Hi all,

Do you remember the name of this thread  ? ? ?     

Yes, since Jill  started  this thread in 2007 we  are writing about Florence’s school and how she is engaged to help girls, who dropped out of school to get self confidence and a future by assisting vocational training in Mirembe college.

And since that time Kiva friends supported various projects and changed the life of many girls by financing the equipments needed for training, for startup businesses  and for startup kits.   

But I better let describe Jill the impact that Kiva friends action made and that  she stated when she was in  Kampala beginning of April 2012:

 After reading former Kiva Fellow, Drew Kinder's wonderfully affecting blog posts, after years of e- mail correspondence and more recently, of telephone conversations, of Skype calling with Florence Kaluuba, I'd thought I'd had a reasonable idea, that I'd formed something of an accurate picture in my mind as to whom this woman was.  I was even more confident that I had a reasonably clear sense of what she had accomplished and the impact and reach of her work.

Ha!  I wasn't even close.

I am here only to say that I had yesterday one of the most incredible, most surprising and richest, sweetest, and loveliest, most cherished days of my 61 years of existence.  That Florence Kaluuba has now, for me, become almost bigger than life.   This, after I was able to witness first-hand what felt less like a school and totally unexpectedly, much more like a near miracle of a fascinating, heart-filling small but surely growing inter-connected, and in certain fundamental ways, self-sustaining real life dream of a thriving, self-actualizing community.

A number of you will likely think that I am engaging in hyperbole, that what I thought I saw was more a reflection bouncing back into the mirror of my sometimes, very rose-tinted glasses.  To those, I will just say back to you that I'm pretty sure that in your positions, I might well have felt exactly that same way.  I actually could not have been more surprised, more gratified, or felt more affirmed for myself and for all those of you and your predecessors who, mostly on faith and idealism and out of kindness of heart, chose to take a chance on this woman, this dream we couldn't really know.

If I had a week, even a month of writing back-to-back posts, I would not be able, adequately to describe for you this wonder that we, so many of us, have supported in the hope of making even a little bit of a difference.  I would not be able, as hard as I would try, to convey to you the sweetness that I felt, that I know you would feel in seeing how amazingly far our money actually has spread, the impact in terms of all these new extra structures, little buildings and new programs, real HOPE that our heart-driven donations actually made possible.  I really had not had any idea of just really how important our involvement with Mirembe Community College has been for this incredible number of little kids, older girls and young women and more men than I'd realized, and their adjunct affected community.  This place that turns out to be very much in the middle of what either is actually a slum or somewhere very unexpectedly close to one really does represent that proverbial oasis in the desert, that real last hope that most of us have only known from flowery writing.

You cannot imagine how grateful to Kivafriends all these people genuinely are.  We were treated like absolute royalty (as I believe that any of you, if you would take my advice to not take my word for it, but to go see for yourselves, would just as equally be treated).  I can't even tell you how many young people, both male and female, students and staff (turns out that Florence has been building this wonderfully accomplished totally dedicated and loving staff) how many of them walked up to us yesterday, independently and unprompted, to tell us how excited they were, finally, to have someone from Kivafriends come visiting, how so very grateful they felt to all of us for our help.  For our caring.

At what now is about ten minutes to four in the morning Kampala, Uganda time, I will close in simply saying that

WE DONE GOOD, YOU GUYS.

You would be so pleased to know the real life giant giant difference that we all have been graced to be able to help Actually make.


So I  wondered if we couldn’t  continue together on the way that Jill started and  Diane , Colette , Scott , Brennan and many others continued and asked Florence for a  new Mirembe project  to support. Here  are her mails and photos:


I am always very  happy to get  mails from you. I am also excited to learn that the bags are attracting people's attention. Collete sent me two contacts but the lady left that job. I am yet to meet the marketing officer next week. The challenge I have though is that I do not have storage  for the products. We could get place it in a strategic place, probably near Makerere University Gate. The students could then be sure of the local market for their products at the same time export the best products abroad.

 About 'a thousand gardens in Africa' we met with Eddie, the coordinator of 'slow food Uganda ' a branch of organisation. He is still in Tanzania until 19th Nov 2012. When he returns we shall meet and talk. Otherwise,we have prepared the fields and planted sweet potatoes.I have identified some young man who will be planning, maintaining,demonstrating farming process to MCC students. This will involve rearing animals and growing food. I am happy the information we got through "Slow food', www.world agroforestry centre.org and www push-pull net is in line with MCC's vision. We want to grow maize, beans because maize serves a two fold opportunity; income generating to MCC and resources for learners. Others are, feeding students, feeding animals, feeding birds [poultry], offer knowledge and skills. What my staff will need in order to explore new development in farming, is to attend seminars organised by 'slow food' and other organisation here in Uganda.

We have quite good products and if we are able to organize the exporting process it will be good.

As for the start up kit I got a challenge, although I expected it, that the girls who took the money are doing well but have not returned the money. Since this was a pilot project/study we just have to change the strategy. This why we have decided to incorporate the  Mirembe Youth Development Projects (MYODE), a registered Community Organistaion, managed by the graduated  of MCC. their collective/group  income generating activities will includes sale of crafts, commercial farming, Music, Dance and Drama.  MYODE is registered, with a committee, a bank account and a constitution. In case you would like the details of the MYODE I will send them. I will attach the proposed budget for the container in my next communication.

AND

I am happy to see MCC bags in the Ah Kun's display. The girls are serious on making more bags. I have tried to meet the the marketing officer of NAWOU but in vain The the Director left the place. I am still trying to connect with them but it is a bit tricky they asked MCC to register as their partner which process will be complete by next week.. We are not giving up on crafts II will let you know when things work out for the best.

The pictures I have attached shows the girls busy weaving the bags. The other pictures is the locally made container in which the products could be stored and displayed for people to buy.

Thank you for caring..



And the container that doesn't look any more like a container :



For the moment I didn’t get the detailed project description, but as soon as I get it I will post it here.
The contacts that Colette sent to Florence concern the possibility to open a new “export channel” from  Mirembe to “ Ten Thousand Villages”  and the eventual  possibility to sell Mirembe crafts in an existing store in Kampala. The container would be dedicated to sell Mirembe crafts and perhaps also other Mirembe products.

In case  you are still needing  some Christmas presents  don’t hesitate to click here:
http://www.ahkun.bigcartel.com/products
Anh-Thu will be happy to send  original Mirembe crafts to you!   

I wish you a nice week-end

 Ulrike

Just a note, Ten Thousand Villages is a USA and Canadian based online sales organization.  It buys from two organizations based in Kampala, Uganda.  One of these has a local sales point: http://www.ugandacrafts2000ltd.org/contactus.html.

Here is the Ten Thousand Villages website (Fair Trade!): http://www.tenthousandvillages.com.
Canadian Ten Thousand Villages website: http://www.tenthousandvillages.ca.

Note that there are stores and special events so one can see, feel (smell?) the products.  I was able to attend an event in San Jose, and a two day event in a church sold about $90k last year.  I wish my camera were adequate!  Think a basketball court filled with fun things from around the world.

They try to collect numerous artists' products and ship by container, which is less expensive per item.

Florence has information on both the organizations which sell to Ten Thousand Villages.  Artists get paid half up front, as I recall.  So this helps with expense outlay.  

Colette

http://www.kiva.org/lend/515188
To those who are trying to assist Mirembe with finding employment for its students and graduates -- please check out the above loan, which describes and gives the web address for a US-based business that works with Ugandan tailors to help them have markets for their products.

https://zip.kiva.org/loans/927
Here is a Kiva Zip loan which reminds me of Florence.
I bet she would be interested in Kiva Zip.  If anyone keeps in contact with her, give her a heads up.

That is very cool!  Thanks fo sharing Jill!