Breaking the silence

 

Hello ladies and Gentlemen,

I know it has been long and indeed very long since you heard from me but no worries, I am still alive and kicking like they say!

The past few months, or years have been very interesting and I had a lot to learn- maybe i may even be willing to share it with you when i am ready but for now, lets keep it like that.

There have been struggles of growing up and also academic aspirations. Let me leave the former for later and tell you about the academic bit. I got a partial scholarship to do my MBA from my former employer, the Kasiisi project (www.kasiisiproject.org) and i shall forever be grateful for they continue to do wonders in my life. And now as i speak or write, i am almost graduating though they are few hicups but nothing i can't handle.

I am currently doing my research on the factors affecting the sustainability of tea out growing business in Kabarole district. The driving force towards carrying out this research is because agriculture is the backbone of Uganda’s economy and with the country striving to achieve economic development, commercialization of agriculture is an inevitable venture.  One of the chief cash crops in Uganda that it can commercialize is tea. Western Uganda, Kabarole district in particular is gifted with better soils that enhance tea plantations. Tea companies such McLeods Russel (Kiko Factory), Uganda Tea Growers Corporation (UTGC) and Mukwano Tea Company (Buzirasagama Factory) is example of factories in Kabarole District.

According to Irene Kijara   (2007), in her article to the Fair Trade Foundation,  some of these factories solely depend on tea grown by local farmers at a small scale level a critical example is UTGC Mpanga Factory and other also buy tea from the local farmers to enhance their productivity. However, the small scale farmers’ sustainability of the plantations is doubtable as most of them are hypothesized to be deficit of resources such as land, human resource, agro inputs like fertilizers among others in order to expand their plantations. Such inputs are hard to acquire by majority individual small scale tea growers. As a result, this may curtail the supply of tea in some factories in future.

This study is an attempt to underscore the factors that affect sustainability of tea out grower business (small scale tea farmers) in Uganda and the specific focus will be on the tea growers in Kabarole District.  For so long, ever since the introduction of tea in the region, so many people have joined the industry to start tea outgrowing as businesses, however they do not do proper feasibility studies to find out how sustainable this can be.  One can even argue that, it could be more profitable to venture in maybe, matooke, coffee or any other cash crop on an equivalent size piece of land.

Once all that "wolokoso" is done and submitted, i will officially be heading to shop for my graduation gown. And maybe at some point if God throws me any other scholarship opportunity, as He has always done, i can try and see how it feels to be in the next level of education, is that what they call a PhD?

Till next time, keep your eyes on this page!

Yours truly,

Mathew Koojo Apuuli III

I take this opportunity to greet you and thank you for the great work you are doing. I am a Field School scholar.

I am glad to inform you that I have officially graduated at Kampala International University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, majoring in marketing.

I write to thank you very much for the effort and contributions you made to make this possible for me – thank you very much.

When I was nine years in the village of Mwibaale, I lost my parents. I became hopeless and knew that was the end of me too. I was a young boy with big dreams like a family of my own, driving a big car, having my own office, and travelling the world, but on that day after the death of my father, I knew everything had come to an end! I knew I was going to be like some of my village mates who survived on grazing people’s cows and goats and farming for those who were well off.

With all my fears, I tried as much as I could to keep up with the hard work in class as much as I did at home.

Three years later I sat for my Primary Leaving Exams which I passed very well, being the best in my class for the year 2000. But I was not sure what the next step in life was for me, because at that time secondary education seemed so expensive and unaffordable.

But one of the happiest days of my life was the day I got a notice from the American Friends of Kasiisi Primary School, well-known as AFROKAPS in Uganda, and well known to you as the Kasiisi Project. I found so much joy in every word that I heard, as I was told that I had earned myself a scholarship to do my secondary education.

I did my six years of secondary education against all odds, but I thank God that He saw me through. Having done my advanced level of secondary education, I was happy that I had also attained some education and I still had faith that I would continue. I was filled with more joy when I was informed that Field School would continue to sponsor me even for my university education. I knew that nothing would put me down!

My life has not been an easy one. I had to spend most of my time away from home pursuing my education.

Sometimes I felt like I did not get enough moral support from my family. However, I did not accept to be put down by the mishappenings that occurred to me. One of my principles in life has been to use any challenge that I face as a stepping stone to advance to another level and so that has been the case.

I have to admit that the going has not been easy but with the financial push that Field School has given me this whole time, my life has been simplified. Thank you very much for you have not only given me financial support, but you have given me a life, one that I never thought I could ever have.

I thank God that He has blessed me through you. You have given me courage, hope and a future. You have raised me from a nobody, to a somebody with possibilities. I pray to God that He gives me the will to use the gift you have given me to help those who come after me, so as to change their lives like you did mine.

I am excitedly looking forward to life after school. Getting a job is not easy in Uganda, but I am looking at all openings. In the meantime, I have been helping at Kasiisi School.

Whatever happens, I know that I would like to do a master’s degree in the near future.

I am dreaming big. And I can afford to dream. Thanks to you, now I can see a bright future ahead.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

May God bless you all abundantly.

Read more: First-person: Ugandan student thanks Field School community - Weston, MA - The Weston Town Crier http://www.wickedlocal.com/weston/archive/x703879740/First-person-Ugandan-student-thanks-Field-School-community#ixzz1WFAmm43J