The cow project

The project requires that the families invest in their farms by building a zero-grazing shed for the cow, planting sufficient grass to feed a cow, and implementing sanitation requirements for the family and the cow, to keep the cow in top health.  Once all eligibility requirements are met, the family is granted a living loan of a pregnant cow, valued at $800.  Once the calf is born, a cow gives around 20 liters of milk a day.  The family uses about two liters for their own nutritional needs and sells the remainder to the Caritas MADDO Dairy, which provides the family a small but steady income. The loan is paid back by raising the calf for 9 to 12 months, and then passing along that calf to another family that is trained and ready.

As an additional living loan, the family may pass along a future calf in exchange for installing a biofuel system on their farm.  The biofuel made from the waste products of the cow and produces clean and Earth-friendly methane which is used for cooking and lighting.  The remains from the bio-fuel are then used for fertilizer for the banana trees, which are the main food in Uganda.  Biofuel saves time and money, especially for the women who tend to be the ones preparing meals.  Firewood, which is scarce, can take 1 to 2 hours daily to gather, and adds another 45 to 60 minutes of time to cooking any meal.

Although the Cow Project is self-sustaining, there are still 2,000 families trained and waiting for a cow to begin their journey out of poverty!  Purchase a cow and be an integral part of this transformative process helping the rural poor in Uganda.

Milk in Uganda

He adds that it is during the rainy season when the prices of milk are low with a high supply because the animal pasture and water are in plenty. During this season, he purchases 50 litres of local cow’s milk at Shs30,000 and Shs25,000 of the exotic breed cattle. 

He buys a litre of local cow’s milk at Shs600 and sells it at Shs1,200 while a litre of exotic breed milk is bought at Shs500 and sold at Shs1,000.

Mwesigye notes that prices of milk will always be low or high depending on the season. During the dry season, the supply is low. He buys 50 litres of local cow’s milk at Shs60,000 and Shs50,000 for the exotic breed cattle. 
Here, he purchases a litre of local cow’s milk at Shs1,200 then sells it at Shs1,600. But he buys a litre of exotic breed milk at Shs1,000 and sells it at Shs1,400. 

According to Mwesigye, farmers who deal in exotic breed cattle get more milk than those dealing in local breed. However, those with local breed will sell more because of the quality.

Eddy Byamugisha of Fresh Dairy in Makindye adds, in most cases, milk prices are hiked during the dry season because most of the pasture and water sources are dry.

“The dry season not only affects the pasture, but also the cattle. Most of them fall sick and others die off hence lowering the supply leading to high prices,” he explains. Byamugisha, who only deals in exotic breed, milk buys 60 litres at Shs60,000 during the dry season. He says he buys a litre at Shs1,200 and sells it at Shs1,400.

When the supply is high during the rainy season, he buys 60 litres of milk at Shs40,000. During that time, a litre costs him Shs700. He sells it at Shs1,200. 

In Uganda, milk is mainly gotten from Mbarara, Kyakwanzi, Nakasongola and Bulemezi. These areas are known for cattle rearing.

Cement Cost in UGANDA

At the quarry
Katosi, the lakeside town on the northern shores of Lake Victoria in Mukono District, is more than the fishing and witchcraft hub you could have heard about. In fact, when you step on the Mukono-Katosi Road, you will see more tipper-trucks raising clouds of dust along the road, than fish trucks. These tipper-trucks will be on their way, back and forth Katosi, where sand mine after sand mine clutter its coast. 

Sand traders in Kampala confirm that Katosi is one of the leading sources of sand used around the Greater Kampala, among other sources like Lukaya near Masaka, Buleemezi in Luweero, and Bugerere in Kayunga District. So severe has been the case of sand mining in Katosi that many large quarries (the size of about three football pitches) have run out of sand, leaving the place arid and depleted with large ugly gullies. 

Most of the sand quarries seem to belong to no one, at least according to the miners. It is only in the case of quarries found in privately owned land where miners pay a premium of say Shs5,000 per truck to the landlord, miners say. 

A truck driver, normally of the large 10-wheel Isuzu Giga truck kind, locally called magulu kumi, drives into the quarry and purchases sand from miners. These miners are the ones who dig into the quarry for the sand, sieve it, and pile it up into knolls. They say they will fill up a magulu kumi with floor sand to above its brim level and create a sort of hill on top, for Shs80,000. The truck owner will then also part with Shs20,000 for the potters who fill the truck with sand. 

The magulu kumi thus drives out of the quarry having paid Shs110,000 for a trip of floor sand. 

The small trucks like the Isuzu Forward truck will fill for Shs41,000, with Shs6,000 paying potters, and the rest to the miners. The Isuzu Elf will cost Shs15,000 to fill up, with Shs5,000 going to potters. 

Along the way
When the trucks leave the quarries, they then encounter additional costs on the road in the form of local council taxes that they have to pay for ferrying the sand. This will cost about Shs25,000 for the magulu kumi, Shs15,000 for the Isuzu Forward truck and Shs10,000 for the Isuzu Elf truck. 

Truck drivers say this form of taxes is the easy part, because it is largely fixed. The hard part is when traffic police officers take over the Katosi-Mukono road and use any excuse to make money off the drivers. One truck driver says, “They (cops) can leave legitimate queries like the local council receipt and start looking at your tyres, then they threaten to fine you.” 

Drivers say this part is more complicated because they cannot determine how much the cops will ask for in bribes. “One day you pay Shs20,000, another day, you can even pay Shs100,000 when they accuse you of speeding, having bad tyres and expired insurance,” the drivers say. They add that there is hardly a return trip they make to the quarries in Katosi without paying a bribe to a police officer. On top of these, drivers say, some residents in the villages block the roads and require the truck drivers to pay off a small amount, of say Shs5,000 as maintenance fee for the road.

Sand markets
There are various yards in towns around Kampala, which act as sand markets. Trucks drive in from whichever quarry and dump the sand here. These yards are filled with large collections of sand, just waiting for a buyer. 

There are such markets in Kyetume (along the Mukono-Katosi Road) and in Kireka towns; and here, the magulu kumi trucks arrive and sell the sand at Shs320,000 and Shs350,000 respectively, according to traders. 

It is here that the drivers who ferry the sand from quarries hand over to the traders. Although truck drivers insist that paying bribes leaves them at near losses, by the time they hand over the sand, they have made themselves a healthy profit. Even when you take modest estimates for bribes to police officers, of even Shs50,000, the drivers, who paid Shs110,000 at the quarry, Shs25,000 to the local council authorities, Shs55,000 for fuel, and even Shs5,000 for road maintenance, would leave with a clean Shs105,000. Even if the bribes came up to Shs100,000, they would still make Shs55,000 off the trip.

Life

#LifeLessons Advice from an 80 year old man. 

1. Have a firm handshake.

2. Look people in the eye.

3. Sing in the shower.

4. Own a great stereo system.

5. If in a fight, hit first and hit hard.

6. Keep secrets.

7. Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen everyday.

8. Always accept an outstretched hand.

9. Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.

10. Whistle.

11. Avoid sarcastic remarks.

12. Choose your life's mate carefully. From this one decision will come 90 per cent of all your happiness or misery.

13. Make it a habit to do nice things for people who will never find out.

14. Lend only those books you never care to see again.

15. Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all that they have.

16. When playing games with children, let them win.

17. Give people a second chance, but not a third.

18. Be romantic.

19. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

20. Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.

21. Don't allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It's there for our convenience, not the caller's.

22. Be a good loser.

23. Be a good winner.

24. Think twice before burdening a friend with a secret.

25. When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.

26. Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born.

27. Keep it simple.

28. Beware of the person who has nothing to lose.

29. Don't burn bridges. You'll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.

30. Live your life so that your epitaph could read, No Regrets

31. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.

32. Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.

33. Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who helped you.

34. Take charge of your attitude. Don't let someone else choose it for you.

35. Visit friends and relatives when they are in hospital; you need only stay a few minutes.

36. Begin each day with some of your favourite music.

37. Once in a while, take the scenic route.

38. Send a lot of Valentine cards. Sign them, 'Someone who thinks you're terrific.'

39. Answer the phone with enthusiasm and energy in your voice.

40. Keep a note pad and pencil on your bed-side table. Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at 3 a.m.

41. Show respect for everyone who works for a living, regardless of how trivial their job.

42. Send your loved ones flowers. Think of a reason later.

43. Make someone's day by paying the toll for the person in the car behind you.

44. Become someone's hero.

45. Marry only for love.

46. Count your blessings.

47. Compliment the meal when you're a guest in someone's home.

48. Wave at the children on a school bus.

49. Remember that 80 per cent of the success in any job is based on your ability to deal with people.

50. Don't expect life to be fair

Source: Pat Divilly

Happy New You 2016

At times we are not happy with what we have,  while many people in this world are dreaming of having a fraction of what we have....

I live in America where I dream of having everything the whole as to offer while some of my family members in Uganda just wish to board the plane one time and go somewhere to make more than a dollar a day..

I have been a small boy in Ssinda Village and saws planes fly overhead and dreams of flying. 

But now as a traveler on a plane when I see land ibdream of returning home. Life is great and plays tricks on us. Be careful what you wish for 

If wealth is the secret to happiness, then the rich should be dancing on the streets. But only poor kids do that.

If power ensures security, then officials should walk unguarded. But those who live simply, sleep soundly.

If beauty and fame bring ideal relationships, then celebrities should have the best marriages. But those who live simply, walk humbly and love genuinely!

All good will come back to you!!!

Man asks, “Where was God when Myles Munroe, wife and his associates were killed in a crash? He answers, "The same place I

sat when John the Baptist my servant was beheaded. 

When Stephen my servant was stoned to death. When Paul my servant was murdered in Rome. The same place I sat when my only Son was brutally crucified, wounded, bruised and killed. I

have not moved from my position."

I am the same. It is not the means of exit from earth that matters but the

destination. Live simply. It's all about God!!

The Case for Term Limits in Uganda

The succession talk is in fact a clever way for the NRM rank and file to say something that they couldn’t dare do previously — that Museveni is tired, and his time go has come.

A newly elected parliament that has many members who are the age of Museveni’s son, possibly younger, see him as a dinosaur who has lost moral authority by failing to deal with corruption over the years.

His attempt to slap down his party’s rebellious MPs on the oil issue was met by defiance from several of them. A few years ago, when he stared down his party, everyone turned tail and run.

The president has not helped himself by a spate of perplexing utterances. He often refers to the recently discovered oil fields as “my oil.” He slams critics of the increasing cost of food, saying it is a great opportunity for farmers to grow rich.

However, at the same time, he refuses to increase public sector wages of those who would buy the food, so less of it find its way to dinner tables.

One old Ugandan observer noted that the effect of all this is to inflate the cost of patronage. Museveni has stood by Mbabazi. But in a Uganda where the executive has to buy votes in the house, it might cost to restore calm in the party.

My source argues that several of the MPs will only be silenced if their election expenses are reimbursed, perhaps at double the rate.

Museveni will also need to find juicy pork for the army of unemployed or underemployed former party functionaries, to avoid their joining the restless ranks.

Yet it would overly cynical to say that all the clamour is just the sound of ruling party politicians increasing the price of loyalty.

For the president, it is probably like trying to buy health insurance when you are well past 60. Many insurers will refuse to take your money.

However, it also true that the few that do, will charge you exorbitant premiums. In that sense, it is cheaper to die young. If Museveni, who has now been in power for 25 years had been a good businessman, he would have left power at least five years ago. But then he isn’t.

The Case for Term Limits, away forward after M7

REQUIRED GOVT REFORMS:

-----------------------------------------

1) Disband the office of RDC & empower DPCs to do the job. Review the role of DISOs/GISOs to establish why an empowered Special Branch with in the Uganda Police cannot do its work.

2) Disband the office of Presidential Advisor & empower the National Planning Authority to be the nerve center for central government strategic planning

3) Reduce the size of Cabinet from 70 Ministers to 25. Abolish some Ministries such as Teso, Bunyoro, Luwero or Rwentobo, amalgamate some ministries while others into Commissions. Enhance the capacity of technical units such as commissions to deliver results complete with a performance management codes.

4) Review & Audit all government financial management protocols, internal controls & establish the cause of systemic corruption in th public sector with a view of establishing punitive sanctions for offenders.

5) Audit Uganda Revenue Authority internal controls, tax collections & disbursement to the Govt for the past 10 years to establish compliance to eliminate possibility for under declarations of revenue collections due to lack of political independence.

6) Establish a Constitutional review commission & where possible a referendum to ensure constitutional changes meet public expectations especially where parliament might need to be disbanded and sent home.

7) Amalgamate all fragmented districts into single parliamentary constituencies to reduce the size of parliament from 400+ to 120MPs.

8) Review all powers of the Presidency in the Constitution & delegate these to various State institutions to ensure full separation of powers and enhance the over sight functions & accountability with in government and State Instititutions.

9) Conduct a review of the UPDF & UPF to establish strength and formation with a view of increasing efficiency, accountability in procurement processes and identify potential areas of demobilization of redundant personnel.

10) Conduct a forensic audit of the entire civil service, establish strength, identify areas for enhancing efficiency, accountability, retrenchment based on credible criteria with the object of having a small but efficient and accountable civil service.

11) Conduct an HR review of the entire Public Service including State House and office of the President to establish strength, role of personnel, competences and establish areas for retrenchment, streamlining and alignment with government priorities of service delivery.

12) Conduct a review of all the past National Development Plans, review performance, establish cause-effect logic for poor performance with the object of ensuring all government departments and the State are aligned to deliver the NDP.

13) Review Bank of Uganda Management & Operational business processes and audit compliance with relevant regulation. Identify gaps and strengthen laws to maintain independence from political interference.