Aim of the project
To train local ‘animators’ in the rural districts around Soroti, eastern Uganda, that they might help implement local church-based livelihood and community development projects.

Further details of the project
 Our desire is to help build capacity into the church centred in Soroti to implement their own small-scale local projects. Village meetings held during our 2006 visit identified simple low-cost ways of supporting rural communities, for example through breeding with improved male goats, micro-loans of fertilizer and improved seed, establishment of village co-operatives to sell subsistence surpluses.

But, before seeking to launch into these ventures, the Development Board identified the need for training and equipping ‘animators’ from the local churches to co-ordinate village projects. We want to train 10 animators each in village churches in Kumi, Soroti and Achuna. Once trained, animators need a bicycle in order to deliver their support.

Achievements
 Progress with the project has been encouraging. The Soroti Deliverance Church Development Board has now appointed an implementation manager. During our 2007 visit we undertook project development and governance training. The Board is providing good evidence of successful project planning, management and financial control.

22 animators have now been trained in three districts around the Teso region. Six have been provided with bicycles and the other 16 are currently being purchased.

Trained facilitators at Kanyamutamu village

The first project for which the animators have been used is provision of goats to needy families. 300 goats have now been purchased and distributed to needy families in 10 villages. Objective criteria were established for determining need, with a focus on families affected by losses due to aids, malaria and other diseases.

The animators are the focus of ongoing support and monitoring of the goat project. Improved he-goats have been provided to each village to breed better offspring. Recipients are required to pass their first female kid to another family. To date 21 kids have been passed on in Kumi District, which was first to receive goats.

During the roll out of this project, the Teso region was hit by devastating floods in Autumn 2007 which destroyed crops, caused stored food to rot and damaged homes and roads. The animators have played an important role in helping us get support to families not reached by the major aid agencies. 671 families have been helped with food relief and seed for sowing new crops.

Support projects in Africa rarely go completely to plan, but we have been genuinely encouraged at developments in Soroti and the extent to which the support is helping not just to provide direct benefits to needy families, but also the long-term development of local capacity for practical livelihood and self-help projects.