Some community groups and members are not directly involved in fishing but can influence the change that you need to happen. In this project we are engaging students and their teachers, sports and arts to raise awareness and secure wider public support. We organize school debates where students debate about fishing and gender inequalities, fishing and climate change, fishing and pollution of marine ecosystem, etc in the presence of their parents. We also have traditional dancing groups to entertain and convey the message. We support school teams through provision of sports gear and organization of class and inter and intra-school competitions. We also engage school administrations to promote school afforestation for which we provide seedlings.
1. Good public relations
2. Partnership with other organizations - those who are interested in other issues e.g. sports, afforestation, gender equality, etc.
1. Involving each and everyone in the community speeds up achievement of your main project
2. Students and Teachers are key change agents in rural communities
3. Sports and culture are powerful vehicles through which your message can reach out your target group
Though the project focus was on the fishing industry we recognized that the women and other community members are involved in other economic activities and mainly riz-agriculture. This meant that they have additional economic activities that needed to be taken into account. Recognizing these additional economic activities generated more interest towards our project. For example instead of organizing meetings based on the fishing activity we organized them taking into account the time they spent in their farms. When needed we met them in their farms and participated in their farming activities.
1. A good understanding of riz culture or other economic activities is needed.
2. Put into place a mechanism for solving problems in the other economic activities
3. Ensure a member of your staff is available all the time for consultations with them
1. Projects succeed when all needs of community members are taken under consideration. Needs assessment at the beginning is extremely important.
2. Your team must be composed of experts in different fields as identified in the needs assessment
3. Cooperation from responsible national authorities is important for success of a project
Participatory process of identifying beneficiary communities
Strengthening capacities in the community based on local needs
Community-led forest monitoring and protection
Agroforestry and forest restoration
Tree Uganda Academy (TUA) Board and Staff
Tree Uganda Academy Board Members
Tree Uganda Academy
Tree Uganda Academy Staff Members
Tree Uganda Academy
Tree Uganda Academy Staff attending to a Skills Development Training
Tree Uganda Academy
Some of TUA Board and Staff
Tree Uganda Academy
The TUA Board forms the supreme planning and decision making body of the Organisation. The board makes informed decions and mobilizes resources that support and guide the project staff in the implementation of the organisation's strategic objectives under IPaCoPA solution towards fulfilling its vision "A clean, health and well protected environment supporting a sustainable Society and Economy". The TUA Staff is a team of six youthful and well qualified individuals who carryout the day-today activities of the organisation by engaging the community members in their respective Groups/Clubs through group leadersip (Executive committee), enhanced with formal MoUs between TUA and its member group/clubs.
1. Competent skills by the Board and Staff Members enhanced with ccess to current information on Climate Change and the general critical issues of the environment that aid the Board in making sound decisions.
2. A strong spirit of teamwork and Volunteerism among the Board and Staff.
3. Ability by the Board and Staff to cope up with the developing world and a strong passion to further the aspirations of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
A Strong and informed team that fully understands and embraces organisation's values and principles will empower the organisation to achieve lasting results.
Contrally to the above, the team may run the risk of setting poor precedents that leave communities feeling co-opted, manipulated, and reluctant to work with external organizations in the future.
A well informed and supportive Board simplifies the work of the CEO and the Staff, and accelerates the growth of the Organisation.
To introduce something which is seen as going against culture, traditions and spiritual beliefs require interactions with all members of the community. Particularly when such an introduction is perceived as intefering with the existing power relations between men and women. In this innovation, we spent almost 3 months talking to individuals, couples and groups in order to make sure each of them understands very well the project objectives.
1. Adequate financial resources
2. Good understanding of what you want to introduce
3. Well organized fishing groups
4. Support from local authorities
1. Your group should have both women and men. Presence of men and women in your group enhances acceptability.
2. You have to identify beforehand progressive individuals in the community and engage them as agents of change.
3. Identify those who have strong cultural, traditional, and spiritual beliefs and engage them. Leaving them out will destroy your project. If you succeed in convincing them, they will easily convince others.
4. Be sensitive to cultural and spiritual beliefs, take time, do not rush
5. Do not stop their usual way of fishing, let your idea flourish with time.
Traditional fishing gear excluded women from fishing because it was expensive, too heavy and neccessitated fishing at night. Strings and baits helped to overcome these challenges. Strings with baits attached are hanged in between mangrove trees close to homes. Women cast them early morning and collect their catch next day early morning.
Mangroves have a high accumulation of micro-organisms, phytoplankton and other life forms that constitute the diet of different species of fish. Mangroves receive high concentration of nutrients from rivers and adjacent riparian ecosystems. Mangroves also provide shelter against predators and allows long-time fishing and safe breeding. Other enabling factors: provision of security against theft and destruction by livestock, cooperation and commitment from spouses, sound management of toxic waste and market mechanisms.
We have learnt the following lessons: changes in power relations that can be brought about is important, the mangrove forest must be of the size that is adequate for all in order to avoid conflicts over the right of fishing in a particular area, the focus should not be only on fishing but on other social, economic and ecological issues as well e.g. waste management, financial management and marketing, broader protection of the environment, nutrition and health, gender equality, human rights, etc.
