Empower Rural Women - AIDS Skills for Women

RWEN REPORT
JUNE 2010-2011 JUNE

Executive:  RWEN started in 2008 by 5 devoted Trainers of Trainers who had been trained for three years by great Lynde Francis of Zimbabwe under the influence and care of the Director of River Fund a friend of African women.

These were: 

Teopista Auma               –             Chairperson.

Mary Justine                   –             Vice Chairperson.

Rose Olowo                    –             Treasurer.

Sabina Wanyongo           –             Secretary.

Anna Namanyi                –             Publicity.

Members:
Women                                   41
Elderly                                    24
Men/widowers                        4
Widows                                  55
TOTAL                                  124
Children   (OVC)                    300

Groups
Formed: Through RWEN 3

Amonokakinei              
25 women-lead by Grace formed in 2010.

Tororo                            20
women-lead by Rose Olowo formed in 2010.

Bugiri                            
women-lead by Bulandina formed in 2009 an old group of more than 60 members.

February this year we received funds from global giving through jaya the Director River Fund and we have been
able to improve on same of the activities on our program of RWEN, we are grateful.

Activities: 

Training : 

25 women were
trained in long team survival skills HIV/AIDS at Amonikakinei by the tots of RWEN

60 RWEN women have been trained in Agricultural  skills and vegetation Cultivation and food security

Tailoring, hair dressing, have been tried 

Long term survival skills –HIV/AIDS.

Women are well advanced in long term survival skills improved health / Nutrition / improved positive living.

Nutrition: 

2 elderly women and epilepsy boy are always feed on porridge,
beans and posho.

HIV/AIDS children feed at school under RWEN’s care.

Agriculture:

The members have been trained in vegetable growing and proper methods of farming Sukuma, Tomatoes, egg plant, dodo and other green vegetables, ground nuts, beans.

Maize, sweet potatoes and cassava for food security although there is famine due to cassava virus and prolonged sunshine.

Health:

We have worked hand in hand with ODECO to train the women in different activities for family health nutrition and basic agricultural skills.

Life for members and OVCS is far much better than before.

Piggery:

There has been an epidemic of pigs and we have lost most of our pigs the number is small.

Education: 

We have been able to provide school uniform for one hundred and fifty children (150).

Enough scholastic materials for one hundred and fifty children.

Our children have been average in their learning according to the results of term one.

Achievements:

We have moved from 100-150 OVC under RWEN care.

Our members are better in agricultural skills.

Families have improved in their ways of life especially HIV/AIDS homes due to long term survival training.

Self stigma has gone out of people stress has reduced due to long term survival skills.

Women have become very active and creative.

Self awareness has made life very simple for HIV/AIDS positive people. It has made them happy and free.

Challenges:

Our members miss septrine on clinic days because of the serious demand for it.

Each term scholastic materials are needed for the children.

On our nursery school would do better if we had transport for children and looking for food from different places.

Our tailoring project would do better if we had enough sewing machines there are still few and we need to buy more if funds are realised.

There is luck of some of the salon materials e.g. creams drying machines also advanced training if funds are there.

We lost most of our pigs.

We lost 2 members who were HIV/AIDS positive because they had T.B attack.

On behalf of RWEN members, I wish to thank the Global giving members and the Director of the Riverfund , all our kind donors for the great work done for the people of Africa, Uganda, Bugiri, Busia, Tororo, Lumino and Amonikakinei.

Thank you very much,

God bless you all,

Teopista

Chairperson RWEN.

Rural Women Empowerment Network (RWEN) Rural Women Empowerment Network established in 2008 by five women is a Community Based Organisation focusing on promotion of improved health and education. It is based in Busia District with its head office in Lumino. It was formed after the women in Eastern Uganda going through a three year training in the Long Term Survival HIV/AIDS Skills being conducted by Lynde Frances (now the late) and was facilitated by Jaya Canterbury-Counts the Executive Director River Fund. Since the formation RWEN has registered 125 adults and 300 children who are orphans among these 35 women and 2 men are HIV positive. Our strategies are: • Advocating for improved health. • Education and • Agriculture We have been trained 25 a new women group Amonikakinei in Long Term HIV/AIDS Survival skills. During the training we covered the following topics: Nutrition table Counseling, Stress, and Self awareness, Self stigma and Disclosure, Local herbs, Gender equality Women learned how to feed their children, take care of their families, growing different types of green vegetables on different plots with best methods of farming Proving millet mixed with maize flour to children to feed and elderly women. Education: 150 children are getting assistance under the orphan centre from different schools and levels in scholastic materials, uniform, for most needy and food Secondary 21 children, Primary and 129 children. Other activities: 1. Goat keeping 2. Piggery 3. Growing vegetables 4. Poultry 5. Savings and loan scheme 6. Tailoring 7. Mat making These projects are done on individual basics but under RWEN’S supervision these make members to be very keen in taking care of what they have. Agriculture: We have provided women with improved seeds; these include beans, white peas, dodo, and ground nuts All these initiatives have been met by the support we received from River Fund our partner organisation. We are so grateful to Jaya Canterbury-Counts the Executive Director River Fund who visited us last October 2010 together with Vicky Gersom, we had good time with them may God bless all those who are transforming our lives. Thank you all, Yours faithfully, Teopista Auma

The Rural Women's Empowerment Network:

Group 1

-          2010, presented in Bugiri, Lumino, and Masaba to groups of female and male adults, whole day presentation in each setting
-          When the town councils have gatherings, the 'Trainers of Trainers' are called to make presentations.
-          They have made 3 visits so far to sex worker groups in Busia

Group 2

-          Janet and Rose have a group of 25 that meet weekly for savings and agriculture
-          They meet monthly with the positive test clubs in 3 parishes; total about 120 people
-          Plans to start talk with sex workers at truck park near cement factory
-          Speak with people after church weekly.  Funerals are another informal venue for HIV/AIDS survival skills topics

RARUDO group

-          Meet with 3 positive test clubs, total 90 members
-          Visit local schools and present dramas about HIV/AIDS
-          Identify and counsel positive members at their homes
-          Train prevention of mother/child transmission, and have trained 2 additional counselors in this area
-          Coordinate with disabled group for increased survival skills training and IGA (income generating activities)

GOALS / FUNDING NEEDS

-          One day training at Amonikakinei Village
-          Three day training Aug. 2011
-           School fees, uniforms, seeds, blankets, mosquito nets, female condoms

Additionally the Busia Group has a nursery school caring for 170 poor children and a primary class to primary 4 for 70 children. 150 of the children are orphans. Several children are HIV+. The trainers have taught nutrition to parents and guardians.

On behalf of the families that benefit from HIV/AIDS programmes which is being conducted by the Training of Trainers a product of The Long-term HIV/AIDS Survival Skills,we would like to extend our gratitude all friends and our donors who are contributing to this Initiative since it began. We have teamed up with Community Based AIDS groups, Counselors whose mandate is to provide Home based care, medication, nutrition, ongoing counseling. The goal of empowering women and training trainers is to equip rural women with skills to enable them stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, help the people living with HIV/AIDS live longer life. The HIV/AIDS trained counselors are carrying out the following. i) Nutrition, care and support. ii) Conducting AIDS education to local communities, churches and schools. iii) On going Counseling conducted weekly. iv) Monthly home visitation v) Medication The Trainers have among the 1,600 women sensitized in the recent past, identified and trained more 4 women to help as trainers as well in Tororo. As a team they reached and sensitized 133 rural women in Busia and 50 women in Bugiri. The PLWAs livelihoods are changing gradually thus gaining hope. The team also visited 5 schools around our operation areas to raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS scourge among children particularly the OVCs. The schools include Segere Primary schools, Guule Primary, Nambogo Primary School, Iyolwa primary School, and Magola primary school Thank you so much for the support and may God Bless you

RURAL WOMEN EMPOWERMENT NETWORK On behalf of the women, I wish you a merry Christmas season and a prosperous new year 2010 together with our friends who are always with us in their hearts. Thank you very much for your donation of 1,000,000 shillings which was delivered to us on 20 December 2009. The women were so delighted. The group started in October 2008 with five trained members. These were: Teopista Auma Chairperson Mary Justin Ayo Vice Chairperson Sabina Wanyongo Secretary Rose Awwo Treasurer Annie Namanyi Publicity The group has now grown to rural women as a base and we have a branch in Bugiri too. Right now the group stands as follows: -women, widows, children and the elderly. Widows 55 Elderly 25 Women 4 Men 4 men; 2 are HIV positive'2 are widowers Total 125 Children 300 We are now taking care of 100 children only due to capacity of our group. Long term survival skills HIV/AIDS- Creating awareness; On health and nutrition: On nutrition we prepare millet porridge and soya porridge flour for HIV+ sick people. Nurse ulcers wound and daily dressing. 'Women: We have given 50 pigs kept in different homes for multiplication to reach each member in The nearest future. Elderly women: We have bought 3 blankets for three old women how are very needy. Also a blanket for an HIV positive boy of 12 years. Education: We have provided scholastic materials for 100 school age children. We gave a top-up boarding fee for 2 girls who are now joining senior 2 this year. We went to Bugiri and trained more than 50 women in long-term survival skills. Our plans for 2010: To continue with long-term survival skills for Bugiri & Busia. To continue assisting OVCs & elderly, HIV+ women & widows. To involve in poultry & piggery as income generating activities. To continue nursing the sick- Agriculture for nutrition e.g. vegetables, beans, soya & millet. Greetings to our donors. Love, Teopista.