The Problem
The Buzaniro Dream Village seeks to break the cycle of poverty to renew hope and vitality in a poor rural village in Southwestern Uganda. In Buzaniro, residents walk about 4 ½ hours each day up and down steep hills to fetch one jerry can of water. Often the water is dirty and causes illness. Families lack knowledge about the foods necessary to ensure good nutrition for their children. Most people eat green vegetables and fruit only once a week and meat only once or twice a year on special days like Easter and Christmas. In addition, families do not know the importance of hand washing. For all these reasons, many children suffer from malnutrition and their brains do not get the nutrients they need for proper cognitive development. School attendance is inconsistent because of the time it takes to fetch water, frequent illness and lack of funds for school uniforms and books. Families struggle to survive and hope is stripped away from them.
Our Plan
The Dream Village involves simple, local solutions that are transforming the Village of Buzaniro. Roots and Shoots leaders and co-founders of Go Organic Africa, Alphonse Twinamatsike and Alex Atuheire have developed a holistic program to renew hope and vitality that includes: 1) Water harvesting, 2) Nutritional Gardens, 3) Rabbit Breeding and 4) Savings Groups. In fall of 2021, Go Organic Africa partnered with the Buzaniro community to build water harvesting tanks that catch rain water from the roof of a home and store it in a large underground tank. A biosand filter then cleans the water so it is fresh to drink without boiling, avoiding cutting down trees for firewood. Next Go Organic Africa taught the community the importance of a balanced diet, including plenty of green vegetables, fruit and protein. The families were taught how to grow simple nutritional gardens with high nutrient vegetables, like spinach and kale, without using harmful pesticides. They also planted 10 seedling fruit trees at each beneficiary’s home. The families then learned how to breed rabbits. Rabbits, once a part of the indigenous diet, are an easy and inexpensive way to add much needed protein. One rabbit is a perfect meal for a family of eight. The rabbits proliferate quickly, eat weeds, require little space and do not get sick easily. In fall of 2023, each beneficiary family was given a starter set of 2 female and one male rabbit. Throughout the project, the families worked in teams to implement the program and created Savings Groups based on this team structure. Families contribute a small amount of savings each month to the community fund and borrow funds to purchase items that enhance their income generating potential, like improved seeds, farming tools and livestock. Youth are critical to the success of the program, taking a lead role in caring for the nutritional gardens and rabbits. Already health and personal hygiene are improving, school attendance is increasing, homes are being repaired, and spirits have been lifted. And we are only just beginning to see the transformation!
