AS PRESENTED BY:CHARLES OKUBAL OKEI

KACHUMBALA AREA COOPERATIVE ENTERPRISE:

COMMUNITY LIBRARY

Project Background Information

Knowledge Management for Sustainable Natural Resource Management and Development of the Rural Farmers

Farmer-to-farmer photos to promote sustainable farming

Kachumbala Area Cooperative Enterprise (KACE) Community Library uses photographs taken by farmers to document their experiences and to promote sustainable farming methods.

Background Info. Cont’d

Serving a Community NeedKACE Community Library serves a population of 56,000

in Bukedea district. The majority of people are small or subsistence farmers, working with livestock and a variety of crops, or farm workers. Poverty is widespread, with an estimated 65% of people living on less than U$1 a day. KACE Community Library works to improve farmers’ livelihoods by using information and communication technology (ICT) to increase flows of agricultural information to farmers.

KACE emphasises on agro-ecology. This approach includes sustainable use of natural resources, combining external sources of information with local farming knowledge and practices, and ensuring local cultures and traditions are respected.

Why Digital Photography?

Digital cameras are very simple to use and it is quite easy to get high quality photos

Film is not needed, nor are laboratories necessary for developing the photos

Images are visible almost immediately and may be duplicated at no extra cost.

Project Objectives

To provide an opportunity for about 15 rural farmer mini-groups to document at least 30 of their own sustainable agro-ecological/natural resources management experiences and knowledge and to express their wants and hopes from their own view point

To develop the capabilities of at least 15 rural farmer mini-groups in our farming community in analysis and documentation of at least 30 rural farmer field experiences in preserving, maintaining and restoring our natural resources including forests

To help the 15 or more rural farmer mini-groups share information for sustainable use of natural resources.

Project Activities

Social Mobilization May 2012 …Training documentation facilitators:

July/Aug 2012Collection of concrete experiences: Aug

2012 …….Editing documentaries: September 2012 ……Checking & sharing: September 2012 …..Reporting: (monthly)/half-yearly to eifl-plip

Achievements

Good enthusiasm generated about the projectSome good/best agri-practices documented12 Village documentation facilitators in placeRequisite staff & equipment at handIT literacy programme introduced at the

centreRecipient of agro-based periodicals

Challenges

Institutions expect reading books (but we have hard copies of farming journals)

Local political interference (we use farmers association to beat off this interference)

Space for office use by the curious publicLow level of reading culture in the

communities

Library work in pictures

Farmer searching for marketing information

Agro-biodiversity preservation

Thank You