##Description Introducing crypto/Web3 technology to our project adds significant value by revolutionizing the way we incentivize and empower farmers and women saving groups. By rewarding farmers who save $20 on their crypto wallets and those practicing regenerative agriculture with organic manure, we create a direct financial incentive for sustainable practices. This not only encourages environmentally friendly farming techniques but also promotes financial inclusion and literacy among rural communities. Blockchain technology is essential for ensuring transparency, security, and immutability in these reward systems. Through blockchain, we can track and verify transactions securely, guaranteeing that rewards are distributed fairly and efficiently. The decentralized nature of blockchain also eliminates the need for intermediaries, reducing costs and increasing trust among participants. A traditional or Web2 solution would fall short in providing the same level of transparency, security, and efficiency that blockchain offers. Without blockchain technology, tracking rewards and ensuring their proper distribution could be prone to errors, delays, or even manipulation. Additionally, the decentralized nature of Web3 allows for greater autonomy and control over financial transactions compared to traditional centralized systems. By leveraging crypto/Web3 technology and blockchain in our project, we not only enhance the effectiveness of our reward mechanisms but also pave the way for a more inclusive and secure financial ecosystem for rural communities. This innovative approach goes beyond conventional methods by combining sustainability incentives with digital financial empowerment, ultimately creating a more resilient foundation for agricultural development and economic growth in rural areas. AYOWECCA UGANDA’s wide range of programs provide support in some of the poorest and most underprivileged communities in Uganda, East Africa. Since AYOWECCA UGANDA is community founded, our activities are community based to benefit the local people facing both social and environmental challenges. In addition to our agroforestry work, we are opening a skills training center for women and girls, and also young people, that will include Web3 onboarding and computer literacy as well as training for tailoring, catering and salon services. The categories of women who need vocational skills interventions are those who are school dropouts,women, widows and those who face extreme poverty, especially related to HIV/AIDS, Conflicts/wars, Politics, among others. Women and girls are in dire need of basic needs and supplementary benefits as Ugandans. These service points can hence be used to create opportunities to the target group who are in communities.The vocational skills and empowerment project is not clearly established to women, school dropouts, widows and orphans due to communities referring them as unfit, and rejects when it comes to inclusion in such projects.

AYOWECCA UGANDA Community vocational Skills Training Project is one of the programs that will be established to address psychosocial and economic problems among women, school dropouts, widows and orphans in Tororo and nearby areas. Our main focus is to protect natural resources, adaptation to climate change, conservation, skills development and empowering women and children. we are currently under plan of implementing a community skilling center activity in Tororo by February 2024.Through trainings, target groups will be taught different skills in Carpentry, briquette and Paper bag making,plastic recycling, Environment management, Sewing and Tailoring(making reusable sanitary towels, Bricklaying concrete and Practice, Leather Tanning, Hand Craft training ,promoting technologies through Computer training, Plumbing, Mechanics and Party Decoration, Hair dressing among others. After their training, they are expected to be able to produce good quality products leading to increase in Gross Domestic product and profitability. Secondly they will be able to effectively work in their village settings able to create jobs among themselves. We will use funding from this grant to support and facilitate these onboarding, education and advocacy efforts. With your help, we can improve the Web3 ecosystem to be more inclusive and equitable, and to bring the capabilities and benefits of blockchain technology to vulnerable populations who need it the most. ##Update We have received overwhelming number of women and girls seeking for skills training, Initially we had a budget of 200 women and girls for the first quarter but we've registered 685 and our machines/equipments isn't enough to accommodate all to receive proper training and also our space is really small, we then request for your support and your welcome to visit our project in person. We then realize there's high demand for skills training among women and girls in communities in Tororo Uganda. With our Gitcoin funds, we bought tailoring, catering and salon services to train rural girls and women who have dropped out of school and to empower them with hands-on skills to be economically empowered. We hope that with your funds, we can purchase more computers to expand our digital training. 2,500+ children receive scholastic materials every year 911 girls and women have been trained on making reusable sanitary towels 632 rural farmers have been trained on regenerative/smart agricultural methods. 22,000+ fruit trees have been planted in 98 schools and 69 health centers 685 women and girls undergoing skills training Challenges faced: Unfortunately, our funds were stolen from our wallet by an attacker after we clicked on a link when a Gitcoin Twitter page was hacked, so we lost some of our funds from GG18. We request that with your support, we can create a thriving community training/skilling center. We will use these funds to purchase more computers to improve Web3 skills, digital literacy and computer training. In addition, our training space is small and we would like to get a bigger place, and also pay additional facilitators. Our vision is that by next year, many of our Gitcoin supporters can visit our training center and farm and recommend interns for our organization. ##Problem Lack of Vocational training services has the devastating potential to create severe economic impacts. Women, school dropouts, Widows and orphans have struggled with life and they need hands-on knowledge that can support them through vocational training that can equip them with constructive Knowledge and reliable Skills. It is noticed that 60% of women, school dropouts, widows and orphans, lack direction which has contributed greatly in affecting the development and economic out-put of the country In Uganda. Environment Uganda remains one of the poorest countries in the world. The average daily income hovers below one dollar a day. While 40% of the populations in the south are living below the poverty line, in the north this figure rises as high as 70%. A large proportion of women, school dropouts, widows and orphans in Uganda have received little or no formal schooling. Most of them are unemployed. They are being denied even the most basic, most practical vocational education and their chances of ever finding a paid job are very slim indeed. In the countryside, there is a heavy emphasis on various programs for the youth than older agemanual vocations. The skills are being taught to meet the country's demands. The project is particularly keen to foster communities in which no training and educational opportunities have previously existed for school dropouts, women, widows and orphans. The goal is to motivate up to 30% of the participants, mainly widows, by the end of 2030, over 500 women, school drop[outs, widows will be working either independently, as self-employed operators, or in newly created jobs. A number of initiatives have been created to support and provide services to the community. These include a wide range of Skills including farming/smart/regenerative agriculture, permaculture and craft making. All these groups are important but mainly with lots of gaps; this means that school dropouts, women, widows and orphans are left with-out any developmental plan. The project will work together with local communities and other agencies that have the same interest to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) within the communities which include the Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, achievement of Universal primary education( Quality education), promoting Gender equality and empowerment, Reduction of child mortality, combating HIV / AIDS, Malaria and other diseases, ensuring Environmental sustainability and promotion of global partnerships for development, climate action and clean water conservation. Mission: To contribute to the improvement of women, school dropouts,orphans and widow’s lives through vocational and community based education in response to sustainable skills. In Uganda, Climate change is a serious problem, affecting livelihoods and decreasing economic opportunities. The country experiences prolonged drought, short and erratic rains which are disastrous and affect agricultural production, the backbone of the country. Also, due to disparities in traditional roles, societal expectations, and livelihoods, men and women are affected differently by climate change. Women account for the bulk of Uganda's population of 23.19 million people. They have lower wages, less access to credit and decision-making power, and less control over resources, all of which make them more vulnerable to many risks. It’s therefore important to consider differences when tackling the issue of climate change. Solution This project aims to provide inclusive education and advocacy for women, girls and youth for Web3, computer literacy and digital skills training as well as training for tailoring, catering and salon services. We also promote agroforestry/permaculture/regenerative agriculture for climate change mitigation and the development of vulnerable groups' livelihoods, such as women, by planting fruit trees alongside food crops. At AYOWECCA UGANDA, we promote economic empowerment in the face of climate change by training rural farmers on regenerative agricultural methods/smart agriculture that are environmentally sustainable, mapping agricultural practices in carbon credits, promoting agroforestry and permaculture where farmers can plant fruit trees besides growing food or cash crops, learn how to make organic manure and pesticides. ##OBJECTIVES: a. Overall Objective To empower women, school dropouts, widows and orphans with Vocational Skills and keeping them out of current poor standards of living, Breaking the York of vulnerability and having good working conducive environment to enable them obtain a successfully/desirable life so as to eradicate poverty in our communities and Uganda as a nation. b. Project Objectives

1. To reduce vulnerability and dependency among the women, school dropouts, widows and orphans by 20% in the community of our project catchments.
2. To mobilize and sensitize over 12,000 women, school dropouts, widows, orphans in Tororo and nearby areas.
3. To advocate and mainstream vocational training skills with other training.
4. To reduce the problem of unemployment by 10% of the women, school dropouts, widows and orphans
5. To provide 40% of Counseling and Guidance services to women, school dropouts, widows and orphans on psychosocial and economic issues c. Monitoring and Evaluation: This will be a continuous process throughout the project life. Monitoring activities will be conducted to ensure harmonious coordination of the project, its operation and proper implementation. This will bring out important information upon which decisions are sought and made. Field workers will also visit and hold meetings with the trained leaders to assess the impact of the project activities and share their experiences and challenges accordingly. Monitoring activities will be conducted on a monthly basis. Evaluation will help the project to assess the extent to which implementation is meeting the set objectives. It helps the project team to review the implementation strategies in order to improve on the project performance and better resource utilization. d. Impact Indicators: The proposal is designed to improve the way of life of women, school dropouts, widows, youth and create early awareness .