Foundation for Rural Development (FORUD) was founded in 1991 as a Non – profit making Non- Governmental Organization by a group of motivated young men and women inspired by the zeal to improve the welfare of small household farmers  income in the the Rwenzori sub region. Its aim is to improve the welfare of rural peasants through massive community sensitization about the available development opportunities. FORUD has since its inception emerged best in service provision to build people to be self-reliant through self help innitiatives. FORUD builds community based groups and community management structures to be autonomous and manage their  own resources available within their vicinity for a better leaving. 

By the time FORUD was founded people were dying of preventable diseases like bilharzias, Dysentery, cholera and typhoid because they lacked knowledge of preventing them. It was ironical that despite the favorable soils for farming in the Rwenzori region. The people of the region were living in abject poverty. All this necessitated immediate action through sensitization of the masses, Which FORUD has been pushing for.

For the organization to operate legally and avoid duplication of work and being in line with the operations of government, FORUD attained a certificate of registration as a non-profit making indeginous organization. The National Board of NGO’s through the Ministry of Internal Affairs secured FORUD a certificate no.136/s.5914/251. The organization’s entry point was organized community self-help initiatives based on self driven demands. Over a period of thirty years, FORUD has done a tremendous job in community service provision leading to the transformation of lives of the rural people in Kabarole, Kyenjojo and Kamwenge Districts in Western Uganda.

FORUD has achieved its goals by working with organized groups of the vulnerable  community members  such as Men and  women, youth groups, orphan and the disabled. Since women are the family providers of basic necessities of life it is important that they are given urgent help.

Through our survey, we discovered that there were so many orphans and vulnerable  children  that needed intervention

The families lacked sufficient food, clothing and basic Education needs among others.

The unfavorable conditions forced young orphaned girls into risky practices like early marriage, prostitution in order for them to earn a living that would sustain selves and their siblings.

Other children were exposed to child labour as they worked as house maids, the service they were paid for peanuts.

The boys were equally facing problems as they could be employed to work as shepherds, shamba boys and boda boda riders for those lucky to access them.

The end result of this was misery that culminated into immorality, early marriages, high risks exposure to HIV/AIDS and STIs, high rate of school dropouts, theft and lawlessness.

FORUD had to include the youth in its programmes since there was a lot of redundancy that exposed the Young people to unhealthy behaviors that include but noted limited to smoking, drinking and over sleeping instead of working.

Because of committing crimes, most able boded young people spent their productive time in prison cells hence retarding community development. Rural urban migration among the youth had deprived villages and the elderly the young who could help increase on the house hold incomes through productive agriculture, entrepreneurship and collective conservation.

FORUD needed to help Peasants and the grass root level since their economy depend on agriculture characterized by use of rudimentary tools and traditional methods of farming resulting into poor yield.

One of FORUD’s missions was/is to sensitize the community on modern agronomic practices through organic farming practices which would enable them compete on local, national and international market. Besides, FORUD has been doing  sensitization to attract the youth in agriculture in our areas of operation to improve household productivity. To achieve this success, a lot of trainings are being  done, funding of the village self help groups as well as market research for the agricultural products.

Within FORUD the Sustainable Development Programme was entirely responsible for the success of the above target groups.

The following Focal Sustainable Development Technology activities are undertaken by FORUD to foster development that is grass root people centered:

Improved sanitation/hygiene, energy conservation and safe water for domestic use through construction of shallow wells and springs.

FORUD established the Water and sanitation project that provides safe drinking water sources, latrines, drying racks and stoves in villages of its area of operation.

Peasants are catered for under the Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental protection program through trainings in modern farming practices for high yields. FORUD puts its focus on environment friendly enterprises to fight degradation of forests and swamps by land developers. Small enterprises supported financially by FORUD through small capital investments and Savings and credit schemes have changed women’s standards of living. In all our programs we main stream issues of gender, social safe guards,  equity ,STDs , HIV and AIDS , Human Rights , democracy and good governance are part of all our programs .  As an organization, FORUD has put in place a work place HIV/AIDS policy to cater for challenges that come along with it.

We have conducted sensitization on Human Rights to communities in our area of operation in Kasese District since the area is majorly face challenges of diversity and also being the entry point for refugees from DRC, Kabarole, Kyegegwa, Kamwenge and Kagadi districts. Before the coming of FORUD, the Girl child was denied control over and access to resources like land and inheritance rights, biases on the girl child education and sexual reproductive health was unheard of.

Children and women were pitied by negative cultural values that looked at them as outsiders of their own families and were regarded as sources of wealth. Family members like fathers and brothers groomed girls for give away in return of other monetary assets. The above were the communities’ major challenges that necessitated action through capacity building for empowerment of grass root developmental groups.

Community empowerment was a tool to meet the challenges and the journey to a great deal of work be