My name is Peter and I work at S.A.L.V.E. International as a Permaculture Teacher.
While children are staying at our residential site as they transition away from the streets I run permaculture sessions for them. Many of the children who come to the streets come from villages where they already do a lot of crop growing and animal rearing, so permaculture is a really useful tool for them to improve upon their knowledge.
In the permaculture lessons, the children are taught urban farming techniques like sack gardening and veranda gardening. They are also taught about different farming designs such as food towers and mandala gardens and so many others. They learn about crop growing in different climate conditions, common crop pests, crop pathology, crop entomology and agronomy of different crops.
Animal husbandry is also very important. The children are taught about animal health and are given skills on how to determine and care for sick animals, animal nutrition, common animal pests and diseases and their control measures.
The skills and knowledge they learn about crops and animals they can then take when they are resettled back home in their communities.
Poverty
We support the development of permaculture businesses by training the caregivers of children who have been on the streets in permaculture and business skills. They have three days of training at our farm land in Namulesa where they are exposed to different permaculture designs and ideas. They are given the practical skills in permaculture and agriculture which enable them to start their farming business with the required skills and knowledge.
Once they have attended the training, S.A.L.V.E. helps them to start a farming business by buying them seeds of their choice depending on the region where they come from and their planned garden design. The permaculture and business team then regularly follow-up with them for further support and guidance, to help them put into practice what they learnt during the training of three days.
Bringing health and happiness
I am very happy that since I joined S.A.L.V.E. we have managed to train many caregivers in permaculture so that they are able to start their farms. Through our regular follow-ups we know that their businesses are operating well which makes me very happy. It is also rewarding to see all of the children who have gained permaculture skills through the regular lessons at our training farm which they use when resettled home.
This kind of support has helped families to boost their income and improve their diet and wellbeing.
Our S.A.L.V.E. team is so happy that we have managed to support families and children on the street of Jinja and Uganda at large. We thank everyone who has supports us in our vision for there to be No Street Called Home.
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