Paul's Case Study, Teso, August 2008
“This is my home, I’m the host farmer”, says Paul with evident pride as he leads a tour, pointing out a number of TPO initiatives that have already greatly improved the quality of life for this particular group of people. They’re simple things really, things that most people would see as primitive and others take for granted; a latrine a certain distance from the house; a jerry can and a bar of soap; a plate drying rack with drainage; and a field with straight rows of crops. But for this group it is a huge step towards better hygiene and sanitation and improved crop yields.
The group is one of more than hundred farmers’ groups throughout Teso in Eastern Uganda benefiting from TPO’s livelihood projects. By mid 2009, TPO will bring this number of groups to 200. “We’ve got 32 members from 16 households,” explains Paul. “The group was formed by vulnerable people who suffer from psychosocial issues, those who are HIV positive, epileptics, widows, and people traumatised by the war.”
Paul himself is HIV positive, as is his wife, making it difficult for him to provide for his family. “HIV is a very big problem in this area, because we were not aware of the dangers. Just now, slowly by slowly people are becoming aware and getting treatment, but our problem as HIV positives is that we are weak. We sometimes lack the strength to produce enough food, which is difficult for me because I have eight children.” Amazingly, none of his eight children, who each have been tested three times, are HIV positive.
Most people in the area are struggling to get back on their feet following the rebel insurgency that ended a few years back. But for people like Paul, who face additional obstacles, being part of a communal support structure such as the farmers’ group can literally mean the transformation from abject poverty to self-sustainability.
“Our old ways of doing agriculture weren’t very effective,” continues Paul. “The seeds were bad and we had no funds and little knowledge. Now, with the training we’ve had from TPO, we can already see the impact of the new method, we look like we’re already changing now. We see things happen in the ground that we have never seen before, the way things are growing. Just because of TPO. TPO has given us light!”
TPO Field Extension Worker, Augustine, agrees the group is showing real progress. “They’re very enthusiastic and supportive of each other in this group. All the training I have done with them – in hygiene and sanitation, agriculture, savings and credits – they have adapted. As a result, they now have facilities in place to improve at household level, and their next harvest is going to be better than anything they have ever seen – meaning that they will have better quality seeds for future crops. And it doesn’t stop with the group; all the members live in villages in the surrounding area, so they take their new skills and knowledge back home with them and share with their own local communities.”
The group is one of more than hundred farmers’ groups throughout Teso in Eastern Uganda benefiting from TPO’s livelihood projects. By mid 2009, TPO will bring this number of groups to 200. “We’ve got 32 members from 16 households,” explains Paul. “The group was formed by vulnerable people who suffer from psychosocial issues, those who are HIV positive, epileptics, widows, and people traumatised by the war.”
Paul himself is HIV positive, as is his wife, making it difficult for him to provide for his family. “HIV is a very big problem in this area, because we were not aware of the dangers. Just now, slowly by slowly people are becoming aware and getting treatment, but our problem as HIV positives is that we are weak. We sometimes lack the strength to produce enough food, which is difficult for me because I have eight children.” Amazingly, none of his eight children, who each have been tested three times, are HIV positive.
Most people in the area are struggling to get back on their feet following the rebel insurgency that ended a few years back. But for people like Paul, who face additional obstacles, being part of a communal support structure such as the farmers’ group can literally mean the transformation from abject poverty to self-sustainability.
“Our old ways of doing agriculture weren’t very effective,” continues Paul. “The seeds were bad and we had no funds and little knowledge. Now, with the training we’ve had from TPO, we can already see the impact of the new method, we look like we’re already changing now. We see things happen in the ground that we have never seen before, the way things are growing. Just because of TPO. TPO has given us light!”
TPO Field Extension Worker, Augustine, agrees the group is showing real progress. “They’re very enthusiastic and supportive of each other in this group. All the training I have done with them – in hygiene and sanitation, agriculture, savings and credits – they have adapted. As a result, they now have facilities in place to improve at household level, and their next harvest is going to be better than anything they have ever seen – meaning that they will have better quality seeds for future crops. And it doesn’t stop with the group; all the members live in villages in the surrounding area, so they take their new skills and knowledge back home with them and share with their own local communities.”
Host farmer Paul demonstrates one of the improved sanitation installations initiated by TPO
The farming group at work in their demonstration field, using new practices taught by TPO
Paul with three of his children in front of the family home
TPO Project Coordinator Isaac inspects new and improved crops
Click here for more photographs from Teso projects.