Foundation for Development of Needy Communities

2. Foundation for Development of Needy Communities Sam Watulatsu, Founder & Trustee PO Box 2431 Mbale, Uganda www.fdncuganda.org

3. Mbale District, Eastern Uganda FDNC in Africa • At the foot of the beautiful Mount Elgon. • Local Statistics: • Education • Primary • Secondary, • University • Cost • Health • Leading cause of death • Infant mortality • HIV/AIDS • Employment

4. FDNC Mission Statement “FDNC strives to build self-reliance and sustainable development in the most impoverished communities of Eastern Uganda through strategies that promote community participation and individual empowerment.”

5. Organizational Goals • To increase awareness of the plight of unemployed, poor, idle and less privileged people in Uganda. • To promote education among youth by sensitizing communities and offering accessible skills training. • To improve the health status and standard of living in communities throughout the region. • To uphold basic human rights by empowering individuals with information and access to trained legal staff. • To use music and visual art as tools to bring new experiences and opportunities to the underserved.

6. Organizational Goals II • To establish links through which all people, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or tribe can work together with a common goal. • To focus on impact-oriented projects, transformation in the lives of beneficiaries, and sustainability in program design and implementation.

7. Achievements • As many as 10,000 Ugandans in the eastern region benefiting directly or indirectly from FDNC’s programs • Recent award from President Yoweri Musevini of Uganda for 2007 International Youth Day, given to Sam Watulatsu and FDNC • Visit to FDNC project by President Musevini in early 2006 • Long-term relationships established with American Jewish World Service, Church World Service, Ugive2Uganda, and other development partners • Acquisition of equipment including three four-wheel-drive vehicles and coaster bus. • Volunteers supplied to FDNC through the Peace Corps, Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), etc. • Publicity through website www.fdncuganda.org • Many more

8. FDNC Background/Structure • Founded In 1996 by Samuel Watulatsu • Governed by Board of Directors with 7 members • Operates in 5 districts in Eastern Uganda • Administrative office in Mbale Town, Field Office/Project in Natondome Village • 34 full-time staff members, 28 Volunteer Community Health Workers • Hosts numerous international interns and volunteers • New Executive Director, Justin Silbaugh, from United States • 5 major programming areas

9. Programming Areas I • Education and Training • Vocational Training Center • Kisakye Memorial Special Needs Center • Youth Empowerment Program • The Arts • Youth Brass Band • Youth Orchestra • FDNC Music School • Jazz Band • Traditional Dance Troupe • African Arts and Crafts

10. Programming Areas II • Community-Based Health and Development • Community Health Worker Program • Day Health Clinic • Nutrition Center • Community Sports Program • Adelaide-Mbale Childrens Health Fund • Human Rights • Paralegal Advisory Services Program • Institution Building • Coalition Against Poverty • Building for Sustainability • Local and International Internships • International Volunteer Delegations

11. FDNC Youth Band Program • Comprised of over 100 members • Creating second youth orchestra in all of Africa here in Mbale • Traveled to the UK in 2005 to perform in Wales • Selected to perform at CHOGM in Kampala in November 2007 • Provides sustainable income for members and the organization by performing at many different functions

12. Vocational Training Center • Provides affordable instruction in: • Carpentry • Masonry • Computers • Tailoring • Sustainable Agriculture • Art and Design • Supports orphans and vulnerable youth • Promotes entrepreneurship

13. Special Needs Program • 15 regularly attending students, 30 registered students • Children with both physical and learning disabilities • Currently fundraising to complete construction of new facility • Transporting students to and from school is a major challenge

14. CHW Program • 28 Community Health Workers working in rural villages throughout the Eastern Region. • Providing education about HIV/AIDS, malaria, clean water, personal hygiene, nutrition, family planning, and more. • Arranging HIV testing and counseling with partner organizations • Providing training and assistance in income generation/saving activities such as beekeeping, fuel-saving stoves, kitchen gardening, pig and goat rearing, and more.

15. Volunteers at FDNC • Hosted hundred of individual volunteers and numerous group delegations from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, and more • Focuses on empowering FDNC staff and local people with skills, as well as promoting cross-cultural exchange • FDNC does not charge fees for volunteers as other NGOs in the developing world do.

16. Future Plans for Development and Sustainability • Construction of Building for Sustainability and Mbale Music School to support FDNC administration and Youth Orchestra Program • Addition of new class offerings at the Vocational Training Center, including auto mechanics, hairdressing, etc. • Income generation projects at the Vocational Training Center, such as the Art Gallery, poultry rearing, newsletter, etc. to increase sustainable revenue • Creation of specialized Community Action Plans for all of the rural communities in our support network • Opening of a satellite office in another region of Uganda in less than 3 years

17. How can you help? • What we have: • Human capacity • Innovative ideas • Locally available resources • Commitment to development • What we need: • Training from skilled professionals • Materials such as musical instruments, computers, mobile phones, sewing machines, etc. • Individual financial support • Connections to additional large institutional funding

18. What Your Money Can Do • A $1 dollar cup of coffee everyday (640,000 Ugandan Shillings a year!) can do the following in Uganda: • Pay the salary for our registered nurse for 3 months • Sponsor two students for an entire year of school at our Vocational Training Center • Provide surgery for two chronically ill children through the Adelaide-Mbale Childrens Health Fund • Install electricity at our new Special Needs Education facility • Purchase 5000 bricks for the construction of our Music School Think what a $4.50 latte from Starbucks everyday could do?

19. We Need Your Support Working in partnership with individuals and organizations in the developed world, anything is possible. FDNC has a proven track record of bringing about change in Uganda at the grassroots level. We welcome you to become a part of the FDNC family and to do your part to make a difference in Africa.

20. THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING! For more information about FDNC and how you can help to make a difference at the grassroots level in Uganda, please visit: www.fdncuganda.org