The people of Namutamba can be rightly taken to be living in poverty circumstances. Many youth and professionals from the area have left for economic opportunities elsewhere, however, a few things can be done to empower the people of Namutamba, so that they get to boom. For a person with reasonable money to invest, Namutamba is prime and just waiting for the opportunity. The road infrastructure is a problem; hopefully, the local authorities (Mityana District Council) will rectify this soon. A two day visit made to Namutamba on fact finding clearly brought out the picture that the people of Namutamba are longing for a big push to see them enjoy better living standards; they desperately need services of professionals for such advice to see them out of the unfortunate circumstances many are in, more so, having to go to Mityana for what would be readily available in the place. If the roads are made passable, some of the strategies below when undertaken, slowly but steadily get the Glory of Namutamba may be a reality. These among others are:
1)Appeal to all the members of Namutamba Community to make some sacrifice so as to contribute in one way or the other to:
I.Community initiatives by supplying labour to projects to be started
II.Contribute financially or physical resources/inputs into the undertakings to be initiated
2)Identifying donors; local and international to help the planned projects get started and move to achieve the objectives.
3)The need to avail credit facilities to the locals after educating the prospect beneficiaries on how to handle credit and manage savings to enhance investment for the realizable multiplier effects to see to expanded production hence individual and community welfare.
4)Getting our local governance priorities (as Namutamba Community) to Mityana District Council for consideration in their 2011/2012 budget and thereafter
5)Training the locals in agricultural practices with the use of land both at the Demonstration School and at the College for the purpose.
6)Training locals in skills to boost their business undertakings
7)Opening a Mobile Money Centre where the locals can send and receive money from
8)Having a strategy to see Petrol, Diesel and Paraffin locally available for the benefit of those with vehicles and lamps. Currently the fuel has to be got from Mityana 12 miles away!
9)There is need to have a relatively big shop to provide for both wholesale buyers and retailers so that people can get a cross section of what they need instead of having to go and shop from Mityana
10)The need to boost Sports by working on the sports fields and getting sports equipment.
11) There is need to have Internet connection more so a service that can be paid for say at the College or such other location deemed convenient
12) The starting of a Nursery with grafted seedlings which the locals can buy or even get free of charge to boost local production.
13) A number of people grow Maize meaning that there is need to have a value adding mechanism so that they are able to sell flour instead of maize beans.
14) There is good amount of milk that can be collected from Namutamba area. These farmers need a dairy facility where they can sell their milk at good value and hence get less involved in time wasting marketing logistics
15) Water harvesting should be done by a number of households as well as irrigation of crops throughout the year.
16) There is need to get a good capacity Animal Feeds Mixing area where the locals can get these reliable feeds for domestic animals including chicken.
17) Need to readily provide advisory services to the farmers this could easily take off at the College but using facilities both at the Demonstration School and the College for demonstration.
18) Identify areas where the Namutamba Health Centre may need assistance so that it can take on greater treatment challenges so that the people don’t need to go to Mityana for many ailments whose equipment and manpower can be availed at the centre.
19) Namutamba Community can get involved with packing Moringa Tea, what this means is that one gets Moringa leaves dried under circumstances where these leaves don’t get directly in touch with sunlight. When dry, they are milled to get powder from them. This powder can be mixed with Tea Leaves in such proportion where the one taking Tea ends up having Tea leaves ‘fortified’ with Moringa Leaf powder. The powder is very rich in vitamin A and can be widely used. Moringa oliefera can grow at Namutamba and the seeds can be source of the best cooking oil if there is capacity to extract the oil.
20) The fight of environment degradation can be done by undertaking grafting of fruit trees which may be availed to the local people for three purposes:
I.To positively support the planting of trees as a positive strategy in fighting desertification
II.To avail households with a source of sure income when fruits are harvested
III.To help households diversify the source of what is available for consumption by the households for better nutrition.
21) The need to help the locals with organized marketing means which means the evolution of a collection centre from where the goods may be got to be taken to a bigger market say to Mityana.
CLARIFICATION
I know out there members of Namutamba Community Development Initiative (NACODI) may be wondering in what capacity I am working. The clarification is that Donald Sewanonda approached me to help with professional advice on how NACODI can go about meet its dream as well as help with writing proposals. I have been getting acquainted with what NACODI is as an independent consultant. What I am advancing are ideas that NACODI or any other organization, individual or donor can take interest in to enhance the betterment of Namutamba Community. I as of now wait to have an audience with the executive of NACODI to make some discussions about the organization and may be the wayforward. I will however remain a consultant operating under Ultra Simplex Enterprise (USE) so that I remain independent to do what I think is good to enhance the former glory of Namutamba and at the same time be able to give binding professional advice as need arises. It now gets clear that communication to Mr. Nagenda was done in my capacity as a consultant who thinks that Nagenda is well placed to help Namutamba Community given his political office and other contacts.
Thank you.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
Director,
Ultra Simplex Enterprises,
O.B of Namutamba Demonstration School, and
Editor,
The Glory of Namutamba Blog which is a click away at:
http://www.thegloryofnamutamba.blogspot.com
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