Using community-based approaches to fight poverty

Kamuli Center is one of the 74 centers that Center For Evangelism, our partners in Uganda, work within the 54 villages where they reach out to communities. CFE has adopted a committee that is the focal point where they touch base with the community. The Local Community Development Committee in charge of Kamuli Center analyzed the three causes of poverty within the center. The results informed their decision on what to empower the community on. After training with CFE on economic empowerment, poverty being the issue that most people faced, the LCDC group formed a group. The group was to address poverty and domestic violence.

“After the training we noted that people from our community suffered because of poverty. The common cases were children suffering from malnutrition and people who are suffering from diseases but could not afford treatment as well as families encoutering domestic violence,” he notes during a discussion with us.

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One of the women in the LCDC group of Kamuli Center

The group was focused on helping people invest in short-term projects to increase their level of income. A family would start with five chickens and within three months they would have a total of 40 birds. Additionally, the group encouraged the community to purchase pigs that would take care of the bigger financial needs such as school fees. The young people were encouraged to start businesses before they decided to marry by the group who trained the people in Kamuli Center.

“Before the training, the income levels were low,” discloses Laurence. We hope that in future we will have trainings that are tailor-made for the farmers.” He concludes.

“CFE has managed to empower our village because the government was not successful. I have noticed that I needed to be model to my community.” Wamala Zacharia, the chairperson of Kamuli Center expounds in the discussion.
During the mobilization process they realized a lot of people had idle land that people were doing nothing about. They hope to get more tailor-made trainings for this reason. The trainings will help the community in identifying this opportunity and improve on their livelihoods. Zacharia Wamala is in charge of overseeing the work plan and looks forward to seeing changes in Kamuli Center.

“When I learnt, I didn’t need to have big money to start my business, I started my cosmetics business immediately!”

“With my income, I pay my children’s school fees, health issues and my personal needs.”

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Using community-based approaches to fight poverty