Our Goal: Building a Future at Home
Empowering Communities, Building a Resilient Future
We are building a sustainable future in Eastern Uganda. Through the Sam Owori Projects, we are transforming Kidera into a "Smart Village" - a scalable model for resilient, local development designed to be replicated across the region.
Why It Matters
Our mission is to combat poverty by equipping the next generation with essential skills and creating vital employment opportunities, ensuring they have the tools to build a prosperous life and thrive in their own homeland.
A Global Solution
With 200 million climate refugees projected by 2050, the need for local stability has never been more urgent. By championing self-help and sustainable growth, we address the root causes of forced migration, creating a blueprint for global prosperity and security.
Join us in building a future where every community has the power to stay and succeed.
Our Milestones & Achievements
Empowering Communities to Build Their Own Future
We provide the essential infrastructure, tools, and training to spark sustainable growth in Eastern Uganda. Explore our core initiatives - see projects:
Education & Clean Water: Building the foundation for healthy, thriving schools and the Community.
Women & Youth Empowerment: Unlocking potential through targeted skills and agency.
Advanced Healthcare: Strengthening local medical services and community well-being.
Green Farm Future: Revolutionizing local livelihoods through our School Farm and Demonstration Farm.
Solar Power Grids: Implementing clean, reliable energy for a modern "Smart Village."
The Path Ahead: Evolving our impact through continuous innovation and future projects.
It all began with a vision
Uganda: A Land of Potential and Challenge
Uganda is home to over 50 million people, half of whom are under the age of 15. Despite compulsory education, over 50% of children - primarily girls - do not finish primary school. As the climate crisis intensifies, poverty grows, and migration is increasingly seen as the only escape.
The Vision: A Legacy of Empowerment
The Sam Owori Projects began with a simple, powerful goal from Sam and Norah Owori: to empower the women and girls of their home village, Kidera.
Following their tragic passing, the Austrian Rotarians Doris Steinmüller-Nethl and Judith Köck took up this mantle. Working alongside Sam and Norah’s sons, Stephen and Daniel Owori, they reimagined this vision into a holistic development concept.
Building a Future at Home
In partnership with the 5,000 residents of Kidera, we are building a "Smart Village" pilot. By providing infrastructure, healthcare, and vital skill-building, we give young Ugandans the tools to thrive in their own country.
Our goal is to create a proven, scalable model that can be replicated across Uganda - turning the tide of forced migration into a wave of local prosperity.
The Sam Owori Projects – Powered by Rotary.
Sam Owori Projects & The Kidera Impact
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Education & Water
Access to education helps laying the groundwork needed to feel confident and courageous to master one's own life. However, poverty often means the end of schooling.
Girls in particular are denied access due to household chores, menstruation, a lack of sexual and reproductive education, and forced marriages.
In this part of the project, the foundations were laid for a prosperous, safe, and sustainable future of the boys, girls, teachers and parents. -
Empowerment of Women & Youth
Women are the driving force in Kidera – they take care of their families and work in agriculture. The economic potential of women is huge: promoting women as entrepreneurs and strengthening their position in agriculture can improve both the food and financial situation of their families.
Youth unemployment is very high and vocational training of young people is an additional focus of the project. -
Improving Health Care
The community in Kidera village accesses health services from Panyangasi Health Centre III which is located approximately 5 kilometres from Kidera village. The Health Centre, in particular the maternity ward, does not have adequate facilities/ equipment and needed structures.
In this part of the project, improving health care and access to clean water will be an important focus. -
Sustainable Agriculture - School Farm - Bicycles - Training
The fact that agriculture is the main source of income for the people of Uganda makes them very vulnerable to food shortages. Climatic uncertainties and the resulting problems are the challenges.
This project aims to provide knowledge, training on how to deal with these climatic challenges, and access to the necessary inputs and seeds in order to sustainably reduce the adverse effects on agricultural production and ensure food security. -
Power & Energy
In Kidera, only a few households have access to electricity which is expensive and unstable.
The planned project to set up a grid-independent solar technology will provide the people in the community, school, health centre and small businesses with a reliable energy supply and thus an opportunity for high-quality health care, education, enhancing safety and security. The topic of ‘clean cooking’ and reducing deforestation will also be a focus. -
Future Plans
All activities of the Sam Owori projects will make Kidera a pilot project of a “smart village” with the aim of fighting poverty and providing new employment avenues.
The entire community will benefit from the improved and more secure Smart Village.
With the help of The Rotary Foundation, a large-scale project is planned for 2026/27, so that the concept of the model village of Kidera can be transferred to other villages in eastern Uganda.
