Updates on our Shit in Uganda.

Our thanks, as always, to Solomon for taking the time off work to be with us as we criss-crossed the countryside around Lira on endless dusty dirt roads, some times for hours, to meet with our 5 co-operatives over 5 days.

The warm welcome extended to us was, at times, almost overwhelming, and at all time humbling, as they sang, danced, fed us and showered us with generous gifts from their harvest.

Even a sealed bag of composted fertilizer!

Many of the co-operatives had doubled, or even tripled in size since our last visit in early 2014 when word got out that goats were being bought for cooperative members.

One of the issues on the table was, repeatedly, how to address the possible ‘free goat grab’ that may have, in many cases, possibly generated these increases.

How to avoid serious attrition once goats were received.

An understanding that these new members would have to wait until the original members were ready to pay forward was determined to be the best solution, giving time for new members to prove they are committed to the cooperative concept and not just jockeying for a goat.

Though, where the need was truly great, we would continue to provide some goats to speed up the process.

Furthermore, the co-ops themselves decided that they would pay-forward earlier than recommended, settling on giving away once they had 3 rather than waiting for for the 4th.

We remain fluid with initiative implementation in each country that we work in so that the co-operative members can create an initiative that is truly theirs, with us acting merely as facilitators, offering advice and insight when prudent.

So often they welcome us as "mother and father" and we are quick to respond by saying "no, we are your sister and brother!"

Little shitters are being born by the hundreds, thanks to lots of twins, a few triplets, and in one case, quadruplets! 

Yes, 4 babies born to one large female whose multi-nippled ‘udder’ looks almost as big as a soccer ball. And all 4 babies survived.

Manure is being composted into fertilizer and many confess that they never realized how precious it can be. 

Black gold, we keep reminding them.

We’ll post testimonials over the next few days!

Much more natural to sit among my sisters than the line of official seating facing them.

It may not look like much but that's a 3ft x 3ft whole full of yummy nutrition for the fields nearby.

What a WOW day. Hundreds turned out in Kamdini to share their stories celebrate and most important, pay-forward 100 goats. Next year we'll be camping on their property so we can have a really party!

Such joy-filled welcomes!

Jeff illuminates the finer points of our initiative as Judith translates.

gotta love the dancing!

Judith, now our Assitant Director of Operations, Uganda, talking shit!

TOGO is a go-go!

Our friend, botanist, 'goat whisperer' and Kouma Konda community Chief, Prosper ‘Papillion’ Nyanu has done an incredible job over the last few months launching TSSH - A Guardian Project Initiative in the hills outside Palime, about 2 hours drive from Lome. 

While community members have a strong connection, cooperative work is new here, so Prosper wisely thought to start small and expand as the concept and understanding of the benefits of our initiative take root.

3 small groups of committed women (along with a handful of men) are raising the goats together rather than on their individual farmsteads, and sharing the organic fertilizer.

Weather in the area becomes severe during the rainy season, with very high winds and occasional hail, made worse in recent years by Climate Change.

3 goat enclosures have been constructed to protect the animals and maximize manure/urine collection.

And the goats have been busy. 

Most are pregnant and compost pits are filling quickly.

The cooperative is welcoming new members and sensitizing them to the initiative.

They will receive goats as the current herd reproduces.

 reviewing methodology with some of the members of one of the groups.

Going over the paper trail of initiative implementation with Prosper. Those are just some of hi paintings in the background, all pigments made with natural plant dyes!

Goat enclosure made from split bamboo Women gather brush greens to nourish their precious producers.

compost pits situated next to goat enclosures. 2 are already full. a cover of soil will ensure proper 'cooking' to produce black gold.

discussing the need for the little shitters to have sanctuary from severe weather.

the next generation of little shitters!

 time off to check out some of the local art. Great use of recycled materials!

a chance to see over 3 million fruit bats (average height, 8 inches) take to the sky at dusk, in a small community just outside Palime.

Counting Sheep... Goats, Rabbits Aaannnddd Books!

We’re finally packing the first 6 boxes of books we are taking to Sunzu Village Library & Community Centre in Rwanda.

And we’re working with a couple of airlines to get the rest of the boxes over there in the next few months, timed with the completion of construction.

It’s been almost a year since we helped slog those enormous rocks that formed the building’s foundation.

And the concrete has all been poured and set in/around the rebar supports we moulded, elbow to elbow with other volunteers.

What joy to see a recent photo of the building.

According to Dan, 

"We have put up new roof beams and will have the tiles back on within 2 weeks. We are starting windows and doors. I do not anticipate completion of interior works by April but we are hoping for June/July. So many thanks your way!"

 getting the foundation right.

 wow, a whole building has arisen thanks to months of hard labour in the local community...and a bit of help from many different friends from all over

All the generosity of the friends and family of our little foundation is finally coming to fruition.
Happy Reading to everyone who has the benefit of entering the Sunzu library doors.
Hopefully this is only the first of more libraries to come!

We may have gone silent over the holidays, but there's been plenty more shit happening!

What do you get when you mix school-children, rabbits and tree saplings?
You get our newest launch - One Child, One Tree.

With help from G Adventures and the Planterra Foundation, TSSH is providing rabbits & fruit & mixed-tree saplings to 500 elementary school students in southern Rwanda who will learn to compost the rabbit manure to feed their trees once planted.
The children from Kamatsira Primary school will work with our friend Claver who is an ornithologist and arborist, as well as a Nyungwe National Park Guide.
In fact, Claver has developed the entire project. A copy of his proposal is available upon request.
The aim is to establish tree nurseries, encouraging long-term thinking & environmental awareness, and re-forestation.
Rabbit reproduction also creates an income source to cover school-related expenses.
So it started with sheep & goats…and continues with rabbits!

Claver Ntoyinkima, forest guru and yet another 'man with a plan' we are excited and humbled to be able to be working with!

 

Yes indeed, there is a Santa Claus!
Our sincere thanks go out to Suzanne for 2 sheep,
And thanks Michelle for 4 sheep,
Jeremy for 2 sheep,
and Irene for 1 sheep,
and Joe for 2 sheep,
And remember, thanks to our wonderful anonymous donor, 11 sheep becomes 22!

 

we are so pleased to say that more sincere thanks go out today, to Ed for 2 sheep,
yet another Shari with 5 more sheep,
and Pat for 1 sheep,
and another Ed for 1sheep,
and steve for 2 more sheep.
that's 11 more sheep closer to our target!

Or 22 more...thanks anonymous!

Wow! So much thoughtful generosity!
Thanks go out to Andrea for 3 sheep.
And thanks to Lisa & Erik for 2 sheep!
And that 5 becomes 10!
We're in the home stretch!
Thanks to our amazing anonymous, only 22 more sheep to go!

...and this thoughtful, generosity just keeps on coming!
Thanks go out to Sharon for 2 sheep.
And thanks to Catherine for 1 sheep.
And thanks go to Richard for 2 sheep.
And, of course, with anonymous on bord, that 5 is 10!

Len & Natalie for 2 sheep,
Spencer for 2 sheep
And the Tora Foundation for 4 sheep.
Thanks to anonymous...
Can we get a drum roll...
Only 9 sheep needed to reach our target!
Feel the love...

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year!"
-Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

With 1 day still to go, we are oh so very happy to report that we are sending out thanks to yet another Steve for 5 sheep
thanks to Brendan for 1 sheep
thanking Sheri for 2
And thanking Maddy & Co. for 1 sheep...

And because Michael & Judy have so very generously matched all the donations with an INCREDIBLY GENEROUS donation of their own

WE'VE REACHED OUR TARGET!
We are a love story that is full of shit and now so many more have made it their story too!

Thanks to all this wonderful wave of compassionate generosity from so many...
we have all the funds in place to source 120 sheep for our newest expansion into North Kivu, in Eastern D.R. Congo!

We are returning in March, assisting the first of 5 farming cooperatives living along a 45km stretch of the border of Virunga National Park, home to the world’s only Mountain Gorillas.

If you haven't already, please consider watching a very special documentary called VIRUNGA.
It tells the haunting story of the National Park, the mountain gorillas who live there and the incredible rangers and farmers who live and work inside and beside this stunningly beautiful piece of our Earth.

Best wishes from us this holiday season. We are proud to honour so much generosity and compassion for others.

Peace.
Rita & Jeff

   

From now until Christmas Eve, an incredibly generous anonymous donor has agreed to match any donations that come in to TSSH.
Imagine, for ever sheep that one of you buys, he’ll double it.

We’ll include a letter that says something sweet about you, gives an overview of our project and where specifically the money is going.
We enclose the letter inside a card you can personalize.
Card options will be emailed to you to choose.

We are hoping to facilitate 120 sheep and goats before December 24th.
Our art show last week netted us 27.
So 93 more sheep and goats to go.

But wait, Freddie just bought a sheep yesterday, a Christmas gift to his mother Pauline.
Matched by anonymous, that’s 2 sheep.
Thank you Freddie.
Thank you anonymous.
And Shari & family just bought 6 goats.
Matched by anonymous, that’s 12 goats.
Thanks Shari & family!
Thanks anonymous!

So 85 to go, or should we say 43 (can’t thank anonymous enough)…

Please consider doing your gifting differently this year.

Making a small but significant and LASTING change in a family's life is sooo much more meaningful than candles, those baskets of cheese/chocolate/coffee, another sweater or hat/scarf combo, or...

Stirring The Sh*t…

Even though we postponed our trip, we just launched a month ago in Togo, West Africa, with thanks to our newest 'boots on the ground' and newest TSSH family member 

Prosper Papillon Nyanu, 

to our recent donors and for the logistical assistance of TransAfrica Tours.

A little shitter ready to head home

 And we’re exploring expanding in the D.R.Congo- both North and South Kivu, thanks to interest from The Dian Fossy Fund International and a fortuitous meeting with Innocente and Wenzi, only two of the brave rangers who work to improve the lives of the community that borders the Virunga National Park forest they protect.

And we’ve received word from Gilbert that lots of little shitters, twins in many cases, are already being born on Idjwi Island in Eastern D.R.C!

Meanwhile in Rwanda, Paul informs us that 2 more cooperatives are getting ready to pay forward.
That’s roughly 400 Rwandan families helping other Rwandan families with a hand up!

And in Northern Uganda Solomon reports that the first cooperative is ready as well! That’s an additional 100 farming families also receiving a hand up from their neighbour!

And as long as they continue the PAY FORWARD component, all these communities are ensured continued growth.

Sensitization sessions encourage sustainable, organic fertilizer production instead of using nasty chemical fertilizers.

distribution of goats in Kuma region, Togo. Our army of little shitters keeps growing and expanding!

A different kind of tagging from our usual method. We'll provide the permanent ones when we visit in February.

And we once again begin the logistics of co-ordinating all the initiative visits coming up in February/March 2015.