Last month the Board of krma-USPartners met to discuss the findings on Lois’ trip concerning our new collaborative initiative with Day Break Rotary Club of Kampala to assist the over 3000 students attending the 3 primary and 1 secondary government schools in Kobulubulu.  Day Break Rotary of Kampala organized a formal Needs Assessment of the 4 schools in Kobulubulu and made initial inquiries to ensure government and community leaders’ support for our collaborative efforts.  We reviewed their work and adopted the following priorities to inform our part of the collaborative effort to assist these desperately needy schools.

And here are highlights of krma-USPartners’ accomplishments:
·  Awarding of a third scholarship to a daughter of KRMA
·  Sending two KRMA daughters, the only ones attending from the entire District of Kaberamaido, to a Uganda PEER Mentoring Leadership Event to learn how to mentor younger girls back at home in Kobulubulu to stay in school and recognize life choices;
· Beginning an assessment of the needs of three local Kobulubulu schools (two Primary and one Secondary) which are desperately under-resourced, as they share their dreams and describe needs for very basic resources such as food, water access, solar panels for light sources for the teachers, dictionaries, maps, and science equipment.
· Expanding our community connections by entering into a Collaborative Agreement with Day Break Rotary of Kampala and Silver Spring-Kensington Rotary of Maryland.

What a busy season at krma-USPartners! After our most productive trip ever to Kobulubulu and KRMA, we came home with a laundry list of “to do’s” that have kept our volunteers hopping here in the D.C. area.

The women farmers of KRMA are completing their fifth year of the Cassava Project which krma-USPartners has funded since 2013.  The women and their families gathered for a lovely celebration led by KRMA Chairperson Beatrice Anebo and KRMA leader Anne Abago.  After reciting our shared history, they presented us with gifts of beautiful dresses and bags, along with shirts for a couple of the special men at USPartners including Board member David Smock.

krma-USPartners' President Lois Stovall and Vice-President Christine Poulon arrive in Kampala on May 27 after 21 hours of airtravel. Before leaving for Kobulubulu we will need to pick up supplies including enough reusable sanitary Afripad kits to enable over 150 girls to stay in school during their monthly periods. We will also visit with our local supplier of soccer balls and pumps, and other needed items. Whenever we have internet, we will post photos, and a brief narrative. Please "follow" us here  https://www.facebook.com/krmauspartners

In Kobulubulu, Christine will be leading us in our 2018 training event where we seek to take the women "the next needed step" to assist them in becoming entrepreneurs who can grow increasingly efficient with their small businesses.  This year will focus on how budget planning can be a tool to increasing profits. We will let you know how this goes. 

Sunday, April 15, 2018, 11:45 a.m. , Christ Congregational Church in Silver Spring, MD. we will be providing photos and an in depth update for our local supporters. Please join us!

First, our apologies for the long silence in updating all the progress of the Cassava Project.  But while our reporting is slow, our women farmers in Kobulubulu continue to stretch their wings and show signs of initiative and modernization. Agricultural consultant Arthur Kiiza keeps us up to date after his site visits. Plans are underway for Board members here in the U.S. to visit Kobulubulu in early June.

On our trip to Uganda, we also will meet with our two daughters of KRMA members who are attending university in Kampala on scholarship from krma-USPartners!