Shine With Skills has designed an innovative community project focused on sustainable cage fish farming. This initiative equips youth, women, and local residents with the tools and resources they need to combat poverty and improve their livelihoods and health. The project empowers participants to raise fish for their families and communities, promoting food security and nutritional well-being.
Needs to be addressed
Jinja’s Triple Threat: Poverty, Environment, and Hunger
Women and young people in Jinja’s rural areas are grappling with a devastating combination of poverty, environmental degradation, and land conflict. This (triple threat) leaves many families struggling to put food on the table.
Youths engage in cage fish farming with the following aspects
- Cage size: These cages can vary in size, but a typical cage might be 4 meters deep and 10 meters in diameter, offering a volume of around 314 cubic meters (11,000 cubic feet).
- Stocking density: The number of fish placed in a cage depends on the species and their size. For example, a cage of this size might hold around 2,000 Tilapia fish.
- Production potential: With proper management, a single cage like this could produce over 4,000 kilograms (8,800 pounds) of fish per year.
Fishing for Solutions
The rainy season brings a temporary reprieve as men hunt for fish, but this provides limited and unreliable income. Here, you introduce the cage fish farming project as a potential solution:
- Focus on the positive impact: Instead of saying “little fund,” highlight how providing funds for the project can empower families by offering a sustainable source of income and improved nutrition.
The specific objectives of the project:
- Empower Rural Communities in Jinja: Create employment opportunities in Jinja’s rural areas, particularly for women and youth.
- Enhance Livelihoods: Increase income levels for participants, leading to improved living standards for their families and the wider community.
- Unlock Potential: Demonstrate the value of unemployed and uneducated youth in Masese. This project will empower them to become assets, contributing to the community’s economic and social development.
- Foster Collaboration: Mobilize youth and local residents to work together for shared benefits. This collaborative approach will strengthen community unity and create a more sustainable future.
Empowering a Thousand Lives: The Project’s Reach
The Shine With Skills fish farming project is designed to create a ripple effect of positive change, impacting over 1,000 individuals. Here’s how:
- Direct Beneficiaries:
- Youth and Women: The project will equip young people and women, particularly those facing financial and social barriers, with the skills and resources needed for fish farming.
- Established Fish Farmers: Existing fish farmers will benefit from improved techniques and knowledge sharing within the project.
- Indirect Beneficiaries:
- Families: Project participants will be empowered to generate income, leading to improved livelihoods for their families.
- Local Economy: Increased fish production will create opportunities for sellers, buyers, and workers within the community, boosting the local economy.
Breaking Barriers, Building Opportunity
This project specifically targets those who have previously faced limited access to resources and support. Many participants may not have land for traditional farming or lack the financial means to attend vocational training. The fish farming project offers a solution, providing a path to financial independence and a brighter future for themselves and their families.