The People affected by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project have been trained in modern productive agriculture as one way of improving their livelihood.

The East African crude oil pipeline (EACOP) is a 1,443km pipeline project that will transport 230,000 barrels of crude oil daily from the Kabalega industrial area in Hoima district, Uganda to Tanga port in Tanzania.

This massive project directly affected 600 people in 29 villages with 58 physically displaced.

To restore the livelihoods of people affected by the project, The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) contracted a Non-Governmental organization called Montrose to give support to the project-affected persons which it is doing through training.

Edson Kagubale, the team leader, said that the training started in February this year and 13 trainees have benefited from 36 demonstration gardens targeting at least 1, 500 farmers.

Edson adds that the programme if well implemented, will enable families to have enough food for both commercial and home consumption. The same also intends to help locals start income-generating activities like chicken rearing, modern farming and environmental protection, among others.

Fred Bazaara, the Liaison officer at EACOP notes that project-affected persons are trained to transfer the knowledge to other farmers in their communities.

John Bosco Kaluule, the in charge of livelihood at EACOP says that they have also done financial literacy training to jump-start locals’ mindset to join the money economy.

Kaluule adds that they have supported children of the project-affected persons with vocational skills.

Construction of the EACOP route is set to kick off next year. It runs 1,443km from Kabaale, Hoima district in Uganda to the Chongoleani Peninsula near Tanga Port in Tanzania.  80% of the pipeline is in Tanzania. It is a buried thermally insulated 24″ pipeline along with six pumping stations (two in Uganda and four in Tanzania) ending at Tanga with a Terminal and Jetty.