I want to share a story from Mugenyi Ibra, the CEO of the HUNGER FREE NATION INITIATIVE UGANDA. We connected via Zoom recently when he attended some of our on-line sessions on a theme of permaculture and leadership: Ibra is a leader.
Ibra has a vision to integrate sustainable farming with smart food growing systems to underpin an educational and therapeutic environment for orphaned and disadvantaged children in his district, which is just North of Kampala, Uganda.
He is an ambitious thinker, an idealist, and a highly compassionate person. I personally think the world needs people right now who can think big in this way, but essentially those who can direct their ambitions into supporting community and do this is a most inclusive way, focussing on the most vulnerable of its members opens up possibilities for all parts of a community.
Ibra talks of his passionate need to find genuinely sustainable, healing, regenerative ways for communities to be able to meet their own needs, and to do this through permaculture design. To create new models, new templates, and a whole range of new possibilities by thinking in these ways, with of course the hope and intention to inspire others at the same time. The vision is to blend education, with care, around activities of food production and processing, all of this through regenerative farming, permaculture design and co-operation on a community wide scale.
There are many orphaned children in Uganda, and with a low median age across the population, there are also many young carers. This leads rapidly to individuals living in increasingly precarious and vulnerable situations. As much as we might wish for it, we can never solve these kinds of realities by throwing money at them, even if that were an option; clearly the sustainable outcome must be the product of the application of permaculture design thinking. Bottom-up solutions, based on increasing food security through land rehabilitation and the utilisation of wastes. Increasing productivity comes over time as organic systems develop, open new possibilities and create a surplus for re-investment, and thus the possibility of sustainability.
Creative ideas and approaches to addressing these realities also must be compatible with economical, ecological, and social constraints. The vision is of a school that can grow much of their own food as part of their curriculum, that can reinvest their own surpluses to the long-term social benefit of their stakeholders certainly is a wonderful goal to aim for.
Something very much in line with the Permaculture ethics.
Care for the Earth,
Care for the people,
Strategic reinvestment of surplus.
From conversations I have through teaching, courses, feedback and research I can say there are also a great many potential leaders out there, drawn from the economic edges and hinterlands of our world who can potentially energize their communities, using similar approaches.
Permaculture offers us organic systems shaped by our own knowledge and interactions and reflect our own priorities and needs. Permaculture design more broadly offers us a world shaped by the end user, guided and informed by an understanding of natural systems.
Step up the Mugenyi Ibra’s of this world!
My name is Mugenyi Ibra
I prefer to refer to myself simply as a “human being.” Embracing this term reminds me of the fundamental connection I share with all individuals, regardless of background, beliefs, or circumstances.
Being just a human being makes us brothers with all humans, fostering empathy, understanding, and a deep sense of responsibility towards our fellow members of the human race. It compels us to approach each interaction with compassion, kindness, and an open mind, recognizing the worth of every individual in our communities.
Through this lens, let us strive to navigate life with humility, integrity, and a commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of those around us. Together, as human beings, we have the capacity to create a more inclusive, equitable, and compassionate world for present and future generations.
Let us embrace our shared identity as human beings and work towards a brighter, more harmonious future together.
Mugenyi Ibra , CEO AT HUNGER FREE NATION INITIATIVE UGANDA
Dear Mr. Steve Jones,
I hope this letter finds you well, my name is Mugenyi Ibra, and I'm reaching out from Uganda as the CEO of HUNGER FREE NATION INITIATIVE UGANDA. Our organization is dedicated to empowering vulnerable children and our community through quality education, sustainable farming practices, and holistic development programs.
I'm writing to humbly request your support in establishing an orphanage secondary school and a sustainable farming project in our community. Our vision is to create a self-sufficient haven where children can thrive, learn, and grow into future leaders. To make this a reality, we need to purchase a suitable piece of land.
Mission:
Our mission is to provide a supportive environment where vulnerable children can access quality education, develop practical skills, and grow into confident, self-sufficient individuals who can break the cycle of poverty and hunger in our community.
Vision:
Our vision is to establish a model orphanage secondary school and sustainable farming project that empowers our children and community members to become future leaders, innovators, and change-makers.
Goals:
Purchase a suitable piece of land for the project
Build an orphanage secondary school with modern facilities
Establish sustainable farming grounds using permaculture, fish keeping, poultry, and other eco-friendly practices -
Implement skills development programs for children and community members -
Provide quality education, healthcare, and nutrition for our children
Aims:
Provide a safe and nurturing environment for vulnerable children
Empower children and community members with practical skills and knowledge
Promote sustainable farming practices and environmental stewardship
Foster a culture of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship
Permaculture Benefits:
Over the last two years, we've seen remarkable benefits from our permaculture initiatives: -
Increased crop yields and diversity -
Improved soil health and fertility -
Enhanced ecosystem services and biodiversity -
Empowered community members with sustainable farming skills -
Provided fresh, nutritious produce for our school and community Farming Explanation: Our farming project will focus on sustainable practices, including: -
Permaculture design and implementation -
Organic farming and crop management -
Agroforestry and tree planting -
Fish keeping and aquaculture -
Poultry keeping and animal husbandry -
Composting and waste management
These practices will not only provide fresh produce but also promote environmental stewardship, improve soil health, and support biodiversity.
To achieve our goals, we're seeking your assistance in setting up a GoFundMe account to raise $20,000, which will cover the cost of buying the land.
This land will be the foundation of our project, enabling us to build a thriving community that can break the cycle of poverty and hunger. Conclusion: Your support would be a significant blessing to our community.
By helping us establish this project, you'll be investing in the future of our children and our community. Together, we can create a brighter future and end hunger and poverty in our community.
Thank you for considering our request. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best regards,
Mugenyi Ibra CEO,
HUNGER FREE NATION INITIATIVE UGANDA
I salute you Mugenyi Ibra!
You have a great vision and the boldness to communicate it in your clear voice. I hope that in posting this we can begin a conversation that might draw in many others, who also might be able help you work towards your goals.
Building a funding campaign, such as you the one you envision takes building a platform of supporters and advocates as a first step. Develop your vision and your ability to communicate it, but also develop as many connections as possible both locally and globally to help set your campaign in motion quickly and brightly when you are fully ready to first launch it. I guess this is what you have begun doing already in reaching out to me, and we can hope to continue that process, but lessons learned already tell me it is essential to get this right from the start.
For crowdfunding to work, you need a crowd, that means reaching lots of people at once. The aim is of course to create an interest and a buzz around your story in a way that it is engaging to those seeing your campaign, enough to find themselves wanting to take part. You also need to reach let us say 30% of your hoped-for total very early on for the campaign to keep growing. Or let us say that is the advice you are given by the platform; this also gives a sense of the scale of what you realistically might be able to achieve through such campaign. I have limited experience in this field, but I am learning fast via the school of hard knocks!
I also know you are not unique in having a vision such as this; in wanting to help people and wanting to use permaculture in a holistic way to create an integrated community such as you have shared your aspirations with us here.
I would hope that your story may be one of a 1000 others that are also being considered right now around the world, and in telling this story we are helping contribute to a much wider momentum and force for positive change.
Wonderful to read and good to know people such as Mugenyi are engaged in regenerative initiatives toward self sufficiency- heartening indeed - thanks Steve for sharing this story 🙏