Meeting with representatives from the local authority:

To ensure that our project has essential support from the people in charge, we invited representatives from different levels of authority in Bugoye Sub-County. Irene from Newplan helped us by calling in the right people to the meeting.

In addition to us, Irene and Stephen, we recieved the Rwenzori High-School Headmaster, the Sports Manager of Rwenzori High, and Chairpersons from the local councils - even the LC 3, who is the head representative in the whole area.


We presented our project and intentions to them as best we could. This time we left out the winter-images, and added some technical drawings and aerials of Ibanda. As always, the only preliminary sketch of the stadium facilities got extra attention, even though we tried to leave out as much "design" as possible. After some explanation we could leave the solutions-discussion and talk about challenges and resources in the project.

The whole group seemed eager to support the project, and positive to our efforts. This was our most important goal for the meeting. They seem optimistic for a better future, and have big ideas for the development of the local communities.


We were hoping for some level of planning or future structure of the villages in the valley. It became obvious that the little we hoped for still was too much. There is high inflation in land-price because of foreign investors prior deals in the area. This affects the possibility for the Local Counsil to buy land to ensure public space for the future. All of today's Ibanda centre is privatized, and the mish-mash of ownerships and borders makes it hard to come to agreements.

The village of Ibanda is growing, to our surprise. There is influx from the mountain areas and even investors coming from bigger cities like Kasese to profit from the fertile soils around Ibanda. Over the latest 5 years the population has risen from 15.000 to about 20.000. The centre is now growing in two directions along the main road, and when introduced to the idea of thinking ahead, buying land before it´s valued as "central", the brains started working on an even higher level. We got the motion we were hoping for.


The news of a topo-survey being held in November was great news for us. The District Physical Planner is coming to do the first ever mapping of the area. This is a big step for the community, and if the survey is done in a good way, it will become an important tool for planning for the future. We are setting up a meeting with this individual as soon as possible, and bring with us all warnings of his "greatness" (real or self-proclaimed).

A demand for lists of needed materials and resources was put forward to us. This is to make the jobs of the Chairpersons easier when speaking to the people in the communities and local contractors. We have been asking for all available spear materials, scrap and left-overs to use in the building of our project, but amounts seems to be crucial in these areas.

After this meeting we conclude with a "Go" from the "important" people in the area, which gives nutrition to a belief in our selves and our ability to realize a sustainable and positive project.