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Achievements

Achievements to date

Within a year of starting from scratch, principally using short-term volunteers, in this post-conflict zone with negligible services and working closely with exceptionally deprived ex-Internally Displaced People (IDP), BCCT has helped to establish AIVI with a local board of Trustees; and on 36 acres allocated by village elders has created a farm with six staff and six tenant farmers, organised as per the national policy of group community farming principles, from which many key lessons have been learnt. New techniques are demonstrated in a horticultural area, with fencing using 100 Jatropha bushes which produce nuts that can be crushed to provide oil for cooking stoves and lamps, an orchard with 200 fruit trees using planting techniques largely new to the area and which, within two months and without supervision, were copied 314 times by local residents. Plans have been made to start a softwood forest nursery to include fast-growing grevilia from which branches can be savagely cut without destroying the trunk.

In addition and using local trainers trained by emergency NGOs now withdrawing¹, 45 ex-IDPs have been trained in dry stone walling, interlocking stabilised soil block (ISSB)² or carpentry and as a direct bi-product of training have built on site a stone wall classroom and store room, traditional banda with ISSB pillars, ISSB classroom/dormitory and ISSB water tank. In addition a bore hole has been dug, latrines built and the whole surrounded by 700 decorative trees and bushes to give windbreaks and thereby a pleasing learning environment. All trainees have received business training through our local partner Gulu Women's Empowerment Network (GWENET) and with the aid of 1036 masonry and carpentry tools from Tools for Self Reliance UK, are ready to be practised and mentored as self-employed builders and carpenters. Two AIVI staff have been to AGRI, a teaching farm in NW Kenya, to receive agricultural training. AGRI practise high-performance agriculture and will provide advice and training on site at AIVI. In parallel with the farm, the Institute’s Trustees have recreated an Elders’ Clan Parliament and discussion groups to harmonize society with rights and advocacy.

1 The World Food Programme withdrawal is putting considerable pressure on agriculture but they have donated ISSB presses to AIVI. Norwegian Refugee Council, International Rescue Committee and International Committee of the Red Cross will go soon – but not before skills are being transferred to AIVI, so far in the provision of local trainers in ISSB and carpentry.

2 ISSBs are mud bricks mixed with c.5% cement and with a press made into rectangles for buildings or curves for water tanks. No firing is needed.