On Monday we went with the photographer and videographer to Ngora to
capture more success stories and to profile one of the longest tenure business
mentors working for the organization.
Ngora is about an hour to hour and a half away from the office. Compared to Katakwi and other locations, it’s
considered an easier drive, by African standards anyway. Still navigating the roads there is tricky and requires a lot of
concentration to avoid the massive potholes and numerous split second decisions about where best to go when portions of
asphalt are intermittent. I didn't always pick the best routes... But we made it there and back safely.
First stop: Barnyard Bonanza!
As we arrived at our first stop, we were told that when the business mentor attempted to mobilize just a few
business groups from one of the villages to meet with us, the business owners were adamant
that they ALL wanted to come to share their stories.
 |
| Business owners raising their hands when asked who had experienced improvements in their lives since receiving their grants |
And to demonstrate proof of their success, they also brought
all of their livestock (as most in this group had livestock businesses) to the one compound where we were meeting. This
was by far, one of my favorite experiences here in Africa to date. It was so cool to 1) see everyone together
with their businesses, and 2) hear about their successes and challenges and
passion to continue to work to improve their lives and the future for their children.
It was also sheer madness as everyone maneuvered around to
get into their groups of three business owners, each with their animals in tow. There was lots of baying from the goats and
sheep and loads of unhappy squeals/screams from put out piggies.
 |
| Directing business owners and their animals |
 |
| Business owner wrangling her animals |
 |
| Business owners arranging themselves |
 |
| More chaos |
Once business owners were arranged into their business groups, stories of their trials and successes were shared and photos taken.
 |
| Cheering business owners with their animals |
 |
| Business owners with goats |
 |
| Business owner with his pigs |
 |
| Business owners with sheep |
There were also some baby sheep and goats that were so cute, including
one sheep that had just been born 3 days ago.
 |
| Mother and baby sheep |
 |
| Business owner with her baby and a baby sheep |
Next we went to see some business owners who had a very successful turkey business. It took a little while for them to rustle the turkeys out from the bush around the compound and bring them in for us to see (apparently one of the children had accidentally let the turkeys out of their pen shortly before we arrived). Two of the males must have gotten excited by the activity and had themselves a bit of turkey smackdown. Their fighting had to be quelled by the business owners and they were quickly separated.
 |
| Business owners using sticks to coax the turkeys from the bush into the compound |
 |
| The males all had an odd skin growth hanging down from their beaks |
 |
| Turkey Fight!!! |
 |
| Business owner breaking up the fight |
Third Stop: More tailoring success
After the turkeys, we traveled to one of the Ngora town centers to interview a woman who had started a successful
tailoring shop. She had a similar story to the woman, Hellen, who we had recently profiled, in that she had attained great success from a tailoring businesses. She then shared her fortune with others by teaching other women how to be tailors. Throughout the interview, her beautiful baby sat on her lap.
 |
| Former grant recipient and her baby |
After the interview we drove with her to her compound to see where she lived and the improvements in her home since she received her grant several years ago. Though, I was really nervous driving with her sitting in the front seat with her baby on her lap and no seatbelt or child seat!
 |
| Showing the home she lived in before the grant on the left and her new home she built after the grant on her right |
 |
| Inside her new home with her children |
Fourth Stop: Fruit Tree Farming
Next we went to visit a business group that had started a very successful citrus farming business. It was a pretty crazy drive to get there on a foot path where I don't think another 4-wheeled vehicle had ever passed.
 |
| My parking job in a field |
 |
| Business owner with his son in the orchard surrounding their compound |
Over the years since starting their business, they had diversified into also growing vegetables and rearing chickens.
I am amazed for I know you are going from your office/home to a village an hour or more away with no highway signs or road map and certainly no GPS! Only directions are turn at this tree or hut or bear left or right. No one can fathom the road system or lack there of until you have been there yourself. You rock Kim!!! Love Aunt Betty
ReplyDeleteThanks Aunt Betty!! Yeah, it is pretty crazy, especially since I have a really bad sense of direction. Fortunately I usually have someone with me to help direct me, though they like to test me to see if I remember how to get to where we're going. ;)
ReplyDelete