Agriculture Project

The food situation

Food prices continue to rise in Uganda. A combination of floods, failed rains and pests have led to shortages of food in many parts of the country. Imported foodstuffs are also becoming prohibitively expensive. Few people have the capital to buy larger plots of land to grow food on a commercial scale. Most people have small plots of land on which they grow a few crops and keep a few animals to subsist.

The cost of providing 650 school meals a day and all meals for the champions and boarders at Revival is spiralling out of control. It has recently become a struggle to provide even the most basic meal of posho and beans. While this diet provides calories and some protein it lacks the vitamins and minerals that are essential for children to grow properly and stay healthy. Ivan has had some children long enough to notice that some of them are developing medical conditions related to poor nutrition.

The Agriculture Project

The point has been reached where direct control needs to be taken over food costs and variety. Accordingly, in June 2009 the agriculture project was launched. The idea is to buy a plot of land initially around 5 acres on which to establish a small farm to grow crops and raise livestock. The farm will benefit the Revival Centre in three main ways:

growing a range of crops will improve the diet of the children supporting their growth and giving them increased resistance to illness and disease  income generated from the sale of surplus crops will help make the Revival Centre more financially self-sufficient having their own farm will enable vocational training to be given in a range of farming skills.

Start Up Requirements

To establish a farm project funds need to be raised for the following:

- purchase of 5 acres of land (£5,000)
- construction of farm buildings (£5,000)
- wages of farm manager and labourers (£2,000 in first year)
- purchase of seeds (£500)
- preparation of land and irrigation works (£2,000)
- sowing and management of first seasons crops (£1,000)

The establishment costs represent a one-off capital investment of around £15,500. Research into crop yields and local market prices indicates that a farm of this size could generate an annual income of between £5,000 (based on one crop of Cassavas) and £10,000 (based on one crop of Irish potatoes). It may be possible to have two harvests per year of some crops such as Irish potatoes.

The first and subsequent harvests should generate sufficient income to meet the running costs of the farm and produce a surplus to support the Revival Centre. The farm has the potential to cover up to 25% of the costs of the Revival Centre when combined with school fees which already meet 25% of costs, the Centre could move towards being 50% self-sufficient. The challenge now is raising the initial investment capital.

Progress to date

At 1 September 2009 generous supporters have made it possible for Ivan to buy 5 acres of land in the Gombe area a few miles to the north of Matugga and for work to commence on hiring a farmer and labourers. Money is still required to prepare the land, undertake irrigation works, buy and sow seeds, build a farm house and erect pig pens and fences - there is still a long way to go!

A number of school and orphanage projects have established and progressively expanded farms to the point where after a number of years they have become fully self-sufficient and sustainable. This is now a long term aim of the Revival Centre.