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| Schools4Schools Project - Kamwenge - S4S041 As part of a study of ‘Water’at Australian School 041, Year 6 students planned and organised a Mini-Fair on Thursday 24th June, to raise money for a school in Kamwenge, western Uganda. Uganda is a fertile, well-watered country with many lakes and rivers. Two understandings essential to this unit of work were that there are ways to modify our lifestyle to protect and conserve water and that there are many communities in the world where access to fresh water is limited by economic and social inequality It was an authentic, real-life learning experience which students found highly engaging. They were actively involved in the planning and decision-making processes which are important skills for life-long learning. This was valuable with helping students and staff maintain their awareness of events in the world. Each school house operated a stall which students visited in their class groups. Stalls ranged from second-hand toys, lollies and cakes, coin toss, a handball competition to wet sponge throwing and a sausage sizzle. This project was valuable by enhancing an understanding of important global issues related to water and how students can make a difference. While the children had a lot of fun, central to the project was a strong sense of purpose to guide and motivate the awareness of issues related to water. Humanitus believes the program can be ongoing and the children will see over the next couple of years how they have improved the lives of the children at this school in Uganda. Money raised through the project will provide a school in Kamwenge with fresh water and solar lighting. For more details on S4S projects, please go to www.s4s.humanitus.org 2004-2005 Humanitus/KADA Projects Through Humanitus, KADA is working on a number of village-level, subcounty-level and district-level projects in Kamwenge District. Coordinating the projects on a district level is Twesigye Morrison. KADA has a temporary office in Kamwenge township, staffed by a Projects Manager on a daily basis. KADA is one of more than fifty affiliates and sub-affiliates of Humanitus which is undertaking projects throughout southern, eastern and western Uganda.
Water Supply for Secondary School Initially the school was funded through community contributions. The funds were raised through an eduction tax administered by the Nkoma Subcounty administration. Every adult had to contribute USh 1000 for two years. The funds raised facilitated the construction of a temporary classroom in Nkoma subcounty social hall in 1997. The land was provided by Nkoma subcounty. In November 2002, the Kamwenge Development Agency (KADA) organised fundraising through which money was raised to construct a solarpowered, permanent two classroom block.
The installation of the solar system has improved the classroom environment, enabling students to study in the evening. Among the subjects studied by the school's 400 students are mathematics, Kiswahili, English, health science, political studies, history, commerce, chemistry and physics.
Humanitus and KADA are now working on a project to supply the school with a clean water supply. The cheapest and most cost-effective way to achieve this is by installing guttering and a rainwater tank. Funding for this is being coordinated by Humanitus through its Schools-for-Schools program. Under the program students in Australia fundraise for their fellow Construction of Clinics KADA is currently working on a project to construct several subcounty-level clinics in Kamwenge. Although the exact number is unknown there are thousands of people in the district who are HIV-positive, many of whom require regular access to medical facilities. Some of these people have to walk many kilometres to the nearest clinic, a situation which will be overcome once the new clinics are established.
Rural Diversification Program Most of the people of Kamwenge District live on small land holdings in rural areas. Under its Rural Diversification Program, KADA through Humanitus is promoting a program to encourage farmers to diversify. The program has been extremely successful and is spreading through the district as more people become aware of its benefits.
Construction of Radio Station Humanitus is promoting the construction of a community radio station to broadcast developmental issues throughout Kamwenge District. The station will be part of a network serving southern, Spearheaded by Humanitus, the station's main message will be HIV/AIDS awareness issues but as HIV/AIDS encompasses all communities and their activities the topics covered will be many and varied. The Humanitus stations have the full support of the government at the highest level, as do all projects in which Humanitus is involved. HIV/AIDS undermines agriculture because of its toll on the labour force
Uganda's Vice President Gilbert Bukenya is taking a personal interest in the project as he sees it as an excellent way to reach out to communities not easily accessible by other means of communication such as television and newspapers. It has been well documented that HIV/AIDS affects women disproportionately. The following issues reflect the important role of community radio as the most effective way to break down barriers affecting women.
Recognising the abovementioned issues, the radio station will have many women on the airwaves and contributing towards effective programming aimed specifically at women but also attractive to a wider audience. By doing so, women will feel more empowered to speak openly about issues normally not made public. This provides an excellent forum to bring about change where change is needed. Land for the site of the new station, KADA office, clinic and community centre has already been earmarked. It is located on a hill on the outskirts of Kamwenge township and easily accessible to the people of the district. Humanitus is spearheading a project to raise funds to secure the land and construct the community complex for all people of Kamwenge. Mobile Station Project Kamwenge has been identified as one of several districts to benefit from the Humanitus Mobile Station Project. A mobile community radio station visits schools throughout the district, enabling students to learn basic broadcasting skills. The station broadcasts from participating schools for up to a week at a time before moving on to other schools throughout the district. Such programming would give the project a truly local feel and would attract a great deal of interest among participants and the target audience. Furthermore, the use of a low-power FM station would:
Through Humanitus, KADA is working on a project to install a windmill to supply the Kamwenge township community centre with a clean water supply. It will be the first ever windmill in the district and, if it proves successful, will be mirrored in other subcounties that have an inadequate supply of clean water. Windmills are seen as a viable source of water as they are relatively easy to install and cost-effective to maintain. Windmills are ideal for pumping water from an underground source such as a borehole. It is necessary that this water source be correctly understood as often failure of a windmill or other type of water extraction system is ascribed to mechanical failure of the system itself when in reality this failure is due to the water source being inappropriate. The equipment needed to install a windmill is relatively simple. Smaller windmills can be almost entirely assembled at ground level and be pulled up with a tower. Larger windmills are built up from the ground. For all of the above a chain block and tackle with a derrick pole with necessary hand tools suffices. Humanitus is currently working alongside KADA and government ministries to ascertain if windmills are viable in Kamwenge. Community Mobilisation for Behavioural Change in Prevention of HIV/AIDS. 1.0 Background Kamwenge District is currently ranked amongst the more highly-affected HIV/AIDS districts of Uganda. Research indicates this is largely attributed to high levels of illiteracy, a railway line that accelerated the wheels of infection, a fishing village on the shores of Lake George and poverty. 2.0 Program Description
The program is the genesis of Uganda's new agenda to address health and socio-economic issues that increase the vulnerability of youth. Initial emphasis will be placed on HIV/AIDS but it should be noted that the cutting edge of this program is its holistic approach that seeks to address HIV/AIDS not only through the provision of information but also tackling the impediments to efforts to avoid infection. This will be achieved by providing communities in Kamwenge with life planning skills [LPS]. A youth drop-in centre will be constructed to provide youth a friendly environment where they can talk openly with peers, exchange information and actively participate in the education process. The centre's activities will include counselling, life planning skills and vocational training. KADA strives to promote hard work and entrepreneurship in order to build a culture of work values and ethics. It is recognised that the majority of out-of-school youth are unemployed, thereby increasing their propensity to engage in risky behaviour. Under this program, KADA will explore ways of engaging youth in group-based productive activities. Parents and communities will mentor and direct young people to indulge in positive activities and cultures. KADA's vision is to implement strategies to create an HIV/AIDS-free generation. To implement its mission, KADA advocates Behavioural Community Change [BCC] to address the issues of HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancies. The primary goal is to contribute to the reduction of HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancy among young people [10 - 24] by 2008. The broad development objectives of the program are:
The objectives will be achieved by:
Project Scope The project will cover all nine sub-counties of Kamwenge District, targeting 18 secondary schools and 120 primary schools. The outcomes of the program can be considered both quantitatively as well as qualitatively. The quantitative results (outputs) KADA is aiming for include:
KADA is aiming to achieve qualitative results (outcomes) which include:
Current Projects KADA is currently promoting the establishment of a community-based FM radio station to broadcast throughout the Kamwenge district. The station - to be known as Radio Kada - will broadcast information relevant to the people of Kamwenge. Material broadcast will include issues of:
It is envisaged that in time, Radio Kada - an affiliate of The Humanitus Foundation - will re-broadcast relevant Humanitus segments via satellite, as funding permits. Humanitus programming includes selected items from the United Nations, OneWorld and various other agencies with an interest in developmental issues. The Humanitus Foundation is not involved in the running of the station. Humanitus offers advice, personnel and services but is not involved in issues relating directly to KADA in any other way. The two NGOs have similar aims and work alongside each other to offer two-way support and achieve their gaols. Radio Kada is a project of KADA and its presenters will comprise people from the local district. It will truly be radio for the people, by the people. If you or your organisation would like to know more about Radio Kada, please contact Frank Tumwebaze at kada@humanitus.net The Humanitus Foundation can be contacted through http://www.humanitus.net Other Projects Other projects initiated or supported by KADA include a program in 1999 in which KADA was funded by the Kamwenge district local government to carry out community mobilisation-sensitisation on reproductive health and good governance in the counties of Kibaale and Kamwenge. KADA conducted six seminars, attended by some 700 people.
In April 2003, in partnership with Solar Light Africa, KADA installed solar-power at Rukunyu dispensary and constructed a 10,000 litre water tank. KADA also installed solar panels in four secondary community schools - Bigodi, Kamwenge, Kyabenda and Rwamwanja. Currently, Kada with assistance from World Malayalee Council - an Indian organisation registered in Uganda - is constructing a two-ward block [maternity and Toto ward] at Kabuga Health Unit as an extension of the unit. The project will be completed and commissioned by Uganda's First Lady Mrs Janet Museveni. Another health project conducted by Kada with assistance from World Malayalee Council saw the distribution of anti-malarial drugs worth 2 million Uganda shillings to Kabuga, Kabambiro and Rukunyu health centres. It also donated clothing worth 3 million Uganda Shillings to returnees [refugees] from the Republic of Tanzania who resettled in Mpanga Village of Kahunge subcounty in Kamwenge District. In September 2003, KADA secured ten hospital beds and mattresses from WIMA (a women's NGO giving maternity assistance, headed by Mrs Wavamuno) for Rukunyu dispensary in Kamwenge District. KADA runs a weekly community sensitisation Programme on Endigito FM on crosscutting issues compatible with its mission and objectives. |
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students in Uganda. It is envisaged students at the Kamwenge school will have fresh water for the first time by the end of 2004. 
Humanitus is negotiating with several agencies and government ministries in Australia and New Zealand to fund the construction of three clinics by June 2005. Each clinic will cost around $US10,000 and serve a subcounty population ranging from several thousand to as many as 20,000 people. 
Farms which until recently may have focused on one crop have diversified and now grow as many as ten or more crops. Pineapples, paw-paws and beans are now being grown on farms which formerly produced one main crop such as bananas. Other farmers have switched to aquaculture, some are raising pigs and still others are turning to crop diversification, aquaculture, cattle and goat farming and other ventures. 
One crop which until recently was basically unheard of in Kamwenge is vanilla. Trials on several farms throughout the district have shown it to be suitable to local conditions. While it is not consumed locally, it is a very valuable crop. Sales of vanilla will enable local farmers to diversify further or concentrate on which crops are found to be most valuable to them. 
One example of a farmer who has made a success of extensive diversification is Abbas Mutesasira who constructed his first fishpond in 2003. Eleven months after stocking the pond with tilapia Abbas had made a profit of USh710,000 on an investment of just USh40,000. He has now constructed two other ponds, one of which will be stocked with catfish. 
Some of the money gained from his rural diversification has enabled Abbas to install guttering and a water tank, thereby ensuring a safe water supply for himself and his family. Future savings will go towards improving his home's solar power system. 
The third pond will be stocked with tilapia which will not be hand fed. In this way Abbas will be able to monitor the size and weight differences in fish which have and have not had their feed supplemented.
eastern and western Uganda. It will broadcast issues relevant to local communities, enabling people to hear what other communities are involved in. 
Windmill Project 
© 2005 Kamwenge Development Agency