Educate and Empower Girls and Women of Acholi

Secondary Education Support for Vulnerable Girls

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

Report Period: AUGUST -  NOVEMBER 2017.

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 andsupport 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.

Mentorship and meeting with the students

Provision of sanitary towels to the beneficiaries.

1. Mentorship and meeting with students.

Mentorship is very important for the improvement in the performance of students at school and understanding the social influences that they experience that may pose challenges to their stay in school. This session provides an avenue for opening up by the students about the challenges they are facing that if not handled may interfere with their studies. During mentorship meetings, the volunteers and the students develop relationships based on mutual as they hold heart to heart discussions with each other and together generate ideas on how to deal with the situations the students are faced with.

The session also provides space for the students to express to the volunteers their week points in their studies which in turn help the volunteers to hold discussions with the teachers concern to enable them provide extra lessons to the students or devise ways of making them understand during class periods.

2. Distribution of Sanitary pads and Scholastic materials.

During the visit to the students this term III, sanitary pads distribution was carried out with each student receiving 4 packets each. A total of 20 students received 80 packets of pads to support them during their menstrual cycle. The aim of this support is to enhance their personal hygiene and promote their self-confidence and class attendance at the time when they are experiencing menstrual flow.

Support with stationeries for school practice for the students in Primary Teachers college. Four students were supported with stationeries worth 500,000 Uganda shillings to aid in their final school practice. The students are writing their final examination this November 2017 before being passed out as primary school teachers. The students received box files, reams of papers, manila cards, marker pens, box files among other items.

4 out of the 20 students being supported are completing their final year in primary Teachers training this November.

2 out of the 20 students are sitting for their Uganda Advanced certificate of Education this November.

01 of the 20 students is sitting for her Uganda Certificate of Education this November.

13 students are sitting for their promotional exams to the next classes for term III.

School strikes have continued to disrupt students normal classes which affected two of the schools in which the students are being supported.

Way forward.

Continue mentorship and meeting with students to identify gaps in their learning and devise ways of engaging with their teachers.

Continue with the support and where funds allow, increase the number of beneficiaries.

Include other scholastic materials in the support being giving to the students since other parents are not in position to provide for their children. 

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