International development work requires trust and strong relationships with local partners. These relationship take time and effort to develop and cultivate. Before we rush into a new development project in Lyantonde, Uganda, important questions remain unanswered:
1) What are the objectives of the development project?
2) Who are the local partners that will help us implement the project?
3) What is the budget of the project?
4) How is the project sustainable?
5) What role is the community playing in designing the project?
6) How does the project address the needs and draw upon the assets of the community?
At Project FOCUS, we decided that the best way to answer these questions honestly and completely was to to send a long term volunteer back to Uganda for at least one year. This volunteer, in collaboration with community members of Lyantonde, will create the plans for a sustainable development project that will be implemented in the near future.
The primary goals of the volunteer are to identify community-development projects; nurture pre-existing relationships with organizations and visionaries in Lyantonde and the capital city of Kampala; cultivate new relationships; and establish a continual and active presence in the community.
The volunteer traveling to Uganda in September 2008, is Grant Buhr, a sound engineer and artist with 7 months of experience working with Project FOCUS in Uganda.
The estimated 1 year budget to support the volunteer totals $9,758. Costs include health, transportation, communication, living, meeting expenses, and emergency. Estimates have been derived from travel expenses incurred during Project FOCUS' trip to Uganda in 2007 where detailed financial statements were maintained. A more complete breakdown of the budget is available on the attached pdf document.
Help us support our volunteer with a generous donation!
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