Our Mission

Society for Conservation and Development Empowerment’s mission statement is valuing life in all its varied forms including the environments which support it.

Environmental and agricultural education

In 2020, 800 villagers in Busega District participated in environmental and agricultural education following basic selection criteria which prioritised those who are single mothers, widows, PWD and unemployed, providing they demonstrate willingness to learn and commitment to training. In addition, those who are already involved in smallholder agriculture will were given preferences. The training focused on environmentally friendly and organic farming techniques, conservation and production of drought-resistant crops for food security. This included preparing and using compost manure, crop rotation, companion planting, mixed cropping and tree nursery management. Training will also cover health-related topics, such as the nutritional benefits of certain crops and a well-balanced diet, as well as the negative effects of indoor open-fire cooking.

Tree Planting

Following training, Wild Fig and Acacia nurseries were established (one in each village). All 400 women trained in environmental and agricultural management. All the villagers were provided with 25 wild fig tree seedlings and 25 acacia tree seedlings (specifically Faidherbia Albida). The group leaderships committees (the same groups elected to oversee training dissemination) were responsible for managing and maintaining nurseries in each ward. SOCODEE provided capacity building to these groups by training in leadership skills and coordinating the participatory formulation of group guidelines. Both of these trees have unique properties to support ecosystems and increase agricultural productivity: • Wild fig trees are good preservers of water sources and absorb a high volume of carbon dioxide, thus generating a high volume of oxygen. They take between 2-4 years to mature. • Faidherbia Albida trees have a unique compatibility with farming dormant during the wet season, which means it can grow without blocking sun light and it drops its leaves to fertilise associated crops during their growing season. As its leaves only grow during the dry season, it provides nutritious livestock fodder during critical periods of drought and its seed pods can be used to feed dairy goats. Furthermore the tree can be used to combat nitrogen fixation and mitigate risks of soil erosion. As a result, Faidherbia Albida trees help to increase productivity of farms by up to 280% compared to farms which do not have trees.