Achievements
Achievements made – end 2008
The following are some of the achievements the Centre has registered. The focus has been put on the achievements of the last four years .
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OUTPUTS
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OUTCOMES
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MAJOR CHALLENGES
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1. Business Development services:
- Over 6,123 clients trained (40% of whom are women)
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80% of these have either started a new business or improved on their business performance and profitability.
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Most BDS clients cannot afford the full cost of our services as over 65% of the population in West Nile live on less than US$1 a day.
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1. Promotion of Micro finance Organizations:
- 30 SACCOs (6 of which are at infancy stage) formed and have their capacity built. Some of the SACCOs are at formation stage
- .35 new SACCOs formed as a result of Wealth for All
o WENIPS is in the process of forming at least 800 groups for VS&LAs
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- There are over 15,129 VSCI shareholders
- VSCIs’ loan portfolio grown to over UGX 1,566,592,048
- VSCIs’ clients have increased access to financial services: 6,699 active borrowers and 11,282 savers.
- Savings of UGX 1,140,785,054
- 2 VSCIs have acquired own premises
- Over 150 people employed in VSCIs
- VSCIs’ clients use VSCIs’ services meaningfully report improved livelihood
By December 2008, VS&LAs information stood as follows:
- Over 50 Community based trained recruited, trained and deployed mobilized VS&LAs in Arua and Nebbi
- 3 Programme Officers (VS&LA) employed for Arua (including Maracha-Terego) and Nebbi Districts
- 1,539 groups/VSLAs already formed; the figure is about 2,000 to-date;
- 41,292 VS&LA members / clients accessing microfinance services from VSLAs
- Cumulative Loans of UGX 4,249,129,050
- Loans Outstanding of UGX 1,716,053,400
- Social fund UGX 141,362,200
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Limited outreach, as vast areas are still underserved.
Conditions for support from wholesale financial institutions like banks to VSCIs too stringent
Lack of office equipment and means of transport hamper VSCIs service delivery
Poor governance and management of SACCOs
Poor records management
Lack of clear guidelines like operational Guidelines, lending policies and human resource policies) in some SACCOs
Weakness in microfinance best practice
- People generally have low attitude towards savings.
- Currently there is overwhelming demand by the communities for VSLA.
- The project period is ending, and how to sustain the activities.
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2. Appropriate technology and technical skills transfers:
About 2500 (30% of whom women) are trained
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- Apiary as a strategic enterprise is improving lives of farmers; 23 sunflower and 23 apiary technology demo sites developed in 4 sub counties in Nebbi under NAADS programme in 2006
- 2 demonstration sites for biogas installed in Nebbi and Yumbe districts
- GARI processing has proved not only popular among women, but also profitable
- 17 Apiary demonstration sites developed in 4 sub counties of Kango, Erussi, Panyango and Kucwiny in 2007
- 10 modern goat rearing sites established in Kango and Panyango Subcounties in 2007
- 7 demo sites for cassava & 5 of Irish Potatoes developed in Panyango and Pakwach (cassava) and Erussi (Irish) in 2007
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Poor colonization of bee-hives; lack of rain affected sunflower growth and production; large scale production of honey and honey products not yet achieved
High costs of technology for majority of clients – e.g. biogas
Cassava production is low for GARI
Inadequate capital to implement activities
High expectations of farmers
Low volume of production
Community ownership still low
Low adoption of technologies
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3. Cross-cutting services:
- HIV/AIDS at the work place: 60 peer educator (cum counselors) trained; and Peer educators reached 2000 people
- It all services rendered at least 30% were women
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- 30 business HIV/AIDS action groups formed
- 200 referral (60% women) were made for VCT
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Unable to materially and financially support clients who declared their HIV status to engage in gainful activities.
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