A River Blue Phase III: Executive Summary for the Proposed ......1 A River Blue Phase III: Executive Summary for the Proposed Financially Self-Sufficient Area Vocational - Technical

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A River Blue Phase III: Executive Summary for the Proposed Financially

Self-Sufficient Area Vocational - Technical School.

(2016-2018)

This executive summary details the project timescales and costing for proposed Financially Self-Sufficient Vocational School project.

UGANDA

THIS DOCUMENT IS OPEN FOR REVIEW OR ADJUSTMENT BY ALL INTERESTED

STAKEHOLDERS

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History

Introduction Phase I: Pilot Period (2008 - 2011) A River Blue was initiated by the development committee members of former Alebtong and Aloi Internally Displaced Person’s (IDP) Camps, in northern Uganda, to intervene in social problems inflicted on entire families, encompassing men and women, but especially youth, orphans, and other vulnerable children. These include many who had lived in IDP camps, as well as many who had survived abduction and indoctrination by the rebels and have returned home to their communities. Our aim is to help these communities heal and reconcile, while making them economically self-reliant. While the war-affected northern Uganda comprised both Acholi and Lango (tribes) communities, and both peoples suffered grievously, most global attention has accrued to the Acholi. The Lango, who experienced like atrocities, have been largely neglected.

Our first strategy was to empower our people through the arts. In 2006, right as the devastating war ended in our region, the nascent A River Blue, then in partnership with Barefoot Workshops Inc. (USA) (www.bafefootworkshops.org) launched A River Blue Arts Festival, featuring music, dance, drama, and art. That effort led to our next initiative: A River Blue Vocational Training and Rehabilitation Centre in Alebtong, which actively operated from 2008 to 2011. We took over school building that had been left vacant by its owners during the long war. We repaired it, built a staff and a curriculum, and began serving the youth of our region. In 2011, the rightful owners, the Anglican Church, returned and reclaimed their building, and our Vocational Training Centre closed at that centre. Grants from Barefoot Workshops got exhausted as well.

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Phase II: Pre-sustainability Period (2012-2015)

In 2012 we hired another facility to run a vocational program for 120 youth (both girls & boys) sponsored by Northern Uganda Youth Development Centre (NUYDC) under the Office of the Prime Minister of Uganda funded by DFID. Since then, there has not been vocational training in Alebtong District, leaving hundreds of hopeful vulnerable children and youth in suspense.

In recent years,(2012 up-to-date) while we actively sought to reopen our VTC, we have aggressively pursued community projects in clean water and nutrition, among others. The community in Oloo Village have donated 20 hectares of land for the development of an area base vocational-technical school. In partnership with Engineers Without Borders (EWB) -USA, Georgia Institute of Technology Chapter, a solar powered clean water distribution facility has been constructed at the land provided by the community. A multi-purpose flour mill has been installed using a donation from The Besom - United Kingdom.

A River Blue is currently registered as a community-based Non-Governmental Organization, under Uganda’s National Board of Non-Governmental Organizations. A River Blue is officially formed to carry out its development activities in promoting agriculture and agribusiness, water and sanitation, environment protection, private sector development, gender equality and human rights, health & HIV/AIDS support. We realize this list is long, but the community needs are many.

For all of these needs, improved education is the key. We promote our education efforts, and made them locally popular by the ongoing conscious application of the Lango tradition of the arts, especially music, dance and our definition of “Community Theater.” These artistic forms are how we talk to ourselves about what is important.

A River Blue has become instrumental in fostering community growth and offering young people an alternative to violence. A River Blue Vocational Training and Rehabilitation Centre in Alebtong was central to the success of this element of our mission. While we have had great success in recent years in other areas, especially in water, nutrition and economic development projects (a flour mill), we now need to reinvigorate the VTC as the key element of our region's future self-sufficiency.

Our program has provided a model that many post-conflict regions in Africa can adopt and implement in building their communities.

Achievements

The local community in their part, have donated 20 acres of land for the purpose. Attached in the Appendixes are copies of relevant documents.

A River Blue, have recently signed MOU for a five year partnership with Engineers Without Borders (EWB) - Georgia Technology Chapter. This is an integrated community development program intended to promote access to safe water supply to the proposed centre and the surrounding communities in 4 villages of about 3500 people. Engineers Without Borders - Georgia Tech Institute will install in the community, a solar powered clean water distribution, costing over $150,000.00 through a five year period. First and second phases which included drilling of a production deep well and installation of a 240 watt solar power & a submersible water pump have been accomplished and operating very well.

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Constructions of few structures have begun. Due to lack for funding to buy materials and to pay for skilled labour, the activities have stalled.

Phase III: Building a Financially Self-sufficient School (2016 - 2018) The Mission Statement for this phase is to develop area based vocational - technical school in partnership with multiple stakeholders (Donors-Development Partners- Business - Industry - Community) in a bid to prepare students to meet the challenges of work and life in an ever changing world.

The Needs/Challenges/Issues of these Vulnerable Children & Youth Affected by War

Uganda has the youngest age structure in the world, with 77 percent of its population under the age of 30Yrs (Population Action International (PAI) 2010). Despite visible economic growth over recent years, youth unemployment remains the highest in Africa. This young population guarantees significant challenges in unemployment, education, and poverty well into the future. Being of, or coming from a war-ravaged generation, and failing to see a viable economic and social perspective for themselves, young people are at risk of falling easy prey for indoctrination with radical ideologies. Drugs, alcohol, and unprotected promiscuous sex tempt those who despair. Many youth also lack confidence and self-worth which further distances them from accessing services provided by government, or from offering their voice in society. As a result, there is a concern at both national and local levels that the increasing population of unemployed youth is among the major challenges currently facing Uganda.

Youth Unemployment and Underemployment In Uganda.

Out of School Youth Coming Back to School in Uganda, Millions of out of school youth are currently unemployed or underemployed. This number increases per year for various reasons. Some simply cannot follow an academic curriculum. Others do not have the interest in school work. For many, families do not have the money to support them in schools and they are expected to contribute to family revenue by helping with agriculture and animal care. Perhaps, some find marginal jobs in the city in the hope of earning enough money to attend private training institutions to acquire vocational skills for improved employment. But very few are able to do this. In most districts, especially in northern Uganda these school leavers find it difficult both socially and academically to re-enter. Typically, general education concentrates on those who are able to stay in school. Those who leave have, for all practical purposes completed their formal education and regardless of desire or intellect, are excluded from any further recognized learning. They certainly have lost any chance of higher education within the public education system. Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) public system in Uganda, meanwhile, is failing to attract students to its certificate and diploma programs. Qualified applicants for higher education do not choose technology first but try for places in academic universities. Part of this, is the tradition of academic learning that predominates in many institutions in the country. Changing public attitude is a very long term process even if, in many countries, this extended process has already begun. So, if BTVET is to play a role, it can really serve this increasing group of unemployed and underemployed youth. For many of these school leavers, mastering the skills and knowledge required for entry into higher education is possible, if they can learn part time and work with their families. Some of these young people may be among the most gifted learners in the country and if given an opportunity they could become exceptional technicians and engineers.

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In many countries now, the population is skewed towards the young that youth employment is now a major concern. Recent figures from ILO placed youth unemployment number at 73.4 million, a 3.5 million increase from 2007. ILO also emphasized that over 53% of young workers are in vulnerable employment. How do we deal with this problem?

In its quest for democracy and sustainable development, the Ugandan Umbrella of Civil Society Organizations states that, “particular attention should be given to job creation and entrepreneurship responsive to community needs, stimulating local economic growth in an inclusive and sustainable manner.” These words must be met with actions.

Perhaps nowhere are these issues more acute than in northern Uganda. The conflict in this region disrupted social structures, destroyed livelihoods and erased employment opportunities.

Employment clearly plays a fundamental long-term role in people’s lives. Not only is it a critical source of income, but it also empowers people, giving them a sense of purpose that strengthens social cohesion. ARB projects have supported the government's own interventions such as the Youth Livelihood Fund (YLF).

Through restored Vocational Education, we plan to build generations with work skills that can sustain families. Furthermore, we plan to use the vocational school as an incubator, helping communities create businesses that in turn would make A River Blue self-sustaining. Financially self-sufficient vocational schools provide a solid education system focusing on strong agricultural practices, business skills and entrepreneurial education to poor farmers in war ravaged northern Uganda to empower them to recover economically.

We intend to reinvigorate our youth development targets with this proposal, complementing other government plans on skilling Uganda and wealth creation.

“While building our vision on the target group, the most significant out-put expected is that children and youth make significant and measurable contributions towards improvement of their own livelihoods, and those of their families, creatively transforming their communities.” – Okweny George Ongom

The main objective of this Phase is: Vocational Education towards youth economic empowerment in northern Uganda as a key factor for creatively transforming the war affected communities of this region.

Long-term Strategy The aim of A River Blue is to build sustainable on the campus micro-agribusinesses enterprises and conference facilities which will fund the running of a financially self-sufficient area base vocational - technical school with boarding accommodation and build the war ravaged northern region into a region which has a positive future, supporting the local community through sustainable, successful businesses.

In Northern Uganda, many communities rely on subsistence Agriculture to survive. This program is designed as a catalyst for a broader, multi-partnership program to promote access of youth, men and women, to appropriate technology, agribusiness entrepreneurial, leadership and management skills required for their effective participation in the creation of wealth and investments in commercially viable agribusiness enterprises in Northern Uganda.

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The specific objectives of the project are:

To establish a comprehensive Development Centre that develops human, technical, infrastructural and

organizational capacity to improve and scale-up production and the provision of goods and services in

Alebtong and other satellites in Northern Uganda on a sustainable basis; this will improved effective

advocacy and knowledge sharing on small scale agribusiness and related SMI/SME.

“The Centre’s model is not a demonstration centre,” “but a collection of small on-campus enterprises which serve as models. When a young person leaves here, he/she is capable of managing all aspects of Agriclinics & Agribusinesses, not just a production unit.”

The centre’s model emphasizes the development of cultural, technical and organizational skills to empower individuals and communities. It promotes the linking of agriculture to industry and services and the development of green rural cities. This is a replication of both Songhai model which started in Benin and being replicated throughout West Africa. (http://www.songhai.org/index.php/en/home-en) and Fundación Paraguaya’s financially self-sufficient school model(www.fundacionparaguaya.org).

The program model is more than just an infrastructure project; it’s a method of creating sustainable holistic rural growth by creatively harnessing locally available resources, and thus solving the seemingly intractable problem of poverty, unemployment and rural exodus. Songhai’s value proposition aims to develop a cultural transformation. Songhai has put in place a vibrant organization that is both an incubation center for technological experimentation as well as the production of agricultural goods, industrial products, and also services etc....

At its core, Songhai is a development process that is in continuing Evolution, it is a laboratory for Africa and the world, a prime mover for the creation of a better tomorrow.

Every year, the Centre plans to welcome 200 or so youth and young people both men and women who are trained and then helped to set up agro-pastoral projects of their own.

Why Building a Financially Self-Sufficient School is our Dream

Financially self-sufficiency school model is a school for low-income youth in a developing country… Fundación Paraguaya’s model(www.fundacionparaguaya.org) addresses the skills mismatch in developing countries by equipping low-income students with the opportunity to build practical skills.

Where students from very poor farming families get high-quality rural educations

Which has its campus on a diversified, well-managed farm

Which has sports fields, open theatre, a library, full internet and after-school activities

Where students have five meals a day made from farm-fresh products grown at the school

Imagine a school for low-income youth in a developing country... • Which has all of the facilities, equipment, tools and supplies needed to teach students practical

agricultural skills • Which also teaches students the business skills they need to get good jobs or start their own

enterprises • Where students also receive an official high school diploma so they can go on to university

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Imagine a school for low-income youth in a developing country... • Where girls get the same opportunities as boys; • Where school fees are non-existent or so low even the poorest can afford them • Where no student is excluded for lack of funds Above all, imagine a school in a developing country where low-income students graduate with the knowledge and skills they need to overcome poverty. Traditional agricultural schools in Uganda: common problems #1: Not enough money

The first problem facing most schools (both public & private) in Uganda is money. This is because:

Funding from government ministry is usually inadequate

Payments to schools are frequently late

School tuition fees, though often expensive are insufficient to cover school costs

Sufficient long-term support from non-government sources is difficult to find

As a result of these funding problems, educational programs at existing schools suffer. Moreover, it is difficult to find the resources to start new schools, when the expectation is that the schools will always need large subsidies in order to operate. For these financial reasons, there are not enough schools to educate all of the youth who would benefit from a high-quality rural education. #2: School is too expensive for poor children Even when school fees are too low to bring in sufficient income to run an agricultural school, they are prohibitively expensive for poor farming families. As a result, many rural youth cannot afford to go to school, even a very mediocre one.

#3: Traditional agricultural education is more theory than practice Generally speaking, there is a mismatch between the type of education that traditional agricultural schools offer and the educational needs of poor rural youth. Traditional agricultural education tends to be delivered in class, without enough opportunities for students to put the theory they heard in the classroom into practice on the farm. For example, students might study the common diseases that attack farm animals, but never learn how to vaccinate one.

Indeed, under-funded schools may not have the resources to keep livestock or buy the supplies students need to practice vaccination. In many cases, teachers may not have had much practical agricultural experience themselves.

The result is that students leave school without the practical experience they need to find responsible jobs or start their own rural enterprises.

Problem #4: Traditional schools don´t teach practical business skills

But the problem goes deeper than that. While most agricultural schools teach students something about raising crops and animals, they generally don´t teach what poor students most need to know: how to make money raising crops and animals.

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For example, in order for students to make a living from a small herd of dairy cows, they need to know alot more than just how to take care of cows. They also need to know such things as:

is there demand for milk in the local market, and if so, at what price?

is it better to sell milk or use it to make another product, such as cheese?

how many cows do they need in order to break even?

how many more cows they would need to support a family?

is it better to save money now and buy more cows later?

or is it better to get a loan and buy more cows now?

how much is it wise to borrow?

what can a small farmer do to minimize his agricultural and financial risks?

In other words, the teaching of agricultural skills (or other technical skills) is necessary, but not sufficient!

In order to turn out successful farmers-- or successful graduates in other technical fields-- schools also need

to teach students a number of other things which are equally, perhaps even more important. These include

how to analyze market demand, how to use credit effectively and responsibly, and the practical ins and

outs of running a small business.

Why Financially Self-Sufficient Agricultural Schools are different Financially Self-Sufficient Agricultural Schools are designed to overcome the problems of under-funding, economic exclusion, and low-quality, irrelevant education which afflict so many traditional agricultural schools.

1. Financially Self- Sufficient Schools generate their own resources from a diversified on group of small-scale, on-campus enterprises.

Financially Self-Sufficient Schools are not dependent on unpredictable government subsidies, charitable

donations or school fees. Moreover, since Financially Self-Sufficient Schools have revenue from a diversified

set of on-campus businesses, they are better able to predict and control the amount of resources available

for their educational programs. Thus, well-run Financially Self-Sufficient Schools can provide better

facilities, attract more qualified teachers and offer students a better education than most traditional

schools.

2. The Financially Self-Sufficient School model approaches rural education from a different perspective, based on a different view of the problems facing small farmers.

At many traditional agricultural schools, the curriculum seems to be based on the view that teaching a young people to drive tractors or run other modern equipment will somehow make them more successful farmers than their parents.

Financially Self-Sufficient Agricultural Schools believe that the inefficiency and low level of productivity

evident on so many small-scale farms in developing countries is not due to a lack of physical inputs (e.g.

equipment, seeds and fertilizer) or financial capital (e.g. subsidies or loans). Rather, it is due to the farming

family’s difficulty in correctly administering the resources it already has at its disposal and its difficulty in

accessing markets.

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Thus, to avoid having their graduates become the next generation of inefficient small-scale farmers waiting

for capital and technology that never arrive, self-sufficient agricultural schools teach students what they

need to know in to operate their small family farms successfully. They teach students to diversify their

production, to apply appropriate, low-cost technology and make efficient use of the resources that are

already available on the family farm. They also teach students to analyze market demand and base their

production decisions on what customers want to buy; to look for attractive market niches where their

products can fetch higher prices; and to produce goods and services with as much “value-added” as

possible.

3. Financially Self-Sufficient Schools use a more effective educational methodology.

Educators have long recognized that students learn best through experience, not by passively receiving information. Thus, good schools should provide much more than just a traditional classroom experience; they should provide a stimulating environment for living, working and gaining experience.

Financially Self-Sufficient Schools put these principles into practice through a methodology called “Learning by Doing and Earning” and a curriculum based on six educational pillars: Learning to Be; Learning to Live Together; Learning to Know; Learning to Do; Learning to Undertake; and Learning to Earn Money.

So, while much of the focus in traditional schools is on learning facts in a classroom, Financially Self-

Sufficient Schools focus on helping students develop the technical, analytical and personal competencies

they will need in the workplace. This is done by integrating the teaching of traditional high school subjects

with the running of the school’s small-scale, on-campus agricultural enterprises via the Learning by Doing

and Earning methodology.

For example, students at the San Francisco Agricultural School spend about half of their time in the

classroom and half their time helping to run the school’s sixteen on-campus enterprises. In math class, they

learn practical business skills such as how to calculate a business’s break-even point and its financial rate of

return; in language class, how to write a resumé and a business letter. In the field, they put their math skills

into practice as they calculate the amount of materials needed to build a new chicken coop, and biology

and chemistry concepts as they prepare the organic vegetable garden.

As students progress through the school’s three-year program, they gradually acquire more technical

expertise and experience running the school’s various money-making enterprises. They also get experience

marketing school products at urban markets and the school’s road-side store and serving clients at the

school’s restaurant and rural hotel. By the time students are in their last year, they are supervising teams of

students responsible for the daily operations of each enterprise.

4. The curriculum at Financially Self-Sufficient Schools is market-based.

For the most part, traditional schools simply teach what the national curriculum requires them to. If the curriculum says students should learn to grow tomatoes, then the school teaches students to grow tomatoes. Never mind that there is no commercial market for tomatoes where this particular school is located.

It is a good idea for schools to comply with the officially recognized curriculum so that students graduate an

officially recognized diploma. However, Financially Self-Sufficient Schools do much more than that. The

curriculum used at Financially Self-Sufficient Schools is designed to ensure that students acquire the

specific competencies that it takes to run profitable small enterprises in their country and the specific skills

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demanded by employers in the local market. As a result, local employers seek out the graduates of

Financially Self-Sufficient Schools as new employees, and graduates prepared to create their own jobs by

forming their small enterprises.

5. Financially Self-Sufficient Schools have a different school culture and learning environment.

As you can see, Financially Self-Sufficient Schools must be on a permanent quest for economic self-

sufficiency. This means that schools have to control costs carefully. It also means that they have to be

attentive to local market conditions, developing new products for new market niches and switching out of

other products when they become less profitable. The quest for self-sufficiency obliges teachers and

administrators to maintain a practical, entrepreneurial approach to their work. It also ensures constant

innovation.

This market-oriented, entrepreneurial and cost-conscious setting is the environment which students at

Financially Self-Sufficient Schools are exposed to on a daily basis. Not only do these students learn about

raising chickens in class, they have to know how many eggs the school chicken coop has to produce per day

in order for it to break even. They also have to know how much profit the chicken coop has to make in

order to pay the teacher´s salary. This kind of learning environment is unique.

6. The Financially Self-Sufficient School model allows schools to offer both quality and affordability.

Other innovative educational approaches either recognize the importance of providing a high-quality, entrepreneurial program, but do not have a way to pay for it, or they have found ways for the poor to pay for their educations, but they cannot deliver quality. What sets the Financially Self-Sufficient School model apart from traditional schools is it offers a high-quality education at the secondary level, yet does not require poor students to pay any more than a token tuition fee.

The Value Proposition of Financially Self-Sufficient Agricultural Schools

Financially Self-Sufficient Agricultural Schools offer high-quality agricultural/business

training to poor, unemployed rural youth. Unlike traditional agricultural schools, which do not

instil usable skills, Financially Self-Sufficient Agricultural Schools equip students for

immediate entry to higher education, employment in agro-businesses and/or success on

their family farms, thereby allowing them to overcome poverty.

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How do Financially Self-Sufficient Agricultural Schools measure success?

All institutions should have a few simple, transparent ways to measure their performance. This allows them to check at regular intervals whether they are making sufficient progress toward their goals, and if not, to improve the way they are doing things. Such measures of performance also help institutions demonstrate to their supporters that they are transparent and accountable.

These principles also apply to Financially Self-Sufficient Schools. Fortunately, schools can measure their “success” in providing affordable, relevant education on a sustainable basis with two very simple indicators:

Their students' success in finding a productive activity to engage in upon graduation; The school’s progress toward financial self-sufficiency.

"The San Francisco Agricultural School measures its success this way, and here are the results"

As regards the performance of its graduates, the school is successful in that 100% of the graduates of the school are productively engaged within four months of graduation.

“Productively engaged” means that graduates have either started their own small enterprises, found responsible jobs in the modern agricultural sector, are teaching at other agricultural schools, or working as extension agents, or that they have been accepted at university. This is our dream school, but it is not just a figment of our imagination – it exists!

The Financially Self-Sufficient School model we want to replicate was pioneered at the San Francisco Agricultural High School, a rural secondary school in Paraguay close to the capital city of Asunción.

Its example has inspired many other schools around the world to take a new approach to education so that low-income students in their countries can get an affordable, high-quality education that enables them to overcome poverty.

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THE PROPOSED FINANCIALLY SELF-SUFFICIENT AREA BASED VOCATIONAL - TECHNICAL SCHOOL

Although Uganda government offers free universal primary/secondary education at a few state owned

schools and some private schools under a public private partnerships, yet, schools in Uganda still face

further challenges in terms of low internal efficiency and the unequal quality of education. Most of the

youth and young people leave schools when they aren’t properly prepared to face the world of work,

leading to high rate of unemployment and underemployment, due to poor quality skills training and lack of

entrepreneurship exposure.

Financially self-sufficient vocational school offers a solid education system focusing on strong agricultural

practices, business skills and entrepreneurship. Its mission is “to impart practical and entrepreneurial

education to poor farmers in the war ravaged northern Uganda to empower them to successfully recover

economically”.

The proposed model is different from the conventional BTVET system in Uganda in that we have found a

way to combine quality, relevance, and affordability. This model promise to offer high quality agricultural

education at the secondary level yet does not require these poor vulnerable children and youth to pay any

more than providing their labour in lieu of tuition fee. Other approaches either recognize the importance of

quality but do not have to pay for it, or have found ways for the poor to pay for their education but cannot

deliver quality. The program doesn't neither to deprive or exploit the participants of their labour. It intends

to instil the attitudes of "hard work pays" and they will be earning meagre incomes while they train.

Business Model

The model is intended to change these war affected children and youth hailing from peasant poor families

into rural entrepreneurs. There is a general assumption in this community that the food chain starts with

the farmer who knows how to farm, but the reality isn’t the case. The Agricultural BTVET in Uganda today is

set to deliver people a piece of paper that shows their academic prowess, but students aren’t really

learning how be enterprising farmers, and this is the missing link to help peasant farmers changing as

entrepreneurs.

The vocational farm school is designed to be this missing link. It is proposed to be a boarding school for

rural children and youth, low-income students that operates as an independent entity under A River Blue

non-profit umbrella. It will offer 20 full and part-time employment staff, including administrators, teachers,

cooks, and other support personnel. Sometimes interns and volunteer experts from around the world will

be invited to support the staff, offering additional training and services.

Besides maintaining self-sufficiency, the school has two other express missions.

To give students agricultural skills so that they can become successful agricultural extension agents,

to start their own agribusiness enterprises, or to teach responsible agricultural methods in their

own communities.

To promote and replicate their model of a self-sufficient agricultural school elsewhere in Uganda

and globally.

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PRODUCTION WING:-

The production wing will be an integral part of learning environment for the institute students and secondly

to generate revenues to help defray the expenses of operating the institute, and to provide substantial and

continuing linkages between the institute and the area business communities and is consistent with the

ARB’s goal of “creating a model financially self-sufficient agriculture based vocational training centre

through a public private partnership approach”.

To achieve financially self-sufficiency, the school is set to develop several sub-enterprises, including poultry,

fish-farms, piggery, dairy, grain milling, goat keeping, green house vegetable production, tree nursery, bee

keeping, hotel and restaurant, tourisms, etc. each of these is designed to provide experimental education

for students and to generate additional revenues for the school.

TECHNICAL WING

The technical wing is proposed to offer school-based enterprises in career and technical education

programs. The quality of instruction in many career and technical education (CTE) programs is enhanced by

providing students with work experience in school-based enterprises. School-based enterprises prepare

students to transition from school to work or college. This educational tool provides participants work

experience, and opportunities to build business operation, management and leadership skills.

These real-world applications significantly enhance the curriculum by encouraging students to make sound business decisions. As entrepreneurs, students learn by applying classroom instruction while exhibiting problem solving and analytic thinking skills. In providing these practical experiences for the students, jobs are often performed for local school systems, school personnel, other students and the general public. Some examples are the repair and maintenance of automobiles, the construction of houses and storage sheds, the offering of personal services in cosmetology programs, the selling of food product prepared by Prestart programs and the operation of a school store for students, faculty, and the community. This wing require construction of administration offices, classrooms, student dormitories, VIP Guesthouse, catering area, toilets, staff houses, roads and recreation amenities, fencing, etc.

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ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE

ORGANIZATIONAL NAME POSTAL ADDRESS PHYSICAL ADDRESS

A RIVER BLUE P. O. Box 504, Lira - Uganda Oloo Atidi Village Amuria Parish Aloi Subcounty Alebtong District

US-BASE FISCAL SPONSOR - WEBSITE: ADDRESS: CONTACT PERSON:

Together We Can

www.togetherwecaninc.org 3900 Reisterstown Road, Baltimore, MD 21215, United States: Phone :( 443) 708-4101

Philip Dail: Email: [email protected]

NAME OF CONTACT PERSON: TITLE TELEPHONE NUMBER EMAIL:

Okweny George Ongom Executive Director +256 772 313336 [email protected]

DATE BUSINESS COMMENCED 11/02/2008

Brief Envisage to Organizational Background

A River Blue is a community base NGO in Uganda,

working in Alebtong district in northern Uganda.

Operations are conducted out of a community based office

in Alebtong staffed by Ugandans. A River Blue's

objectives include; the rehabilitation, resettlement of

former LRA rebels and victims of the Northern Uganda

war and HIV/AIDS through Vocational training, skills

development and the use of the Arts as a reconciliation and

healing link.

Legal Status A River Blue (ARB) Limited was initially registered (incorporated Uganda as a company limited by guarantee in 2010 (Under Section 16(1) of the Companies Act CAP 110) and subsequently registered as an NGO in January 2015, (Under the Non-Governmental Organizations Registration Act, CAP 113). It’s full name is now therefore simply, A River Blue.

Principle activities Our principle activities will be based on one site housing 10 businesses which will support a boarding school for 1,500 vulnerable children and youth affected by war. ARB’s focus is building sustainable businesses and working to offer community support in the Alebtong district of northern Uganda.These businesses will not only provide sustainable futures but the profits will fund the running of a financially self-sufficient school which will offer high quality education with business and finance training to all students.

A “good” education is considered one of the best routes out of poverty, but for poor youth in the war ravaged northern Uganda, education is neither good, nor generally available. There are not enough schools, and existing schools tend to be under-funded, poorly equipped and staffed with poorly trained teachers. There is a serious mismatch between the education students receive and the skills they actually need to earn a decent living. We are proposing to change this paradigm! We are proposing to replicate the "Financially Self-Sufficient School

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model" a model of technical/vocational education that provides low-income, chronically under-employed youth with an education that is 100% market-based, at schools that are 100% financially self-sufficient and enable 100% of their graduates to find jobs, create their own employment or continue their educations.

Brief background on the head of the organization

The head of the organization/Executive Director, Mr. Okweny George Ongom’s previous work experience as well as his enthusiasm for continued socio-economic recovery in northern Uganda make him a valuable leader for this organization.

Brief background on the head of the organization

Mr. Okweny holds a Masters Degree in Forestry, and is retired from a career in government service. During the war, he emerged as a respected community leader. He stepped forward, quite literally, as a leading public voice in opposition to Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army, when he became the voice of the Radio-Wa Lira program KARIBU, which actively invited the abducted who had become LRA soldiers, brides or laborers to desert the LRA and return home to reconciliation. Three times per week, for many months, Mr. Okweny went on the air, with music, with stories, and with interviews and statements from the recently returned. It is said that this effort, which brought thousands home, “broke the back” of the LRA in northern Uganda. For this, Mr. Okweny earned a price on his head; in fact, the only direct attack the LRA ever made on Lira was aimed at taking out that radio station. Mr. Okweny, in his willingness to put himself at risk for others personally unknown to him, fits the definition of a righteous man. He has an honored and trusted community leader. Mr. Okweny joined A River Blue when the US founder Chandler Griffin (Barefoot Workshops, Inc.) visited Uganda in 2006, just as the LRA, diminished in size, was forced out of this part of Uganda, and a tentative peace took hold. In his most recent position of Executive Director, he created an overall multi-stakeholder partnership strategy to address the overwhelming needs of the war affected communities in relation to: education, HIV/AIDS, livelihood, environment protection, health, community development and child participation. The rights of children, the primary victims of the war, had to be restored. "Here are the values that I stand for: honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated and helping those in need. To me, those are traditional Lango values -- human values, I inherited from my dear mother." George has made enormous contributions towards building the capacity of ARB for efficient and effective program delivery in close collaboration with private and public partners, government departments and local leaders. There have been significant challenges subsequent to the war. A River Blue Vocational Training and Rehabilitation Centre in Alebtong was community-based, with initial support from

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Barefoot Workshops. Subsequently, the school enjoyed a Ugandan government subsidy, but sustaining that subsidy was not possible when the school lost its building, and the school stopped admitting students in 2013. Our community has not given up: we are determined to reopen the school, as it is key to all of our efforts. Outside funding will help to re-establish sustainable local and governmental support. Mr. Okweny has extensive experience in organizational development, peace building, human resource and financial management, and participatory project planning.

Mission A River Blue promotes entrepreneurship, enabling people of

limited resources to create jobs and increase their family income.

Strategic Objectives Objective 1: Discover and promote new methodologies to

provide people of limited means with the tools necessary to

achieve economic success.”

Objective 2: Start a microfinance program to reach more

entrepreneurs of limited resources.

Objective 3: Increase the reach of our education program on

entrepreneurship for children and young people.

Objective 4: Establish and successfully achieve a financially

self-sufficiency Agriculture base vocational training centre.

Objective 5: Spread the self-sufficiency model by disseminating

and replicating it throughout Uganda in collaboration with

multiple stake holders.

Our Principles

We undertake to comply with the following principles and

values:

We are a registered NGO, self-governed, with social

responsibility.

Our concept of development has a humanistic vision: we

mainly help the neediest sectors and

promote the sustainable use of natural resources.

We maintain independence in our behavior. We wish to

generate models of responsible and transparent behavior at

the institutional and personal levels. We do not discriminate

in any way.

We optimize the use of resources in order to reach the

greatest number of our target population possible, respecting

the rights of native peoples and other minority groups.

We are non-profit. Our surplus, if any, is not distributed

among our members; we place it at the service of

capitalizing our projects and creating new programs. We

comply with legislation applicable to us, whether national or

international.

Our administration is transparent and we emphasize

accountability. We seek financial sustainability to ensure the

continuity of our programs and projects. We are innovative

and seek to apply vanguard methodologies and technologies.

We seek to promote self-help, a comprehensive approach to

people and citizen participation

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Specific Business objectives:-

Short term – Land Requirements We need approximately 50 hectares of land to build the centre in Oloo Village, Alebtong district. The community in their part have already donated 20 hectares of land. We are currently in the process of examining a 30 hectare area of land at cost of UGX 150,000,000 (USD 40,000.00). We have spoken with the clan leaders who are supportive of our aims and how we intend to promote the area as a place to conduct business.

Medium term – Our medium term objectives are to build ARB central hub and boarding vocational training school and expand to 16 associated on campus businesses.

Long term – Our long term objectives are to run a successful financially self-sufficient school for 200 vulnerable children and youth every year and have a number of sustainable on campus businesses associated with ARB. We also want to promote community cohesion through the community centre and facilities which will be made available on site.

Diag. 1: Proposed on Campus Businesses

A RIVER BLUE

Main

NGO

A River Blue Vocational

Training Centre

ARB Dairy Unit

ARB Fish Farm

ARB Multipurpose Grain Mills

ARB VIP Guest House and Community

Libary

ARB Poultry Unit

ARB Apiary Unit

ARB Green Houses and Horticulture

Units

ARB Village Savings &

Loans Association for

Youth

ARB Community Art Centre

ARB Woodlot &

Fruit Orchard

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Problems we Intend to Solve and Key Milestones of A River Blue

A generation of northern Ugandan children grew up during more than twenty years of armed conflict, including that between the Uganda People's Defence Forces (the UPDF) and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) of Joseph Kony which then and now claims to be representing God to restore the Ten Commandments. Kony built his LRA through abducting tens of thousands of children, killing many outright, transforming the rest into child soldiers or sex slaves. Armed conflict in our region ended in 2006, though Kony remains at large, most likely in the Central African Republic. While peace has taken hold, with the return and reintegration to their various villages of people formerly living in IDP camps, as well as the return and reintegration of the formerly abducted, huge challenges remain. This reintegration is fraught with difficulty, as you can imagine, but it is progressing, step by step. All of these children’s lives, and now the lives of these children’s children, including those born in captivity continue to be disrupted by the extraordinary psychological stress arising from the war, poor health and lack of education. As these young people grow into adulthood, ongoing damage is evident.

Former child soldiers are traumatized by their experiences as combatants, long separation from their families, absence from school and regular childhood activities. Even those children who were not “recruited” as child soldiers witnessed or survived violence first hand, were displaced from their homes and made highly vulnerable to poverty and abuse.

Over 2.5 million people were displaced due to the war; more than half of those were children. According to UNICEF, an estimated 66,000 children were abducted during the war. Over 2000 children were orphaned by the war.

The emotional scars of sustained conflict often manifest themselves in symptoms of depression, nightmares, difficulty in speaking, emotional withdrawal, and physical discomforts such as stomach aches and headaches. For children who have been uprooted from their communities and separated from their families due to conflict, a return to normalcy and a safe, secure place to be a child again form an essential basis for healing. Allowing children a creative outlet for the emotional and cognitive stresses they have experienced is an important way to give them the necessary empowerment to confront the trauma they have endured and to take control of their future. This was the source of A River Blue.

A River Blue Arts Projects Making a Difference With the support of its founding partners, Barefoot Workshops Inc. and other stakeholders, ARB began in 2006 with the launch of A River Blue Arts Festival that featured music, dance, drama, and art. These artistic forms are central and essential to Lango culture, and were in real danger of being forgotten after years in the IDP camps. Children were given psychosocial support through various forms of creative healing. Art, music and theatre therapy provide a forum for both formal and informal education, vocational skills training, conflict resolution and peace building.

After recognizing the need for vocational training toward self-sufficiency, and the power of the arts in the process of healing, ARB’s Vocational Training Centre was initiated in 2008, and offered a hybrid curriculum that mixed psychosocial counseling with tailoring, agro-forestry, agriculture, animal husbandry, painting, MDD (Music, Dance & Drama), English and basic business skills.

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The ARB program sponsored vulnerable children and youth, either in secondary schools, or in various vocational training programs. With the help of international donors and government ministries, ARB provided economic empowerment to over 500 young girls and boys, including homeless child mothers. Vulnerable girl children received garment making training services, safe spaces and advocacy through oral literature.

By 2012, the Vocational school was thriving, in terms of enrollment and student services. By then our educational efforts were subsidized by the Office of the Prime Minister. But in 2013, due to unforeseen and unrelated developments we were compelled to stop accepting enrollments. Barefoot Workshops ran into their own issues, and ceased support. Due to local political developments, the buildings we were using were returned to the local Anglican Church, which had founded the school before the war and owned the land, but which had been absent for many years. Without a building, our national government subsidy ended.

Since 2013, even as we struggled to re-open our school on stronger footing, we continued full force on our other priorities, as determined by our community, including clean water distribution constructed in partnership with Engineers Without Borders - USA (Georgia Tech Institute Chapter) and a fully operational flour mill donated by The Besom- United Kingdom. The community has also donated twenty hectares of their land for the construction of a new school complex. (Land in the Lango (tribe) culture is customarily owned by the clan.) Construction began, but has hit a pause. The walls are now about six feet high.

ARB has undergone various legal metamorphosis after initially being registered as a community based Non-Governmental Organization, Non-denominational, and Non-profit, and registered with the National Board of Non-Governmental Organizations. Currently it has attained full registration as an NGO and incorporated as required by the laws of the country. Its mandate is to carry out its development activities in promoting Agriculture and Agribusiness, Water and Sanitation, Environment Protection, Private Sector Development, Gender Equality & Human Rights, Health & HIV/AIDS Support.

Key Milestones of the Organization:

2006: The LRA War ends in northern Uganda, though the region and its pople are devastated.

2006: A River Blue launches with its first traditional arts festival, to begin healing, and to restore community spirit.

2008 – 2010: ARB hosts seven intern students from the USA.

2008 – 2013: Provided non-formal vocational skills training benefitting approximately 300 vulnerable unemployed youths at ARB’s Vocational Training Centre. ARB also provided bursaries to about 200 students to attend local conventional secondary schools.

2009: American playwright Erik Ehn, first as Dean at Cal Arts, and then as Chair of the Writing Program at Brown University, brings a team of scholars and artists to visit ARB. Subsequent team visits follow in 2011 and 2015, building an international network of friends and supporters of ARB. In 2012, Okweny George Ongom and two Lango musicians return the visit for Brown University; they offer presentations as well at other American colleges, churches, and at New York’s LaMama, an important theatre.

2010: Seventy unemployed youths benefit from a partnership project with Edukans Foundation-Netherlands in a project titled Alternative Vocational Skills Training for Youths in Especially Difficult Circumstances.

2011: The community agrees to provide twenty acres to ARB, and construction begins on a new school complex.

2011: Public-Private partnership with the Government of Uganda, Ministry of Education and Sports in the provision of non-formal vocational skills training for rural unemployed youths, benefiting 30 school dropout youth.

2012: Another partnership with the Government of Uganda, Office of the Prime Minister in the project titled; Northern Uganda Youth Development Program to deliver viable, marketable and sustainable modular vocational skills training for unemployed rural youths benefiting 120 school dropouts between the ages of 14 and 30.

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2012: The partnership with Engineers Without Borders USA / Georgia Tech (EWB/GT) is approved. Planning and community surveys begin.

2013: With the reclaiming of the school building by the local Anglican Church, and the subsequent cessation of government subsidy, the vocational school ceased accepting students.

2014: The formal land agreement between the RAKI OKWEROCOBO clan leaders and ARB is fully executed.

2014: ARB received support from the Government of Uganda, Office of the Prime Minister, towards the implementation of Oloo Community Clean Water Distribution Project in partnership with Engineers Without Borders (EWB/GT), benefiting over 3,500 people. Construction on Phase One, the first two wells, is completed in December. (Phase Two, providing solar power to these two and a third well will follow in December 2015. In 2016, with Phase Three, a water tower and piping system will complete the EWB/GT project.)

2015: A partnership with The Besom (UK) provides and begins operation of a flour mill in April. Over 200 families are using the mill for processing grains for human and animal consumptions, saving labor and providing economic opportunity.

2015: Signed a Partnership Deed with Together We Can Inc. (TWC) as our US based fiscal sponsor. This permits American gifts to ARB to be tax-deductible, and potentially opens doors to further American funding.

In July, TWC further improved the services being offered by the flour mill through the addition of a rice mill to benefit over 100 local farm families involved in rice production. It has not yet been installed.

2015: Successful crowd-sourcing efforts, conducted via Facebook and email, and coordinated through TWC, raised funds for a surgery needed by Executive Director Okweny George Ongom, as well as for a needed computer replacement. Thanks to these essential “infrastructure improvements,” a healthy Executive Director is right now working with a team to assemble this proposal on a new laptop. Donations came mostly from the United States, but included gifts from individuals around the world.

Current situation The property we are currently renting in Aloi, Alebtong district is no longer viable as the landlord requires the property back. We have identified a new location in Oloo Village. The community has donated 20 hectares of land whereby the construction of school facilities have started. To complete these projects we require funds to purchase the extra land space, build the vocational school and establish the businesses named below. After an initial 36 month period the businesses would aim to be self-sufficient and starting to build profits which will provide funding for the school and go towards the capital required for the main build.

Phase One The funds we require to set phase one of the project up and running for the first 36 months are: - Modern, Dairy, Poultry, Fish farming, Bee keeping, Bakery, Piggery, Green house farming, community hub (after the initial 36 months the business would be self-sufficient).

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Budget Estimates for the Proposed On Campus Farm Enterprises

ARB Agricultural Enterprises

S.NO PROJECT NAME FUNDRAISING TARGET

NEED DESCRIPTION 01 Establishment of

a Modern Dairy Unit

$13,000.00 Funding needed to establish a school dairy unit with eight (8) exotic in calf heifers. The unit will be used to empower the youth learners & adult farmers who attend the vocational school with modern dairy skills. The dairy products will be sold to raise the money to cover the school costs. Surplus milk will be used to feed the students and teachers.

02 Fish Farm(Tilapia) Unit

$ 15,000.00 The goal of the project is to introduce the practice of Tilapia Fish Farming to the food deficit community in northern Uganda as a vehicle to provide a low-cost, accessible nutrition source, and as well, opening new income generating avenue. The donation will cover the costs of land excavation, purchasing fingerlings (young fish), equipment and start-up feed supplies for a 5000sq.ft pond at a piece of land already donated by the community.

03 Fish Farm(African Catfish) Unit

$15,500.00 The purpose of commercial African Catfish production is to introduce the youth to grow fish FORPROFIT, as an alternative highly lucrative business venture for the draught prone area. The donation will cover the costs of land excavation, purchasing fingerlings (young fish), equipment and start-up feed supplies for a 8000Sq.ft pond at a piece of land already donated by the community.

04 Maize(Corn)Mill $12.025.00 A River Blue maize mill project aims at establishing a multipurpose flour mill that can help process grain in to flour at a cheap and affordable cost, to feed the students. Additionally, the machine will provide a source of income for the school, by providing access to the mill by local villages. The donation will cover the costs of shed construction, purchase of two diesel machine mills, maize hurler, grinder, equipment & accessories and transportation.

04 Piggery Unit $22,000.00 The goal of the project is to introduce the practice of Modern Piggery Farming to the food deficit community in northern Uganda as a vehicle to provide a low cost, accessible nutrition source, and as well, opening new income generating avenue.

The donation will cover the costs of constructing a piggery sty, purchasing 30 piglets, equipment and start-up feed supplies, vaccines and veterinary services.

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05 Establishment of Broiler Poultry Unit

$8,000.00 The goal of the project is to introduce the practice of Broiler Poultry to the food deficit community in northern Uganda as a vehicle to provide a low-cost, accessible nutrition source, and as well, opening new income generating avenue. The donation will cover the costs purchasing 200 broiler day-old chicks, equipment, vaccines &drugs, heat& brooders, electricity, feed supplies and construction of chicken coop at a piece of land already donated by the community.

06 Establishment of Layer Poultry Unit

$12,208.71 The intend to establish a layer chicken poultry farm from which we can generate income to cater for all the Organization expenses as we provide the best quality eggs to the entire community. Our goal is to generate income that will be able to cater for the children's expenses on Education, Feeding, Medical and salaries for our staff. Donation will be used to purchase1000 one day old layer chicks, construct chicken house using local materials, buying vaccines, drugs and veterinary services, feeds and feeders, and other general equipment.

07 Establishmentof a Indian Kruroiler Poultry Unit

$13,300.97 The goal of the project is to introduce the practice of rearing Indian Krurioler Poultry to the youth in northern Uganda, being a fast growing agribusiness venture introduced from India. The Kuroiler chickens offer a significant improvement in virtually all areas of breeding. While indigenous chickens lay just 30-40 eggs per year, the Kuroilers can easily produce five times that number or around 150-200. Kuroilers also grow to about double the body weight of their native counterparts, providing much more edible meat.“The vision of the project is to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life for rural households. In addition to producing more eggs and meat and increasing family income, we anticipate that the economically self-sustainable distribution system we plan to use inUganda will create new entrepreneurial opportunities in local communities,”

Donation will be used to purchase 2000 one day old layer chicks, construct chicken house using local materials, buying vaccines, drugs and veterinary services, feeds and feeders, and other general equipment.

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08 Establishment of a Modern Bee Keeping (Apiary) Unit

$10,100.00 The main objectives of the project is to contribute to the alleviation of poverty in rural areas of Alebtong, contribute to the improvement of health and social-economic conditions in the vulnerable groups of the community as well to promote sustainable development initiatives, creativity, self-reliance and responsibility in the community.

The donation will be used to establish a modern apiary unit with modern 60 beehives and train a core contingent of 50 youth in the practice of beekeeping. It intends to introduce modern beekeeping to100 local people(parents/caretakers of the vulnerableyouth)tobeekeepingasameansofprovidingpersonalandcollectiveincomeandreducinglocalpovertywithatargeted80%adoptionrate. Theprojectwillcontributetotheimprovementoflocalhealthstandardsthroughtheuseofbeeproductssuchashoney and propolis.

09 Establishment of Low Cost Green Houses for off-season Vegetable Production

$9,400.00 The goal of the project is to introduce the practice of low cost drip irrigation farming to the rain fed agriculture system in northern Uganda as a vehicle to provide access to low-cost, green house system and as well, opening new income generating avenue. The Amiran Farmer's Kit(AFK) is a complete set of tools for sustainable farming and has proven to be a pro-active route to achieving improved livelihoods and to combat food insecurity in many communities. Bringing a Holistic approach to agribusiness the AFK represents a new dawn in Agriculture. Amiran's approach to successful, sustainable agribusiness rests on 3 pillars: Knowledge, Knowhow, High Quality Inputs.The goal of the project is to show to Ugandans and especially to the youth, that agribusiness offers a respectable,

Sustainable and cool means of wealth creation and can be practiced even by someone with no prior knowledge or experience in the area. The donation will cover the costs of two greenhouses, drip irrigation kit, water tank, seeds, chemicals, ,spray pumps, nursery set, and training.

10 Establishment of Low Cost Green Houses for Fruit seedling Production

$8,234.00 Horticulture plants to the agro-community to get rid of poverty through giving additional income, fuel to the targeted families. As this could not be the major agriculture activities and it is only seasonal. It would enhance the income of the farm, Mango, Guava, Lemon, pawpaw; oranges, etc are the important horticulture fruit yielding plants. As we are promoting farm ponds this would enable the organization to watering the horticulture plants properly. The donation will cover the costs of two greenhouses, drip irrigation kit, water tank, seeds, chemicals, fertilizers, spray pumps, nursery set, and training.

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11 Providing Quick Transport to Vulnerable Student at ARB Vocational School

$40,000.00 This project is proposing to purchase a twenty two (22) seat passenger bus. The proposed new bus will be used to pick students from their homes and deliver them ARB vocational centre and back home, transport them for field visits, as well as pick volunteers from airport. It will also be used for errands and medical visits in the community. Savings in vehicle hire costs will be significant. The van will promote flexibility and visibility in communities and regions.

Donation will be used to procure a brand new bus, supports start-up servicing and mechanical repairs of the vehicle.

12 Establishment of animal traction unit

$3,125.00 The goal of the project is to enable youth know the tasks that can be handled by oxen;Get knowledge on how to select oxen suitable for ploughing; Harnessing of oxen; Demonstrating proper ploughing techniques; Reasons for training oxen; Get tips to follow during and after training oxen; Making assorted yokes; Demonstrating proper plough maintenance and adjustments and Management and health care of oxen.

Donation will be used to purchase two pairs of oxen,ox-ploughs and equipment, veterinary drugs and services, construction of shed using local material, feeding supplement, and training.

13 Establishment of ARB Student Savings and Loan Scheme.

$25,000 The project aims to increase the income of the disadvantaged but hard working youth who have been trained under various agribusiness enterprises at A River Blue Vocational Training Centre. Inorder to work towards this goal, ARB SACCO will provide sustainable financial services based on sound principles to economically active poor youth who are unable to meet their needs at the same time will be strengthening the capacity of the SACCO to reach operational and financial self-sufficiency. Donation will be used to provide revolving micro-loans to trained and enterprising youth, pay staff, as well as meet operational costs.

14 ARB Bakery

$10963.5

A bakery business is being proposed at the community hub site to provide local employment and supply fresh goods to the school, café, restaurants, local schools, supermarkets, hotels and surrounding community. This would provide training and initial employment for 10 youth. The bakery can initially be housed in temporary shaded area.

The donation will be used for the construction of a shaded area and buying equipment to set-up the bakery.

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Phase Two: Constructions of Vocational and Technical Training Centre (VTC) for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

We propose building a boarding school on site. The target number of students is 1,500 in 5 years but we propose doing this is stages to allow for structured growth and sustainability. The initial intake would be 100 (50 boys & 50 girls) in the first year with gradual expansion to minimise problems and allow the students to settle into their routines and new environment. Community youth access to free Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) opportunities, youth enterprise training, workforce skills training, and job placement support, toward community self-sufficiency. This involves completion of a campus facility that will facilitate the reinvigoration of a program and

curriculum that successfully operated from 2008 and 2013 and served approximately 500 youth.

While the construction objective is ambitious, please remember all design is utilitarian in the Ugandan

manner, much labor will be donated by the community, and the project can be built in phases.

ARB has designed this project to enhance the government’s "skilling Uganda program" by organizing

boarding school TVET support; to tackle the underlying factors that affect the education of rural youth,

particularly teenage girls, through effective community empowerment.

The community has donated 20 acres for this purpose, and construction began, but has paused. Our planned activities begin with the completion of this complex: Construction of necessary infrastructures. The Vocational School design is as follows:- 1- Classroom Building, including workshops for various trades.

2- The Administrative Building, including a Board Room for community meetings.

3- Dining Hall and Kitchen.

4- Two Dormitories for 200 girls and 100 boys, with Restrooms and Showers; these Dormitories

connected with Laundry Rooms, Dining Hall, and to after school activity room.

5- A Multipurpose Building for school events and fundraising.

6- The Library Room.

7- Computer room, near with teachers’ lounge and connected with employee Restrooms.

8- The Clinic connected with the library.

9- A playground and a large open sport flied.

10- A large drinking water fountain.

11- A Storage Facility.

12- The Guest House for international visitors, professionals, volunteers and interns, along with a Souvenir

Shop, with rest rooms and shower rooms, and a designated area for washing clothing.

13- Small Security Rooms by each of the four entraces.

14- Flag space area by the Entrance with surrounding a small park seating area and with a beautiful garden

flowers, and plants and trees for shade throughout the Boarding School.

15- Equipping all of the above as needed.

16- All School Buildings, including restrooms, accessible for students with special needs and disabilities.

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The Vocational School must be appropriately equipped and furnished with training materials, teaching materials, etc. Besides normal classroom and dormitory equipment and furniture, each shop will bring specific requirements: sewing machines for tailoring, farm tools for agriculture, etc. Once this infrastructure is complete, ARB will resume full operation of its successful TVET program. These activities will include: • Hiring (rehiring) and training faculty and staff.

• Recruiting a new class of students

• Establishing appropriate business networks for the various trades.

• Dormitories and food services provide a safe and controlled environment, enhancing student

nutrition and health, at least for the period of enrolment.

• Improving the socio-economic outcomes for girls and young women who have dropped out of

school or never attended is of central importance, not only to the beneficiaries themselves but also to the

communities and the next generation. Combining the adolescent girls education with vocational training is

an approach that provides basic education with skill formation in order to qualify girls to join the labour

market.

A. Construction Of A VIP Guesthouse And Community Library & Information Center

The VIP Guesthouse and Community Library & Information Center we intend to construct in Oloo village is a combination of;

1. Income Generation: This guesthouse will primarily help the community to care for their

volunteer experts, giving them guaranteed security and privacy and as well afford us the opportunity to get one step closer to complete independence from the need of outside donations and allow the local community to take care of the needs of the orphans and other vulnerable children without the anxiety of not knowing where the money will come from.

2. Community Library, to benefit pupils, students, teachers and tutors from over 18 schools and

researchers(to benefit over 5000 students a year and to serve generations) 3. Community Hall to serve as a shelter where the parents, community leaders and

school representatives could sit and discuss important issues related to the development of their society, including girl child education, farming, health, parenting, micro-finance. We usually hold meetings under the tree; often disrupted by rain and sunshine. The hall would also serve as a training/workshop, research/survey center.

Most of the schools are made of makeshift structures, they do not have libraries, some schools have just a few reference books, and some do not have at all.

This has led to academic struggles which has led to poor performance; one of the reasons as to why so many girls and boys are dropping out of school.

A report from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) shows that Uganda has the highest school drop-out rate for females in East Africa, staggering at 71%.

"One of the causes of School dropout in Uganda is Lack of sensitization in the community about education and two of the remedies are: 1.Sensitize children about importance of education. 2. Work with parents to keep children in school."

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The Community Library and Information Center we propose is not a new project, it is a campaign under our Schools and Community Sensitization Project whose main objective is to sensitize and create awareness on the values of education in the rural schools and communities.

The Community Library and Information Center would in a year enable over 5000 students and pupils from 18 Primary School surrounding Oloo villages and the vocational farm school to have access/share books, and have access to a descent reading/research environment.

This includes the construction of a mini Community Hall/Common meeting hall where the parents, community leaders and school representatives could sit and discuss important Information and issues for the development of their society, including girl child education. The communities and development workers usually hold meetings under trees to discuss development issues in their areas.

Community members and development workers who come to serve this grassroot communities usually hold meetings under trees, often disrupted by rain and the scourge of sunshine. The proposed centre will serve as a training / workshop, research centre not only for students but also for the local community based organizations and local government leaders. It will primarily help the community to care for their volunteer experts, giving them adequate minimum security and privacy.

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Building item/description

Substructure (foundations, plinth walls, floor, apron) & Superstructure (columns, beams, hollow slab, ring beam)

$39,000.00

Roof $17,500.00

Windows $7,000.00

Electrical and Mechanical Service installation $7,500.00

External & Internal Walls $7,500.00

External Finishes $5,500.00

Doors $5,500.00

Internal Finishes $5,500.00

Double decker metallic beds $9,800.00

Mattresses $7,600.00

Wardrobes $6,600.00

Contingency -5% $5,000.00 TOTAL ESTIMATES $125,000.00

B. Construction of girls and boys dormitories.

Students at ARB Vocational school walk from their homes daily to study. This makes a very vulnerable situation to especially adolescent girls who become a soft target for sex hungry men lining throughout their way while they travel back home in the evening.

A River Blue acquired 25 sets of bunk beds for the female students. As an interim measure to begin operations, some girls coming from very far distance are renting as a temporary dormitory, which currently houses 60 girls. The success of our program has meant that this temporary solution is now overcrowded and some girls do not have beds. “It is now imperative that we build a permanent girls dormitory” There is an urgent need to provide a well-built, safe and secure environment for the girls to call home while at the A River Blue Vocational Centre. This new dormitory would help ensure the girls’ safety and ensure their protection from abuse, exploitation and HIV/AIDS. A River Blue has sourced several contractors and the plans can be seen on page attached.

The dormitory will be built in four sections/blocks, with room for 24 girls (12 sets of bunk beds) in each section. This new facility will allow the school to accommodate 192 girls. There will also be indoor showers and washroom, a room for the matron and a sick room.

Estimated Costs of the proposed Girls’ Dormitory The Board has approved an architectural plan for the dormitory. The total cost for the project is $125,000 and the table below illustrates some of the costs.

Beneficiaries of the Proposed Girls’ Dormitory

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This project falls in line with the World Banks call to invest in girls’ education and will benefit: The girls who are currently commuting from their various homes or are living in rented homes, will

move into a safe, secure and nurturing environment through living in the dormitory and contributing to the life of the school.

The families of these girls will have confidence because they will be given peace of mind and will also benefit from the education and contributions of their young people.

The 192 additional female students will now have access to the Vocational school knowing they will have safe, secure accommodations and will not have to risk potential harm travelling to and from the school each day.

The ARB community. Evidence of community support has been apparent since the official opening of the Vocational school in February 2008. The presence of A River Blue Vocational school staff and students, the courses and agricultural use of the 20-acre property will indirectly affect at least 4000 people. In the longer-term we plan to use the Vocational school facility as a base for community outreach programmes. Therefore, the Vocational school will have a wider, more direct reach in the future through its services and programmes offered to the surrounding community.

Ugandan society benefits from a more highly educated and entrepreneurial society where women play a strong role in the economic, social and moral development of the communities.

There is an urgent need to provide a well-built, safe and secure environment for the girls and boys to call home while at the A River Blue Vocational Centre. This new dormitory would help ensure the student's safety and ensure their protection from abuse, exploitation and HIV/AIDS

Complete project The total amount required for the whole ISHYA complex build and running is US $,1,142,401.67. Once the complex is completed and been running for 18 months, it is expected that the associated businesses should financially support the community projects and fund the boarding vocational school.

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Summary of Budget Estimates for the complete Project

Requested

from

Donors Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

A Personnel Costs 102,600.00 34,200.00 34,200.00 34,200.00

B Fringe Benefits (

Mandatory NSSF & Staff

Leave)

10,260.00 3,420.00 3,420.00 3,420.00

C Other Administration

Support Costs 26,040.00 8,680.00 8,680.00 8,680.00

D Equipment and Materials 108,500.00 36,166.67 36,166.67 36,166.67

E Other Training Costs 99,274.00 33,091.33 33,091.33 33,091.33

F External Contractual

Services 22,500.00 7,500.00 7,500.00 7,500.00

G Infrastructure

Development & Equipment 538,000.00 179,333.33 179,333.33 179,333.33

H Establishment of

Financially Self-Sufficient

Enterprises

125,728.00 41,909.33 41,909.33 41,909.33

I Total Direct Costs 1,032,902.00 344,300.67 344,300.67 344,300.67

K Indirect Costs 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

L Cost Share 109,500.00 36,500.00 36,500.00 36,500.00

TOTAL PROJECT

COST 1,142,401.67 380,800.67 380,800.67 380,800.67

Budget Foot note: Community cost share is valued contributions of land, non-skilled labour & locally available materials.

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PAST EXPERIENCES

PHOTOGRAPH EXPLANATIONS

Solomon is a typical vulnerable child in the community. He is half orphan, living with his mother with seven other siblings. The project has recently selected his elder brother, Walter who dropped out of senior two (S.2) due to lack of tuition, to work at a flour mill so that he can save his income and pay for tuition next year. Solomon and other five siblings are still lining up for possible support from A River Blue, if they are to access education.

120 youth (56 girls & 64 boys) sponsored by Northern Uganda Youth Development Centre (NUYDC) under the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), DFID funding. They were provided six months non-formal vocational skills training in various trades and business development.

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Jackson (not his real name), was a junior rebel commander in the LRA establishment. In 2008, I had a trying moment during an interview with him. I discovered that this person was one of the rebel commanders who raided my home village, abducting several children and causing atrocities on many people. To date, he doesn’t know that some of the children he abducted are and those killed were my close relatives who he was talking about to me. I felt tortured, but I never told him and never will, and not even any one from my family will get to know him. It was very hard for me to concede this, but I feel that this ex- combatant is innocent since he was forced to do that. He was offered free vocational skills training on tailoring and garment cutting, Agriculture and

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psychosocial guidance. Where he made enough money, he went for further training on building construction at another school, where he doubles as a tailor and builder.

Together with its founding partner, Barefoot Workshops, ARB provides free vocational skills training and start-up kits, including sewing machines, agriculture inputs, goats and other tools for the graduates to start their own business to start earning income for themselves and those of their families.

Child mothers were given equal opportunities and encouraged to take the training, while the child is accepted by the school to stay with the mother during school time. Other students were asked to accept and give such a child love and care.

The community has offered 20 acres of land for the construction of a permanent vocational school, farm and community art centre.

One of the pioneer students at A River Blue Vocational School, Akullo Dorcas, now serves as a instructor assistant for tailoring. She benefitted from a tailoring and garment making training for a year in 2008 and she tells of improved self-esteem and improved social position in the family and the community as the most significant the project has provided to her. She was divorced by her husband and abandoned with two children, not until recently that her husband surfaced to claim her re-union due to her rising star in garment making in a local market after establishing a business of her own; “I am more independent, I earn money and can pay the rent of my market stall. Before, I was nobody, now people show me more respect because I have a

skill, I can dress nicely, before I was wearing ragged clothes. I am now invited to community functions.” Says Dorcas.

ARB VTC students training on community animal health care to become Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs). Like Village health team, who serves like Health Centre 1 at every village in Uganda, these teams also provide animal health services at village level.

Students at ARB VTC are facilitated to make family visits to evaluate if their fellows are transferring the skills acquired home. Here one of the students, Daniel who was growing cabbages and other vegetable crops was visited and evaluated one of the best trainees. He now earns his livelihoods in vegetable production and marketing.

Tony was formerly abducted when he was 14 years. He served in the rebel army as child soldier. He was among the very lucky victims to be released alive when he sustained bullet injuries breaking both limbs. After recovery, at a rehabilitation centre, we selected him for training at our vocational school offering short courses in Tailoring and horticulture. Tony is now a multipurpose entrepreneur, who does garment making and running fruit nurseries. He earns favorable income for himself and for his family as well.