Sustainable Agriculture for Rural Development Network (SARD-Net) is working in all the 4 regions of Uganda using the Cell strategy to rural development. A total of 13 cells covering 38 districts of Uganda have been initiated and these cells are working with rural communities across the country. The 13 cells established are facilitating 40 communities in all the 4 regions of Uganda. Through the cell structure, members support each other in the mobilization of their respective villages and they act as catalysts in the development process while community members work for their development through participatory processes. At the end of the process, target communities are empowered. The Network is currently working with a total of over 30,000 smallholder farmers across the country. Through the cell structure, target village members have been facilitated to initiate development initiatives using locally available resources.
1) 40 Target Villages
So far, 40 villages selected from the 13 cells have been mobilized. 13 of these communities were selected in 2013 and a baseline survey was conducted for each of the 13 villages. In 2016, another 27 villages were selected making a total of 40 villages.
Each of the 40 villages is mobilized by a SARD-Net member called the mobilizer. His/her role is to sensitize village members on the essence of working together as a community for development of households and the community.
If the village members get interested in working together, the mobilizer facilitates formation of a formal development structure for the village and later the village structure is legalized. The mobilizer then works with the cell, and the National Secretariat, to build capacity of the village development structure to a level where the village members are able to implement development interventions for the village.
The village is facilitated to identify and use locally available resources for development. Later, they are connected to development agencies for support to complement local development efforts.
2) Geographical Development Projects
SARD-Net in partnership with Trocaire is implementing a project in Lokung and Paloga Sub counties, Lamwo District, Acholi Sub-Region, Northern Uganda. The title of the project is Sustainable Resource Utilization and Management (SURUMA).
The project aims at working with vulnerable men and women in the project area to achieve sustainable and resilient livelihoods through promotion of agro ecology. The project targets 36 villages in the parishes of Dibolyec and Parapono in Lokung Sub County and Paloga and Pawaja in Paloga sub county.
This project started on the 1st of March 2017 and was inaugurated on 17, May 2017 during a meeting that sensitized local government leaders of Lamwo district about the intervention of the project in the district.
3) 13 SARD-Net Cells
SARD-Net is composed of 13 cells. These are the ones to which the 130 SARD-Net members belong. They are distributed across the country as follows:
Northern Uganda
- Adjumani Cell (Adjumani and Moyo Districts)
- Arua Cell (Arua, Koboko and Yumbe Districts)
- Nezo Cell (Nebbi, Zombo and Pakwach Districts)
- Gulu Cell (Gulu, Lira, Agago, Omoro, Lamwo and Nwoya Districts).
Western Uganda
- Hoima Cell (Hoima and Masindi Districts)
- Kibaale south ( Kagadi and Kibaale Districts)
- Kibaale North ( Kakumiro District)
- Mbarara Cell (Mbarara, Isingiro and Ibanda Districts)
- Kabale Cell (Kabale and Kanungu, Rukungiri and Mitooma Districts)
Central Uganda
- Masaka Cell (Kalungu, Masaka and Rakai Districts)
- Jinja Cell (Jinja, Iganga and Kamuli Districts)
- Kwagaliza Cell (Mpigi, Wakiso, Mukono and Kampala Districts)
- Kwewaayo Cell (Kyankwanzi, Mityana and Luweero Districts).
Note: Through the above 13 cells, members come together to plan for cell development and mobilization programmes of the selected villages.