THP-Uganda continues to organize the VCA workshops every
month in all five epicenters and sub-epicenters. So far, THP-Uganda has given
the VCA workshop to over 6,000 men and women and 130 trained Animators. The main
role of these young men and women is to work in their own villages and give
example by leading, to support and empower the villagers to be self-reliant in
their own efforts to end hunger and poverty. The reports that we get from Uganda
indicate clearly that our partners and local government officials in those
districts are very pleased about the workshops and the methodology and
principles of THP to empower people to end their own hunger. The work of THP in
Uganda, as in other countries, has come to be recognized by both the local and
national government as a demonstration of our partnership and mutual trust and
has enhanced THP’s credibility to work for the end of hunger and poverty.
Increased food production and food security
Our partners in all epicenters are producing increased amounts of foodstuff
such as maize and various vegetables including potatoes and cassava while
increasing the acreage of their food production. THP-Uganda expects that all the
food banks in the five epicenters will be filled with grains as soon as the next
harvest is finished in early 2004. The intention is to ensure that there is food
security for all by the beginning of next year and for Iganga, the next
epicenter to be developed, by the end of next year.
Access to Credit: The women requested and were provided with credit to
purchase improved seeds and to engage in poultry rearing, fish farming, and
other income-generating activities. The initial results show that women who are
engaged in lucrative income-generating activities, are capable of earning the
income needed to purchase food and other essential items for their families.
This quarter alone, THP-Uganda has issued additional loans to many of our
partners of which more than 90 percent are women. It has been established now
that after repeated consultation and training, both men and women have now
reached a level of 96-99 percent reimbursement rate, especially the men in
Kiboga Epicenter.
Education and Literacy: In addition to the school, THP-Uganda is
providing opportunities for women to become functionally literate in local
languages. This will enable them to participate in income-generating activities
and to read instructions for medication. Thirty-six instructors or teachers have
so far trained a total of 752 people, 68 percent of whom are women (515 women).
Health and safe drinking water: At the epicenters, there are trained
health staff provided by the Ministry of Health working on a full-time basis.
The medical doctor visits these epicenters once a week. So far a total of 2,000
people, both men and women, have been treated at the clinics. Healthy babies
have been born and immunized at the maternity center. All expectant mothers come
for periodical checkups, and home visits are also organized by the medical staff
to see sick people in their homes. Currently, an immunization and vaccination
campaign for the children is being carried out.
In terms of safe drinking water, THP-Uganda inaugurated the first safe
drinking water project associated with a school in the Kyali Parish, Mpigi
District, built by the community. The district of Mpigi, with a population of 1
million, has two Epicenters, Mpigi and Kiringente. The school serves children of
at least six villages. These children now have the opportunity to go to school
for the entire day and have access to safe drinking water while there.
The school also offers an adult literacy program for 100 women so they can
learn to read and write in their local language. Children between the ages of
3-6 years are taught how to read and write at the Mpigi Epicenter. They have two
female teachers who are paid from the contributions of the parents. The parents
are very happy and enthusiastic about this facility and have expressed a need
for a fully-fledged primary school. “This is a very good and welcome
initiative in the area since the children are saved from walking very long
distances to look for education” one of the parents said.
The committed leadership put in place in each epicenter has demonstrated
their willingness to work tirelessly for the eradication of hunger and
malnutrition from their villages in the coming few years. This leadership is
strengthened by the commitment to equality in male and female representation.
 |
| An immunization exercise taking place
at Wakiso Health Unit at Wakiso
Epicenter. |
Training Animators: As is the case in other countries, the role of
animators is crucial to hastening the work of ending hunger and eradicating
abject poverty in Uganda. To achieve this purpose, THP-Uganda holds monthly
Vision, Commitment and Action (VCA) workshops at the five Epicenters. After the
VCA workshops, a group of young men and women farmers are selected and further
trained to become Trainers of Trainees of animators. These dynamic young leaders
will travel to villages throughout their districts to empower and support the
villagers, enabling them to realize their commitment to eradicate hunger and
poverty on a sustainable basis. So far, over 1,000 people have attended the VCA
workshops and of these 400 animators have been selected to work in their
respective villages. In addition, 19 Trainers of Trainees received further
training to enable them to train other animators in their respective regions.
HIV/AIDS
THP-Uganda has launched a program of educating the people in all our five
epicenters on the inequality of gender as a cause for the spread of HIV/AIDS. As
a result, they have selected some 10 of the most effective trainers to train
specialized animators with responsibility for going to the villages to educate
the population, men and women alike, on their responsibility in stopping the
spread of HIV/AIDS. The education is making a clear impact and the attitude of
the population is changing in a way that everyone is aware of the deadly nature
of the disease.
Income Generation and Micro Credit
One of the major activities in our epicenters is providing access to
financial and technical resources. Credit has been complimented by training, and
tremendous improvements have been achieved.
Through the micro-credit scheme, our partners have acquired small loans, the
majority for the first time in their lives, and have started viable projects in
agriculture and small business enterprises. The overall repayment rates are
gradually improving and today it is around 96 percent for men and women alike.
As a result of this intervention many women are now able to take up activities
such as brick making and vending from small kiosks and groceries that used to be
considered men’s domain. This is now possible because they are able to access
credit from the facilities of the THP local committees.
Partners that have received micro-credit have increased the size of their
gardens or diversified their food production. One partner used the loan to
rehabilitate his sugarcane plantation and reported that he has increased his
earning on a daily basis. Another partner who is a pork butcher reported a sure
source of income from the two markets where he operates. Another used the loan
to expand the number of heifers he has, and he is now able to supply milk to the
community on a daily basis. Life is changing: many of our women partners no
longer depend on the men for daily sales of products, and many women are
now able to send their children to school with the increased profits from their
enterprises.
A rural bank is a rural financial institution designed to economically
empower men and women through micro-credit, savings and investment programs.
This quarter alone, THP-Uganda has disbursed loans of Ush.11,000,000 (US$5,511)
for the purpose of undertaking income-generating activities in agriculture, food
production, coffee trade and pig raising. Eighty percent of the loans are repaid
on time, and the rate grows with grace period repayment. Ultimately this rural
bank will be recognized by the government of Uganda as a rural or community
cooperative bank that will be led by women to ensure easy access for men and
women to credit.
A food processing training center. In each epicenter in Uganda there is a
food-processing center to transform cassava, maize and other foodstuff so that
the food can last longer in a processed form rather than as a crude product. In
addition to the food processing machine, THP-Uganda, as other THP offices in
Africa, gives training to women in post harvest management and food processing.
Adult Literacy
This program is an important tool of mobilization and a conduit for
transferring several technologies to the grassroots partners. It has enabled
women to feel proud and elevate their self-esteem when they are literate. It has
also helped men overcome their negative attitude and emulate the women by
joining the literacy program. In Uganda, during this third quarter, at the
Kiboga Epicenter, 915 men and women received certificates for becoming literate.
It is a very successful and impactful program for sustainable development.
The learners, especially the women, generally are more confident and are able
to communicate and take on leadership roles as a result of attending these
functional adult literacy classes. For example, one of the partners, an old
woman, came to sign for her own money at the bank after attending the adult
classes for 3 months.
Women have learned how to read and write and have been equipped with various
skills in nutrition, good farming practices, health and family planning.
There has been increased knowledge of the individual partners and ability to
make informed decisions.
There has been a spirit of teamwork among the partners as they have been
doing practical lessons together.
A number of partners are showing willingness and confidence to pro-actively
take on income generating activities.
Important messages concerning the welfare of the community are beginning to
be spread within the communities such as personal hygiene and nutrition
Changes in attitudes and behavior within the community have been noticeable.
For example, respect among men and women within the communities is beginning to
emerge.
