Projects

Sustainable Food Initiative

The Sustainable Food System Initiative aims to transform the local food production and consumption landscape towards a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable model. Kayabwe Town, faces challenges related to food security, environmental degradation, and socio-economic disparities. Through this project, we seek to address these challenges by promoting sustainable agricultural practices, fostering community engagement, and enhancing access to nutritious food options.

Conservation Agriculture (CA) principles serve as a universal framework adaptable to diverse agricultural landscapes and practices, emphasizing locally tailored approaches. A fundamental tenet of CA involves minimizing or altogether avoiding mechanical soil disturbance, while optimizing the application of agro-chemicals and nutrients to support biological processes without disruption. CA promotes sound agronomic practices, ensuring timely operations and enhancing land husbandry for both rain fed and irrigated agricultural systems. When combined with other proven methodologies such as the use of high-quality seeds and integrated management of pests, nutrients, weeds, and water, CA serves as a cornerstone for sustainable agricultural intensification. It offers opportunities for integrating various production sectors, including crop-livestock integration and the incorporation of trees and pastures into agricultural landscapes. Key practices within CA include crop rotation, mulching, cover cropping, and the use of organic fertilizers. Mulching involves the application of natural or synthetic materials onto the soil surface, while cover cropping utilizes leguminous plants like beans and groundnuts to enrich soil fertility and structure. COTI will offer free training in organic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers play a pivotal role in CA, offering numerous advantages such as cost-effectiveness, improved soil texture, enhanced water retention, and stimulation of robust root development. These fertilizers can be derived from various sources, including minerals, animal waste, sewage sludge, and plants. Livestock manure, including farmyard manure and compost, represents valuable organic inputs that can be prepared on different scales, from small-scale home gardens to larger agricultural operations, using a variety of techniques such as compost piles, bins, or barrels. By integrating these sustainable practices, Conservation Agriculture not only fosters soil health and productivity but also promotes resilience, efficiency, and long-term viability in agricultural systems, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of farming communities and landscapes alike.

Since then, we have been asked by many schools to provide them with reusable menstrual pads. Over the past year we have given out hundreds more. It is still our intention to create a social enterprise by selling the pads, however not until everyone who needs some and is without money to pay, has some

Sewing Reusable Menstrual Pads

In 2021, we bought six sewing machines, material, and hired a professional seamstress to teach young adults to sew. The intention of the project was to give young adults a new vocational skill. They began by learning how to make reusable menstrual pads. When they became proficient, they would sell their products for income, as a social enterprise for COTI and our community. There were so many people who needed these pads who were not in a position to purchase them. The first 600 were given away for free to female students in need. But, more were needed.

Since then, we have been asked by many schools to provide them with reusable menstrual pads. Over the past year we have given out hundreds more. It is still our intention to create a social enterprise by selling the pads, however not until everyone who needs some and is without money to pay, has some.

To keep the dream of a social enterprise alive, the group of new seamsters is looking outside of Uganda to sell their reusable pads so they may earn an income as well as continue to provide their products to students.

Advocacy

Being on the forefront of development, we are in the best position to speak about children, what they need to grow and learn, and what they are experiencing each day. We strategically align ourselves with leaders and decision makers to provide information about our community and about our lived experiences. In doing this we are in a position to affect political will and funding.

Mental Health

Most recently we are launching a new initiative: Minds United: Nurturing Resilience, Inspiring Change. Through this initiative we aim to create a supportive and educational platform to foster positive conversations and actions around mental well-being for youth and women.

Why youth and women?
Youth and women encounter distinct challenges that make them more susceptible to mental health issues. In the case of youth, the turbulent phase of transitions and identity formation, coupled with academic pressure, peer influences, and underdeveloped coping skills, can lead to stress, anxiety, and emotional distress. For women, gender-based discrimination, societal roles, and the juggling of multiple responsibilities can result in stress, anxiety, and depression due to feelings of inequality and excessive demands. Hormonal changes during reproductive phases and the prevalence of violence and trauma further impact mental health. Both groups also grapple with barriers to seeking help such as stigma and limited access to resources. Effective solutions require targeted interventions, strong support networks, and awareness initiatives to foster mental well-being and resilience in youth and women alike.