HISTORY:
Abanya-Rwenzori
Mountaineering Association (AMA) was
established in the year 1992 by an initiative of a group of community members living
adjacent to the Rwenzori Mountains National Park with an objective to uplift
the livelihood of the people living on the mountains and other marginalized members
of our society.
AMA is a local NGO, registered with the
government of Uganda,
under the ministry of Internal Affairs. The organisation is working with the
rural communities of Bundibugyo, Kabarole and Ntoroko Districts. Its services
are based on the areas neighbouring the protected areas of Rwenzori Mountains
National Park (RMNP), Semuliki National Park (SNP) and Semuliki Game Reserve
(SGR). The surrounding communities of the above national parks traditionally
depended on the park resources for their entire lives. They mainly depended on
park resources for food, shelter medicine, social pleasure, firewood and for
worshiping their gods.
After the areas were declared National
Parks, it was hard for them to access their needs. It is for this reason that they
thought of other alternative means of sustainable livelihoods. Building the
community members capacities in sustainable ways of harvesting national park resources
and training them on improved ways of producing required resources out side the
national parks was important, calling for an organization to intervene, hence
the birth of AMA with the following vision, mission and objectives.
AMA Vision:
Empowered
and enlightened the society of the Rwenzori region, so that can ably
participate in own development.
AMA Mission:
Improve
biodiversity conservation, human rights awareness, governance, voluntary
actions and collaboration among the local population of Rwenzori Region through
resource mobilization, net working, advocacy, trainings and sensitization for
sustainable livelihoods.
AMA
Objectives
1. To teach practical
knowledge and skills to women, youth, PWDs, and rural communities living in hard to reach areas to participate
in their social, economic and political development.
2. To promote good governance, human rights and voluntarism for improved
networking and collaboration.
3. To promote sustainable use of
natural resources for improved livelihoods.
ACTIVITIES
The organization was formed by the community
members after the Rwenzori
Mountains was uplifted
from a Forestry Reserve to a status of a national park in 1991. The members then desired to establish an organization
which would be mandated to provide them with the necessary education to change
their attitude and increase their knowledge to understand the new environment. AMA was tasked to source, and repackage relevant
information necessary to equip the disadvantaged undeveloped mountain
community, train them in alternative income generating activities and other
life surviving skills and to access improved planting materials from
agricultural research organization.
Handcrafts making to sell to the
tourists visiting the Rwenzori
Mountains National
Park and passion fruits growing were among the
first trainings that were conducted. With time, we realized that training alone
was not enough. We had to mobilize for more resources to do much more. Later on
we secured funding to do more activities, putting in consideration the
communities’ demands and needs in the following areas below:
1.
Sustainable
agriculture and Agro forestry
2.
Group
dynamics
3.
Village
Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA)
4.
Animal
transport (Donkey transport)
5.
Developing
Market Chains (primary cooperative societies)
6.
Providing
farmers with planting materials
7.
Providing
farmers with Farm tools
8.
HIV/AIDS
Mainstreaming and Control programme
9.
Gender
in development education
10. Peace building and peaceful conflict
resolution
11. Disaster preparedness and management
12. Sensitizing farmers and rising
awareness on Climatic Change
13. Established a Rural Information
Systems in AMA office
14. Established eco tourism activities
15. School Health Education
Major
Sectors of AMA Work:
- Agriculture /
Rural Livelihoods
- Health Education
- Human Rights
and Governance
- VSLA
- Tourism
- Peace /
Conflict Resolution
Staffing:
7 paid staff and Volunteers; 30
Community Resource Persons (CRPs) and 2 USA Peace Corps
Approximate
Yearly Turnover:
Between Ush 150 Million
Main
source of income:
International
organizations as follows:
AMA successfully
concluded implementing a project (Rwenzori Agro-forestry Project - RAP) funded
by German Agro Action (GAA), which ended March 31st 2006. The total funds
allocated to AMA from GAA for funding this project amounted to 156,562.00
euros. After GAA, Oxfam GB supported the implementation of Sustainable
Agriculture Training project since 2006 to April 30th, 2012 Total
amount of money that was involved was 94,308 euros. Concern World Wide; Funded
the HIV/AIDS Mainstreaming Program for three years.
AMA also received
one-time grants from the organizations below:
-
North
Caroline Zoological Park (NCZP) donated US $ 1000 part of the grant was paid as
school fees for the nurse. She completed her studies at Mengo Hospital Uganda.
-
WWF –
RMCDP – (Rwenzori Mountains Conservation Development Project) helped in funding
the first training workshop in 1997 for women in basket weaving UShs.
1,098,500).
-
The
zero grazing projects were supported by DED Uganda in 1997 (UShs 3,450,000)
Second
source of income:-
Is from Eco Tourism activities
Infrastructure:
§
Five
(5) Motorcycles and one (1) bicycle were acquired for the projects.
§
2
Permanent house made of bricks & iron sheets and Concrete
§
1
Toyota Double
Carbine Pick-up 4WD. Engine No. LN 107 00 16555
§
1
Generator, Yamaha Petrol Eng.
§
1
Safe, Model AS160s
§
Computers 2;
§
COMPAQ
computer, Y08N138421
§
COMPAQ
computer, Y08N138925
§
1
HP LaserJet Printer, P2015
§
8
Office desks
§
8
Office chairs
§
4
Book Shelve
Coverage:
Presently
AMA is working in Kabarole, Intoroko and Bundibugyo Districts:-
Kabarole District;
-
Mugusu sub-county and
-
Bukuku
sub-county
Intoroko
District;
-
Karugutu sub-county
Bundibugyo
District;
-
Kasitu sub-county
-
Bukonzo sub-county
-
Harugale sub-county
-
Ndughutu sub-county
-
Bubukwanga sub-county
Networking organizations:
-
SATNET – Sustainable Agriculture Net Work
-
UCOTA – Uganda Community Tourism
Association
-
CBCS-
-
57 CBOs in Bundibugyo and Kabarole Districts
-
CBOs/NGO Forum Bundibugyo and Kabarole Districts Local Government.
Achievements:
AMA
is on ground working with over 57 rural farmers’ groups in Bundibugyo, Ntoroko
and Kabarole Districts.
We
have an office in Bundibugyo town and in Kazingo, Kabarole District.
Constraints:
-
Difficult mountain terrain
-
Set back in developing our main activity (Eco-tourism)
due to rebel activities during the periods of 1997-2003.
