Liberty Development Foundation

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 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.

LIDEFO supports 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.

LIDEFO Pursues capacity building development to propel and sustain social and economic changes in human development and the ecological preservation as essential dimensions of human development and well-being at community and household level as the overarching

Our Vision is “A Multi-skilled Society with Competence to Stir up Development”.

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 his or her 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

CURRENT PROGRAMS

(1) LIBERTY COLLEGE - LIBERTY TRAINING AND EDUCATION PROGRAM (LITRECP) Liberty College was established in the year 2004, “It Stands to prepare leaders for the next Generation”. Its Board and Staff are working to engage the interest of our people providing them with entrepreneurial skills and experience they need to improve our world and invent a better future anticipating for a poverty free society.

The college offers vocational & professional skills leading to award of a certificate & diploma in various fields that enhance economic development leading to poverty eradication.

2. LIBERTY ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM (LEEP)

Liberty Development foundation in its broader Micro Income Generation Activities (MIGA) approach to development has considered the youth and women as one of the most disadvantaged group in the community. Currently the organisation is running a microfinance scheme to boost small income generation activities. The youth and women group comprises of over thirty-five members who directly benefit from the revolving fund.

This is to advance eradication of extreme poverty and hunger through a strategy to strengthen household food security and exploring local, national and international marketing opportunities for income generation. The rural poor farmers, if properly mobilized and educated on the use of the available natural resource with minimal financial or material support on the other hand, can benefit from higher food prices because with such assistance majority are able to produce more than they consume. However, many lack the resources to do so, in part because they do not have access to technical assistance and the basic inputs and poor infrastructure.

Liberty Development Foundation would like to expand into a multi-approach strategy to be able to combat extreme poverty and hunger by participating in food production and promote broader marketing opportunity, for sufficient income generation. We shall promote but not limited to the following: -

Beekeeping and honey processing Fruit planting and Juice processing Poultry keeping and marketing Piggery keeping, and bacon processing Cattle and Goat rearing and marketing Cereals and grains growing and marketing

3. 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 PROGRAMS

3. Liberty Ecological Diversity Preservation and Renewable Energy Program LIDEFO is to provide education and technical assistance so that others will be empowered to use renewable energy technologies. Renewable energy resources of solar, biogas and water can improve the quality of life and promote sustainable development throughout the world. Renewable energy systems are practical, reliable, cost-effective, and healthier for people and the environment LIDEFO acknowledges the fact that Uganda has been experiencing climate changes, which have caused the disappearance of water bodies, depletion of forests and decline in food production as well as increase droughts. The country has equally been affected by global warming and greenhouse gases, which have caused temperature to rise, within the Rwenzori region hence affecting the rainfall cycle and Kasese District being most affected.

Since the global warning was declared an international disaster it has been projected that over 80% of Uganda will become a desert in less than 100 years if the current climate changes are not addressed. Therefore, Liberty Development Foundation in support of conserving our land for future generations has actively involved in protecting and supporting the communities in which we live through farm forestry, a practice that encourages fruit tree planting and inter-cropping for nutrition promotion.

The organisation is intensifying a wider community conservation programs aimed at safeguarding our country’s environment and its natural resource. It is seeking for support towards an ecological sustainable system, which is going to introduce biogas energy and solar system that will provide alternative energy for lighting and cooking for families in our community to combat deforestation.

Basing on the increase in the bi-products from farming, household and public waste the organization envisages sustainability in an effort to offer alternative ecological technologies, that will environmental protection and promote local industry depended on bio gas and solar energy. Specific Programs: Renewable Energy Education Program through workshops shall offer a hands-on / how-to style, primarily at our Liberty training facility conduct classroom and laboratory work complemented by case studies, field tours and professional installations with real equipment in real settings. Industry experts in renewable energy technologies shall provide instruction to the rural communities via LIDEFO team. c. Project Development and Management:

LIDEFO shall assist organizations in planning and implementing renewable energy applications for sustainability in health care, agriculture, education and economic development and environmental protection projects. d. Technology Transfer Programs: personnel shall have to develop comprehensive training and installation outreaches for transferring renewable and alternative energy technologies to communities influencing decision makers, technicians and end-users. Custom programs are to be developed to meet particular program needs. e. Renewable Energy Training Programs for Women:

LIDEFO's "Women and Renewable Energy Program" shall facilitate technology transfer and project development for women around the Rwenzori and Western region of Uganda, hence DR Congo. Training programs for women shall teach the fundamentals of renewable energy technologies to equip women with the necessary skills to participate in the design, installation and maintenance of systems in their homes and communities. Intensive training programs shall be made available for women to develop marketable skills in renewable energy applications. f. Bio-gas and Solar in the Schools:

LIDEFO's Biogas and Solar in the Schools program targets secondary schools and focuses on offering alternative sources of power and energy to reduce on deforestation, and costs on electricity. The goal is to cut down of the number of tree cutting, combat carbon gas emissions, and have students understand energy as it relates to all living things on the planet. Biogas and solar program shall emphasize critical thinking skills by exploring energy choices, costs and solutions within individual communities.

APEAL

We are seeking dedicated volunteers to join The Liberty Development Foundation (LIDEFO) in the western district of Kasese, an NGO that focuses on improving the lives of many by offering skills that will facilitate the process of eradicating hunger and extreme poverty. We have a number of volunteering roles available ranging from 4 weeks to 2 years and we require skilled DEVELOPMENT WORKERS. The specific areas we require assistance in are:

• Beekeeping
• Information Systems and Technology
• Education (we are in need of teachers/tutors for our College)
• Communication
• Business management and development
• Project management
• Environment conversation and preservation
• Marketing and fundraising