Organisation Profile

Isingiro Family promotion and Improvement Organisation (IFAPIO) is an indigenous; grass-roots NGO founded in 1999 through the merger of 13 women’s groups, three disabled persons’ groups and three youth groups formed IFPIO. Currently, there are 46 men and 200 women members.

Mission

Equitable participation and sharing by all persons in the quest for economic and social prosperity

Vision

Improve quality and standards of living of the interest groups through social economic empowerment

Individual families are the basic units that IFAPIO activities target. Capacity building programs emphasise participation and responsibility, focusing mainly on women, orphans and vulnerable children. Community volunteers have been very instrumental in programme implementation.

Good health and improved family incomes are considered essential for the sustainability of IFAPIO.  Members are sensitised on community health, HIV/AIDS prevention and mitigation, basic hygiene, early childhood development, environment protection, gender issues, human rights, agriculture and rural livelihoods. All these are geared towards economic development.

Achievements

•    A revolving fund scheme, established by members’ subscription and membership fees, has evolved into Manyakabi Savings and Credit Society Limited.
•    The formation of area co-operative enterprise with 10 primary co-operative societies which is an affiliate of Uganda Cooperative Alliance.
•    IFAPIO t has partnered with Isingiro District to promote good community health by combating and preventing spread of diseases like cholera, dysentery, HIV/AIDS and other STDs, implementing NAADS activities in the district, environment and natural resources, goods and services. Environment and natural resources practice has resulted in a tree planting project in Khahi Forest reserve.

Challenges

Challenges in our work have included:

•    Implementing activities that are effective and appropriate in empowering rural women in production and marketing intervention
•    Staff development
•    Capacity building and sustainable development at family level targeting individual members.
•    Limited financial resources to implement most of the mentioned above activities

Our future plans are to overcome these challenges