#MEET Rainwater Harvesting for a Better Livelihood (RwHBL)

#MEET Rainwater Harvesting for a Better Livelihood (RwHBL)

This is a short interview we conducted with Oguta Job Francis the creator of Rainwater Harvesting for a Better Livelihood (RwHBL). If you like this project and would like to vote for it, click here.

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1. Please, tell us a bit about yourself: where are you from and what is your background?

I am Oguta Job Francis, born to Ometo John Edward and Lilly Ometo, poor peasants of Boroboro, Lira, northern Uganda. I am now an undergraduate student pursuing bachelor's degree in fisheries and water resources management.

2. Can you describe your idea or project in two sentences?

A life changing idea that aims at providing safe drinking water cheaply, and water for kitchen garden agriculture during extreme droughts in northern Uganda.
This project aims at improving food security in the northern region of the country.

3. How did you get your idea or concept?

I thought to attain water for domestic use during extreme droughts in northern Uganda that left the northern people thirsty. I did small scale rainwater harvesting but now think I can commercialize to reach out to a larger number of users, which the idea started here on campus entrepreneurship competition.

4. What is unique about your idea/project and how does it benefit mankind?

It's cheap to invent, involves community participation which makes implementation rather easier. This project will enable the northern people to first attain water cheaply for agriculture, domestic usage during extreme alternating wet and dry seasons of northern Uganda, and fewer encroachments cases on wetlands will be registered as the local communities shall be centered to cheaper irrigation, hence, climate change mitigation and adaptation goals made achievable here in Uganda as well.

5. Describe yourself as an entrepreneur in one sentence

I am a hard working, self-driven but very good at adjusting to situations as they emerge.

6. How do you deal with people that doubt your abilities/initiatives?

I strive to do my best as I handle business with people who believe in me so that I pose a challenge to those who look to my success instead, this in most cases drives such individuals to learn by heart that anyone else can do even better things than they ever thought.

7. Where does your passion lie?

I am most passionate about making my own dreams turn into reality, therefore, I am compelled to work even harder to achieve these very boyhood feelings in me.

 8. What are you afraid of or what keeps you up at night?

The political challenges in Uganda that place poor populations at the main center of great poverty that makes innovation just a dream that is unachievable in even greatest endeavors.

9. According to you, money is a synonym for.....

A better beginning more especially in developing countries.

10. If you could rid the world of three things, what would they be?

1. Poverty
2. Hunger
3. Ignorance

11. What are the benefits you take from the Entrepreneurship Campus?

Learn how to start, operate and manage a business. Get new friends and see how the whole world is centered to think when putting to the same platforms.

12. What do you like more about the Entrepreneurship Campus?

Learning daily, sharing my idea with the whole world as I also pick and build on others' ideas.

13. Which idea/project do you like most?

Novfeed is one of the best ideas I have read in this competition.

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NOTICE: If you want to see more submitted ideas and projects at the Youth Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition, visit BEST IDEAS and BEST PROJECTS and VOTE for the ones you think deserve to WIN the Competition!