Langeti integrated initiative
Langeti is a global approach, a response to the challenges that Cooperative Growth – Uganda and its partners have identified in Moyo District, in the West Nile region of Uganda. Its name is inspired, in fact, by a very common institution among the peoples of Africa: The place of the bonfire. Traditionally, the flame was lit at sunset, but due to the impact of colonization and capitalism, many communities have lost it. According to our analysis of the situation, this was the most important institution among the Ma’di, who gathered the family around the bonfire to share anything we can imagine in relation to human life. It was the place where tales and fables were told, lessons were given, conflicts were discussed and resolved, punishments were established when necessary and, above all, food was shared. Each household brought a plate to the Langeti and everyone shared it until it was exhausted. Then, another dish was shared with the same idea.
Based on the characteristics of this ancient institution, we have identified three fundamental values that should have been part of natural communities, or at least would fit very well into their idiosyncrasy:
Synergy: It is a way of understanding nature, not only human, through which our existence is a permanent interaction with the environment, in co-implication, joining forces in the same direction.
Integration: This value tells us that no one is left behind or nothing is left out of the middle. Talks about a deep sense of belonging and identity. In a community, no one is expendable, so relationships between members have to be developed.
Empowerment: When everything is shared, knowledge is always transmitted from those who have it to those who have not yet acquired it. There is no possession of knowledge, there is only sharing, making the whole community stronger.
To be able to reinforce these values in the communities that Cooperative Growth – Uganda works with, Langeti has to be shaped by a series of actions that lead in that direction. For this reason, three sub-projects are being developed in Moyo.
An initiative that began in 2014, giving support to the pre-existing Moyo Boys Brass Band, although our paths soon parted ways and Vura became an independent project. It can be described in a basic way as a music school adapted to the ways of doing Moyo. It is the long reflection carried out over several years within it that led Cooperative Growth – Uganda to adopt the three values already formulated. Those values are specifically tailored when applied to the Vura Music Project as follows:
Synergy: As described above, it is the interactions and being a part of them that most define nature. Within the music school, especially when the Maduga Band is performing or rehearsing, all the participants must work together if they want to obtain good musical results. It’s a long process of learning to listen and be heard, knowing when to be noticeable and when to fade into the background, working in harmony.
Integration: The focus at Vura Music Project is on gender integration. Girls and boys work together since childhood, under the synergistic prism. This vision will help them learn to respect each other and themselves, share responsibilities and build things together.
Empowerment: Through this musical program, girls and boys will be able to acquire practical and theoretical knowledge that is highly unlikely to be acquired anywhere else in the entire West Nile region. The Maduga Band, part of the project, also gives participants the opportunity to generate a small income.
A project for boys and girls with special needs, unique in the entire Moyo District. Launched in October 2021, this project also embraces and adapts Langeti’s three main values:
Synergy: The families that come to our facilities participate in our activities, joining efforts and creating internal bonds in their families, from one town to another, uniting different families.
Integration: Just as the music project insists on gender integration, Manuela’s various activities will help to integrate people with special needs into their communities.
Empowerment: This project works with people who have more complicated challenges than most of society. Not only will they learn essential techniques in different areas, but a cognitive and psychomotor foundation will be established that will make the process possible.
In order for the main values to have a real impact, the Manuela Project works in two ways:
Therapy: For the little ones, from newborns to 12 years old, the project offers physiotherapy and occupational therapy services to improve their cognitive and psychomotor capacity. This therapy is offered at the Bilinyo Cultural Center and, although we also offer transportation to our facilities, home visits are also made for those families with greater mobility difficulties.
Occupational therapy workshops: For the rest, between 13 and 18 years of age, we use different workshops to provide them with specific skills and also to allow these girls and boys to integrate into their families, communities and society in their whole. For the work to be more effective, once a week the fathers and mothers also come and participate in the workshops. These are the areas in which they work:
Music: Some of the recipients join the Vura Music Project classes.
Agriculture: We have a small vegetable garden, in which children with special needs work under the supervision of project specialists and with the advice of professional farmers from the third project (Ruddu Hwe).
Craft workshop: With a specialist teacher, they learn to make different manufacturing products that will later be put on sale.
It is a project that already has a lot of charisma, to the point that, a few days after its start-up, the Moyo District authorities already sent the boys and girls they identified to our facilities.
An agro-forestry based project with the aim of protecting and improving the environment. It was launched with an agricultural project to increase the organic production of vegetables and fruits in the District of Moyo. As a consequence of this main objective, other objectives are set in the development of the project: Reduction of the carbon footprint (trucks come every week from the southern regions of the country to supply local markets, located more than 400km away) , improvement of food security (no longer dependent on food produced in these distant regions) and improvement of the local economy (trucks that arrive with vegetables leave with the little money of the people of Moyo). As always, the same values apply in this section of Langeti, applied with the following strategies:
Create an agrarian school: A space that has a warehouse on land purchased from Ruddu Hwe. An agricultural model is established on this farm that will be exemplary for the beneficiaries. They will have the opportunity to learn about each step from planting to harvest, including different styles and ideas.
Identification of suitable farmers: It is essential to be able to choose the people who have the right attitude, more important than having a lot of knowledge, so that the project not only has a positive impact on them, but that they can later extend the impact of the project to other farmers. The project is launched with a total of 50 farmers, so that it is easy to manage and it is possible to implement the best practices. The selection is made under criteria established within the project itself, with the workers.
Identification of model farmers: Among the people who adequately respond to the selection criteria and continuous monitoring, it will be possible to identify those who work with the best standards. Thus, not only will we have our agricultural school as an example, but we can lead the community to see the example of their own neighbours, so that they can inspire other farmers to adopt the project’s methods, whether they are beneficiaries or not.
Creation of a cooperative society: Through this cooperative, it seeks to centralize production and marketing under a single common strategy. Under Ruddu Hwe, networking and common projects are promoted, in order to facilitate the release of the product to the market, ensuring the greatest options to generate the greatest income for producers. If the project is successful, the cooperative society would become self-sufficient within three to four years.
This would be the adaptation of the three main values:
Synergy: The whole project is from the people of Moyo to the people of Moyo, a common effort to ensure sufficient food reserves. The work of each farmer will be destined to support the entire community.
Integration: A network of farmers is set, creating a connection between different communities in Moyo.
Empowerment: The project work team will always be sharing their knowledge with the participants, making sure that their efforts bear fruit and improving the economy of the entire District.
status of the projects
After a long period of uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic, the project has restored its normality. The students go daily to our arts school at the Bilinyo Cultural Center from the different schools with which we have an understanding. Since the year 2022, we are also receiving high school students, from the Moyo Senior school. It is a job that we tried in the past, when the project was based at the Moyo Multipurpose Center, now it is easier, since the Cultural Center is much closer to the school.
These are the schools from which around 50 boys and girls come:
Moyo Army Primary School
Moyo Town Council Primary School
Father Bilbao Primary School
Moyo Girls Primary School
Moyo Senior Secondary School
The music school is back on track and the Maduga Band is ready to play, although there is still a lot of room for improvement. We can say with great satisfaction that we have managed to create a space in which girls and boys feel at home, they belong to the place. All of them normally accept the participation of girls at all levels, both work and responsibility, as something natural.
The project was supported by expatriate musicians between 2014 and 2018, mainly from Spain and under campaigns organized by Solidarios con Arua – Arua Elkartasuna. They would be responsible for developing the classes and designing the project. However, from 2019 to date, the classes depend entirely on local teachers, trained within the Vura Music Project, thanks to the regular support obtained through volunteering. Although the local teachers are still not fully independent due to their limited knowledge, this gap is filled through training periods for which they are sent within Uganda. Also, although calls for volunteers are no longer launched, we still receive regular visits from volunteers who know about the project thanks to the awareness work carried out by Solidarios con Arua – Arua Elkartasuna.
En marzo del 2021 se inicia un proceso de preparación de Manuela Project, cuando los trabajadores recientemente empleados son enviados a Mukisa Foundation para llevar a cabo unas prácticas durante 3 meses. Este periodo se extendió un mes más debido a las restricciones de movimiento debido a la pandemia de coronavirus, tras el cual los empleados llegaron a Moyo para dar comienzo al proyecto. La administración de Cooperative Growth – Uganda junto con el equipo de trabajo de Manuela Project realizó los preparativos correspondientes y las actividades públicas comenzaron en octubre del 2021.
A pesar de ser un proyecto joven haber tenido una serie de retos al comienzo (principalmente la mala elección de la coordinadora del proyecto), el proyecto avanza muy bien y es ya un referente en el Distrito de Moyo. Estamos muy por encima de la capacidad planeada para estas fechas en el plan de trabajo inicial y estamos en proceso de ampliar la plantilla para poder igualmente aumentar el número de beneficiarios. Aún así, tras la ampliación del personal, todavía tendríamos una serie de retos complicados:
Las instalaciones que albergan Manuela Project fueron diseñadas para clases de música y otras disciplinas artísticas y, aunque hasta la fecha acomodan muy bien las actividades, con la ampliación de beneficiarios el espacio será insuficiente.
Las necesidades acuciantes de algunas familias no pueden ser debidamente satisfechas sin una ampliación presupuestaria. Muchos necesitan aparatos ortopédicos y suplementos nutricionales, gastos todavía no contemplados en el presupuesto.
Ayudar a algunas de las familias supone acudir a sus casas, lo cual también significa un incremento sensible del presupuesto.
La propuesta agrícola de Ruddu Hwe necesita más tiempo para ser evaluada. Durante su implementación a partir de febrero de 2022 han surgido una serie de obstáculos que han podido ser superados. Aún así, la información que hemos recopilado todavía no es suficiente para saber si el proyecto será exitoso. Estos son los pasos dados hasta el momento:
Contratación del personal dedicado: Algunos miembros del equipo comenzaron a trabajar en 2021 para diseñar el proyecto, mientras que otros fueron contratados a principios del 2022.
Identificación y compra de terreno para la escuela agraria: Se encuentra en Toloro, en el poblado de Nyoko.
Conexión a la red nacional de agua.
Construcción de un almacén, letrina y vallado del terreno: Completado y en funcionamiento.
Construcción de un vivero.
Plantación de árboles para sobras estratégicas y demarcación.
Primera plantación de verduras en la historia de la escuela.
Las principales conclusiones del año serán documentadas al final del año 2022 y se convertirán en guía para las siguientes temporadas. Está siendo todo un reto convencer a los agricultores locales de que la producción ecológica es tan alta como la intensiva, y es que las circunstancias aún no han permitido que podamos probarlo a través de nuestro propio huerto y la gente de la zona sólo cree en lo que ve. Lo que sí es seguro es que, en la actualidad, no contamos con fondos que nos garanticen la continuidad del proyecto en el año 2023 y, en su ausencia, este podría ser un proyecto de un sólo año sin impacto real. Desde Cooperative Growth – Uganda y Solidarios con Arua – Arua Elkartasuna estamos trabajando para identificar posibles financiadores, pero hasta la fecha no hemos identificado ningún candidato consistente.
future plans
The period between 2022 and 2027 is the most ambitious of our NGOs. After many years with a single project, we are now working on three and very different specialties. Also, we went from an annual budget that did not exceed €20,000 to go beyond €100,000. To be able to manage these funds properly, Cooperative Growth – Uganda has also recruited more dedicated staff, most notably in the Administration and Finance position.
Once the number of projects underway increased, the vision of work also became much greater. After a difficult construction experience with the School of Arts (2020), the buildings at the Agrarian School are now being completed, at a much faster speed and with fewer disappointments. For the period 2022-2027 we plan to build other facilities following this order and as long as funds allow it:
Bilinyo Cultural Center: Two new buildings would be added to the existing School of Arts:
Center for children with special needs: The steps of the call for construction bids and the selection of the company that will carry out the work have already been taken. The works began before the end of 2022 and will be completed before the middle of 2023.
Exhibition Center: A space for leisure, with a design that will allow musical, craft and other shows, traditional or current style.
Toloro Agrarian School: Cottage-factory for processing fruits and vegetables. The last of the buildings that are planned to be built, in this or in any future plan. It will be a huge step forward for Ruddu Hwe, bringing about improved food security in the region. It will have the capacity to process one ton per day, be it fruits or vegetables. Of all the construction proposals, this is the one with the least chance of securing sufficient funding. If the budget lines are being secured, it should be completed by mid-2024.
As the projected buildings are completed, we will be able to offer new services to the communities of Moyo. We are working on the following possibilities:
Physiotherapy services: Currently these services are only offered to children with special needs, but with the construction of the Center for Children with Special Needs, we would have enough space and equipment to offer these services to other people, including victims of accidents, injuries, pregnant women and the elderly.
Bar-restaurant: The so-called Exhibition Center would essentially be an open area to house a bar-restaurant, with a stage for shows.
Conferences and workshops: Together with the School of Arts, which has rooms of different sizes, the Exhibition Center will make this type of activity possible at the Bilinyo Cultural Center.
Food processing for preservation: These services will be possible thanks to the fruit and vegetable processing mini-factory in Toloro.
One of the biggest challenges for Cooperative Growth – Uganda is the complete lack of own income. The services offered are aimed at members of the communities without resources, the most vulnerable, and asking them to pay for the services would mean that they would stop attending classes and therapy.
The facilities and the new services previously described, which will be up and running in a few months, will allow the generation of own income that will cover a significant part of the costs of the Langeti Integrated Project.
In addition to expanding facilities, we are also working to expand operations to neighboring Moyo Obongi District until July 2020. In Palorinya County, also of Ma’di ethnicity, there are large numbers of South Sudanese refugees living together with nationals. It has always been our goal to work with these groups and during the year 2022 we are looking for support in the area to make it possible.
We are considering reopening the calls for volunteers, especially given we have greatly diversified our projects. Short-term volunteering that supports local workers is a model that has had very positive results at Vura Music Project. Both Manuela’s and Ruddu Hwe’s staff could significantly improve their knowledge if they received specific inputs from specialists brought in within a properly designed plan.
CHALLENGES
To cover the operating expenses of Vura Music and Manuela, we have a solid base and we do not believe that we will have problems in this regard in the coming years. Even so, in order to develop the activities of the Manuela Project properly, it is necessary to build new facilities. We have a clear goal to start building the Center for Children with Special Needs in 2022, but current funding will not allow us to go beyond the surface level. In addition to everything we have already said about the Manuela Project, we would like to insist on the new possibilities that the new building would give us:
Increased capacity to accommodate children with special needs of any kind
Increase in the quality of services offered
Possibility of offering services to other members of the community, including victims of accidents, injuries, pregnant women, the elderly, etc.
New economic income derived from the services offered to other members of the community apart from children with special needs
We do not want to stop insisting that operating expenses are well covered and that we are not looking for continuous support, but rather one-off support that gives us the push we need.
Regarding Ruddu Hwe, we have big plans for the future, including the construction of a mini-factory for fruit and vegetable processing, for which the land has already been acquired. After completing the construction of the Bilinyo Cultural Center, the funds could be used to restart the project, but for the year 2023 we have no assurance of continuity.
In order to have greater guarantees for the future, Cooperative Growth – Uganda needs to do prolonged work to attract new members. In Uganda, working with both refugees and nationals, there are a wide variety of organizations working in areas similar to ours, so seeking their collaboration to implement our systems would be a real possibility.