Annual review Networking
The organization by the nature of the interventions considers synergy as a pertinent tool for development process, exacerbated by the spirit of the National NGO Policy 2010. So we found it imperative to build professional networks and partnerships with various stakeholders to include local communities and authorities, other organizations (both at international and local levels). Gotten involved in volunteering with UNICEF under U-reporting on 8500 from Kiboga on telephone number 0774 352355.
Entrepreneurship Skills
A one week’s training workshop was organized and conducted with a specific aim of providing entrepreneur skills to youths. The youths were equipped with necessary skills on how to start up generating activities like tailoring, art and craft, soap and candle making, sanitary wear for girls/women and paper bags. Figure 1 demonstrates the workshop participants.
Health
An awareness campaign was conducted for one month specifically addressing creating a holistic sensitization campaign against sexual related ailments particularly in the area of HIV/AIDS amongst the youths in Kiboga district. Many youths were counseled, tested, and sensitized about the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS; related effects and many youths were given free condoms that in case they opted going out, safety should be prioritized which exercised was funded by MUWADA but facilitated by the medical team from Kiboga government health facility.
Under this intervention, the organization as well trained ten (10) peer educators for a week facilitated by an HIV/AIDS counselor form the district health facility so that the youths could render support to their colleagues given that some youths find it difficult to open up to grown up counselors as compared to peers.
Community Involvement
As a form of publicity, the organization managed to print out few T-shirts, caps and flyers. Besides, friendly matches were organized between the youths and the staff of MUWADA and successful football and netball matches were staged. Such a platform was used to continuously create awareness to the community in regard to objectives and interventions of the organization to the populace. Figure 2 represents a community sensitization drive.
Child Protection/orphans and Charity Work
Under this intervention, the organization has come to realize that there has been social ills of parents and caregivers marrying off their daughters whilst young yet the government has provided various universal primary schools in Kiboga which otherwise would not suffice to explain why girls cannot be retained in school like boys. As a result, MUWADA thought it wise to devise mechanisms for de-campaigning early marriages in Muwanga Sub County.
Young boys and girls displayed placards displaying information about: “NO TO CHILD MARRIAGES, DON’T FORCE ME TO GET MARRIED …” and the match past took stage in the small town of Muwanga. This was crowned by a sensitization drive to parents to refrain from selling off children like goats; and children to realize the importance of being retained in school given that the government has provided for free education in both primary and secondary levels.
The duo were encouraged to stop child marriages henceforth otherwise the legal arm would take its course; thus children were advised to report to police in case of such advent re-surfacing. In a bid to stimulate the parents to sending children to school and consequently be retained there, the organization has initiated a programme of providing scholastic materials such as clothing, books, pens and what have you so as to enable them no room for excuse. On additional to that we visited orphans in the ghetto land we gave them some snacks, drinks, we are going to look for donors who can give us a hand to support the lives of these orphans.
Challenges
A. Funding has been a major challenge given the increasing number of vulnerable and orphaned children that require scholastic materials. Proposals to various stakeholders have been written and now optimistic that in the near future the organization is likely to get away with such.
B. Infiltration by the refugees especially from Burundi has caused a challenge of walk-in cases to the organization building pressure on us in relation to food, and ARVS especially those living with HIV/AIDS; but of course we often refer them to the government health facilities although they are quite a distance from our office premises.
C. Office rent at times has proved burdensome especially where some of the members have deliberately dodged meeting their subscriptions which otherwise stretches administrative costs.
D. Illiteracy of the populace also contributes to lagging behind schedule of the organization given that after creating awareness, we except that people have understood and ready to go forward, but to our amazement because people are not able to read and write; our interventions are rarely grasped such that because of the component of water and sanitation – they demand for construction of protected springs; coupled with demand for ARVs from those living with HIV/AIDS.
Baseline Survey
MUWADA has been involved in drafting proposals for possible funding aimed at supplementing her financial resources; as such a funding project has been signed between the organization and UNESCO with support from Swedish International Agency (SIDA). This baseline is hoped to undertake a baseline survey on community radio audiences to provide better understanding of the audiences of MAMA FM, 107.7 FM, RADIO APAC 92.9 FM, NAKASE 102.9 FM and SPEAK.