The International Coordinator of SMU in Uganda Dr. Stephen Kayongo a few days ago said Korea through the SMU project will next year inject more funds in their projects in Uganda.
The funding is to support the implementation of the projects where in some cases the locals top up to fund their projects.
This is to ensure that what has been taught through various trainings and field trips locally and those conducted abroad in South Korea come to fruition in that members fight poverty and attain development.
One would wonder what projects Korea through SMU is implementing in Uganda. The projects include; agriculture; faming/livestock, bee keeping, and SACCO projects or organizations among others. Some SACCOs are very organized and have made significant savings and social development projects.( name some if any and amounts of money they posses).
“Un like other projects and programs by other actors, Korea’s SMU has a bottom up approach to development, we sit with SMU members at their village meetings and we together then generate project proposals.
They actually make village project proposals we discuss them and choose those to be implemented first and the funding is provided from the Korean organization which is sent through equity bank accounts and it is withdrawn and spent on a specific project” he adds.
“A district official, an SMU villager leader and myself are signatories to the village group accounts, so money is not wasted or cheated” Dr Kayongo adds.
The members own and manage their projects which are made for the good of the community and individuals in the village. In some cases they have made village roads, community wells and other water sources, have renovated and built members houses and houses of the elderly and have also helped some elders by building for them say pit latrines and with other necessary support.
What drives this work?
Dr. Kayongo who is so passionate about development says SMU believes with working with leaders and members who are trained and they should have had a course in mindset change. And this should make them positive thinkers and people who are not hopeless about life and situations but who believe that the challenges they face at a family village and community levels should one day change for the better if they work together and are focused on creating change. These leaders and members are taught to learn to sacrifice and must not be selfish.
In the same vain we learn that those principles helped Korea which was impoverished and was actually the 3poorest country in the world and are now among the first 10 economies in the World.
Another International coordinator Emmanuel Kateregga said the South Korean government is working hard to economically and socially transform Ugandan poor villages and this is being done through Saemaul Undong project.
He says Saemaul Undong means a good village and thus what the project aims at building in Uganda.
“Koreans have made it and want to share their development story with Uganda and other poor countries; we thank God that they are willing to share their success story so that we can pick a leaf”
And by sharing their story they have walked in with projects and some funding that can help us quickly achieve the development that Uganda yearns for. All we have to do is to be smart and be receptive to their projects” he adds.
He adds that the Korean government has been sponsoring visits of SMU leaders and members from Uganda to South Korea to experience what is on the ground in Korea in regard to their projects.
SMU Uganda partners with NFLC;
SMU Uganda has partnered with the National Farmer’s Leadership Centre at Kampirigisa in Mpigi district to train members on modern faming and livestock technologies.
NFLC is well stocked with model farming enterprises raging from poultry to piggery and other farming projects. The centre or facility has about 10 acres of land. The centre is an arm of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal husbandry and Fisheries (MAIF) but was constructed by the Korea government.
The Principal of NFLC Mr. Okwaja John Bosco appreciated the two governments; South Korea and Uganda for training the local people on programs that can be used as great vehicle in fighting to eradicate poverty..
He is happy with the work so far done by SMU and was very impressed with some of their projects which he thinks are a model that the Parish Development Model (PDM) officials in the districts where SMU is could be copied and replicated if possible countrywide.
“I visited some of the SACCOS of SMU in the central part of Uganda, some are so organized and the groups are very impressive. Some few had some challenges and we have advised them on how to improve. Korea SMU model is a great approach to development, if we mingle this with our best practices, the sky is the limit” Okwaja adds.
Okwaja has visited Mityana, Gomba, and Kayunga, he says he was fascinated by a community project where the SMU members in Kasambya village near Kalagala falls in Kayunga district have made a leisure and tourism centre and are developing it to bring in income for the group. He pledges to support them and believes they are on great path. The village leisure and tourism project is near a big tourist facility and the locals are also targeting to make income from the tourists.
SMU President Daehoon Kwak assures Uganda
All this is happening when the President of Saemaul Undong project (SMU) Daehoon Kwak has assured Uganda of continued support to the SMU projects.
His message was shared by Semin Hwang who flew into the country from the International Bureau South Korea SMU centre and has led a team of South Korean officials from the Korean embassy in Uganda in a week long tour of projects and in meetings with government and local officials of Uganda reviewing their projects and conclude their visit with a an international convention at Budo Junior school on Friday.
Some success stories of the SMU beneficiaries
- Semusu Everlyne is implanting a briquettes project where they make charcoal from local products. She makes monthly income of around sh.1.3. she is working from Kisozi an area in Nsangi sub county of Wakiso district.
- Fred Matovu is into rabbit rearing. His rabbits are heavy and good and cost between sh/70,000 to sh.100,000 . He is based in Kisozi village also.
- Pottery and ceramics. Mukwaya William makes great ceramics and pottery works that were at the Budo Junior Exhibition Contacts; 0754042297.
- Foods and crafts. Beatrice Nalwanga contact; 0777027950. She makes good crafts and processes foods from local foods. She also rears rabbits and has 8 drums full of rabbit urine(epipa munana) which is on sale/market. Her rabbits are sold between sh. 50,000 to sh70,000.She is based in Kasangye, of Wakiso district.
- Agnes Nakamya. She makes crafts from Sumba in Wakiso district. Contact; 0751393894.
- Peter Ssenyange is into black strap molasses. Sugar cane juice and processing and brown sugar making(processing) he is based at Katereka in Nsangi Sub county in Wakiso district. Contacts; 0752420289 and 0708397419. Ssenyange enterprises are unique and he makes natural sugar and animal feeds (meat booster).
- Kanoni, Gomba SMU decorations projects. They make unique decoration and hand crafts such as bags with local materials and books, Contact 0752249873 and 0700652665.
- Guinea pigs rearing project by Nyanzi Charles. He is based at Mamba village in Gomba district. The Guinea are about the size of a rabbit and are said to be medicinal or nutritious to human beings. They are said to have come to Uganda when the Arabs first visited the country. And that they cure kwashako. Contact; 0779089720.
