Ovon John A.K- Change Agent Kiboga District

I am a professional Teacher but before I registered and became a member of UCAA, I totally didn’t know what was happening with UCAA.  I used to see people; especially women plus my wife go to attend the change agent trainings. I was then encouraged by my wife, who after her training acquired life skills and was capable of showing positive attitude towards change.

I attended a Certificate Award Ceremony for the Change Agent trainees in Kiboga district. It was at this function that I was exposed to a lot of valuable knowledge about the activities of UCAA and also gained the courage on top of my wife’s information provided.  I was moved and motivated to join the association.  I registered first as a working partner.  This status enabled me to attend UCAA branch meetings and share UCAA newsletters which I found to contain a lot of information and knowledge about functions, and practices of UCAA activities from different UCAA districts in Uganda.  As time went by, I developed serious interest in attending UCAA short courses organized at various branches in the district before I fully trained as a change agent in Kiboga in 2008 during a change agent training course that was organized by UCAA.   
The various courses I attended enabled me acquire a lot of useful knowledge, skills, practices functions and methodologies about UCAA activities. Today, I feel my life, attitude; personality competency in handling social economic issues of humanity has tremendously changed.

The knowledge I possess now has enabled me to attain the following roles in the community where I live.
I am now the elected chairman of Kiboga District Coordinating Commitee, a position I have held for two consecutive years now.  Currently I am the secretary for Finance with Bwakedde Butya Fans Club- Radio Kiboga 89.5 F.M which has a membership of 3500 people. I am a technical advisor and chairman of a prominent catholic choir (St Anthony) in Kiboga Town Council.  I have also facilitated at various courses organized by self-help groups in villages and branch levels.

I have promoted UCAA in various forums at district, villages, church functions and existing NGO’s and CBO’s in the district.  There is a healthy networking existing with these organizations.  I am also serving as the secretary for QUAM Committee (Quality Assurance Certification Mechanism which assesses the level of suitability of an NGO/CBO to operate in a district.

Personally, I have benefitted a lot from the knowledge I acquired from the UCAA training. I can now manage the accounts of my small undertakings without difficulty; I have managed to put up a commercial building with my small earnings, Currently I am rearing some pigs, goats, keep some poultry plus crop growing. I have managed to educate my children up to University level.
I network with an American Company GNLD to train local people at grassroots on new methods and practices of modern agriculture through the use of modern organic fertilizers, to maximize production.

I attribute all these skills and knowledge that I am using now to the UCAA trainings. Long live.