Increase Skills & Use of Pads by 200 Girls, Kamuli

Quarterly Progress Summary:

During this quarter, substantial progress has been made in achieving our project goals. The following sections outline the key achievements and the way forward.

Skill Development sessions:

Number of sessions Held: 10 sessions were carried during this quarter.

Participation: A total of 58 girls participated.

Skills Covered: The workshops covered a range of skills, including skills like making pads, bakery, liquid soap making, crafts, kitchen gardens, communication skills, and basic financial literacy.

Impact: Participants displayed increased confidence and practical competence in the skills they learned. Several participants have already started using these skills to generate income.

Menstrual Hygiene Awareness:

Sessions Conducted: 4 sessions were conducted to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene and the importance of using sanitary pads.

Interactive Sessions: The workshops included interactive sessions where girls could openly discuss their concerns and questions related to menstrual hygiene.

Way Forward:

Scale-up: Building on the success of this quarter, we plan to expand the project's reach by collaborating with additional community centers.

Advanced Training: In the next quarter, we intend to provide more advanced training sessions to further enhance the girls' skills.

Community Engagement: We will continue to engage with local communities to address cultural taboos and raise awareness about the importance of menstrual hygiene.

Testimonies

Participant A: "I never thought I could learn how to make pads. Now I can make my own pads and even sell them!"

Participant B: "The sessions helped me understand my body better and how to take care of myself during my periods."

Conclusion:

The project has made significant strides in empowering girls through skill development and menstrual hygiene awareness. The positive impact on their self-esteem, practical abilities, and health is evident. We are determined to continue this journey and create a lasting, positive change in the lives of these young girls.

We express our gratitude to all the donors, partners, and team members who have contributed to the success of this project.

Next Quarter's Goals:

Conduct 8 skill development sessions.

Provide advanced training sessions in high-demand skills.

Collaborate with local influencers to further spread awareness about menstrual hygiene.

Child and Family Foundation Uganda (CFU) team is delighted to share another progress report on the increased skills and use of pads by 200 girls.

 Raising awareness and improving access to affordable, good-quality reusable sanitary pads for girls in school and community, helps girls and teenagers can get the education they need. In the last quarter at CFU, we were able to train again 10 girls in making reusable pads.

The training aimed at skilling girls in adopting the use of Reusable sanitary pads using locally available materials as a way of enhancing girl-child education as well as promoting the retention and participation of the girl child at school.

The training was also aimed at creating awareness of menstrual hygiene since dealing with such a challenge requires one to have accurate and adequate information. The following objectives guided the training:

1. Enhancing menstrual hygiene.

2. Promoting girl child education.

3. Reducing stigma and building self-esteem among primary school girls.

5. Equipping girls with skills in making sanitary pads using locally available materials.

The topics discussed were;

-          Menstrual hygiene and management.

-          Personal hygiene,

-          Water and sanitation.

These ten girls are to train other girls in the making of reusable pads. The girls enthusiastically commented about the knowledge and skills they gained from the training.

In the last quarter, we have been busy here at CFU. We have continued to mentor the youth in the income generating activities and business they decided to do.  Over 90 youth have been able to go through four mentorship sessions so as to build their competence in business.

Thank you for your continuous generosity that has positively impacted and transformed the youth in Kamuli!

Wishing you the very best in 2023!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Ruth Nakalembe

SUCCESS STORY OF AGNES

Agnes is 24 years old, a resident of Bulopa. Agnes is a member of Mukisa Group and she is the secretary of the group.  Agnes is a S.2 dropout, born in a family of 8(Father, mother 5female siblings with one who is deaf). She is the first born and stays with her parents in Bulopa, most of the time Agnes and her siblings stays with her mother who works at a school as a chef. With the support of her mother, joined a Village Saving and Loan Association (VSLA) group to jointly pool resources with other youth. Prior to join the VSLA, Agnes heard success stories of other youth who had benefited from the VSLA group supported by CFU. When approached and was introduced to the skilling program, Agnes did not hesitate to join because she had known the benefits of being in the VSLA. Her passion for joint saving and group support inspired her pursuit to save so as to   able to start up a saloon Business. Her dream was not only to care for herself and meet her daily needs but also assist her parents in paying school fees for her siblings. Agnes is one of the youth who attended the hairdressing sessions and learnt how to plait hair, her major aim was to save and open up a saloon rather doing the plaiting at home, or being mobile hair-dresser looking for customers at their residences which was costly sometimes. From her mobile hair plaiting, she got money for savings and she could be able to at least buy one share of 1000/= meet the weekly (every Thursday) group savings. While in the VSLA group, she learnt how to make liquid soap, though she first took it reluctantly. However, her persistence to make liquid soap yielded a few coins and could save more in her group.  Her savings in the group were ranging from 1-5 shares (2000/= to 10,000/=) weekly depending on earnings within the week.  With her continuous buying of shares every Thursday, she was able to accumulate UGX 180,000, with an interest of 20,000/= making it UGX 200,000 by the end of groups cycle in August.

In October this year, Agnes’ dream of opening up a saloon come to pass, with the startup capital of UGX 200,000 she saved in her VSLA. She began her saloon with her savings with additions from her parents.  All together she used 300,000/= to start up a saloon business in Bulopa.  The saloon has capacity of serving at least 3-4 people at ago. On a daily basis she can make an average of 5,000 to 8,000/= on a good business day, 10,000/= to 20,000/= some days with few customers. However, for every coin she makes, she deducts 5000/= for rent and electricity. Agnes has much hope that her saloon business will catch up and she will be able to buy more shares in her group.

Agnes is so grateful to CFU, and her VSLA group because without attending the hairdressing sessions, joining the VSLA group and learning the concepts of VSLA, she would not have appreciated the value of savings for a business (saving with a purpose). She not only learnt how to save but also record keeping and financial management skills which are really helping her to account for every coin in her business. Agnes is now a model among her peers, she spreads message of VSLA savings to even her customers who come by in her saloon.

• SUCCESS_STORY_FOR_AGIE_1.pdf (PDF)
  

CFU has designed a number of innovative models to meet young people’s needs today whilst preparing them for the future. The Youth Skilling model, combines the village savings and loans (VSLA) model together with a suite of targeted skills and training programs, and in doing so, aims to improve the skills, employment opportunities and social inclusion of disadvantaged Ugandan youth The Youth skilling supports out-of-school youth between 15-24 years of age and combines market-orientated vocational skills development for youth with linkages to financial services and education. The model’s process represents a coordinated approach, where both employer skill-gap needs and youth learning needs are identified and addressed, and youth participants are provided with supported pathways into training, hopefully leading to further employment opportunities The model’s comprehensive approach is effective in creating livelihood aspirations among youth and making youth ready for employment. CFU, under YOUTH SKILLS AND PADS USE program reached almost 200 youth in Kamuli through the Youth skills and pads use of which 95% following graduation subsequently applied the knowledge and skills acquired through their training through formal employment or as self-employed young entrepreneurs. 67% of youth were employed by the small-medium enterprises where they had their placements, while 33% started their own income-generating activities or small-scale enterprises (e.g. salon and hairdressing, liquid soap making, Jerry making). The active case-management of individual youth under the Youth skills and pads use model was behind this success and ensured continued youth engagement (following youth skill preferences during initial assessment) and high rates of completion/graduation (continued mentoring and support and problem solving). W4W delivered three levels of enterprise training: ‘Reach-up’ which included identifying skills and passions, finding and keeping customers, and how to save money; ‘Start-Up’ training which included how to develop a business plan and ‘Scale-up’ which included business assessments, coaching and improvement planning. • 10 VSLA groups were formed and each group consists of 20 members. • All the 10 groups were trained in VSLA principles and methodology. • 150 youth out of 200 were trained in income generating activities to boost their savings • 90 % of youths have understood the training courses and got access to job and earns on daily basis. • 200 youths had completed different types of training • 120 out of 200 youths had trained business development training • 100 out of 200 youths had trained in liquid making skills. • 140 female youth were trained in making reusable sanitary pads. And 80% had reported to be using pads. • 80 youths of business skills reported that their livelihood standard had changed after starting their new business set up

Reporting period Jan, Feb, March 2022

Child and Family Foundation Uganda (CFU) team are delighted to share another progress report of support health needs of 1000 adolescents in Kawempe and Kamuli amidst covid 19.

Partnerships

CFU works in partnership with the surrounding neighboring health Centre (IV) offering adolescent services that she profiled to support. These include Kamuli district office and GlobalGiving. 

Purpose

The main purpose of this report is to share CFUs achievements/outputs aimed at enhancing adolescents' ability to grow and achieve full life potential.

To share how the project has impacted and supported the health needs of adolescents

Implemented Activities (output indicators)

CFU conducted community mobilization, health, nutrition, sex education, and counseling sessions during community outreaches. The objective of the sensitization was to educate adolescents on health education and promotion tailored to the needs of youths, good hygiene practices, menstrual hygiene, teenage pregnancy, HIV/STI, and the dangers of abortions.

Topics covered included;

• Sex education
• How to locally make sanitary towels
• Basic knowledge of income-generating activities
• Caring for a  child      
• How to identify malnutrition
• Good hygienic practices

The CFU medical center together designed and operationalized adolescent group formation as a strategy for youths to engage in income-generating activities for improved standards of living and access to basic needs. Youth were able to identify projects of their interest after group formation and these groups were trained and funded ready for implementation.

Drugs and medical supplies such as condoms, post-exposure prophylaxis, and lab tests/scan were availed to the youth for free and subsidized prices to enable adolescents to grow and achieve their full potential.

Training and Job Aid in the local language availed to the youth for peer-to-peer education as a strategy to reach out to many more adolescents and youth.

Impact indicator

With the knowledge attained from training conducted by CFU, adolescent numbers that approach health centers for condoms and other medical services have increased to 71%. There is a decline in teenage pregnancy and sex education has been placed into practice and change in behavior.

 CFU Activity plan for next quarter

In a bid to enhance the ability of adolescents to grow and achieve full life potential, CFU will continue with stakeholders meetings, school teacher training, and engagement plus plans to manufacture homemade sanitary pads are in progress.