ICA:UK, a participation and development charity based in Hulme, Manchester has been awarded a UK aid grant from the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID). The funds enable ICA:UK to support their local in-country partner, the Safe Neighbourhood Foundation, to reach rural, small-scale farmers and their families in Budaka, addressing the ongoing demand from the community to improve their food security and increase income.

New skills and awareness training will be introduced, enabling the farmers to increase the range and quality of the crops that they can grow, using more environmentally friendly agricultural techniques, and subsequently increasing their income. This will be done through training and extension, including establishing demonstration plots

Tree-planting in Budaka-SNF staff work closely with community members to pass on new skills and awareness

International Development Minister Baroness Sugg said:
“ICA:UK – backed by UK aid – is helping farmers living in poverty in Uganda to increase their crop yields and be more environmentally friendly. DFID will be helping farmers develop new skills by providing training and education to improve the range and quality of the crops they grow, boosting their incomes and creating a better future for their families.

“The Small Charities Challenge Fund makes it easier for small British charities like ICA:UK to access UK aid, helping them to improve lives and reduce poverty around the world.”

ICA:UK Director, Jonathan Dudding, said:
“We are delighted with the funding from the Government’s Small Charities Challenge Fund (SCCF). Not only will it enable ICA:UK to improve the lives of farmers and their families in Uganda, but it will also strengthen our Ugandan partner so that they are able to carry out subsequent training programmes in the future.”

“This is our second grant from the Department for International Development (DFID) and we are looking forward to working with their team. The previous grant was for work with schools in Togo where we are able to improve the sustainability of the schools and influence national policy to support schools across the country to establish environmentally-friendly projects to provide income for themselves.”

“This SCCF grant provides a boost to ICA:UK’s international programme which supports and strengthens local organisations in Africa. Through this work we are contributing further to deliver the Global Development Goals, in particular those addressing poverty, hunger, economic growth and encouraging partnerships for development.”

If you are interested in applying for a Small Charities Challenge Fund grant, you can visit https://www.ukaiddirect.org/apply/sccf/. Applications can be made at any time and are reviewed every six months. The next review date is Thursday 28 November, 2019.