Francis Ssuuna (17): Paul Polak helps me bring my village “Out of Poverty”

Me with my mum in the village

On Wednesday 26th September I had a meeting with Paul Polak, the famous author of “Out of Poverty” on Skype, with two of my Butterfly Project colleagues Mercy Moro (13) and Gilbert Byamugisha (16).  This is the report of the conversation he had with me, Francis Ssuuna, from Kawungu village, Lyantonde, in Western Uganda.

Firstly, I had three questions for him but I only asked two,( a/b) because time was not enough due to it being late at night.

1.In my village there are a lot of problems, Which makes it not developed:
a. People not working co-creatively together
b. People drinking alcohol
c Lack of proper planning and preparation
How should I, as a young social entrepreneur try to tackle these broad problems?

His answers:
“If you want people to work together, then you must find a project that will help them to come together and share their ideas” As a young person you can go and talk to the old people in your village to help you do that, Maybe have a meeting and talk to the people about change,tell them what you have learnt  from the Butterfly project. make the people to see that poverty can be eliminated.

Me: I know some people in my village believe  that they are poor and even they do not think about being rich.How is it possible to change people who think like that?

If you make a good meeting and tell the people   about what they must not and what they must do, I hope they will understand.

You know it’s not easy to change people who drink alcohol but you can also tell them what results from alcohol because I believe that many may not know the results.
.

2. As a social entrepreneur, you know about problem-solving and you go to your village. You see an opportunity around harvest time, where people have more money and could club together to buy some equipment which might change their income greatly, if they worked together. Instead they just buy, buy, buy and misuse money. What is the solution to this, which will help them in the long-term?

If people have money during the harvesting time and don’t know what how to use, they you must teach them about the ways of making money how to use Capital to produce more money. In your village if people do farming twice a year, then they  can change and maybe start irrigation farming during the dry season which will help to double their income. They can use that money they get during harvesting to help them invest in the irrigation farming.
Another way is like this,”Do people in your village rear goats?”

Yes they do.

If people rear goats and have a suitable climate, it’s good if they set up a goat rearing club which will help them to get milk and meat and at the  sametime they can sell the goats. If your people can find a place where to buy the goats from, I am sure it will help on their development.

I told him that in my community, it is a rural area where you find poor people as the main problem because they do not have permanent jobs to get them money, instead they all do farming on a small scale. These people do not take time to think about their problems because many of them believe that the problems are impossible. Many of these people don’t provide education to their children due to being poor..

These people have no way to earn money daily instead, they earn seasonally at the time of harvesting, so you find that they get the money twice in a year in a small amount. When they get the money, you find that they are buying Christmas clothes, drinking alcohol as a sign of celebrating the season.
They do it annually and you find that they do not have better plans for their money and this has affected them negatively, and it has caused the area to be undeveloped, disadvantaged, poor people and uneducated young people. I do believe that these people really want change but they don’t know how to seek it.As a young change maker how can, I solve these problems in my village?

Paul Polak giving a speech

Paul said, “Have you ever thought of a  solution?.”

I told him that I don’t know the better solution. I told him that if people come together, maybe start a chicken farm on large scale, and then share the money could help them to improve on their well-being.

He asked me if the people rear animals.

I told him that they have goats.

Paul advised that if people can come together and buy goats it can help them to get access to the money easily because they can use them for many things. He said that the people can sale milk from goats, which can help them to have a daily income for themselves; I told him this cannot work out because people in my village do not take milk from goats.
They can maybe use it for other purposes but not milk. He said there are special goats that provide milk and I believe that it difficult to get them here in Uganda.

The conversation was too long but these are the main points I picked from it.  I would like to thank Paul for listening to and answering my questions.

Editor’s note: We have located a source of dairy goats in Masaka and hope to trial them early next year.

Art in Primary Schools is Important, by Gilbert, aged 16

Oswaldo’s (12) imaginary village scene

Byamugisha Gilbert

I practice art in my daily life and it has contributed a lot to my life’s well being. I  offer art in senior school and it’s one of my top subjects in class and am contented with that. Art is actually very interesting; it’s a talent but can also be taught and this actually makes it interesting too and it also helps the artists settle and relax their minds which is good for everyone.

Apparently in Uganda and perhaps to some other countries in Africa art is not taught in primary section so it isn’t done by the students and that makes me think that they miss a lot. I believe art is important to be done in primary level as it helps the young people with a lot like giving them a chance to expose what they feel on the inside. Many young people in primary levels are facing injustices and mistreatments and abuses of their rights but because not all of them have the confidence to shout it all out loud but I believe they would be given a chance to expose what they feel if art is introduced in primary schools and in so they get helped which brings about a positive change in their lives.

Shows father drinking alcohol, while kids starve

I think people should look at art as a means of looking for a better way in life because if art is brought up in primary school it would be easy to give the young people a chance to live a better life and also develop their talent of art which could determine their future. Art in primary school would en-light the future of some of those young children thatwould not be hoping to go up to secondary level as they’d use the knowledge they’ve got from school to start making some interesting pieces in order to earn a living instead of stealing or getting married at tender ages especially our dear sisters.

It’s very important that art is introduced in primary schools as it will help students  to understand what they are learning even better and then even when they join High school they have some knowledge about art and not so left behind.

Primary school boy, Ojepan, paints portrait

President Museveny, by a Primary school art student, aged 12

One of Ojepan’s paintings of the village he used to live in

Butterfly Project Stretches the Potential of African Children for Social Change

Social Enterprise Africa CIC is harnessing the power of social enterprise to stretch the potential of African children to become changemakers.  Since 2009, they have worked with 20 teenagers aged 12-17 from Uganda, some from remote rural areas, some from urban slums, on a unique project known as the Butterfly Project, which aims to stretch the potential of the young people to become changemakers.

Francis Ssuuna (16) running a group on HIV/AIDS awareness for local Acholi children in March 2011

In 2012, these 20 young people each have one or more projects with a social purpose that they are to deliver which relate to their own personal strengths and capabilities.  Some are doing sports-coaching, some are teaching ICT, some deliver HIV/AIDS awareness, others have a mission to develop self-confidence in other children, by helping them understand their rights.  By becoming a leader in these early years, they develop their own self confidence, which encourages them to explore their own potential more.

To this end, the Butterfly Project offers a range of activities to complement its own training programmes, which are designed to help children discover their own interests and passions.  This could include art, music and sport, but also more esoteric pursuits, like boardgames, writing, entrepreneurship, photography, crafts and film and every member is encouraged to use every method at their disposal, including internet, to broaden their knowledge of the area in which they are interested.

In addition to this, members are trained in personal development skills, such as initiative, creative problem-solving and positive-thinking.  Coupled with this is a foundation of ethical behaviour, which encourages members to share their knowledge, serve their communities and tackle selfishness, corruption, violence against women and human rights.

Charles Obuk (14) working on his play about Streetkids with Instructor John Okot

The rural members are from subsistence farming families and they are learning how to alleviate poverty, through use of drip irrigation and also how to grow higher value crops.  Social Enterprise Africa will then step in to buy products at good market prices and this will help infuse the economy of the whole village over time.  Profits made by Social Enterprise Africa in farming will support the training of these young people, as the aim is to cover all of Uganda over the next five years.  Social Enterprise thus tackles both the training and personal development but is also there for the trading elements, which are required to provide practical long-term solutions.

Every member of the project is encouraged to write a blog, to express their passion for change and Francis Ssuuna, who is now 16 and a member of the project from a remote rural village in Western Uganda, says “I want to run a project to develop the vision of children in the village, so they can develop like I have”. Charles Obuk, who is 14 from Northern Uganda, is concerned about children’s rights: “The right to play, the right to education, the right to medical care, the right to eat and the right of freedom are not well cared about and most of them are neglected and denied children from enjoying them.”  Nancy Lakot, who is 15, wants to bring confidence to children in the village.  She says “Teaching games to others is fun and helps build their self esteem.

Nancy Lakot (14) gathering together local Acholi girls to receive donated clothes from Europe

Ben Parkinson, who devised the project with Ashoka fellow Emmanuel Nehemiah in Northern Nigeria in 2007, suggests that we in the West have been brainwashed about African children, having seen so much coverage of aid and AIDS issues, that we do not give enough credit to the capability and passion that African children have.  “The children on the Butterfly Project have never failed to surprise us and outperform our expectations.  What was a project devised simply to raise the profile of the capability of children living in remote rural areas has become a phenomenon which could change the way that we tackle poverty and the other Millennium Development Goals in Africa – sustainably, from the inside out.”

You can support the project at http://www.socialenterpriseafrica.org/donate

 

The Importance of ICT to Children Living in Rural African Villages

Charles Obuk

My name is Charles Obuk.  I am 14 and I live in a remote village in Agoro, which is in the mountains of Northern Uganda, just before Sudan.  You might be surprised but we have a computer in our village, but we have no electricity and no internet.  I had used it before I joined the Butterfly Project, but not very much.  I want to tell people about why computers are important to the children in my village.

1.RESEARCH

A computer is important to the children living in villages because it help them to do research on various issues that they don’t know so that they can be able to know more about it.

2. WORLD ISSUES AND NEWS.

Through internet on a computer, one is able to find out the truth on what is taking place around the world. Children are able to know what happens outside their country and not have to rely on what is told.

3. EXPERIENCE ON WHAT TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE BROUGHT

Technology and Science has brought about many changes including making machines and computers. If children are to be in villages without knowing such changes, they will fail exams if these questions come, as they have no experience. Computers may help them to do some research on what they are learning at school.

Brian teaching another boy at the Chrysalis Centre

4. COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Computer is the most common means that people are using as a communication link. By this, children would at least get someone whom he would be able to ask to be a guide so that he or she would become someone good and respected. Children could even get sponsorship through a computer with internet.

5. IMPROVEMENT OF WRITING SKILLS.

 By typing on computer due to doing some research or chatting with friends, children may greatly improve on their hand writing skills. After knowing and improving on their hand writing, they may be able to start writing big things like blogs and thus develop a talent for writing.

You can support the Butterfly Project at this link

Using talent to generate income

Joel (14) painting his butterfly with advice from Bruno Ruganzu

The Butterfly Project and Chrysalis School are lovers of butterflies and we have also found ourselves to proudly have a number of excellent artists amongst our ranks.  For the last two years, we have also run art projects to tease out and train up young artists and we are very privileged to have worked with professional artists, Yusuf Ssali, Damba Musoke, Bruno Ruganzu, John Okot, Sheila Black and many others.  Thank you to all of these who have given up their time to train up our young people.

Peter (13) from the Chrysalis School

We have sold around ten paintings painted by the young people to galleries and individuals, the proceeds of which have been given directly to the artists to support their schooling.  This year, as part of the School Enterprise Challenge, we want to develop a calendar, which we sell all over the world, because the paintings are just so special.  So, over the last few weeks, we have been asking professionals to paint butterflies for us and also asked our most talented youth painters to produce their own work.  The proceeds of the calendar will help the project next year.

Here are a few of the pictures, painted by us:

More of these butterfly pictures can be found in this gallery.

You can support this programme at the Social Entrepreneurship site Start Some Good.

CHICKEN FOR CHANGE.

My name is Nyeko Zisite and I am one of  the members of Butterfly North  from Lamwo District in Northern Uganda. I was chosen for  this project and I was the only one to have been interviewed twice.  There were two left in Agoro and they interviewed us together and I was the one picked.  I am 14 and, like the others studying in Senior one at the Chrysalis Sschool  and  I have been responsible for several holiday projects this year, such as the Scrub Club which taught local slum children about why general cleanliness is important.  My other project, which is running all year round, is Chicken for Change.

Nyeko Zisite by the blackboard in the Chrysalis School

The idea for doing the project came from Judith Amito, one of the Butterfly Pioneers as she used to be in the Acholi Quarter.  This project has been  started through a grant from the Emily Foundation, which Ben applied for and it was given to help children working in dangerous places. Chicken for Change is the project which was started to  help children working in Kireka Stone Quarry and the project  was started in June this year, when we interviewed the boys to find out what they knew about chicken farming.  We picked six – James, Isaac, Eric, Emmanuel, Samuel and Alfred.  Samuel wasn’t there for the photo below.

Left to right - Eric, Isaac, Emmanuel, James, Nyeko and Alfred

The purpose of this project  is to help children working in the quarry to earn money safely, as the quarries often collapse and the work there is very hard for very little money.

The Chicken House is at the back of the Chrysalis Centre and and we have taught the boys how to care for the chicks.

This weekend we are going to collect the chicks.  We are buying them at 2 weeks old, because younger ones often don’t survive.

I will post some pictures of the chicks when they come and also take some photos of the chicken house.  We learnt about how to care for chicks at Katende Harambe, an organisation that trains people in how to be a good farmer and use the best methods.

FISH FARMING VISIT

All of us on the Butterfly North Project are interested in ways we can develop our villages and last weekend four of us – Peter, Nancy, Charles and me – visited a fishfarm  in kabalore, near Kasese.  We  learnt about how to  construct a fish pond and Ben came with this ideas  and he wants us  to think about starting ours  in our villages.  I think it will generate  a lot of money to people and I will start mine next year.

Charles, me, the trainer (George), Nancy, Peter and Alex (our Manager)

ABOUT THINGS AND  LIFE I HAVE ACHIEVED IN KAMPALA

Being in Kampala I  have achieved many things in life and seen things which I would never have done in Kitgum town.  There was special food  eg.  Chicken Tikka Masala, pizzas and hot dogs which I ate in Kampala and they are not in our village.  I saw different places like the National Theatre, Garden City and the  Shoprite supermarket which I never  saw when I was in our village.  I started knowing how to use a  computer  in Kampala and I know now how to type and communicate with people around the world using a computer, through mail , chatting and eve Skype and this has helped me think and be a better person.

This is us at the Theatre with Gilbert (top left) and Brian (at the front)

This is when we were at the Rainbow International School in Uganda .

This was a quiz that I did with the children in the Acholi Quarter and it improved children’s knowledge and interest in going to schooland this is the one of activities  happening often  in the Centre.

Another activity happening at the centre is Taekwondo.  The purpose of doing taekwond0  is to  make our body fitter and create self confident self  defence and make us strong and it is a sport.  At the weekend we are competing to be at the National Championships.

This is at the Meeting Point and it was sparring day on Sunday and Tuesday  and on Friday we do training.

You can support this programme at the Social Entrepreneurship site Start Some Good.

Melon update and my projects

My name is Oceng Morrish and I am 15 years old and the oldest student at the Chrysalis School for Young Social Entrepreneurs.  I am in Senior 1.  I am one of the members of the Butterfly Project and I live in a small village in Lamwo district.

I joined the Butterfly Project this year and this project deals with children who are talented and gifted in their life in some way.

All of the members of Butterfly have an individual project and a group project that we are running during weekends and holidays.

Me winning gold for my age group at the Lubowa 5000m Fun Run

ATHLETICS PROJECT

I am an athlete and I was the best in Lamwo District at long jump and high jump last year, so it was easy for me to become involved in Project Circulate, an athletics project started in 2009 by Ssuuna Francis.   This project is about improving  the fitness of children so that they can compete with other children from various parts of the country.   I see some children are not going to school because their parents cannot manage to pay their school fees so I came up with the idea of using this project to help these children get a sponsor which can help them in schooling.  This year I have been responsible for taking the  members of the project to the Mandela Stadium for training and competition.  I have also trained the children at Kyambogo University and Makerere University, where we were able to time the runners.  Some ran very well and got a good time.

I am at the back with the yellow vuvuzela

READING PROJECT.

I have a project I have started to improve the reading skills and knowledge of children, so that when they go to school they will be able to understand their teachers in the  class and master the subjects without forgetting.  In future this will help develop the country and the children’s future as well as making it easy to communicate with other people, like those coming from outside our country.

Perhaps the most important project we have done this year, though is our melon project and this is the one, which we are putting forward in the School Enterprise Challenge.

SUGAR BABY MELON(WATER MELON)

Back in May we sat down together with all of the Butterfly North members and we discussed what we were going to plant to help keep all of us at school next year and what we thought might help our villages develop the most.  We chose water melons, because we had some seeds and because we thought that they would be able to grow in our soils.

We used the internet to find out how to grow and harvest the melons and especially where we should plant them.

Then we came up with ideas of planting the melons in all of our villages and later that month four of us – Nancy, Charles, Joel and me - planted the melons in our home village.  They grew very well and we harvested from Nancy and Charles in September.  During harvest time the weather was very wet, so transport could not get through to my village.  A lot of the melons in Charles and Nancy’s village had also become waterlogged, so a lot of the melons rotted in the field, because they were left standing.  We think we left them too long and so our numbers were below what we expected.  Others did not harvest – Joel’s had not grown so well, as he lives in a place where the soil is not so good.  Unfortunately we could not get a truck through to mine – maybe 500 melons lost.

When we sell them in the market and earn some money that money is going to help in various ways like local children from the quarters can be supported in school, help support the project to be continued and help in buying art materials or story books for my reading project, athletics kit and supporting our study also. These watermelons also develop the village that we plant the melons in because we left a percentage of the seeds in the village in order for them to plant and earn some money.  This may help them to support their children in schooling and other things. The problem we have is that the melons are rotting because of heavy rainfall and maybe pests and disease and we are working with our Director to see how we can improve the next planting.

You can support this programme at the Social Entrepreneurship site Start Some Good.

My Streetkids Drama Project at Chrysalis

My name is Charles Obuk and I live  in  Uganda, Lamwo district.  I was interviewed last year in order to be a member of this Butterfly Project and fortunately I have qualified and  was chosen to be in this project so for now I have been living in Kampala since I joined this project in February 2011.  I am staying at Chrysalis Centre but schooling from Chrysalis Senior Secondary School, Kireka in Kampala near Banda, Kinawataka road.

With me being at the Chrysalis Centre, I have learnt many things.

First of all I can explain what the Chrysalis Centre and Chrysalis School are.

The Chrysalis Centre is a place where all children who are interested in learning many things are allowed to enter freely and share time together with their friends.    It is open from Mondays to Fridays.   This centre is an empowering place to come.   It empowers each and every one including local children from Acholi quarter to become talents.   It empowers  gifted and talented young children especially.

This centre gives every member a chance to run their own project and, as a result, it links people, children and their friends to work together as a team.

I have also started my own project which is a Drama project.   The reason why we  are trying to run our project and get our members by ourselves is to develop a self confidence which may help  us in any situation e.g. standing up for our rights without fearing.

In the first picture, I was working with an adult who is also very good at drama and he has been helping me develop my ideas.  Then in the second picture, that boy, Nyeko, is acting as a father working at the garden.

The first drama I made was about street children.   It was telling people why they live on the street,  the reasons they act like they do when they are on the streets and how we can help them.   This does not mean that we have street children  in the drama but we just put some people to act as the street children, although some local children do live on the streets and even some have stayed at our Centre.  We also find that lack of parental care can also cause street children.

We find that fathers do not give children requirements and he gives corporal punishment, when they complain. Often he does not give money for food, but instead he drinks alcohol and then returns home to beat his child and his wife.  This is commonly happening in Uganda right now.

Sometimes we also visit other schools in Kampala to find out what they do at their schools.   Below, for example, you can see us making bracelets and necklaces using beads together with them.

This was from Rainbow International School.

We have also been running some children activities in our own villages.

This was mainly because we want to develop a co-operation with the villages and this may also be the  best way of creating the change  in the rural areas that we want to see over the next few years.

You can support this programme at the Social Entrepreneurship site Start Some Good.