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FOSCOD
Community Empowerment & Development Program

Community-led development at the center

CEDP supports underserved communities in Kalagala Parish, Njeru Municipality, Buikwe District — a peri-urban area bordering Mabira Forest, in a 'development limbo' between rural and urban service delivery.

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The model

An integrated development approach anchored in place

Launched in 2022, CEDP expanded FOSCOD's community work into an integrated development model where environmental sustainability and renewable energy sit at the center of local transformation.

The program works across six interlinked sub-programs — each corresponding to a Strategic Goal in the 2026–2030 plan — across Kalagala Parish's five communities: Kalagala, Kyambogo, Naluvule, Wabusanke, and Byabuku. These communities sit in a peri-urban zone bordering Mabira Forest, where rural and urban service delivery gaps overlap.

Areas of focus

Lasting change rarely fits into one sector

Energy affects health and enterprise. Water affects time, dignity, and livelihoods. Inclusion affects whose priorities shape every decision. CEDP keeps those connections visible while each area of focus has its own outcomes and evidence.

Clean energy and climate resilience

Clean energy and climate resilience

Clean cooking, solar energy, e-mobility, environment conservation, climate adaptation, and related climate initiatives that build community resilience.

Explore clean energy projects
Water sanitation and healthy communities

Water sanitation and healthy communities

Safe water, spring protection, sanitation, hygiene, water systems, and related community health and environment practices.

Explore water projects
Sustainable livelihoods and economic empowerment

Sustainable livelihoods and economic empowerment

VSLAs, women enterprises, climate-smart agriculture, kitchen gardens, green businesses, and other livelihood opportunities.

Explore livelihood projects
From priority to ownership

How a community-led project should move

The sequence keeps local knowledge, delivery roles, evidence, and long-term responsibility in the same conversation.

  1. 01

    Community assessment

    We start by listening — mapping needs and assets together with residents.

  2. 02

    Asset-based co-design

    Solutions are designed with communities, not imposed — using local knowledge and resources.

  3. 03

    Implementation

    Delivered with local organizations, global participants, and 25% community co-contribution.

  4. 04

    Monitoring & reporting

    Honest measurement and transparent reporting against verified indicators.

  5. 05

    Local ownership

    Communities own and sustain what's built — 86% of completed projects continue independently.

Geography

Kalagala Parish: five communities, one program

Click a community to explore active projects. Naluvule hosts our solar-powered water system pilot; Wabusanke and Byabuku border Mabira Forest for ecosystem restoration work.

Kalagala

Parish center, market access

Kyambogo

Agricultural heartland

Naluvule

Water spring & solar pilot site

Wabusanke

Bordering Mabira Forest

Byabuku

Peri-urban, forest-edge community

Cross-cutting commitments

Principles that apply to every sub-program

25%

Community Co-contribution

Labour, materials, or cash — communities invest in every project, ensuring ownership and sustainability.

50%

Women's Participation

Target across all initiatives — from enterprise leadership to climate ambassador roles to training cohorts.

86%

Sustained Community Benefit

Verified share of completed projects that continue to benefit communities independently.

CEDP impact

Impact cards from community-led work

Verified outcomes from projects across clean energy, water, and livelihoods — each reflecting the priorities communities set for themselves.

  • Clean energy that powers a livelihood

    3 households gained reliable evening lighting and new income streams

    Clean energy that powers a livelihood

    In Naluvule, a solar-powered salon turned an unreliable income into a growing business.

    Read the story
  • Protected springs and hygiene education

    Water access improved for 120 households with 86% sustained use after 12 months

    Protected springs and hygiene education

    Across Busoga, protected water springs and hygiene education are reducing illness and restoring dignity.

    Read the story
  • Regenerating land with biochar

    0.5 hectares of degraded land restored with 500 biochar units produced

    Regenerating land with biochar

    In Kalagala Parish, invasive water hyacinth becomes biochar — healthier soil, cleaner cooking, and new income.

    Read the story

Support community-led development

Partner on a flagship project, fund priority work, or join as an intern or volunteer.