Feed, Educate, Empower Acholi Women and Girls

Empowering Acholi Women and Girls Project
www.riverfund.org

Report compiled by Aloyo Innocent Jessie, Project Leader: River Fund HIV/AIDs Family Support Women Association, Kitgum.
Report period: May-July 2016

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.

Activity 1. Training of care givers of mal-nourished children on essential foods and how to prepare them.
The training which was conducted on 11th June 2016 for the purpose of empowering the care givers on how to care for and feed malnourished children was successful with a total of 35 caregivers in attendance. The table below gives the illustration of ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS, THEIR FUNCTIONS AND LOCAL DIETARY SOURCES.

SPECIFIC ROLE (NUTRIENT) DIETARY SOURCES
1 Cabohydrates,sugar and starches Provide energy and promote body functions Cereals such as maize & rice.
Starchy roots such as cassava, sweet potatoes, irish potatoes, and yam.
Starchy fruits such as matoke and bogoya
Cane,ripe fruits and honey.

2 Fats and Oils Provide a concentrated source of energy
Form part of essential structures of body cells. Cooking oil, cooking fats(including ghee,kimbo,and cowboy) and blue band,margarine.
Fatty animal food such as meat, chiken,milk and fish.
Oily vegetable food such as grounduts and soya beans.

3 Protein Promote cell growth and repair Plant sources: Legumes and pulses such as (beans,cowpeas,garden peas,pigeon peas and groundnuts).
Animal Sources: Milk and milk products like yoghurt, and cheese, meat and meat products, poultry and poultry products, fish and fish products.

Activity 2. Follow up of the students being sponsored both at Secondary schools and Institutions.

All the 20 students being supported were visited from their schools. In the meeting with them, the students expressed appreciation towards the support being rendered to them. They explained that due to the support, they are able to continue with their studies and as such, all those in S.4 have registered for their final exams (Uganda Certificate of Education) which starts in October and those at Primary Teachers’ College have successfully completed their first round of teaching practice.

Achievements.

Demonstration on how to prepare a complete meal for the children was done with preparation of different dishes by the trainers and participants.
Turn up of caregivers was more than the expected number.
Active participation and interaction by both and between participants and trainers.
Follow up of students being supported was successful.

Challenge.

Food shortage at the households leaving the members to have a meal a day.
Inadequate food stuffs for demonstration as the care givers were tasked with the role of carrying the items from their households.

Ways Forward.

There is need to continue training the caregivers on providing a complete meal for their children with the use locally available foods as done in this training.
More caregivers need to be involved despite the little resource envelope.
Provision on both food and non food items to promote healthy feeding and hygiene at the household level of the children being supported.
Need for constant meeting with students to encourage them strive ahead in the education.

Conclusion.

We are so thankful to GlobalGiving and The River Fund for this support. We could not have done this without all of your help!

Secondary Education Support for Vulnerable Girls
www.riverfund.org

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

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, through educating and empowering the women and girls on HIV/AIDs Long Term Survival Skills and sponsorship and mentorship of girls in schools, economic empowerment and livelihood food security enhancement for a sustainable development for self-reliance through seeds provision, training in kitchen gardening and support to malnourished children through provision of trainings in provision of nutritious meals, 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. Meeting with parents of supported students
2. Provision of sanitary towels to the beneficiaries.
3. Payment of Fees for the beneficiaries.

Achievements.

• Of the 11 students who sat for Uganda certificate of education (UCE), last year, four have joined Primary Teachers’ College, one is to join Nursing School this April and 6 have joined A’ Level to pursue Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE)
• 9 students are now in S.4 waiting to sit for their UCE this year and 1 student is in S.3.
• 21 girls supported with Sanitary towels; 3 packets each for term I.
• Conducted a meeting with parents of the beneficiaries. The meeting streamlined on what the sponsorship covers and what parents of the students should do in-order to enable the girls concentrate on their education. It further highlighted on the roles and responsibilities of the school, parents, the students and the River Fund in supporting the students’ education. Parents agreed to contribute towards their children’s education.

Challenges.

• Transport to and from the project sites is yet another of the challenges being faced. River Fund does not have a reliable means of transport and hence relies majorly on hiring motorcycles to facilitate field activities.
• Increase in School Dues that can’t be supported by the limited fund for the project.
• Some parents are unable to provide for scholastic materials and some basic items like soap, sugar for their children leaving them to always go without to school. This to some extent keeps them going in and out of school to ask parents to provide them.

Lessons learnt.

• Close involvement of the teachers is key in project success as they help in the beneficiaries’ career guidance and mentoring.
• Close involvement and work with the parents and or guardians of the girls to help provide moral support and encouragement.
• Close monitoring and follow up at school by project leader is key in fostering mentorship of the girls
• Mentorship of the students is a key factor to their performance and moral education which should continue.

Conclusion.

Term 1 begun well with all the supported students returning to school within the first week of new school term. The project leader made and executive members made a number of school visits to meet with the students and mentors in their respective school.

We are so thankful to GlobalGiving and the River Fund for this support. We could not have done this without all of your help!