BILP PROJECTS
CLIMATE CHANGE & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION PROJECTS
The deforestation in eastern Uganda has had severe costs especially on the rural population with ominous knock-on effects, envisaged including fickle rainfall patterns, accelerated soil degradation, immense flooding, catastrophic landslides especially in the Bugisu region and declining food security resulting from continuous incidences of drought
In view of these challenges, our organization has embarked on an ambitious plan to carry out a massive tree planting drive with the long term goal of planting approximately 10 million trees in the eastern region over the next 5 years. To achieve this, we are actively engaging with pertinent stakeholders in the sector including the National Forestry Authority (which is a pertinent government department of forestry), we are also working with key community leaders in project areas to support our restoration efforts as this will ensure communal ownership of the projects.
BILP initiative currently maintains 3 massive forests belts of varying sizes located in Busia and Bugiri Districts. The organization has carried out massive agro forestry initiatives in these belts since 2015.
Also as part of our drive to restore tree covers in the region, In 2021 BILP initiative carried out the distribution of over 10,000 cost free tree seedlings to approximately 100 women groups in the Sub-Counties of Buhehe in Busia district and Banda in Namayingo Distict .
The project was aimed at encouraging and supporting the women groups to plant trees to support the environment and as a means of livelihood They will cut and sell the trees upon maturity). The overall goal of the initiative was to encourage communities in the project regions to embrace tree planting as a means of livelihood.
Our ultimate goal is to establish tree seedling nursery beds in 3 districts of Busia, Namayingo and Bugiri in a bid to support and accelerate our tree planting drive in the region
A summary of our environmental project key action points and structure
| Project intervention | Description |
|---|---|
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Establishing extensive, and large scale agro forest plantations across the region |
We are currently working with the National Forestry Authority (NFA) which is government agency to attain leasehold land for extensive agroforestry projects. Under this program, we acquire land in on leasehold from NFA for agro forestry projects under a Private Public Partnership (PPP) |
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Promoting and Supporting tree planting initiatives in schools |
Our project is also shaped to work closely with the schools (and similar institutions) to carry out concerted tree planting drives in view of the fact that schools constitute some of the largest consumers of firewood (largely used for cooking meals). Trees planted in open spaces within the school and in school farmlands will greatly support the need for firewood as we actively explore the use of alternative energy sources such as biogas for cooking |
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Supporting small scale domestic and communal tree planting |
Carrying out sensitization, support and mobilization of communities (especially the youth) to plant trees domestically e.g. in home steads, private farms etc. in a bid to enhance their economic livelihood by selling the trees upon maturity. |
|
Urban tree planting initiatives |
Actively engage the urban authorities in towns and municipalities to promote tree planting in designated parts of town such as streets, avenues and exploring the possible the creation of ‘green belts’ in every town in the region |
Elderly support programs
Our elderly support program was established in response to the dire living conditions of most elderly people in the project communities. In 2021, we carried out a preliminary study of 2500 the elderly (people above 65 years of age) in the project regions in a bid to establish their respective urgent requirements. The need for urgent intervention was highly evident in the areas of health, housing, food and nutrition.
The program has been shaped to provide both short term interventions for urgent needs (in form of direct assistance), as well as long term sustainable solutions to promote independence and self-reliance. In line with this, our elderly projects are structured to ensure that they are manageable and adaptable. The project interventions include:
- Equipping and supporting the not very old elderly persons to manage viable agro based projects like poultry, bee keeping, livestock farming etc.
- Provision of Housing and home-based support for the extremely old (awaiting partnership support)
- Establishment of functional Health, nutrition and psycho social support structures that can be accessible to the very old and sickly persons
- Establishment of social centers for the elderly to enable them engage and interact in a bid to avoid loneliness and solitude
Livelihood programs
We have overtime distributed over (500) female piglets to 500 selected highly indigent households in Buhehe Sub County under our ‘piglet for wealth’ program.
The goal of the program is to enable the beneficiaries to breed and rear pigs which they would sell for income over time. The program has gone a long way in economically empowering the highly marginalized families and fostering self-sustainability in the long run.
BILP Initiative also supports over 50 women savings groups in the Sub Counties of Banda in Namayingo district and Buhehe in Busia district in a bid to promote the savings culture amongst members.
The members engage in various income generation activities including poultry keeping, livestock farming, tailoring, agriculture etc. BILP Initiative support structure is tailored to help the women group activities to thrive by providing free support in vital areas including veterinary health, food and nutritional advice for the animals etc
Education programs
As part of our youth education initiative , (in 2018) BIPL Initiative financed and carried out the complete renovation of Buhehe primary school located in Buhehe subcounty, Busia district, .This initiative was meant to uplift the education standards in the school and to encourage more student enrollment.
The renovation has since helped the school in terms of student enrolment as well as overall performance of the school in national examinations
