A 3 month placement to improve the income and livelihoods of coffee farmers in Mukono district, Uganda, while preserving the environmental services the land provides, working with a small indigenous NGO that promotes rural development.

What work will I be doing?

The work will involve helping to create a demonstration plot at RASD resource center of sustainable coffee production from seedling to post-harvest processing (e.g. removing berry, drying to parchment, wet/dry processing). You will also conduct a feasibility survey among local small farmers into coffee production for export. You will liaise with known coffee export contacts in Kampala, and will identify areas of improvement and impact on farming yields and/or income.

Who will I be working for?

The Rural Agency for Sustainable Development (RASD) is a small indigenous NGO in Uganda specialising in rural development. It was formed in 2000 as a Community Based Organisation (CBO) in the Mukono District of Uganda and became a certified Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) in 2005 with the Ugandan government. RASD strives to promote sustainable development by providing vocational and technical skills and improving access to information, resources and innovative technologies for the people of the Mukono district.

RASD has built close connections with over a dozen village leaders in the Mukono district and as such can reach around 12,000 people (primarily subsistence farmers) with seminars conducted at the RASD resource center in Nkokonjeru as well as in the field. 

What skills or experience do I need?

Required:

• Fluency in English
• University undergraduate or graduate with coursework/experience in agriculture, economics, engineering, management, environment, development or related fields

Desired:

• Knowledge of basic Luganda (language of Buganda region of Uganda) will be useful when talking to local coffee farmers and building relationships in the community. Several good phrasebooks can be found online: (http://www.buganda.com/phrasebk.htm)
• Previous experience with agriculture projects, specifically working with small farms or farming collectives. Additionally, knowledge of the fair-trade coffee market or management experience would be useful
• Flexible and dynamic self-starter with a passion for improving quality of life and breaking cycle of poverty