Kyangwali Women’s Microcredit
Mill Project
How will be mill be used?
In the camp people stand in lines waiting to have their maize ground. For a reasonable fee, the women will provide milling services to others and in this way generate income.
How will the mill help the women in their daily and future lives?
The main purpose of the mill should be to earn money that can be used to make this project successful, help them to care for their families, and to develop their business skills. The women will also be busy, involved, and feel a part of a solidarity family. They will learn many skills that will help them develop in life.
Can the women use the mill for a community project – care for orphans, etc?
Yes, they can. There are several things that can be developed through this project. The mill project can be a circle of sustainable income generating activities which will allow the women to develop their own lives and increase the care of vulnerable people in the community. Many of the MC women care for orphans; the mill would allow more of this kind of care.
What grains will be milled? Maize, sorghum, G/nuts…others? What is millet?
Maize and sorghum are milled. Maize and rice are the most cultivated in the camp. Rice is ground using a separate machine that can be connected to the mill; when it is done this way the mill can grind both maize and rice. G/nuts are ground using another type of machine. Millet is a very small grain that is ground on a local stone.
Currently where do the women get their grain milled?
There are others who have a milling business, especially Ugandans. There are mills in the camp or near the camp. The women take their maize to these mills and pay a fee.
How far do they travel to get to one of these mills?
The women travel 3 – 5 miles to reach these mills.
How much does it cost to use these mills?
They are changed per kilogram of grain that is ground. I am not sure what the current price is, but will contact Antoinette and get the price.
Do the women who can’t afford to pay for the use of a mill grind the grain themselves?
Maize is very hard and is not ground by the women. The women who can’t afford to go to the mill don’t eat or sell maize flour. They sell any surplus maize but receive a lower price than for the ground maize. Sorghum is ground by the women on local stones; this takes time and much energy.
Will the women run this project alone or will Coburwas be involved?
Yes, the MC women will run the project alone. Coburwas will only help when they are called for physical work the MC women can’t do alone. Also, Coburwas can help train the women on the maintenance of the mill.
Coburwas is an extremely valuable organization in the community and will provide much needed help and advice to the women, but do we need to put safeguards in place so that the project remains a MC owned and managed project?
Coburwas is very busy with many projects that have been developed. Coburwas aims at developing the community and emancipation of women. Our only role is to give the MC women a hand so the project will be successful. When the MC women are successful, Coburwas also becomes successful directly or indirectly, because the women help orphans that would wait for help from Coburwas. We will be attacking poverty from different angles. When they are successful, we are all happy and the community prospers.
How can the MC women repay Coburwas for the club’s help? Can they provide grain for Coburwas?
There are church-based and non-church-based community projects that Coburwas helps. Coburwas does not expect or receive payment for any of these projects. Coburwas helps people and the community for free. Coburwas will benefit from the mill because Coburwas now transports tons of maize to Hoima to be ground. Coburwas must pay the transportation costs and the grinding fee. By using the MC mill, Coburwas will eliminate the transportation cost and pay a cheaper price to have the grain milled.
I’d like the women to meet and discuss the mill and provide ideas and plans.
I am having a discussion with Antoinette on the phone tonight about the payment of the loans as well as the mill. The women will be involved, working together to decide how best to do this project, what strategies to use and how best they can accomplish their goals.
