Help Families with Nodding Syndrome in N Uganda

Project: Supporting Families of Children suffering from Nodding Syndrome.

Report compiled by Aloyo Innocent Jessie, Project Leader: River Fund HIV/AIDs Family Support Women Association, Kitgum.

Report period: February - April 2017

Background.

The River Fund HIV/AIDs Family Support Association is a Community Based Organization (CBO) founded in 2007 by committed and motivated women to contribute towards improving the quality of life of persons infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and life threatening diseases, through educating and empowering the women and girls on HIV/AIDs Long Term Survival Skills, sponsorship and mentorship of girls in schools, economic empowerment and livelihood enhancement for self-reliance through seeds provision, training in kitchen gardening andsupport to malnourished children through provision of trainings in nutrition, and provision of basic items like soap, sugar, cooking oil, salt.
The organisation envisions a just and caring society where people yearn to help one another and realize that every human being is connected to one another for a change in the world with values such as: sharing, Love, Non-Discrimination, Humility, Peace, Non Violence, Justice, Inclusiveness, Service, Dedication, Honesty, Transparency, and Compassion.

Activities carried out this quarter.

1. Distribution of both food and non food items.
A total of 11 households received these packages (5kgs-Sugar, 4pkts-Salt, 3ltrs-cooking oil, 5kgs-beans, 1basin-fish, 10kgs-Posho, and 4bars-washing Soap each).
This package is planned to complement their households’ meals for two months until the next distribution scheduled for May 2017.

2. Provision of Sanitary Towels.

To promote hygiene for the girl child, the distribution also provided the teenage girls with sanitary towels. Together with the package, the girls and their mothers were taken through a learning session on the importance of proper care during menstrual period.

3. Distribution of Vegetable seeds.
To emphasize on proper feeding, the households received seeds for vegetables and beans and soya beans for planting with the setting in of the first rains. This is to promote kitchen gardening and support them with vegetable seeds that they otherwise cannot afford.

Achievements.

11 households received both food and non food items
15 teenage girls received 3 packets of sanitary pads each.
11 households received 25 kgs of beans,10kgs of soya beans, a tin of tomatoes,cabbages,Green pepper, Tula seeds for kitchen gardening. These they shall plant as a group for better harvest.

Challenges.

Increase in food prices and limited fund made it impossible to acquire more than the quantities given.
With low food production last year, the families are failing to provide more than a meal a day making the intention of supporting these households to provide more than a meal and a nutritious meal difficult.
The funding could not allow us do the monthly distribution as planned.

Conclusion.

We are so thankful to Global Giving and the River Fund for this support. We could not have done this without all of your support and big hearts for the suffering in our community!