The underlying principle of OpFOL's work is that Africa has almost all of what it needs to be sustainably self-sufficient, and that aid needs to be targeted much more efficiently, and used only as a catalyst to enable self-sufficiency. We believe in a "hand-up" and not a "hand-out."

The OpFOL pilot project model

The OpFOL model has six simple steps.

Phase One

(1) Identify a community hub - such as a school, hospital, barracks, University etc.

(2) Help that hub to identify and access local resources,

(3) Facilitate any resources that are not available,

(4) Through these steps create sustainable self-sufficiency at the hub.

Phase Two

(5) Embed the progress within the hub, including the handing over of responsibility for running the project to hub personnel,

(6) Use the finances now available to the hub as the agent of regeneration throughout the wider community by purchasing an identified hub need - very often food - from the surrounding community, providing a guaranteed market at fair prices.

Progress to the end of 2010

Over 22 acres of land are now being cultivated.

Maize, beans, coffee, bananas and cotton are growing.

All 1,010 pupils now receive a free midday meal.

Ugandan doctors report pupil health improved "across the board."

A rolling classroom re-decorating programme started.

Academic standards improving.

The school is starting to generate its own income from the crops.

School furniture repaired, a new storeroom built.

Local employment created in the wider community.

In short, in one year OpFOL has created self-sufficiency at the school.

What's next?

The next phase of the work is to embed the progress at the school so that school staff and other local people can, in the spirit of sustainability, run the project for themselves.

Alongside that will be the task of publicising the work as part of the search for funding to roll the programme out at other schools in Uganda. We have established contact with representatives of the donor community, who have expressed an interest. We have also had interest expressed in the story of the OpFOL model of support by a television company.

We will also be working to achieve a strategic partnership between the Ugandan Ministry of Education, the land owners (often the Church of Uganda) and the donor community.

We will work to develop variations on the model for those hubs that do not have access to land. Work on alternative models has already begun in Uganda.

As the model of support is successfully rolled out to other school, and other community hubs (hospitals, police and military barracks, universities etc.), we will offer the model to other African and Developing World Governments.

How can I help?

1. By donating to the work (details below)

2. By helping to publicise the work - tell others!

3. By inviting an OpFOL representative to come and speak to any group with which you are involved - club, church, school,  WI, professional association etc.

4. By undertaking one of our sponsorship events (contact us for details).

5. By contacting us and letting us know your ideas of how you may help.

To donate:

Contact details

Contact us, and find out more about our work at www.opfol.co.uk

E-mail: Niall@christianbiblechurch.co.uk

Visit our Facebook site Operation Fullness of Life for over 100 photographs of the work.

Telephone: 01548 581184

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