Newsletter issue 33 - Nogamu

AT THE FOUNDING STAGES
SAMUEL NYANZI
(2 nd chairman)
In the last 10 years, (NOGAMU)
has built a strong governance
through having a board that is
elected every 3 years through a
General Assembly. The board
has various committees namely
executive, assets and finance, audit,
nominations and programmes.
The audit committee provided
guidance in the choice of the
auditor and there has been change
in the companies used. With the
guidance of the assets and finance
committee, NOGAMU acquired
its permanent home in Muyenga
Galukande close through a
mortgage from DFCU bank. The
nominations committee has played
a critical role in the selection
process of the board members. I
served for two terms and handed
over to the Current Chairman
Kabuye Fredrick. I got the mantle
from Taylor Alastar who was the
first Board chairman. This shows
good succession plans and growth
in governance.
NOGAMU’s inception began
by a GTZ project (Bio-Have) that
was contracted to start exportation
of organic commodities from
Uganda. They sent a consultant,
Gerd Ratter to oversee the
implementation of the project.
In order to execute his work
precisely, Ratter hired me as
a local consultant after taking
me through an interview. I had
undertaken an organic agriculture
course in UK that was sponsored
under Kampala Archdiocese and
at the same time, I was a practicing
organic farmer. I was among the
first indigenous Ugandans to take
on certified organic farming and
a trainer.
My work was to look for local
companies to export organic
products. I crisscrossed the
country and got some companies
like Suntrade. It was exporting
organic products like ginger,
pineapples and sweet bananas,
while Fruits of the Nile based in
Bushenyi and Mbarara exported
dried fruits. The third was
Kyampisi Estates managed by
Amin Shivji.
After a few of us organic
practitioners coming together in
1996, we asked Olivia Makumbi to
start a body that can unite organic
export traders. We had our first
meeting at St. Balikuddembe
Hostel. We agreed to call the
organisation NOGAMU, drafted
a constitution but all was not
conclusive.
In 1998, the Bio-Have project
came to an end that did the
financial funding. But Shrevji
continued financially to bail out
the organisation. After some time,
he also stopped and they ceased
to meet.
In 2001, when Alastair Taylor
came to work for Kulika Uganda,
they discussed on how to promote
Organic Agricultural (OA). Taylor
noted that in their country they
had a similar organic body and
requested for members and the
constitution.
Later on, Taylor called them
by phone to meet for the first
time at Kampala City Council
Hall. The meeting was attended
by about 100 stakeholders. He
looked through the constitution
and made amendments that were
in line with the organization’s Act.
The participants elected a steering
committee to see how NOGAMU
could be run.
However, after the second
meeting at St. Balikuddembe
participants who were not
exporting organic products craved
to start exporting. It was based
on policy making and benefits of
the farmer who takes up organic
farming.
After the several meetings, Susan
Nansimbi was recruited as the
first NOGAMU employee and
Moses Muwanga followed. The
first office was in Kulika Uganda
premises, Nsambya until we
rented out a room at Kabalagala.
In the same year, NOGAMU was
registered.
All the founders are still coined
to what brought them together.
We have benefited a lot from
NOGAMU. After five years, I
was elected as chairman for two
consecutive terms 2006 -2010.
We need membership from
every corner of the country.
One of NOGAMU’s biggest
achievements is the recent
acquired new storied home.
The future of NOGAMU lies
with members to put resources to
use.
6 Nogamu at Ten Years