Uganda

Citizen Journalists: The “Watchdogs” during the 2010 FIFA World cup

maureen — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:22:14 +0200

The 2010 FIFA world cup which is currently taking place in South Africa comes at a point when the use and application of web 2.0 tools has been adapted by many African people.

Globally, technological development has taken the place of face-to-face interaction; with an increasing range of devices for communicating and disseminating information. It is evident that the world is changing rapidly and African Media needs to catch up with the technological revolution. Africa cannot oppose the rise of this technology and the investment in “new and digital media”. But because of the low literacy levels, limited skills and high costs, it seems to be a fantasy than a reality to promote a larger use of online media in Africa. Never the less, this has not kept those who can access and use the technologies/web applications from making the best use of them during this 2010 FIFA worldcup.

Twitter an interactive micro blogging platform based on open publication of 140 character messages is one of the most popular web 2.0 tool being used to share information across the globe about the world cup. Being the largest sporting event in the world, twitter introduced the idea of having a picture of a ball after every tweet that bears the hush tag for the worldcup (#worldcup).

Facebook a privately owned social online networking website having users who can request for or add friends and send them messages as well as update their personal profiles in a chronological order to notify friends about themselves is another powerful tool being used by thousands of both soccer and non-soccer lovers during this 2010 FIFA world cup . It’s on these platforms that you find the latest updates about the different games in terms of the fixture, the winning teams, the “avoidable mistakes ” made during the different games, the online links to follow and watch the games, the vuvuzela discussions and people’s personal opinion about game.

We cannot ignore the blog, a type of website usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Many bloggers worldwide are having their blogs populated with the world cup event from all spheres; socially, politically and from an economic point of view.

A number of other tools like Youtube for sharing videos, flickr for photos and RSS for syndication are also being used. However, how are Africans benefiting from this worldcup and the various technologies?

The need to invest in citizen journalism and involve citizens in policies that affect them is now evident with the ongoing 2010 FIFA worldcup. The use of web 2.0 tools has enhanced real time communication, improved information sharing and networking. It is very important for different African governments to take advantage of these platforms to improve on key sectors electronically like health, education, governance and business. Each one of us can be a watch dog in our own societies or localities by reporting and sharing information on issues that affect us but have been left out by mainstream media. We are all citizen Journalist in one way or another.

The writer is a trained Citizen journalist and an Information Officer with Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET)

Mothers Deserve Better: m-Health And e-Health Must Feature In This AU Summit.

maureen — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:50:16 +0200

Prior to the summit, an African Youth forum with the theme “Maternal Infant and Child health: African Youth call for Action” will be held at the Imperial botanical beach hotel in Entebbe from 17th to 19th July 2010. This is a very good initiative by the African governments to involve young people in matters that will affect their future.

Uganda, like many African nations has limited resources in terms of man power and health facilities to enable her provide quality health services for mothers, infants and children. According to the report by Population Action International which based its figures from the Uganda National Health Policy, “supplies and medicines may either be unavailable where they are affordable or unaffordable where they are available”. This prevents low-income women from accessing basic medicines due to the high cost of purchasing drugs from private pharmacies. Worldwide over 350,000 women die due to preventable causes during pregnancy and childbirth.

The main causes are bleeding, infections, abortions and obstructed labour among others. The majority of women who die during or as a result of child birth are low-income earners from marginalized groups. Despite advancement and availability of technology interventions to save mothers and babies, maternal deaths have continued with 99% of deaths in developing countries of Africa and Asia.

As the African heads of state and leaders meet in this 15th AU summit, it is important for them to focus on issues of violence, human rights, education and poverty which are some of the key underlying causes of maternal and infant mortality. They must also not forget to intensively discuss the role Information and communication technologies (ICTs) play in preventing mortality and come up with feasible solutions on how different governments can tap into this potential of ICTs. With an increasing range of devices for communicating and disseminating information, Mobile and electronic health applications are very powerful tools in solving a number of health related problems. These include; sharing information on health related issues, monitoring treatment of patients as well as monitoring health workers. Given the fact that mobile phones cut across literacy levels and have been adopted by many women in rural areas all over Africa, it is important for the African governments to invest in mobile technology and e-health Applications.

The Ugandan ministry of health should partner with Organisations/ institutions like Text-to-change, Mobile Monday Kampala, Faculty of CIT at MUK, SMS media, UNICEF and Women of Uganda Network(WOUGNET) through her SMS campaigns to tap into the potential of mobile and electronic application as a starting point in solving the problem of high maternal deaths.

If the Millenium development Goal of reducing deaths for newborns and children is to be achieved within the remaining five years, our leaders have to “WALK THE TALK” in the upcoming government leaders meetings like the African Union (AU)- July in Kampala and the G8 summit-September in Canada.

The writer is a trained Citizen journalist and an Information Officer with Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET)

Ugandans reap wealth from nature, thanks to delicious grasshoppers

cissy — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:52:32 +0200

Yearly, Uganda is endowed with good rains in the months of May, and October to early December. These rains are indigenously known as enkuba ya musenene, literally meaning season rains for Grasshoppers (Nsenene).

Grasshoppers (Nsenene) are orthopterous (plant eating) insects in nature and live on the coastal boarders of the great lakes region. They are 1-4” long in size, and their lifecycle ends in the months of October – December, after they lay eggs and thereafter swarm out to conclude their cycle.
They are categorized in four colours, shaded purple, dark green, light green and light brown and they only move at night with their heads and anthers pointing downwards.

They swarm in the dark, from 7 p.m. till 7 a.m. As they are not comfortable with the broad daylight, once they detect that it is dawn, they immediately look for darkness and hide in the grass, and for this reason they are called “Grasshoppers”.

Since time immemorial, grasshoppers have settled on the top of the hills and catchers travel far and spend the entire day searching through the grass for the harvest. It is quite labour-intensive and risky, as one could catch many other dangerous insects like the poisonous centipedes and reptiles like the snakes.

To become wealthy, some brave Ugandans harness nature. Imagine: God’s nature is a get rich quick enterprise. Grasshopper catchers are always prepared for the season and they trap them in large numbers before the grasshoppers cross over to the end of their life-cycle.

When Grasshoppers sense light they think that it’s already dawn and get attracted, and as a result they are trapped. “You have to be innovative. Because I could not get enough money to purchase the galvanized iron sheets, drums and florescent bulbs needed, I had to acquire a quick loan from micro-financing institutions in order to construct the grasshopper trap," said Emanuel of Kabarole. "I have now benefited, I am going to pay off the loan and build a house,” he said.

The bulbs that have strong light are manipulated by removing the external coat, leaving the internal tube naked, which is very bright at night. Forty iron sheets are placed sideways and slid into drums. As the grasshoppers assume that it is already morning, they become attracted to the light. They bump into iron sheets, slide and drop into the drum.

“As we struggle to remove them out of the drums, the light is very dangerous and hurts the eyes, while the grasshoppers’ thorny legs scratch the arm-skin, which as a result, looks as if it is suffering from scabies. It’s a lucrative opportunity, although it’s a risky venture,” commented Joseph of Kasubi market.

In the village it‘s a different story to tell; electricity is a mere dream. Some villagers have a superstition, “they catch one grasshopper and hide it under a stone, with a belief that if this one remains in the grass and does not fly high to enable the catch, then during the next season others will be attracted to the same spot, Mercy says. "And children are cautioned not to make noise at dawn as the grasshoppers will run away.”

“When I was young, we would sense some noise at around 10 o’clock as the grasshoppers knocked each other, while swarming away at night,” related Paul of Kibooha.

At 7pm the grasshoppers (Nsenene) swarm away, knocking each other and fighting for space. Unlike locusts, they don’t destroy nature.

Culturally and in olden days, some women in rural areas never ate nsenene, but they would catch them for their husbands in order to get a Christmas gift, a costume and a season’s feast.

Often men invest in high risk opportunity ventures; they carry out real harvesting; they make quick money out of grasshoppers. Nsenene are a delicacy, nutritious and have high proteins and fat, in food value. “A mug goes for 3,000/= - 5,000/=. Women and children have joined in buying and selling,” says Denis of Nakasero market.

In Uganda some cultures believe that when a hen hatches its eggs, the shells and the nest materials should be laid at a road-junction, to deceive the eagles that all hatched chicks have died. This is done to prevent the eagles from eating the chicks. Likewise, ash used to remove the wings and legs of Nsenene, is also spread at the side of the road leading home. It is believed that every year, the grasshoppers will then be able to come back on the same spot.

After the harvest, they must be sold off when they are still alive; packed in open containers or sacks to allow aeration, as they smell badly if packed in un-aerated containers. If they over-stay they could become stale and could cause serious stomach illness if eaten.

In Buganda, Nsenene is a totem. The shrine of Nsenene clan is at Bakka in Busiro. Mugalula is the Head of Nsenene Clan.

Once upon a time, Nsenene swarmed to our neighbours in Kenya. “One overwhelmed Member of Parliament thought that they were locusts. This caused alarm to the Parliament. The Parliament advised people to destroy them with insecticides. However, one MP who had studied in Uganda long ago, advised his colleagues to pass a law to sell the grasshoppers back to Uganda, because this is where they had swarmed from and Kenya would make good regional trade with Ugandans,” said Paul.

Well fried and dried Nsenene are very nutritious and enjoyed by many Ugandans.

Wainah is The place to be!

waiswa — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:07:29 +0200

I have traveled to almost all parts of Uganda but never have I seen a rural area which has basic needs for a normal living like Wainah Village in Mayuge District, in Busoga Region.

What I call basic needs for a normal living are shelter, clothing, good roads, safe water, schools, hospitals or health centres and not forgetting about enough food. When you look at all that I have mentioned above, people in Wainah can either afford or have them by just the fact that they are located in the right place.

Wainah is located along the Jinja-Iganga highway, this alone speaks for the good road and along the road runs a piped water line from Jinja. It is from this line that people in the area have managed to get piped and clean water. A heath centre which was put up by government covers the heath part. As for education, primary and secondary schools, both government and private, can be accessed within the area, and more still, these locals have been able to get enough food by the fact that this is an agricultural area. They are also able to save some of their produce for sale so as to cater for other needs like making themselves good shelters.

Having said all that, here is the added advantage which most rural areas don’t have. In Wainah for your information, people can get free water from the place of one of the residents by the name of Vincent Waiswa, who has given out water for free for the past year. Electricity supply has been put it place by the same person. As if that is not enough, a computer centre with Internet has been setup by the very same person. This has been running for the past six years in which centre people come and learn how to use a computer plus the internet free of charge.

When you look at all what I have told you, save for the lack of supermarkets, malls, banks, factories and maybe a few other things, I think you will agree with me that there is no rural area in Uganda which has all those facilities -- maybe even in the whole of Africa. If there is any rural area with an thing similar I shall be very grateful to share it with you down there, but I still think Wainah is THE place to be.

SMUG calls for inclusive health care for LGBTI’s

nthateng — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:07:35 +0200

UGANDA: Following this year’s theme for Worlds Aids day, which calls for Universal Access and Human Rights, Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) has demanded non discriminatory HIV and Aids approaches to health care for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) people in Uganda.   “LGBTI people living with HIV and Aids have been victims of human rights violations based on their sexual orientation, and this is a battle yet to be totally conquered by civil society organizations. We call for greater response to combat HIV and Aids”, said Frank Mugisha for SMUG.

In its plea, SMUG urges the Ugandan government and HIV and Aids service providers to be inclusive of men who have sex with other men (MSM) and women who have sex other women (WSW) in the national Aids strategic plans, and to designate a human rights bureau position to monitor LGBTI concerns.

“HIV-related stigma and discrimination is a problem that needs to be addressed in ensuring the achievement of Universal Access by 2010, and extenuating the impact of Aids by 2015”, said Mugisha.

Val Kalende of Freedom and Roam Uganda said that LGBTI people in Uganda face discrimination and social stigma, making it difficult for them to freely and openly access HIV and Aids treatment from health centres. “Most medical people would not want to treat people who identify as gay or lesbian simply because homosexuality is illegal and they consider it a sin for anybody to be gay. Some of them see homosexuals as people who spread HIV, and not people who deserve to be treated if they are infected”, she said.

Kalende explained that Uganda’s health care system is not conducive to catering for LGBTI people, women who have sex with other women and men who have sex with other men and this is the result of the stigma and unequal access to treatment and care.

“You can not expect much when our very own medical people are not even aware of how to handle LGBTI health cases and yet are still homophobic at the same time. The Ministry of Health must come clean on its commitment to cater to LGBTI people in terms of HIV and AIDS treatment and care”, she added.

SMUG also maintains that the legislation like the Anti-Homosexuality Bill currently before parliament in Uganda, targeting sexual minorities, is an obstacle in effectively addressing HIV in Uganda. “If the anti-homosexuality bill becomes law, Uganda’s efforts in the fight against HIV and Aids will be severely thwarted. The passing of this bill will further bring discrimination against HIV positive LGBTI persons and drive underground those who need access to prevention, treatment and care services”, said Kalende.

Mugisha shared the same sentiments saying, “to have better results the approaches have to be non-discriminatory. LGBTI people have always been left out . We feel this is the time to bring them on board and part of HIV programs like all Ugandans.”

According to Daniel Molokele, Africa programme officer at the World Aids Campaign, discrimination and punitive laws aimed at marginalised groups and at those often among the most affected by HIV, drives people underground and does nothing to help slow down the Aids epidemic.

Meanwhile, a 2009 world survey of criminalisation laws found that 80 countries, including 10 of the PEPFAR (U.S President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) recipients, have laws criminalising same sex-relations between consenting adults.   “The Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) and UNAIDS specifically called for a review of legal impediments to the inclusion of most-at-risk-populations including MSM in the national AIDS response. Whereas UAC seems to be moving towards this progress, discriminatory legislation may hinder this achievement”, said Mugisha.
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“The fight against HIV and Aids should be an inclusive one and not discriminatory. If we all want to see an Aids free world, every human being, straight or gay has a right to life”, concluded Kalende.

Article by: Simangele Mzizi (Behind The Mask Intern)

Peoples Concepts about Twins

cissy — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:30:12 +0200

I (Rose) attentively sit in an English lesson; quietly and attentively continue to listen to my teacher, however feeling that someone is looking at me. I become completely interrupted and I turn around only to see girls observing me and my twin sister Joyce.

My classmate inquires “Hmm!! Rose are you a real human being, spirits or ghosts?” Perturbed by the question, I begin imagining an answer, “I have a human flesh like anyone, why does she have to ask that?”

My body running cold, I feel embarrassed and discriminated against. In Uganda there are many instances which result in discrimination against twins. This springs from cultural beliefs.

Julius Kiyemba, who lives in Nansana and is a father of twins says, “in Buganda society, twins are a blessing and a spell too. When twins are born, rituals have to be performed to drive away the spell. This involves the attachment of each twin with a spiritual twin.

The spiritual twins can be snakes, insects, birds, bats, and lizards, or chameleons, which are wrapped in bark cloth and kept for a long period. “The spiritual twins require proper handling,” Julius says.

Poor handling of spiritual twins is believed to bring about tragedy to the family. A family may experience poverty, sudden deaths, suffering, pain and sometimes a misery could engulf the entire family, until some rituals are performed.

Julius further explained that in the case of death twins are not buried, like other bodies. Neither are they buried at the family cemetery; instead they taken further away. “If both twins die while being delivered their bodies are placed into pots and hung in a tree” he added.

Kasirye, a witchdoctor in Magya village, says twins could send a spell to anyone who annoys them. He adds that it is the spiritual twins who drive the spell. They drive the spell to a person who mishandles them. That person’s skin losses pigment and becomes pink”, he argues. “When someone dies in a family or when there is moment of happiness in the family, the spiritual twins have to be informed,” says Molly, a mother to twins residing in Nansana. She adds that if the twins are not informed, the family faces a tragedy.

Molly also pointed out that twins cannot die just like any other person but instead they “fly”. With a sad expression on her face, Molly says when a twin dies we say that he or she omulongo obalongo babuse (two of them) or abuse ( if one dies) -- literally meaning that the twin has flown.”

Eric Wasswa, a twin and a resident of Mitala Maria village, was interviewed about the tradition of twins and he had this to say: “It is very embarrassing and discriminatory. People think that twins are spirits, ghosts or a spell and are immortal. How can they say that twins do not die, yet they die like other human beings?”

Duncan Wasswa of the same village said he likes the tradition, although he does not believe in it. “Whenever I move with my twin brother, Pius Kato, people warmly welcome us,” he says. “I imagine they ask us to bless them, so that they can produce twins. It is really a great fun and I enjoy it,” he says happily. “People treat us like God.”

Although twins face lots of discriminations and embarrassment, a few people have come out to advocate for them,. Eric requests institutions should come out and sensitise people that twins are normal and true human beings. They eat, drink, laugh and die, have flesh and blood and are not spirits.

“People need to be taught the biological facts behind the birth of twins, so that they stop looking at them as extra-ordinary,” Wasswa suggests.

By Nakato Constance

The Young Face of HIV/AIDS

loycek — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:26:28 +0200

Nora Nabanoba (not her real names) walked into my office, greeted me in a local language, and asked me how we help women. She narrated the story of how she came to Kampala. “I finished primary seven and because my parents were poor, I could not afford to join secondary school. Our neighbour had a daughter who was working in Kampala and she decided to take me to look for work in Kampala,” Nora said.

When she reached Kampala, things were different. The person who brought her to Kampala never assisted her as she had promised, and instead took her to her home to become her maid without paying her. Nora said that after working for along time without pay, she decided to escape and look for work somewhere else. She found a job and started working as a house maid, earning a small wage.

Two years later, a friend brought her a man whom she agreed to marry. Norah reveals to me she decided to marry the man because he had sofa set in his one-roomed house, which they did not have in her home. They stayed together for a few years and had a baby. Eve became suspicious when the baby and her husband begun falling sick so often. Later on the baby died, and after the death of her baby she decided to take a bold step and go for an HIV test. The results came out positive. “I felt like my life was ending there and then,” Nora said.

Finally, she had to come to terms with the reality of her situation. When she told her husband about her HIV status, the husband started abusing her, beating her and accusing her of infecting him. Little did Nora know that her husband had many other sexual partners. The husband became critically ill and was admitted to hospital, and then recovered.

Nora got pregnant again and had another baby. Since she knew her HIV status, she never breast fed baby and the baby is HIV negative. When her baby was three months old, her husband abandoned her. She was not working, and yet she had to feed her baby with milk since she was not breast feeding. “I reached a time when I was giving my baby water only because I did not have any money to buy milk -- not even food for myself,” Nora said.

Nora is now on ARVs and is temporarily staying with her friend. Given the costs of living here in Kampala she feels she is a burden to her friend. She is not working.

Nora’s story is no different from that of many women and young girls who come to Kampala to look for jobs in the city, only to end up in terrible circumstances. People come to them promising a good life and they have ended up in such situations or even worse.

General

A Lion slain -- outcome of the ‘Battered Woman Syndrome'?

Berna Ngolobe — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:59:33 +0200

Uganda woke up to a surprise with one of its former Army Commanders and a major-general murdered by a lover in Namuwongo, a suburb in Kampala. The death of the general attracted many headlines in the mainstream media, such as “General dies in ‘Kandaha’,” “a lion killed by a rat!” Name it…
The lady who confessed to the crime in self-defence, was first charged with the crime of manslaughter, but has now been remanded in prison with charges of murder.

The death has left so many questions, with some indicating that the gruesome murder that left one of Uganda’s Giants dead, was a planned plot aided by assailants. It’s unclear whether a lowly woman could have murdered a general who fought fierce battles for years and retired unhurt.

This has also left a lot of debates, given that in the past, such murders have been committed mainly by men. I am sure women advocates opposing violence against women will now face challenges trying to convince the public that men are the perpetrators. And I sure will not be surprised if an organisation fighting against violence against men crops up.

The truth about the motive behind the murder or death is known only to Lydia who,whether in self-defence or with motives to steal from or hurt the general, is likely to spend rest of her life in prison and – and more so because she killed a ‘Lion’. The truth is yet to be established, but in case it was self-defence will she find justice, given that she is a working class woman who could hardly get a lawyer to represent her?

A friend introduced me to a concept I had never thought of and this drove me quickly to think about this incident and write this article….the ‘Battered Woman Syndrome’! Inquisitive to know what this really means, ‘Jane’ (not her real name), told me that battered women may keep their anger and succumb to abuse for a long time – but when it erupts one may be shocked at the outcome or response no matter how weak they are!

Could the death of one of Uganda’s ‘Lions’ have been an outcome of the Battered Woman Syndrome? I am not sure, but the power relations between the two were very unequal and this cannot be ruled out! A rich, educated military giant, with power and status in society vs a poor unemployed woman about whose background little is known, with little or no education, staying in a two-bedroomed house sponsored by the general, and indentified as a sex worker.

Whether in self defence or not, I am sure poor Lydia will rot in prison, having touched one of the untouchables! Still watching this space!

East African Region Gender Equality Is A Reality

cissy — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:25:25 +0200

Member organizations of the National Association of Women NGO’s of Uganda (NAWOU) gathered at the Namirembe Guest House on 5th November 2009 ,to discuss a draft of an East African protocol on gender equality.

The East African declaration on Gender Equality (EADGE) is an initiative of the Eastern African Sub-Regional Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI: www.eassi.org) to transform gender relations in the East African Community and its member states. The goal of EADGE is to contribute to gender equality, equity and sustainable development in the East African Community, hence improving women’s rights.

In order to have the Protocol accepted and to enable the Ugandans to understand it; the Sub-Regional African organization chose NAWOU as a focal point. EADGE is comprised of five focal points in each participating country, namely Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda. As an umbrella organization NAWOU has many opportunities to understand the real situation of women of Uganda.

The meeting noted that, though there are other instruments and protocols in place, women still think about many different aspects of their lives. They would wish to see that those life aspects greatly improve and with gender equality in place we have high hopes of enjoying better livelihoods, both socially and economically.

Globally and locally a lot has been said about human rights issues and there have been many campaigns on domestic violence against women. In her opening remarks the Secretary General of NAWOU said, “we know that if there’s more respect from both sides men and women respecting each other and realizing that we are all human beings and have rights, to be alive, survive and get equal opportunities and that we are partners in development, then the world would be a better planet for each one of us.”

The Gender Declaration will legally bind countries in the region to fulfil all their commitments to gender equality. At the same time it will enhance awareness and involve women at all levels in the economic, social and political development of the East African community.

Help! Coffee disease is drying all our coffee

daisy — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:44:38 +0200

In Masaka District, Kako Samalien parish, the coffee is drying. What is surprising is that when this coffee dries it follows a straight line. At one time it looked like it was decreasing, then the coffee started drying again. So what we have been doing for this problem is that we cut, burn and burn the infected coffee. The tools we use like the pangas we use, we also burn them. We worry that our income will decrease since we depend on coffee. Our fellow farmers, how do you handle such cases? We would be grateful for your advice.
Sarah Mulenga
Jane Walusimbe
Celac Masaka

No Death Penalty For Homosexuals.

maureen — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:06:56 +0200

At the beginning of October, Honourable David Bahati, the MP from Ndorwa West in Uganda, tabled the Anti-homosexuality Bill in Parliament. As reported by the government-owned New Vision newspaper on October 30th, the Bill "seeks to prohibit and penalize homosexual behaviour and related practices."

It calls for live imprisonment of homosexuals and provides for the death penalty for people who have committed so-called 'aggravated homosexuality'.   According to the Bill, aggravated homosexuality is when homosexual acts are performed with a person below 18 years of age. It occurs when the offender is a person is living with HIV or is a parent/guardian of the offended, in this case the victim.

Religious leaders from the Church of Uganda, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Seventh Day Adventist and Uganda Muslim Supreme Council have unanimously supported the Bill, but have opposed the inclusion of the death penalty as punishment for 'aggravated homosexuality'.

The Honourable Livingstone Okello Okello, the MP for Chwa, expressed fear that the government might block the Bill considering the fact that the international community is exerting a lot of pressure on Uganda not to implement the draft law.   

My questions are:  
1. Can death as a punishment help the offender to reform?
2. Will killing homosexuals change anything?

The Importance Of Education

Maria Namirembe — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:11:58 +0200

In Uganda, many people are advancing because of education while others are being left behind because they are illiterate and have no access to education. Education is an important element in the wellbeing of all communities in Uganda and the rest of the world. In its technical sense, education is the process by which society transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills and values from one generation to another.

But with this, as some communities are developing in knowledge and skill, many are also worsening. Many regions have many children aged between eight and fifteen (8-15yrs) but with no education at all. This devastating situation is true in the northern part of Uganda, as well as some other regions.

I was interacting with some children in ABIM district in the northern part of Uganda on the 15th of 0ctober, to share some ideas about their lifestyles. It was interesting yet bad that we could not communicate to each other because they were using their local language and I was using English. As a result the mode of communication was sign language, which was also not easy for any of us.

None of these girls and boys could speak or understand English. The question here is what are the parents, government and educators doing? Though the government has introduced universal primary education (UPE) and universal secondary education (USE), many of the children have other factors hindering them from reaching this opportunity. Examples are the prolonged wars and insecurity in the north, the lack of infrastructure for academic purposes, lack of scholastic materials, cultural practices, lack of extension workers to carry on the sensitisation on education and so on.

Education enhances good communication, good interpersonal relationships, and prepares one for greener pastures through employment. Creative and technical skills are acquired. It’s so sad that these children have never seen a chalk or blackboard in their lives – and they had no idea of what the impact was on them, of what they had missed, because they were ignorant.
Therefore I call upon the parents to take their children to school and the government to put strict measures in place in the education sector. This will help parents and the children to realise the good in education.

What are you doing out there on this issue? This is a crucial issue to you and me; let’s fight to uplift the education sector even to the far rural communities.
More extension workers, should be pushed to rural areas to carry on sensitisation on education and this will help to increase school enrolment at the primary, secondary and university level, and will also improve development as a result.

Integrate And Live With Nature In Harmony

cissy — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:30:43 +0200

On 28th October 2009, yet another Information and communication Technology and Citizen Journalism Africa capacity building workshops ended at Crater Valley Kibale Resort Beach in Kabarole District, which is about twenty three Kilometers from Fort-Portal Town in the Western Uganda.

In the age of technological advancement, more rural women need to be exposed to new technologies in order for them to live in harmony with the Globe, and skills transfer is a strategic opportunity to empower women in Uganda.

On 26th – 28th October, 2009, Ntulume Village Women Development Association (NVIWODA) strategically chooses the workshop venue in order to reach out to the women in the rural communities and equip them with skills in ICT’s application, build Self Confidence, Self esteem and News writing skills.

The participants included Five Community Based groups of women, who are members of NVIWODA, i.e. Mperre Indigenous Initiatives for Development, Kamuruli United Women Development Association, Bukana Rural Development Association, and Rurama Women’s Handicraft and Farming Society, which is an affiliate member of Crater Valley Kibale Resort Beach, that carries out Eco and Community Tourism, environmental conservation and management.

CVK is a Tourist attraction Centre; therefore, the women in this community have the opportunity to access market for their products at the same time
they are economically and socially exposed. The group’s generated incomes have enabled them to acquire five acres of land for agriculture and a shelter for handicraft selling centre.

Having equipped the members with entrepreneurships skills in 2007, NVIWODA has further enhanced their capacity in ICTs skills; to able them widen their knowledge in enterprise growth and marketing.

In addition the participants were taught how to document and write their own stories
that happen within their communities using Internet and e- mail. Various Multimedia
Tools were also introduced to the participants.

Kabarole is endowed with versatile natural resources because in this particular area lies many crater lakes (about twenty seven) all are tourist attractions. Besides that they are Teas Estates and National Parks and other natural resources.

CVK is ecological and community tourism business. It is situated on the shores of Nyabikere Crater Lake. Next to it is Kibale National Park neighboring, Nyinabulitwa, Nyamirima, Nkuruba crater lakes.

CVK that started as a mere camp site is now a fully furnished tourist camp site with beautiful accommodation and scenery. Activities like nature walk at the top of the world bird watching and enjoying viewing monkeys, which were sighted, eating fruits at CVK gardens, overwhelmed the participant during the training. Nyabikere literally means frogs and toads.

The Managing Director is a role model entrepreneur for women in this community and she has acquired various awards for her exemplary enterprise development in conservation of nature and its environment.

Ms. Nyarwa the Trainer Consultant and a Programme Coordinator of the organization, teamed up with the Information Minister from the Tooro Kingdom, Mr. Fredrick Nyakabwa to teach women on how they could document their own stories that exist within their communities.

At the end of the workshop the participants identified real life experience within their communities, on issues like Domestic Violence, Defilement, Health and Universal Primary Education, and have posted their news on Citizen Journalism Africa site. Other Web 2.0 tools were also demonstrated.

By Cissy & Pelusi

Having equipped the members with entrepreneurships skills in 2007, NVIWODA has further enhanced their capacity in ICTs skills; to able them widen their knowledge in enterprise growth and marketing.

CVK is ecological and community tourism business. It is situated on the shores of Nyabikere Crater Lake. Next to it is Kibale National Park neighboring, Nyinabulitwa, Nyamirima, Nkuruba crater lakes.

By Cissy & Pelusi

Having equipped the members with entrepreneurships skills in 2007, NVIWODA has further enhanced their capacity in ICTs skills; to able them widen their knowledge in enterprise growth and marketing.

CVK is ecological and community tourism business. It is situated on the shores of Nyabikere Crater Lake. Next to it is Kibale National Park neighboring, Nyinabulitwa, Nyamirima, Nkuruba crater lakes.

By Cissy & Pelusi

Having equipped the members with entrepreneurships skills in 2007, NVIWODA has further enhanced their capacity in ICTs skills; to able them widen their knowledge in enterprise growth and marketing.

CVK is ecological and community tourism business. It is situated on the shores of Nyabikere Crater Lake. Next to it is Kibale National Park neighboring, Nyinabulitwa, Nyamirima, Nkuruba crater lakes.

By Cissy & Pelusi

Is Polygamy a menace in Rural Uganda?

nakirya — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:18:58 +0200

To many men in Africa, having many wives is a sign of prestige and some think it’s a sign of wealth. It is unfortunate that many times when men get more than one wife they hardly satisfy any of them, financially, sexually and emotionally.

In rural areas, this has led to women becoming very angry and failing to put up with being badly treated. In Rakai, a rural district in southern Uganda, a man was recently killed – apparently by one of his wives.

When the wife was taken to police, neighbours said the had killed her husband because he had recently married another wife, from the suburbs of Kampala.

Because of the risk of failure to balance many marriages, men must think twice before opting for polygamy. They need to look at the advantages and disadvantages, and also they need to be sure that they can really manage or else some may end up in hot soup.

After all am not sure why culture does not allow women to marry many men as well.

General