layer of plastic to help protect unwanted external materials to enter the body of water in an effort to keep the water clean and sanitary.

a. REPLENISHMENT

i. There is some controversy surrounding the means of which the pond is replenished. Some of the arguments are as follows:

§ Experiments conducted in 1885 to determine the origin of the water found that dew forms not from dampness in the air but from moisture in the ground directly beneath the site of the condensation: dew, therefore, was ruled out as a source of replenishment.

§ Other scientists have pointed out that the 1885 experiments failed to take into account the insulating effect of the straw and the cooling effect of the damp clay: the combined effect would be to keep the pond at a lower temperature than the surrounding earth, and thus be able to condense a disproportionate share of moisture

§ In turn, these conclusions were disproved in the 1930s, when it was pointed out that the heat-retaining quality of water (its thermal capacity) is many times greater than that of earth; and therefore, the air above a pond in summer would be the last place to attract condensation.

§ However, while equal controversy regarding the means of replenishment exists, a note of importance is that in a multitude of dew ponds used around the world, especially in England, 'People have noticed that they rarely run dry, even in the hottest summer, and it is apparent that, during the night, they receive a supply of water sufficient to counter-balance the great drags that are made upon them by cattle and evaporation,' notes Edward Martin, in a research paper entitled Dew Ponds: History, Observation and Experiment.

3) Budget

a. Contingent upon a case by case basis

4) Summary of the IGA Water Enterprise

a. Limitations:

i. Lack of community mobilization

ii. Lack of community commitment

iii. Lack of appropriate funding

iv. Lack of sufficient water consistency

b. Benefits:

i. The potential for income to be generated

ii. Community ownership and sense of camaraderie

iii. RACOBAO helping the community by breaking the Aid Dependency Cycle

iv. The opportunity to incorporate health and sanitation education to rural communities

v. Through monitoring and evaluation, the positive effects of these projects can be reported to help gain additional funding from outside donors


VIA: VISION IN ACTION- A LIFE SKILLS WORKSHOP


What is the goal of this project?

The national average of HIV/AIDS is purported to be 6.4%; however, in the district of Lyantonde that number is substantially higher with a prevalence rate of 12%. Furthermore, there are pockets within the 8 sub counties that RACOBAO works with that report numbers as high as 24% by those infected with HIV/AIDS due to risky cultural practices. After attending countless community and staff meetings, conducting community based needs assessments, as well as one on one interviews with community members I feel that the efforts put forth by RACOBAO to help lower the percentage of those affected by HIV/AIDS could be amplified if there were more adequate methods of information sharing- since many villages members are unaware that the pandemic exists let alone the repercussions of the disease. Therefore, the primary goal of this project would be to create a program called VIA (Vision in Action). VIA would be a multifaceted workshop conducted at the Vocational school that would include: a creative writing club, life skills training, sexual education, youth empowerment, home based care and strategic advocacy skills training.


What are the objectives of this project? List the principal tasks you and the community group will undertake to reach your objectives.


Objectives:

* To empower youth and reinforce the sense of self; most of whom are child headed households.
* To instill within the youth vital knowledge and skills that can then be shared through testimonials, dramas, etc. this will reduce new infections among persons living within Lyantonde district.
* To promote responsible health behavior in order to improve adherence and accessibility to information regarding HIV/AIDS.
* Strengthen the information network stratagem in a consorted effort to increase effective communication skills to enhance capacity building techniques and sustainable initiatives.

Tasks:

* Each student will write their life story in a private journal; this method will be therapeutic and will allow them to develop and improve their English skills.
* Life skills: peer pressure, gender roles, the importance of healthy friendships, self esteem, health awareness, and sexual education.
* Advocacy efforts (theory and practicum): In order to comply with the behavioral change communication strategies, communication skills in areas such as: nonverbal, public speaking, persuasion, interpersonal, cross-cultural, relational, communication in media and group communication will be taught


How does this project contribute to building skills and capacity within the community?

The effective method in preventing HIV/AIDS within the Lyantonde district is by the sharing of personal experiences and information networking. Most often capacity is defined by skills, knowledge and ability; all of which the youth who participate in this project would learn and promote to others throughout the surrounding sub counties. The youth would be the catalysts for change; a change that would manifest into a voice that would give the district the power of thought and of action. The heart of capacity building is the people. By beginning a perpetual cycle of information sharing through VIA, the knowledge attained by the community members will then saturate various aspects of an individual’s life; thus, the citizens who are positively affected by the imperative information regarding HIV/AIDS will then lead healthy lives. These healthy lives will foster a healthy community from which the creation of healthy environments will encourage healthy economies and sustainable development. VIA will include people who are willing to be involved; ability to identify and access opportunities; leadership; moreover the capacity will expand exponentially.


How will the community be able to sustain the activities and or benefits of this activity?

Communication is a complex, interminable process that provides the fundamental groundwork for developing information systems for the advancement of socio-economic development. As communication is subject to interpretive analysis, it becomes a transactional process that is established through contextual factors; therefore, behavior change will be cultivated. Understanding the dynamics of effective communication networking is crucial to the success of information systems and the role that they play in the outcome of development projects. Those who participate in VIA will learn and be able to identify the importance of appealing to their target audience in an effort to encourage positive change. Sustainability is obtained by ensuring community responsibility which can be achieved through community participation in decision making and control from the beginning of the project. Therefore, I will be training facilitators and immobilizers from within the target community who will be able to teach the materials to the youth. Long term goals, transparency, and constant monitoring practices will be employed as well.


NGO FORUM DATABASE


Database Overview: This project will investigate how the use of strategic communication in information networks is positively and negatively correlated with the success, or failure, of research and development projects within developing nations, in order to help formulate an integrative model that can further the success of development projects. Communication is a complex, interminable process that provides the fundamental groundwork for developing information systems for the advancement of socio-economic development. As communication is subject to interpretive analysis, it becomes a transactional process that is established through contextual factors. Understanding the dynamics of effective communication is an exhausting and ongoing practice; yet, that understanding is crucial to the success of information systems and the role that they play in the outcome of development projects. The effect of integrated information networks, which link all major components of an organization together, often ultimately poses serious challenges to the success of research and development projects. Whether a project is deemed a failure, a partial failure, or a success, the feature of sustainability still must be viewed with equal, if not supreme, importance than that of its initial implementation. This requires understanding the dynamic equilibrium of managing sustainability and change, as well as regulating boundary control. Therefore, the goal of this project is to develop an integrative database that encompasses the NGO’s that participate in the Lyantonde NGO Forum.


Components of the Database:

Ø NGO Name

Ø How many years the NGO has been in existence

Ø Assets

o Monetary

o Human/Community

Ø Projects

o Completed

o In Progress

o Future

Ø Outcome of Projects

o Success

o Partial

o Failure

Ø WHY?

Ø Funding/Budget

Ø Location of Peoples Worked With

Ø Challenges

Ø Action Plans

Ø Strategies

Ø Designated Roles

Benefits:

* All NGO’s will have a communication network in which they can utilize in order to optimize their capacity building.
* Each NGO will be able to better identify their needs and more effective ways in which they can then fulfill them.
* Staff can be strategically exploited.
* Identity and awareness can be better recognized.
* Infrastructure can be strengthened.
* Funding can be optimized.
* Adjust organization as needed to increase efficiencies, expand capabilities and enhance performance, e.g. through board and staff restructurings.
* A more effective means of evaluating and monitoring can be created.

Limitations:

* Weak finances.
* Resources stretched too thin.
* When working with a dependent community it is difficult to transition to a catalyst position.

SIDENOTES:

o The goal of every successful NGO is to work themselves out of a jobhttp://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=308908503709639360
o An organization cannot overwhelm itself; they must be realistic in their projects and complete them in a quality manner- not quantity.
o Previous research has shown that the epidemic of AIDS is more readily cured through a behavioral change method; one, that in theory, offers individuals adequate information about the virus but, most importantly, initiative to have an improved quality of life.
o Outsourcing is vital components for every NGO- has a steady information flow from the rest of the developing world.
o Breaking the dependency cycle of a country is an obligation that every NGO has to adopt as a priority.
o Be realistic about how much time you want to give you NGO; taking on projects beyond the comfortable limits will not yield much benefits in the long run.


RABBIT PROJECT: TAKE TWO


The Rabbit Project:

The focus of this project is to re-introduce rabbits to the area of Lyantonde and the surrounding sub counties. RACOBAO has functional rabbit hatches already in existence; therefore, the initial cost of starting this project is minimal. Once the mother rabbit(s) are reproducing at an appropriate rate, the feed, water and miscellaneous aspects are taken into account and mastered, RACOBAO would then choose one sub county to start working with. RACOBAO would assist a designated farmer from a sub county to host the rabbit project by aiding the construction of the rabbit hutches, educating the farmer on the importance of maintenance as well as proper execution and preparation of the rabbits. Once the farmer is trained, RACOBAO would provide a mother and father rabbit along with X amount of offspring to start this endeavor. Community members would then go to the designated farmer to buy the rabbits at a low cost for consumption or to begin breeding the rabbits themselves.

a. OVERVIEW

The Rabbit

§ The average rabbit is 3-4 pounds (2 kilos)

§ One mother rabbit can produce more than 200 offspring per year

§ 1oz (28grams) of rabbit has:


-40 calories


-0 fat


-6 grams of protein


-Iron 2%


-Zinc 4%


-Vitamin B-6 8%


-Vitamin B-12 35%


-Niacin 10%


-Phosphorus 6%

§ 16oz = 1 lb which is 64oz


-384 grams of protein per rabbit


-512% of Vitamin B-6 per rabbit


-2240% of Vitamin B-12 per rabbit

b. BENEFITS

i. Nutrition:

§ Vitamin B6 also helps maintain your blood glucose (sugar) within a normal range. When caloric intake is low your body needs vitamin B6 to help convert stored carbohydrate or other nutrients to glucose to maintain normal blood sugar levels. Additionally, studies show that a vitamin B6 deficiency can decrease your antibody production and suppress your immune response. Your body needs vitamin B6 to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin within red blood cells carries oxygen to tissues. Vitamin B6 also helps increase the amount of oxygen carried by hemoglobin. A vitamin B6 deficiency can result in a form of anemia that is similar to iron deficiency anemia.

§ Vitamin B12 plays a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It is normally involved in the metabolism of every cell of the body, especially affecting DNA synthesis and regulation, but also fatty acid synthesis and energy production. Vitamin B12 deficiency can potentially cause severe and irreversible damage, especially to the brain and nervous system. Pernicious anemia is characterized by a triad of symptoms: Anemia, gastrointestinal symptoms and neurological symptoms.

§ Lack of Niacin commonly results in Pellagra. The symptoms include the following: High sensitivity to sunlight, aggression, dermatitis, glossitis, skin lesions, insomnia, weakness, mental confusion, paralysis of extremities, diarrhea and eventually dementia.

§ Rabbit also contains high amounts of zinc; which combined with Vitamin A, account for 1 million of the world’s leading causes of malnutrition.

§ They are low maintenance; small amounts of water, grass and fruits are needed for survival.

§ Demonstrations must be given and sanitation, general health and nutrition must be included.

c. LIMITATIONS

i. The members of the community could be reluctant to try something new.

ii. If proper measures are not taken, the safety and health of the rabbits could be threatened; thus, the project would not be successful.

iii. If the rabbits were to escape into the wild and reproduce without a natural predator present, the community could face the problem of overpopulation.

d. BUDGET

i. The initial cost of each rabbit to start the project is 5,000ush

ii. The cost of rabbit hutches varies depending upon the local resources available.

iii. The cost of food and water is contingent on availability.