Mushroom lovers are coming together to Explore, study, preserve and spread knowledge about fungi through the Africa Rising Mushroom Festival.
For 2024, the Mushroom Festival will be held October 23rd, 24th and 25th 2024
Join us at the Mushroom Growing Training Center in Hoima City, Kasingo village. Find us 3kms from Hoima central market along Hoima Kyenjojo Road!
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share with you information about Eco-Agric Uganda and the second Africa Rising Mushroom Festival.
Eco-Agric Uganda is an organisation helping poor and absolutely poor women and girls in rural Uganda. We offer education as well as training in agricultural practices including mushroom cultivation which has helped empower local women greatly since we launched in 2007. Our mission with Africa Rising is three-fold: firstly we aim to raise the profile of Ugandan and African mushroom cultivation to the global scene. Secondly the festival presents a fantastic opportunity to educate children and local communities on the subjects of mycology and mushroom cultivation. Finally, the festival is an excellent fundraising drive which helps us put girls through school, thus improving their chances in life incalculably.
If you would like to help make this festival a success, please see sponsor options attached and a full breakdown of the program bellow:-
Taking place over three days from October 23rd to 25th, our 2024 event will see a fantastic lineup of talks, workshops, activities, and foraging, bringing you the best of mycology from Africa and beyond.
The program will unfold as follows:
It will start with arrival of international mycologists (Dates not yet set)
International mycologists will make a presentation at Makerere University (Date not yet fixed)
23rd – Children Day
Children of all ages will be given the opportunity to learn mushroom growing from substrate sterilisation to cultivation. They will also be shown vegetable growing and briquette making, two activities which are central to Eco Agric Uganda’s operations.
24th – Community Building
Taking place over four sites, this will be a unique opportunity to learn the theory and practice of growing mushrooms in Uganda. You will be able to attend presentations on the history of mushroom growing in Central Uganda, as well as an in depth presentation on Eco-Agric Uganda and the vital work we do to help local women and girls in need via mushroom cultivation.
This day will also see an exciting lineup of speakers from around the world enlightening us on their specialist topic. Full lineup to be announced.
25th – Foraging!
Brand new to the 2024 edition of Africa Rising, we will head out to Bugoma Forest to ID and collect wild mushrooms!
All talks will take place both onsite and online. There will also be a ‘pay it forward’ option for people to buy a ticket for a local to attend who otherwise would not be able to.
Route to the Mushroom Festival
Land at Entebbe International Airport: Festival participants will be picked from Entebbe international airport and driven to a hotel in Kampala or our home in Wakiso where they will stay until we conduct a session at Makerere University.
Traveling from Entebbe international airport to Kampala/Makerere University or Wakiso will take two hours.
Travel from Kampala/Makerere University/Wakiso to Hoima: This will take four hours. We will hire transport to travel from Kampala/Makerere University or Wakiso to Hoima in Kasingo Village
Location of the second African Mushroom Festival Venue
The festival will take place at EcoAgric Uganda Mushroom Growing Center in Kasingo Village
At the growing center, there is a mushroom training center that is not yet complete, but we hope by that time it will be complete. There is Eco-Agric Uganda training center where we will put tables and the researchers will display what they will have got from Bugoma forest.
In Hoima, we have cottages that can be shared, used by couples at the organisations center
In Hoima city, we have many hotels including three and five star hotels.
Travel to Kibaale district: Kibaale is a rural place. Traveling to Kibaale will take two hours. We have cottages where people will stay. However, it’s a nice place for camping and there is also a hiking activity to be done. However, this will be paid for.
We also have hotels in Karuguuza where people can stay.
Work plan for the second Rising Mushroom Festival
| Activity | Timeline | Status |
| Forming Mycology committee | January and February 2024 | Started |
| Getting sponsors | January up to April 2024 | Started |
| Getting speakers | January up to May 2024 | Not yet started |
| Passing Radio announcements, Radio spot messages and Radio Programs | May to October 2024 | Not yet started |
| Print IEC Materials like stickers; Fliers, Stickers, Banners T-shirts | August 2024 | Not yet started |
| Print Mushroom growing booklets | May 2024 | Not yet started |
| Procure training materials | October 2024 | Not yet started |
| Prepare Bugoma forest venue | May 2024 | Not yet started |
| Prepare the venue by procuring | October 2024 | Not yet started |
| Public Address system | October 2024 | Not yet started |
| Construction of stall (Lamp sum) | October 2024 | Not yet started |
| Tents with chairs | October 2024 | Not yet started |
| Training materials; Markers, Flip chart, Masking tape, Booklets | October 2024 | Not yet started |
| Complete the mushroom growing and mushroom training center | July 2024 | Not yet started |
Other Activities to be done
| Activity | Timeline | Status |
| Visit Kibaale District | ||
| Conduct a one day mushroom show in Kibaale | ||
| Conduct Safari to Murchison Falls National Park; Fort Portal; Kasese and other places in Uganda |
Budget for the second Rising African Mushroom Festival
| Second African raising mushroom festival | |
| Publicity | |
| Radio announcements | $184.93 |
| Radio spot messages | $657.53 |
| Radio Program | $2,191.78 |
| Sub Total | $3,034.25 |
| IEC materials | |
| Fliers | $821.92 |
| Stickers | $410.96 |
| Banners | $328.77 |
| Training booklet | $547.95 |
| T-shirts | $821.92 |
| Sub Total | $2,931.51 |
| Training materials | |
| Markers | $13.70 |
| Flip chart | $41.10 |
| Masking tape | $8.22 |
| Booklets | $273.97 |
| Communication | $109.59 |
| Fuel | $75.34 |
| Sub Total | $521.92 |
| Venue arrangement | |
| Public Address system | $232.88 |
| Construction of stall (Lamp sum) | $273.97 |
| Tents with chairs | $219.18 |
| Sub Total | $726.03 |
| Others | |
| Press / Media | $136.99 |
| Internet | $82.19 |
| Sub Total | $219.18 |
| Prepare Bugoma forest | $3000 |
| Transport Hire | $1380 |
| Sub Total For the second African Mushroom Festival | $24,18.49 |
The Second African Rising Mushroom Festival Sponsorship Levels and Budget
| Sponsorship Levels | Quantity/ number of sponsors | Amount | Benefits |
| Gold | 3 | $2000 | Your Logo and biodata will appear on the Eco Agric Uganda website You will be mentioned every Monday in all the three mushroom posts starting in February 2024 You will be mentioned in all second African Mushroom festival posts that start in February 2024 Your Logos will appear on all the banners, fliers and in the 2024 Eco Agric Uganda mushroom growing book Your Logos will appear in the quarterly Newsletter and 2024 annual report When you come for the festival, you will not pay transport from the airport and you will be accommodated at the organisations’ cottages. If you sleep in a different place, you will pay for your accommodation Your Business will be mentioned in all advertisements made about the festival Your Logo will earn a permanent place on the front wall of the mushroom growing house In case I attend a festival in Ohio, your Logo will be on the banner that I take to Ohio I will mention your business as I advertise the Ohio Mushroom festival You will get a T-shirt with your Logo You will get a video of Josephine and children at San Martino Primary School thanking you |
| Bronze | 4 | $1500 | Your Logo and biodata will appear on the website You will be mentioned every Monday in two mushroom posts starting in February 2024 You will be mentioned in all second African Mushroom festival posts that start in February 2024 Your Logos will appear on all the banners, fliers and in the 2024 Eco Agric Uganda mushroom growing book Your Logos will appear in the quarterly Newsletter and 2024 annual report Your Business will be mentioned in all advertisements made about the festival Your Logo will be painted on the walls of the mushroom growing house for two years starting 2024 In case I attend a festival in Ohio, your Logo will be on the banner that I take to Ohio You will get a video of Josephine and children at San Martino Primary School thanking you |
| Silver | 5 | $1000 | Your Logo and biodata will appear on the website You will be mentioned every Monday in one mushroom post starting in February 2024 You will be mentioned in all second African Mushroom festival posts that start in February 2024 Your Logos will appear on all the banners, fliers and in the 2024 Eco Agric Uganda mushroom growing book Your Logos will appear in the quarterly Newsletter and 2024 annual report Your Logo will be painted on the walls of the mushroom growing house for one year starting 2024 In case I attend a festival in Ohio, your Logo will be on the banner that I take to Ohio You will get a video of Josephine thanking you |
| Ordinary | 10 | $500 and below | Your Logo and biodata will appear on the website You will be mentioned twice every month in Eco-Agric Uganda posts starting in February 2024 You will be mentioned in all second African Mushroom festival posts that start in February 2024 Your Logos will appear on all the banners, fliers and in the 2024 Eco Agric Uganda mushroom growing book Your Logos will appear in the quarterly Newsletter and 2024 annual report Your Logo will be painted on the walls of the mushroom training centre for one year starting 2024 In case I attend a festival in Ohio, your Logo will be on the banner that I take to Ohio You will get a video of Josephine thanking you |
We hope to see you there!
