This brief updating Newsletter introduces our new Program Coordinator and a new agriculture development project. The new Program Coordinator and the Project Manager for the new agriculture development project is the same person; Dieudonné IRAMBONA.
New Program Coordinator
At a Project Managers’ Meeting toward the end of 2021, we included an opportunity to identify, review and celebrate the contributions that had been made by Louise NTIRANYIBAGIRA. Louise was the Program Coordinator for the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund from September 2018 to January 2022. Louise resigned at the end of January 2022 but we remain grateful for her numerous service contributions to the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund.
Following a competition, we were successful in selecting and appointing another Program Coordinator. Our current Program Coordinator is Dieudonné IRAMBONA who started in February.
Dieudonné IRAMBONA holds a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from Hope Africa University. Dieudonné worked as the Executive Secretary of the Free Baptist Church of Burundi from 2013 to 2016. For three years, he worked as Executive Secretary of an organization known as Action for Peace and Community Development, APADECO. For the past four years, Dieudonné has been the successful Project Manager for an agriculture development project in Kayanza Province that began with a one-time, start-up grant from the US-based Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund. Currently, Dieudonné is the new Program Coordinator for the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund and the Senior Reverend Pastor for the Free Baptist Church of Burundi, Gihosha Parish.
New Agriculture Development Project
After we announced a Call for Proposals in December of 2019, we received, reviewed and recommended a one-time, start-up grant for a proposed agriculture development project. The grant was approved but the complications with COVID caused us to delay the start of the project and the related distribution of the grant money. Recently, we approved the start of the project and distributed the first installment of money. The Project Manager for the new agriculture development project is Dieudonné IRAMBONA.
Cultivating Corn and Raising Pigs for Vulnerable Women from Kirekura-Mutimbuzi
Project Manager: Dieudonné IRAMBONA
INTRODUCTION
The overall objective of this new project; Cultivating Corn and Raising Pigs for Vulnerable Women from Kirekura-Mutimbuzi, is to contribute to community development through strengthening families in general and the well-being of vulnerable women in particular. The aims of this proposed project are to assist eight poor and vulnerable women and start self-help groups to become self-sustaining, self-empowering, self-managing and self-governing. The goal of this proposed project is to reduce poverty within vulnerable families. The four major components are (1) developing an association; (2) cultivating corn; (3) raising pigs; and, (4) internal micro-financing.
DEVELOPING AN ASSOCIATION
The Project Manager; Dieudonné, contacted the local administration in order to be helped to recruit and identify the beneficiaries; women with socioeconomic problems. After identification and recruitment, an association was established and the officers were elected. The association is holding weekly meetings that will help to make the association like a home where the members do their business and share experiences and receive counsels. Most of the time, the meetings will focus on some type of training for mindset changes and developing capacities for success.
This association will not only help with the cultivating corn, raising pigs and micro-financing but will also meet the social development needs of its members. In this way, the association and its members will become more independent, self-supporting, self-sustaining, self-managing and self-governing.
CULTIVATING CORN
Developing agriculture is the most essential opportunity to address the issues related to malnutrition in Burundi. With this in mind, the officers of the association, together with the Project Manager, will look for land to rent. The associates will serve as manpower during the activities of the crop cultivation. Before payment and starting to cultivate the land, an agreement between the association’s officers and the landowner will be signed in the witness of all the associates to ensure transparency in management.
For every harvest, the members will share 50% of the total harvest, save 10% for seeds and sell 40% for the project ongoing crop cultivation expenses such as renting the field and buying fertilizers. Crop cultivation will contribute to greater food security and socioeconomic sustainability for the beneficiaries and their families while helping the association become and continue to be self-supporting.
RAISING PIGS
Concerning raising pigs, the grant money will be used to build a modern pig pen and provide 5 adult, female pigs to the association. The pigs will be kept in the modern pig pen and cared for by the women. From the first generation, every beneficiary will get a piglet to raise for her family. The remaining piglets will be raised for the association interest. For the other generations, the association will remain with 3 piglets and will sell the rest to increase the capital for giving loans to the association members for their respective income generating activities purposes. In the same perspective and in the case of unexpected problems or unsatisfying harvest due to climate changes, the association will use its pigs to address every problem so that agricultural and animal husbandry should continue with no interruption. In this way, the beneficiaries and the association will be becoming self-supporting and self-sustaining.
INTERNAL MICRO-FINANCING
Through the association, the members are being gathered into a self-help Savings and Loans group. They will hold weekly meetings for general updates and planning. They will start by a weekly savings of 500 BIF per associate. The collected money will be kept in the small box with three keys and locks. The keys will be kept by different members in order to open the box in the sight of all the members. The deposit to the association’s account will be done once a month. For withdrawal, three members will need to sign the check.
After three months, the associates will be accepted to get a loan for an interest of 5%. In order to increase the revenues in the association, the associates will be working for outside people, the income will be shared on 50-50%. This means that the associates will receive 50% of the income and the association will get 50%. This money will be kept on the association’s account to increase the money for loans and other purposes such as buying land.
Thereafter, the association plans to purchase and raise cows and feed them and sell them on the market as an income generating activity. The total income will be shared between the associates and the association at the rate of 50-50%. This will support each member to send children to school and other family expenses.
SUMMARY
In short, this agriculture development project includes four interdependent components: (1) developing the association; (2) cultivating corn; (3) raising pigs; and, (4) internal micro-financing. Each component will contribute to the association and its members becoming self-supporting, self-governing and self-sustaining.
For those of you who are interested in making a donation, please use the link below.
Donation Link: http://haleymccreadyfund.com/u-s-donations/