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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Liberty Development Foundation (LIDEFO) is a community based organisation founded in 2002, by a group of men and women in Kasese Town Council, Kasese District to address the challenges of poor education and socio-economic incompetence which were rampant. LIDEFO is membership organisation which currently has thirty five members from Kasese Town Council, Kilembe and Mahango Sub-counties.

LIDEFO is set to unlock the Potentials of people, improving their lives through Training & Education; empowering them as Individuals with skills that will improve people’s economic status & Strengthen Participatory Development.

Liberty Development Foundation (LIDEFO) was set to support practices that accelerate the progress of human development with a view to eradicate poverty for sustainable development, equitable and sustained economic growth, and capacity development. This means that all LIDEFO technical support, advocacy, and contributions to strengthening coherence in rural and urban development must be aimed at one end result: real improvements in people’s lives and in the alternatives and opportunities open to them.

Central to the human development approach are the concept of human empowerment, which, in addition to income, treats access to education and health care, respect for diversity, protection from violence, and the preservation of the environment as essential dimensions of human development and well-being at community and household level.

The Millennium pronouncement and other summits have provided the global community with a solid set of values which must guide all our work. They have also set the benchmarks for solid levels of advancement to be achieved by 2015. As LIDEFO formulates its strategic plan, 2009-2013, we must expose on these values and goals, and also on the major global and national concerns that continue to pose obstacles to development.

The 2009 – 2013 Strategic Plan, sets an overall direction for LIDEFO operations in its support to program sub counties that:
(a) Support program sub counties, within the framework of project ownership, to achieve household development objectives related to the goal of accelerating progress on human development over the next five years.

(b) Highlights the urgent need for additional efforts by the international community to make the accomplishment of the globally agreed development goals, including the MDGs actuality by 2015 for all developing countries but particularly for the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries like Uganda.

(c) Emphasizes support to capacity development for effective aid management, which contribute to development effectiveness in LIDEFO activities leading to enhanced national and local capacities for human development and achievement of the MDGs.

d) Uses inclusive and sustainable growth, as its connecting theme to place particular concentration on those that are being left utter mostly at the back in a world of increasing affluence but exploding inequality.

(e) Articulates LIDEFO roles in line with its mandate defined through the development process: (i) To support the coordination and enhancement of community development and; (ii) To provide knowledge, advocacy skills, and technical support in four focus areas on the basis of good practice and comparative advantage: poverty reduction, governance, crisis prevention and education and training for recovery, and environment and sustainable development.

(f) Pursues capacity building development to propel and sustain social and economic changes in human development as the overarching

(g) Promotes the mainstreaming of gender equality and women’s empowerment throughout its programs as an important means to achieve development strategies

(h) Allows for evaluation of program and management results to ensure accountability of LIDEFO in terms of outcomes.
(i) Anticipates seeing regular and other resources, in line with the strategic plan, to: (i) support program activities; (ii) ensure effective program implementation; (iii) facilitate LIDEFO coordination; and (iv) support management functions.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

To stir up the power of humanity improving their livelihoods through training and education that empowers the life of an individual and enhances social economic development

OUR VISION
“A Multi-skilled Society with Competence to Stir up Development”

OUR GOAL

To unlock the Potentials of our people, improving their lives through Training & Education; empowering them as Individuals with skills that will improve and Strengthen Participatory Development

OUR MOTTO: Service Before Self

OUR VALUES
? We Believe that People Working Together Can Achieve Positive & Lasting Change
? We Value Partnership Based on Integrity & Respect
? We Value the Innovation & Creativity Generated by Shared Skills
? We Value Transparency & Accountability
? We Value Commitment to Teaching &Transfer of Concepts
? We Believe that Everyone Must Be Able to Exercise their Fundamental Human Rights.


OUR OBJECTIVES
To offer training and education that enriches and empowers the life of and individual and strengthens communities

To mobilize resources for Institutional Capacity Building

To promote accessibility and use of information, communication technology

To promote health and environmental protection

To impart vocational and professional skills for improved living standards

To improve on the rural standard of education to match with national level

OUR MANDATE

? Liberty Development Foundation derives its mandate from the Board of Director and the governing policies of the organisation.

? The organisation has got a constitution as the principle guiding instrument.

CURRENT PROJECTS

(1) LIBERTY COLLEGE

Liberty College was established in the year 2004 with four students, currently it has a population of about forty students,” It Stands to Prepare Leaders for the Next Generation of”; working to engage the interest of our youth and women providing them with entrepreneurship skills and experience they need to improve our world and invent a better future anticipating for a poverty free society.

Liberty College was started to unlock the potentials of the people, improving their lives through training; empowering them as individuals with practical skills that will enable the rural communities start income generating activities for improved livelihoods strengthening participatory development.

The college offers vocational & professional skills leading to award of a certificate & diploma in various fields that enhance economic development leading to poverty eradication. Both the young and old are direct beneficiaries of this institution for community participatory development.

The institution is located in the heart of Kasese Town Council in Kasese District in the western region of Uganda, about 500 Km from Kampala.




(2) BEE KEEPING PROJECTS

There are over 400 prospective farmers in the sub-counties of Mahango, Kilembe, Rukoki and Muhokya who are capable to supply a minimum amount of 2,500 Kilograms (2.5 tons) per harvest.

LIDEFO working towards improving the current local beehives of its members to produce honey in large quantity for increase income at household level, the projected harvest in the next 2 years is presumed to the tune of 5,000 kilograms (5 tons) per harvest.

Prospective harvest per sub-county which can be increased enable individual households to increase incomes.

No Sub-county No farmers No of beehives Harvest in Kgs Projected increase Harvest in Kgs
5@ member 13Kg 15 @ member 26Kg
Mahango 150 750 9,750 1500 1 9,500
Kilembe 100 500 6,500 1000 13,000
Rukoki 50 250 3,250 500 6,500
Muhokya 50 250 3,250 500 6,500

Total 400 2,000 26,000 4,000 45,500

(3) MICRO INCOME GENERATION ACTIVITIES
Liberty Development foundation in its broader approach to development has considered the youth and women as one of the most disadvantaged group in the community, therefore decided take up programs that enhance social and economic development activities among women. Currently the organisation is running a microfinance scheme and other income generation activities. The youth and women group comprises of over thirty five members who directly benefit from the revolving fund.

Contact person Daniel Ngangasi II
Email litrec_dan@yahoo.co.uk
Phone. +256 772 629 673