22^nd March 2019

From: Namirembe Sylvia

Secretary

To: The Director

Malku Institute of Technology

1. O. Box 3940, K’la.

Dear Sir,

RE: REPORT FROM THE TRAINING SESSION OF AFRISA – MAKERERE UNIVERSITY (FROM 7^TH – 21^ST MARCH, 2019)

ACTIVITIES:

1. Introduction & background.
2. Acquiring practical knowledge and skills in the three (3) value chains.
3. Having cross-cutting modules.
4. The official opening of HEEP and commissioning the trainees.
5. Testimonies
6. Challenges and way forward.

INTRODUCTION:

AFRISA (The Africa Institute for Strategic Animal Resource Services and Development) – Makerere University is a partial – independent Institute of Makerere University main campus that offers a new model of the capacity building (SPEDA model) which focus on House Hold Economic Empowerment Project (HEEP) and social transformation.

This project at Kijjuya Campus is supported by Dr. Sharon Brown, a Christian Missionary with a vision of developing the next generation of Agricultural entrepreneurs in Africa. She initiated MALKU Institute of Technology centered in the U.S.A. In Uganda MALKU Institute of Technology Campus is located at Kijjuya Village, Budibaga Parish, Kalonga Sub – County, Buwekula Constituency, Mubende District.

Dr. Sharon Brown patterned with AFRISA – Makerere University to train 133 trainees in HEEP to eradicate poverty and its consequences.

Dr. Sharon advised all trainees to work hard and ensure that at the end of the two (2) weeks training they can implement what they learn because it is not by mistake for them to be in the training but it’s by God’s Grace. Trainees should not listen to anyone who say that farming is not professional because the country depends on Agriculture.

Dr. Sharon’s background:

She was born in Jamaica deep in the village more similar to Kijjuya in Uganda. She knows the importance of Godly teachers and acquired education to the maximum level. She is a member of the Missionary Samaritan group which used to travel to different regions in Uganda like Gulu, Lira and others every after a year to help people.

The group had a dream of doing something big to help the people of Africa. They patterned with Gospel Messengers Church of Holiness and Righteousness, where she landed on Pr. Moses Mbuga Ssemanda who begun to look for land where MALKU is located now in Uganda.

Her team spent 6 (six) years looking for people to help them realize their dream and later landed on AFRISA – Makerere University.

ACHIEVEMENTS:

The training started on 7^th March 2019 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm daily and it is ending on 21^st March 2019. Dr. Kansiime Michael introduced Dr. Lubega David as the chief Instructor and headmaster of MALKU Institute of Technology. Each class selected class representatives and the entire student's body voted the guild council committee for the Campus.

Every student received a confirmation letter for AFRISA – Makerere University registration, tag, uniform and scholastic materials including pens and notebooks.

1. Acquiring knowledge and skills in the three (3) value chains:

Three classes were formed including the Apiary value chain class with 34 students, Poultry value chain class with 41 students and Piggery value chain class with 58 students.

• Students actively participated in their respective value chains and hands-on practical in the gardens where students learned to build houses, the best breeds suitable for market, mixing feeds for pigs, poultry and the different beehives like the modernized KTB (Kenyan Top Bar) beehive and local hives, and the management skill for every value chain. This was all done using locally made materials which everyone can get easily.
• Diana Atwiine – the permanent secretary for Health was trained by AFRISA some time back, she donated 8 pigs to the piggery class which costed 4,000,000/= (four million shillings).
• Students learnt how to add value to the products from different value chains like making candles, Vaseline, manure and many others.

2. Having cross-cutting modules:

All the three (3) value chain classes were combined as one class, for the following lessons;

1. Crop integration and fruits like mangoes, tomatoes, cabbage, pepper, coffee growing, maize growing, banana plantations and others.
2. Students also acquired skills of making compost manure, organic fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, nursery beds and urban farming in sacks/ tins.

• Students learned the household and community skills (Sociology), household hygiene and good health practices.

1. Trainees learned financial management skills like saving, business plans, making an operational plan, doing cash book analysis, budget making, cost – profit and loss concepts and work plans.
2. Students also learned value creation on products, branding for the competitive market, packing of products and customer care in business.

3. The official opening of HEEP and Commissioning of Trainees:

This occasion took place on 20^th March 2019 at the site. The Guest of Honour was Hon. Elioda Kibuuka - Minister of Science Technology and Innovation. We had the State Minister of Kampala & Women M. P Mubende District Hon. Benny Bugembe Namugwanya, the production officer Mubende, Agricultural officer, Veterinary officer, G.I.S.O, D.P.C Mubende C.P.S, Chairman Kalonga Sub-county, Chairman L.C 5, Chairman L. C 3, L.C 2, L.C 1, their committee members and other political leaders.

We also had Makerere University delegates, MALKU staff, Trainees and the general public. This totaled to about 750 people who attended this event.

It all begun with Anthems of Uganda, Buganda, East Africa, and Makerere University anthem and a prayer.

1. Communication from the Chairman L.C 1 Kijjuya Village:

• He thanked Pr. Moses for the good relationship he has with everyone and mostly the love and respect he stretches to everyone regardless of age. On behalf of the congregation, he thanked Dr. Sharon Brown and Pr. Moses for choosing Kijjuya among other places.
• He addressed the challenges they have for political leaders to think about them during the parliamentary seating for development, especially electricity, clean water, and road infrastructure.

1. Communication from the Chief Instructor/ headmaster:

• He thanked Pr. Moses and his friend Dr. Sharon Brown for the love they have for Kijjuya people and Mubende communities at large. Farmers are trained for HEEP and 133 trainees acquired the knowledge and skills to increase their household income to eradicate poverty.
• The AFRISA – Makerere University extends the training services down to communities by transferring knowledge and skills in livestock and crop production as well as cross-cutting modules like; business concepts, community health, rural sociology, integrated livestock production and business.
• The training was scheduled for 2 weeks in the above-mentioned value chain specifics to transform Household income and ensure that each family member is involved in the business.
• All this begun with several meetings we had with local leaders and opinion leaders at Kalonga Sub-county who mobilized potential trainees. He appreciated leaders for the great work they did.
• The Motto for AFRISA – Makerere University is Healthier and Wealthier communities in Africa.
• After the training period, all trainees will be given a grace period of 1 ½ (one and half) months to implement what they learned. AFRISA will come back and visit every trainee in what is called the Nurturing phase which will take 7 – 9 months to assess their enterprises and those who will score the required marks will be liable to graduation and receive their certificates of awards. Each student will intern train 10 people HEEP basing their respective value chains. Every train was equipped with the weapon to exterminate poverty.

• Communication from Pr. Moses Mbuga Ssemanda:
• He thanked the chairman L.C 1 and his committee for attending regular meetings in preparation for the training. He thanked every department including the police and counselors for the good relationship and hard work they had with MALKU and the entire staff for MALKU Institute of Technology.
• He thanked Dr. Kansiime Michael and his team from AFRISA – Makerere University for the great services they have offered.
• In a special way, he thanked Dr. Sharon Brown who is the dream bearer of extending such services to our people and funding everything because all trainees were trained at zero cost because the funds were paid by the dream bearer. Students were given lunch daily and everything was cleared.
• He advised trainees to value the money invested in them to have this training to ensure that they implement what they learned.
• He then welcomed the president of MALKU Institute of Technology Dr. Sharon Brown whose headquarter is in U.S.A with a branch in Ghana and another branch in Uganda at Kijjuya Village.

1. Communication from Dr. Sharon Brown:

• She thanked the government of Uganda for accepting to partner with MALKU.
• MALKU is working hard to establish a world-class institute, the first class facility with demonstration farms and laboratories to bring people from all over the world to accommodate them and support them in different enterprise training.
• She thanked Makerere University College of Veterinary Medicine and in particular Prof. John David Kabasa for providing mentorship for us.
• In a special way, she thanked Dr. Kansiime Michael and his staff of AFRISA – Makerere University for displaying a standard of excellence and professionalism which is exceptional.
• She heard about Dr. Kansiime in a conference she had in Ghana, a friend of her said that Prof. Kansiime Michael is a great man who can make chicken do things and they couldn’t rest until they contacted him. She thanked him for having the heart for all people and working hard to ensure transformation, as well as accepting to sleep in tents.
• She appreciated her brother Pr. Moses for having a heart for all people and thanked the people of Gospel Messengers church of Holiness and Righteousness, who pray for her whenever she gets challenges. She began coming to Uganda in 2002 on short term mission trips to transform Africa but it couldn’t last long that’s why they decided to make a commitment and do something big to last long.
• She thanked students for their participation and commitment to the training. Many people were discouraged because they didn’t know its impact. Their faithfulness, resilience and hard work will bear fruits.
• MALKU’s vision is to empower Africa’s generation to be independent.
• The great transformation in Kijjuya a small village energized her to advertise and work hard to mobilize funds to ensure that at least every 2 weeks AFRISA – Makerere University train people and they go back. She was so happy for what God is doing.
• This is a sustainable project and her prayer is that if HEEP is implemented all over the rural communities of Uganda and Africa at large, we shall end the level of youth unemployment and ensure food security. Africa will be feeding other nations worldwide.
• She finally thanked all partners and those who made the day possible, the seed they sow is palatable and the fruits will remain for Africa to feed the world.

1. Kansiime’s communication:

He was very grateful and feels so powerful while at Kijjuya Campus.

• His prayer request is to see the gap between the development/ private sector and the civil service or public sector bridged because there is intense pressure to resist development. This will enable transformation to take place in Uganda.
• MALKU would have sponsored extra 200 students but money was spent on clearing the road yet graders are packed at the district instead of working on roads.
• If the private sector works together with the public sector, the sky is the limit for development in our country at large.
• AFRISA – Makerere University came to Kijjuya to sensitize people on what they do to transform people. Uganda has very many Universities of over 32, a lot of research is done in Universities but the missing gap is to translate the knowledge to households.
• He thanked the Ministry of Science and Technology and his staff of AFRISA – Makerere University for transforming the communities.
• The training wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t Hon. Minister Elioda Kibuuka through the National Council of Science and Technology which provided the necessary resources AFRISA needed like the tents to accommodate the lecturers during the training session, tents for students to have classes, comfortable vehicles to ease their transport, chairs among other things. They used to study under trees, staff could sleep in one tent yet married people, students could sit on ground, among other challenges they had.
• He thanked Dr. Sharon Brown for trusting AFRISA and willing to travel extra mile with MALKU.
• The entire training phase will end in December 2019 and early January 2020 we shall have graduation.
• He requested the ministers present to begin lobbying the head of the state himself to come on the graduation day because he loves community transformation. We hope to have 1,430 students with their enterprises.

1. Kabasa’s Communication:

• He thanked everyone who has enabled this training to run effectively.
• AFRISA spent over 10 years thinking of how communities will be transformed. They came up with a Formulae which was blessed by His Excellence the president of Uganda from 2007 when he wrote to all ministers and instructed them to work with Makerere University to enable the formulae to work out.
• They have so far visited several communities like Kisoro, Bulamburi, Ntungamo, Atyaka, Rushere, Karamburi, Sheema and others to make research of the Formulae and realized that it works.
• They no longer want to hear that farmers are not professionals because the nation depends on Agriculture. Farming is turned into a business and farmers are seen as smart business people after acquiring the knowledge and skills.
• The Minister of Science and Technology worked so hard to enable the Formulae workout.
• AFRISA wants to see a home as a business unit, wants to see professional farmers, develop Sacco’s for farmers to work together and sell things together. This will enable development in the country.
• AFRISA is ever ready waiting to be deployed to extend the training services to the model to fight poverty.
• The tool is not limited to one sector. The model will be taken to the Ministry of Education & Sports as it is in the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation, but the innovation needs to provide modern materials like the modernized beehives (KTB) and other items.
• They had challenges of strong winds and pythons, black mambas and others which could move at night and affect them.
• The AFRISA team is ready to sacrifice and go to villages to empower transformation.
• He finally thanked the partner Dr. Sharon Brown for supporting this training.

• Communication from the local council:
• They thanked MALKU directors and staff and AFRISA team for the transformation and initiative they have brought in Kitenga Sub-county, Mubende District.
• In case of any opportunity for wealth creation items to be distributed, the trained people from MALKU – AFRISA Makerere University will be given the first priority because they have acquired knowledge and skills.
• The Rural Electrification Agency will extend electricity in Kijjuya and it’s no longer a challenge.

• Communication from the State Minister of Kampala & Women M. P Mubende District:
• She informed Prof. Kansiime that he has a wonderful training team from AFRISA – Makerere University which is down to earth. She was also energized to see fellow Makerere University students.
• Students have a debt to implement what they learned and they have a task of teaching more 10 people each.
• President Museveni loves such projects and he sent all ministers to make agriculture a business. The vision is very crucial and the government is behind it.
• The project of electricity is handled by Dr. Gamba to ensure that power reach Kijjuya village.
• She advised trainees to start with what they have however small it is, so that they don’t wait for the government to give them. Trainees should as well have Sacco’s operating to ease any assistance from the government.
• She supported the Sacco of MALKU students with one million shillings (1,000,000/=) for trainees to save and get loans in their Sacco for development.
• She is ready together with the government of Uganda to support Dr. Sharon Brown and MALKU at large to realize their dream.
• She requested Hon. Elioda to start lobbying the government of Uganda to make Mubende a Model District.
• She is ready to support trainees and will come back in June to check on the enterprises and ensure that her money multiplies.

1. Communication from the Guest of Honor:

• The noble cause that brought Dr. Sharon Brown from her comfort zone in the U.S.A and Pr. Moses from Kampala has enabled us to be on the event and the AFRISA – Makerere University team is to achieve the desired state and see that people are happy. People are happy when they can have basic needs.
• There is nothing as good as finding people who can support themselves without begging like meeting hospital bills, etc. The government has the role of giving the public goods to support people to have good standards of living.
• 68% of homes in Uganda are just living without receiving or having money. The role of the Science and Technology Ministry is to find ways of reducing peoples challenges.
• He came with the staff who work in the Ministry department including the Commissioner Madam Jennifer Muwuliza responsible for planning and budgeting, the Permanent Secretary, the Innovations and Intellectual property management who approved the SPEDA model, the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology Mr. Ssempiri Geofrey who support the innovations and then Mr. Wilfred in Mubende District.
• He thanked the president of Uganda for supporting the Ministry of Science and Technology. He supports scientists, promote science and technology. He supported the presidential initiative for Science and Technology who released money that supported Prof. Kabasa and his team.
• The Ministry of Education through the first lady Janet Kataha Museveni decided to consider SPEDA model first in innovation.
• The model for AFRISA is to train people to be job creators but not seekers and providers not beggars.
• He thanked Dr. Sharon Brown and Pr. Moses and their team for helping the government of Uganda to have a transformation.
• The government for very many years was battling to get someone who can train people in modern farming, it landed on AFRISA with the greatest model of reaching villages to train the households to become production units and train them in value addition and above all get certificates which can help them to upgrade when they want.
• The government has duties to commercialize and bring to scale innovations for Uganda’s transformation.
• He thanked Prof. Kabasa the chief director of AFRISA – Makerere University for that model. They will support AFRISA with resources in the financial year 2019 – 2020 to go to other places for the training.
• The government of Uganda wanted to begin this training at Parish level but Kijjuya is so blessed to have the training at Village level.
• It’s a sure deal that when people get such training, they cannot waste their time on unproductive issues but instead work hard to improve their standards of living.
• The government set up Micro-Finance Support Centres to help farmers with loans for development, especially the trained farmers.
• He implored his Ministry to consider and establish a M.O.U (Memorandum of Understanding) with MALKU to work together with them because the dream is big to ensure transformation in Africa.   

He officially Launched the HEEP project on behalf of the government of Uganda in collaboration with AFRISA – Makerere University and MALKU Institute of Technology under the framework of Scaling out SPEDA project in Kijjuya Village, Mubende District.

The occasion was closed with Uganda Anthem and then photos.

TESTIMONIES:

Mr. Moses Mutabaazi was a student of AFRISA – Makerere University at Ntungamo District in 2015, he succeeded and graduated; he merged the best student and now he works with AFRISA to teach people in banana plantations and coffee growing among other areas. He appreciated AFRISA for the good work they did for him. He is now the manager of Rwanda’s first lady’s farms and he has 18 personal enterprises and 145 workers on farms.

CHALLENGES:

• There a wide gap between private sectors and public sectors.
• Lack of clean water for the community.
• Rural Electrification is a challenge.
• Construction of roads is still a challenge.

WAY FORWARD:

• We appeal to the government of Uganda to bridge the gap between the private sector and the public sector. If we work together, the sky is the limit for development.
• The local council together with the ministers in Mubende district pledged to extend electricity to Kijjuya Village, clean water and constructing good roads.
• Working together as a team and developing cooperatives which have systems of operation.
• Farmers/ trainees should be organized with business plans, have vision, mission and budget for everything for proper accountability and have financial discipline.
• Farmers should be faithful servants of God to open up big doors for development. God will provide finances to farmers who are faithful and committed to go ahead.
• Every trainee should have something done however small it is to start their enterprise, God will multiply them. They should not depend on others to survive but instead use what they have to start.
• Trainees should engage themselves in production to realize what others don’t see and begin to see money everywhere.

Compiled by:

____________________

Namirembe Sylvia

Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Sharon Brown

President

(305)336-6466

sgppersonnel@gmail.com

www.sonshineglobalpartners.com

South Florida Nonprofit Seeks to Teach 100 Young Ugandan Orphans and Widows to Succeed as Entrepreneurs

Sharon Brown, the founder and president of Son Shine Global Partners, is pictured in Uganda with Dr. Kansiime Michael, head of AFRISA Secretariat at Makerere University, after signing a memorandum of understanding.

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

This quote greatly parallels Son Shine Global Partners’ (SGP) goal to train 100 impoverished young people in Uganda to obtain entrepreneurial success in farming in 2019, making a lifelong impact.

Ranging from ages 18-25, the group of young orphans and widows will be offered courses to assist them in obtaining food security and succeeding as farmers.

“We’re going to train them on how to make a living,” Sharon Brown, founder and president of Son Shine Global Partners, said. “They’re going to learn to raise animals and make a good enough living to raise themselves out of poverty.”

After more than a decade of assisting young people in Africa by giving food, clothes, counseling and livestock, SGP desired to help the selected group in a more sustainable way through training them in agricultural business.

Each young adult in the selected group has sadly lost loved ones due to terrorist attacks of the Lord’s Resistance Army, an African rebel group that has terrorized parts of Central Africa for the past 30 years.

“They’re the most vulnerable people because they don’t have any outside support,” Brown said.

Through SGP’s partnership with the Malku Institute of Technology and Makerere University Africa Institute for Strategic Services and Development (AFRISA), the 100 selected young adults will be trained in every area needed to successfully farm and raise animals.

The young farmers will receive two weeks of intensive residential training, followed by several training visits over the next twelve months.

“It’s just remarkable how little effort on our part it takes to transform the lives of a young person in Uganda,” Brown said. “When we volunteer whether it is to provide education, medical assistance or psychological counseling, the impact on their lives last a lifetime.”

Son Shine Global Partners is seeking to partner with individuals and companies that are interested in helping these young Ugandan people during their time of need. If interested in donating or volunteering, visit www.SonShineGlobalpartners.com. The budget for this program is $65,000. Donations can also be made through GoFundMe at www.gofundme.com/sonshineglobalpartners.

About Son Shine Global Partners (SGP)

Son Shine Global Partners is a South Florida-based Non-Profit Corporation that supports education, relief and development in its work with communities in Africa. SGP serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, please visit www.SonShineGlobalPartners.com.

Media Contact:

Malika A. Harvey

Malika@globalpresence.org

(305) 501-4280 Ext. 17

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