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May 28, 2007
Poultry Project Workshop
Shamim shines at the poultry project workshop.
After travelling on rough Ugandan roads from remote distances, the participants were mobilized and the workshop finally took place. And it was a success.
Sara Khanakwa, TASO Projects Officer, invited Dr. Wonekha N. Deogracious of FARMAfrica to facilitate the workshop, and he was fantastic, empowering participants with knowledge and confidence to continue a successful poultry project.
To begin, Wonekha insisted on hearing from the participants, wanting to discover what they learned at the workshop last summer. The participants also shared their challenges and successes as Wonekha and Charity took notes.
After hearing from the participants, Wonekha began his lesson...everyone was engaged, except the little ones. About 10 of the younger children drew pictures of buses, the sun, flowers, and the Uganda flag on large pieces of newsprint taped to the floor.
Colin chats with Dr. Wonekha about poultry project management.
Wonekha emphasized the importance of participant ownership over the project. He said that too often participants in projects like this fail to fully invest in the project, because they believe the project belongs to the donor or organization. He implored them to take responsibility for the project, reinforcing that this is their business- their livelihood.
The focus this year was a continued effort "to keep the birds alive." Wonekha said marketing strategies are useless if the chickens are dead. He showed participants, in immaculate detail, how to feed and house chickens to ensure success. He spoke about the importance of many aspects of the birds health. Nearly half of the birds were lost last year; Wonekha said this would not happen again.
"These are hard-working people," Wonekha said. "They just need to be given a chance."
Wonekha has agreed to conduct the follow-up visits to each family and to hold three more workshops. He said that while hosting workshops is positive, the real learning and progress takes place at the farm. Wonekha said he is committed to visiting participants throughout the coming year to evaluate poultry management practices and offer technical assistance -- something that was not available for participants last year.
Michael Wanabwa takes notes; last year he was so ill he could hardly sit up or speak.
So, while the sweet babies colored, the older children and guardians focused their eyes and full attention on Dr. Wonekha. Michael Wanabwa's pen never left his hand; last year he could barely eat or speak he was so weak from TB. Emmanuel (called Emma) took breaks from note-taking to draw elaborate depictions of Ugandan public transport, the matatoo. John Natule also relaxed with some drawing and coloring, but took notes most of the time. Jude Engole, Ben Okedi, Peter Okevi, Jacqueline, and Hanania impressed the TASO counselors and Dr. Wonekha with their maturity and discipline...they took notes too. And Charles came to the workshop. We missed him last year, so we were so excited to see him walk through the door. He too absorbed every word Dr. Wonekha spoke, while James sat quietly in the chair in front of him. James didn't want to color. He was sick. Charles said he'd bring him to TASO this week. Sweet James...
Shamim glowed, as always. She wore some of the clothes my sister, Theresa, gave to her. She looked so cute, and she knew it. Towards the end of the day, Yekosophat asked to sing a song for Colin. She was visibly annoyed as she watched another child take her spotlight. As soon as Yekosophat finished singing, she stood up for her stage time. She sang the same song. Aha. The song: We are the Pillars of Tomorrow.
Margaret ended the workshop with a brief presentation on nutrition, one that my sister Emily (the nutritionist) would have approved. She spoke about the importance of eating proteins, carbohydrates, and fruits and vegetables; drinking water; and mixing things up. It was cool.
Margaret talks about the importance of eating a balance diet, especially while taking ARVs.
This year, we will give each of the families money to purchase 3 hens from their village. Dr. Wonekha will assist each family with their purchase to ensure that healthy chickens are bought. The families that lost their exotic breed cock will get a replacement. In the next two weeks, we will draw up a contract with Dr. Wonekha and a memorandum of understanding with TASO for the future of the poultry project.
Yekosophat sings "Pillars of Tomorrow" for Colin.
Posted by kmf23 at May 28, 2007 10:39 AM
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Comments
Thank you for updating this blog. The rest of us are better for reading it. Those beautiful photos and words bring with them benevolence and inspire greatness. And that trickle-down effect is powerful: you touch more people than you could ever know.
Posted by: Meghan at May 30, 2007 05:16 AM
Kelly and Colin, keep up the good work. You guys are special!
Posted by: Dave Pavlick at May 29, 2007 02:53 PM
Sounds like you had a very productive day. The video was great, you can see Shamim in the background eyeing Yekosophat. It's good to see they're getting some nutrition education!! I wish you would respond to my email...
Posted by: emily at May 28, 2007 06:22 PM