The Acu Community Youth Group , a registered community-based organization drawing membership from Abanga Sub-County, Paidha and Padea Town Councils, and border communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has renewed its appeal for technical and financial support through the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP), Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga and other government social protection and economic empowerment initiatives.

Formed in 2024 by five concerned youths to combat rising cases of youth suicide, substance abuse, and distress sale of family land, the group has transformed into a fully-fledged SACCO with over 200 dues-paying members.

Through internally mobilized revolving funds, it now provides affordable credit to rural farming households and small traders while sustaining intensive community sensitization on psychosocial wellbeing and conflict resolution.

During the SACCO’s Annual General Meeting held on Tuesday, December 9, Chairperson Oker Waka Kuyesu told members: “We have expanded to more than ten villages across Abanga Sub-County, Padea Town Council and some parts of DR Congo; we therefore need sufficient and recognized support from government programmes to enable us serve the growing community effectively.”

According to the group, their venture can serve as ready, cost-effective, community-owned delivery channels for rolling out YLP, PDM, Emyooga, UWEP and other social assistance programmes.

Vice Chairperson Donald Kasamba lamented “Since 2024, our efforts to access the Youth Livelihood Programme have been futile. Yet with our well-organized leadership and proven performance, once linked to government poverty alleviation initiatives we will perform tremendously and improve the livelihoods of locals.”

Ordinary member Richard Mungunuti accused local leaders of continuously overlooking the group despite repeated appeals, saying “This area has for long missed out on government poverty alleviation initiatives because our leaders have failed to recognize and register us. We appeal for immediate support to boost our capacity.”

The group’s organized structure has begun attracting elders who now seek associate membership, further demonstrating its growing credibility and intergenerational impact.

Responding to the concerns, outgoing Zombo District Youth Chairperson Amos Jacan commended the Acu youth for their strong governance structures and clear social objectives, urging them:

“Start the formal registration process immediately through your village leaders and the Sub-County Community Development Office so that you can access government poverty alleviation programmes without further delay.”

Understandably, more than 30 organized youth groups in Zombo have already benefited from YLP since its inception, with many others currently receiving PDM funds.

The Acu Community Youth SACCO’s appeal comes at a time when national and district leaders are actively mobilizing youths to form registered groups as the primary entry point for accessing government socio-economic empowerment programmes.

According to the youths leadership, such Youth-Led Community SACCOs and Organized Groups help the youths to gain access to collateral-free and low-interest credit, acquire financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills, receive peer-led psychosocial support that reduces suicide and drug abuse, develop leadership and governance competencies, build social capital, and secure a sustainable platform for self-employment and wealth creation.

Seven primary schools in Zombo District have been awarded a total of UGX 280 million for school infrastructure improvement and institutional strengthening through Alochi ku Somu II project, implemented by a consortium of NGO’s comprising Community Empowerment for Rural Development (CEFORD), Life Concern, and Nebbi NGO-Forum with funding from COOPERAID, swiss based Non governmental organization.

The awards were presented on Tuesday, 9 December 2025, during a ceremony at Rest Inn Hotel, Paidha Town Council, presided over by Zombo District Inspector of Schools, Mr Silvio Jalar.

In the Educational Promotion category, Destiny Nursery and Primary School emerged top and received UGX 55 million, while Kango Primary School was awarded UGX 35 million.

In the Institutional Accountability category, the winners were: Awusonzi Primary School – UGX 55 million (1st)
Zombo Lower Primary School – UGX 45 million (2nd)
Alube Primary School – UGX 40 million (3rd)
Ogalo Primary School – UGX 30 million (4th)
Ari Primary School – UGX 20 million (5th)

Speaking at the event, CEFORD Project Officer Ms. Juliet Pirango explained the rigorous and competitive selection process: “This project is a competitive one that people compete for. You very well know that in our calls for applications we invite schools to apply and then after your applications are submitted, verification is done by the project staff who report to the jury which is an independent body and presides over the selection of the schools. So we underwent those processes.”

She revealed that out of 29 schools that picked application forms, 25 were returned, but one was disqualified for having previously benefited from the project, leaving 24 eligible applicants.

An independent jury then selected the final seven winners.

Ms. Pirango warned beneficiary schools against misuse of funds, stating, “deviation from intended project” would amount to corruption and resource mismanagement. She urged school leaders to cooperate with political leaders and mobilize communities for successful implementation.

District Community Development Officer and Jury Chairperson Mr. Samuel Ocaki emphasized “collaborative leadership to ensure effective resource utilization” and commended COOPERAID “for their continuous support towards education sector in Zombo.”

CEFORD Project Coordinator Mr. John Bosco Okaya announced that the awarded funds will be held in an escrow account managed by CEFORD to prevent financial mismanagement.

He advised school heads “to organize award winning ceremony” at school level to enlighten and sensitize stakeholders on cost-sharing basis and objectives for effective project implementation.

Nebbi NGO-Forum Project Officer Mr. Alfred Ogenmungu and Life Concern representative Mr. Denis Ocuna both pledged continued capacity building for teachers, School Management Committees (SMCs), and youth skills development.

The project is now concluding its 2025 phase, having supported schools in Warr, Atyak, Zombo Town Council, Paidha Sub-County, and Paidha Town Council.

“Here we have come to witness the award of 2026 schools. We are just completing 2025 implementation this month, so from next year we shall move to other sub-counties,” Mr. Okaya explained.

In 2026, the project will cover Alangi, Zeu, Kango, Aka, and Zombo Town Council, while the final phase in 2027 will target Nyapea, Athuma, Jangokoro, Abanga, and Padea Town Council , completing support to 21 schools across all 15 sub-counties of Zombo District over three years.

The Alochi ku Somu II initiative continues to address critical challenges in Zombo’s education sector, where most of the district’s 92 government-aided primary schools suffer from dilapidated infrastructure, a dropout rate of up to 10%, and high incidences of teenage pregnancy and early marriage.

COOPERAID, a Swiss non-governmental organization, has been a long-term development partner in Zombo District, focusing on education, water and sanitation, and community empowerment.

Through the Alochi ku Somu project series, COOPERAID channels Swiss funding and technical support via local implementing partners CEFORD, Life Concern, and Nebbi NGO-Forum to rehabilitate crumbling school infrastructure, strengthen school governance structures (SMCs and PTAs), enhance teacher and learner capacity, and promote institutional accountability and educational quality across the district.

By Brenda Acen

Zombo District – Women and youth members of the Kaya Women’s Group under Kaya Church of Uganda, Kaya Parish, Nebbi Anglican Diocese, have been highly commended for sustaining a comprehensive empowerment and microfinance initiative for over 27 years despite numerous challenges.

During a project monitoring and follow-up visit, Hon. Catherine Akumu Mavenjina, Member of Parliament representing Older Persons (Northern Region) and Board Member of the National Strategy for the Advancement of Rural Women in Uganda (NSARWU), praised the elderly mothers for their unwavering commitment to social transformation.

Hon. Mavenjina, who is also a board member of NSARWU, an NGO founded by H.E. the First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni , urged the group to take up greater political, social, and economic leadership roles to achieve gender parity.

She highlighted the multi-sectoral training package under the microfinance scheme, which includes piggery, poultry keeping, handicrafts, adult literacy, drama for social mobilization, Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) practices, and climate-smart agriculture, all aimed at building women’s capacity for decision-making at household and community levels.

Key Benefits eported by the beneficiaries included Improved household income and ability to pay school fees, including for the girl child , Construction of permanent homestead structures , Community infrastructure development: church offices, cemented church floor, women’s resource centre, and kitchen Enhanced food security and nutrition through diversified livelihoods , Strengthened social capital and leadership skills among rural women.

Group Chairperson Ms. Eunice Uvon, thanked NSARWU for the support that began in 1998, noting that proceeds from group enterprises have transformed lives and remain sustainable.

Group Secretary Ms. Betty Wanican confirmed tangible contributions to church and community infrastructure.

Mr. Patrick Sirali, representing the Office of the First Lady through NSARWU, explained that the intervention focuses on economic empowerment, education of children (especially girls), and improving the overall well-being of rural women and children, critical preconditions for national development.

Zombo Resident District Commissioner Mr. Festus Ayikobua called on the community to protect development projects from corruption and urged members to mentor the youth for future leadership roles.

Established in 1994 with 50 members, Kaya Women’s Group has benefited from technical support in agriculture and livestock from partners including Women Empowerment Programme (UWEP), Send a Cow, NARO, the Sub-County, and Sasakawa Africa Association.

According to the leadership, the initiative demonstrates the long-term impact of integrated social protection, economic empowerment, and gender mainstreaming interventions in rural settings.

Lions Clubs International District 104B Norway, through Lions Aid Norway and local implementing partner Spice of Life Uganda (NGO), has commissioned a modern apiary and horticulture demonstration site at St. Aloysius College Nyapea in a project valued at over UGX 342 million.

The initiative, facilitated by the Lions Club of Nyapea (predominantly former students of the college), targets 520 learners, 38 teaching and non-teaching staff, and over 5,000 surrounding community members in Mission Centre Village, Oyeyo Parish, Nyapea Sub-County, Zombo District.

“For years, we’ve struggled to provide our students with practical skills in agriculture. This project will not only enhance our curriculum but also provide our students with a viable source of income. A lot of money has been sunk there by the donors; we count ourselves lucky because we got in touch with such donors. We are the only school in Zombo district to have such a project that teaches hands on skills,” said Brother Paul Nantinda, Headteacher, St. Aloysius College Nyapea.

The four-year phased intervention includes site clearance, drilling of a production well, solar-powered drip irrigation, greenhouse establishment, open-field farming, and now the launch of a commercial apiary.

Future phases will incorporate zero-grazing dairy, staple crop cultivation, micro-climate management, and fruit orchards to serve as a model for climate-smart agriculture and income-generating activities.

Edward Jawiambe, President of Lions Club of Nyapea, explained: “This is a four-year project that will be enrolled in phases. Phase one included site clearance, drilling of a production well, establishment of a solar powered drip irrigation system, setting up a greenhouse and start of open field farming. The launch of the apiary marks the start of the second phase. We’re hoping to establish a strong beekeeping club and encourage more students to get involved in sustainable agriculture.”

In the last 12 months, Lions Aid Norway has additionally facilitated drilling of five boreholes (UGX 125 million) serving five communities in Zombo District and provided Nyapea Girls Primary School with 50 desks and an eight-stance VIP latrine as part of gender-responsive WASH programming.

Senior Five learner Greenfield Pirwoth stated: “I’m so excited to learn about beekeeping and how to produce honey. I want to start my own beekeeping business and sell the honey to local markets. It will help me pay for my education and support my basic needs so that I don’t over rely on my parents.”

Senior Three student Honest Mugisa added: “The greenhouse will make me learn how to plant different crops on the same piece of land separating it into plots. This project is giving me the opportunity to learn new skills and apply them in a practical way. I’m also excited to see how beekeeping can help me improve my family’s livelihood.”

David Mutayisa, Country Director, Spice of Life Uganda, noted: “The apiary project is a great example of how sustainable agriculture can improve food security and income for families.”

Joseph Male, Executive Director of The Avail Group (technical partner), highlighted value-addition components: “This project will not only focus on honey production but several other products like bee wax, bee venom, propolis and bee wine amongst others through value addition.”

Total investment by Spice of Life Uganda and partners in the college and surrounding interventions exceeds UGX 500 million.

Similar ongoing projects include the Eruba Agriculture Centre of Excellence (Arua), demonstration gardens at Anyiribu Primary School (Madi-Okollo) and Arua Regional Remand Home, plus 30 community boreholes across West Nile.

The Nyapea apiary and horticulture project is expected to create a ripple effect, equipping learners with entrepreneurial skills in beekeeping and sustainable farming while serving as a community training hub for improved livelihoods and resilience.

The Uganda Agribusiness Alliance (UAA) has launched a three-day refresher training in Paidha, Zombo District, bringing together eighteen (18) farmers and 6 Community Based Trainers (CBTs) from six Micro Stations across Arua, Nebbi, and Zombo Districts.

The training, being held at Daudi Courts in Paidha Town Council from November 19-23rd, 2025, provides a foundation of the closeout and sustainability activities of a five-year project under the onion value chain development implemented in the West Nile sub-region.

Day One of the training has opened with practical sessions aimed at strengthening farmers’ skills in onion and garlic agronomy, climate-smart agricultural practices, post-harvest handling, value addition, business development, and financial management.

These components form the core of the ongoing effort to equip smallholder farmers with the knowledge and capacity needed to produce high-quality onions for competitive markets.

Speaking at the opening session, Kukunda Medias, Consultant Agronomist with the Uganda Agribusiness Alliance, welcomed the farmers and underscored the significance of the training as the project enters its final phase.

“This refresher training is designed to reinforce the knowledge and practical skills farmers have gained over the last five years,” she said, adding, “Our focus over these three days is to ensure that farmers continue to improve productivity, adopt climate-smart practices, build their capacity in value addition and effectively position their onions for wider market opportunities at national, regional and global level.”

Kukunda also urged farmers to frequently consult each other for the extension of more knowledge and increased production.

Farmers actively participated as knowledgeable facilitators on onion farming pumped them with extensive knowledge that will help them blossom the lucrative onion production in future.

Meanwhile Moses Openjmungu, an Agricultural Officer for Zombo town council, noted the timely coming in of project, highlighting that the area is facing challenges in horticultural production.

Openjmungu challenged farmers to ensure the project impact their lives, calling for “sustainability and application of value addition and prevention of post harvest losses”, equally rallying for shared knowledge and consultation amongst farmers to circumvent avoidable agricultural losses.

The training initiative forms part of the broader “Power of Voices Project” (PvP), started in 2020 and due to end in December 2025, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Oxfam and implemented by UAA in partnership with the Agency for Community Empowerment (AFCE), SEATINI Uganda, ESAFF Uganda, and CSBAG Uganda.

Since its inception, the project has strengthened and built capacity of 1,388 (665 female, 723 male) farmers under the onion value chain through advocacy activities, trainings on global GAP, seed support and exchange and learning visits to seasoned onion farmers in the West Nile region.

They have also been supported to enhance their access to market, and adopt better agronomic, postharvest handling, financial and business management practices.

The objectives of the training under the “Power of Voices project” (PvP) is to strengthen farmers and Community based trainers capacity in post harvest handling on garlic and Onion, build capacity of farmers in onion and garlic production on agronomic practices, enhance knowledge on value addition, financial and business management, prepare farmers and partners for project closure and sustainability of interventions, promote adoption of best practices to improve incomes, reduce losses and enhance competitions.

As activities continue over the next two days, farmers will be trained and enhanced on their production skill for the garlic value chain and continue to build their capacity on business development discussions, and financial management sessions designed to strengthen their ability to operate profitable and sustainable minority enterprises in the region.

Many participants expressed optimism about applying the new skills to improve their production and access better markets.

Uganda is a low-income country with a predominantly agrarian economy. Since Agriculture remains the backbone of national development, employing over 70 per cent of the population, the majority of whom reside in rural areas, the Uganda Agribusiness Alliance reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to supporting farmers beyond the life of the project, noting that the gains made over the last five years provide a strong foundation for continued growth in the onion sector across the West Nile region.