NGOs Affirming their Relevance to Communities; Bufumira Island Development Association
As part of its membership and servicing function, UNNGOF in partnership with Kalangala District NGO Forum (KADINGO), paid courtesy visits to her members on Ssese Islands on 23rd July 2015. The team led by the Executive Director Mr. Richard Ssewakiryanga, visited Bufumira Island Development Association (BIDA), an organization spearheading the achievement of sustainable development for the island community.
Located at Ssemawundo fishing village, Bufumira sub county Kalangala District, BIDA was started as community-based group in1989 by fishermen on realizing that they lacked access to basic amenities like health services, education, agricultural extension services, recreations and the like.
Interestingly, BIDA currently with close to 7 staff members, has practically set out to drive out poverty by putting in place a cooperative savings bank to encourage the spirit of saving among fishermen and other community members; Using the organizational savings, BIDA has also managed to rise their own structure which hosts the office space, the cooperative savings bank and stores for agricultural production.
Captivatingly, BIDA continues to transform people’s livelihoods through several other innovations such as value addition to agricultural, animal products and fisheries. Overtime, with the aim of adding value, the organization has committed to purchasing agricultural machinery like maize miller, mixer wagon, rice huller and feed grinder among others. Additionally, BIDA has taken a great step to build capacity in a sense of getting the community ready for the wind of change. In such a way, the organization further continues to mobilize, sensitize and also support susceptible groups such as women and those infected with HIV/AIDs. BIDA also carries out trainings that discourage poor fishing methods.
This community still faces challenges mostly affiliated to transport; people and their products, incoming and outgoing products to other Islands. The community is otherwise committed and determined to embrace all these developmental initiatives.
BIDA’s achievements with the limited resources available can only be described as amazing! It was humbling to note how such a small organization has impacted the lives of many; the determination to transform lives, the people centered initiatives and above all the commitment to attain sustainable development. Vizuri-kufanyika BIDA!
To see images of BIDA visit, please click here
Visit BIDA at www.bida.or.ug
Story By Clare Kyasiimire
