Project progress and school activities abound 🏃🏾
We have more news to share about the future of KAASO’s sustainability projects with ideas around where to invest. Now a year has passed we can take a step back and review the overall finances of each project and see how to improve things even more over the coming year. We’re excited to share these findings with you.
Project updates
This month Lizzie was able to sit down with Dominic from KAASO for an in-depth discussion about the future direction of the various sustainability projects underway.
Despite the problems the piggery project faced, the school are still keen to pursue rearing pigs. One significant challenge faced during COVID was how to acquire grain for the animals. Supplies had to be bought from Kyotera and Masaka, increasing the cost of feed significantly. Now mills have reopened in the surrounding town, grain is once again more affordable and easier to acquire. KAASO itself also has a maize mill that can begin operating again.
As swine flu impacted the entire region, the cost of pork has now increased which means KAASO can take advantage of the increase in demand. A little over forty pigs are now being reared at the school with a plan to keep that number relatively flat. Additional precautions are being taken to guard against the return of swine flu, with restrictions being put in place around who can visit the piggery and disinfectant for footwear when entering and leaving the site is now mandatory.
With the reduced number of animals and improved processes, we are confident the piggery can become a lucrative income stream, helping support the teachers and pupils of KAASO.
Similar precautions have been put in place for the poultry project to safeguard against the spread of disease. There is a saying in Uganda, “If you are bitten by a snake, then you have to fear the lizard” so these measures are being taken seriously among staff and students alike.
When the vet visits for routine checks, they also deliver training sessions on how to implement best practices.
The poultry project is doing well and is now turning a profit for KAASO. As a result, Dominic was delighted to deliver the exciting news that they are expanding and building another house for the chickens. The bricks are coming from the brick-making project and other materials are being sourced locally.
As for the brick-making project, Dominic is using the money made from the bricks to buy more land that he will own entirely, reducing land hire costs. This new bit of land is also better suited for brick making. Dominic would like to develop this project so he can supply construction companies locally with bricks and create more job opportunities for young people in the village.
The nursery-bed project has had specialists take cuttings of coffee plants and deliver them to KAASO ready to plant. Dominic is showing this process to the students and teaching them the intricacies of tree grafting.
School sport and music activities
The students of KAASO have been practising for the upcoming Uganda Primary School ball games. Below you can see the students working on positioning and passing as well as dodging and faking. We wish the students well and hope they have enough time to practice before the games start.
As well as time spent on the sporting field, the students of KAASO have been working hard preparing for music and dance competitions.
We hope you have enjoyed the read. Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to writing again soon.