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