Our Community Model
BLI’s community engagement team extends the BLI model beyond campus and into the community, catalyzing rural transformation in Uganda and beyond. From practical regenerative agriculture training to infrastructure development, BLI cultivates flourishing rural communities with regenerative food systems, income security, and leaders in integral ecology.
Current Outreach
Demonstration Farms
The community engagement team establishes demonstration gardens for farming groups, schools, organizations, and other community institutions. These demonstration gardens serve as practical learning sites for community members as well as productive resources for subsistence farming or for sale. Using regenerative techniques including agroforestry, these demonstration gardens range from food systems to woodlots and are customizable for the needs of the host. While BLI supports the establishment of community gardens with technical and financial support, ownership and maintenance of these gardens––as well as the fruits of their harvests––belong to the community.
Community Groups
The BLI community engagement team helps in the formation of community farming groups. These groups bring community members together to collaborate on local projects, including the ownership and management of the local demonstration gardens. Supporting intergenerational and multi-faith involvement as well as leadership for women and youth, these farming groups promote knowledge sharing and grassroots innovation for the problems facing communities across rural Uganda. These groups also function as Village Saving and Loan Associations (VSLAs), which allow members to pool their money in common savings and share low-interest loans. In addition to VSLA functions, farming groups are connected to BLI’s Martha’s Market and the BLI SACCO for guaranteed market linkages, entrepreneurship opportunities, and accessible banking services.
School Clubs
The community engagement team is proud to lead the formation of Laudato Si’ clubs for Uganda’s youth in primary and secondary schools. Laudato Si’ clubs exist to form leaders in Integral Ecology by promoting environmental stewardship for Uganda’s next generation of political, spiritual, and cultural leaders. Club members maintain regenerative demonstration plots on school grounds and learn about the pillars of Integral Ecology and Laudato Si’ with interactive activities and exposure visits to the BLI campus. Each year, BLI brings together Laudato Si’ clubs from across the region to celebrate their accomplishments and showcase their innovations in Integral Ecology.
