The project region is known to have the lowest development and health indices in Uganda, despite having many external livelihood interventions that have borne minimal success.
In 2011, one NGO gave the people of Loyoro maize seeds for planting in July; the seeds were consumed rather than planted. When questioned, the community clarified that they had not asked for seeds in the first place, as it was the wrong season for planting. However, they feared to communicate this to the NGO staff who assumed to know what the community needed.
The NGO realised that people already know what they need and can achieve many gains on their own, if well and minimally facilitated. Glaring gender gaps were also noted, such as the suppression of the voices of women in the community.
The solution was to work with self-help groups (SHGs), where projects are implemented by existing self-led groups, utilizing their inner resources and amplifying the voices of women. The NGO staff only offer capacity building and support, instead of implementing the project by themselves.