New latrines & VSLA groups a result of CWASH

 Communities Construct new latrines a result of CWASH-Project.

Left is Jeff-KALI &LC.I C/man Kisaka II Village inspecting one of the new latrines

    KALI in partnership with SNV, UNICEF and Kasese district local government is implementing (CEP) in Bwera & Nyakiyumbu S/C. Emphasis is on S&H, O&M and promoting  YY/VSLA methodology among the water users at tap stand level on KGFS.

•      KALI works with 15 tap stand communities in Kisaka & Lyakirema parishes respectively. The scheme serves 692 H/H on 52 tap stands. KALI works with existing local gov’t structures to implement CWASH. I.e. the DHE, DHI, S/C leaders including Health Assistants, VHTs and C/Person LC. I of the different Villages, WSSB and the Water User Committees Target audience are water users in the 15 tap stand communities of project area.

The VSLA/YY Initiative

•      Currently 06 YY groups are functional

•      Members save a minimum of 500 -100,000=

•      Their interest rate is at 5%

•      Members save weekly & give those who want to acquire loans

•      The groups total savings 5,545,000=

•      Aim is to improve H/H income, S&H & O&M as well as WUF Collections at the scheme.

S/n	Name of tap	Savings
01	Mithimusanju tap	3,700,000=
02	Syayipuma  tap	300,000=
03	Nyamughona t/c tap	340,000=
04	Nyamughona RCC- tap	555,000=
05	Mutubya tap	450,000=
06	Kayibindulha tap	197,000=
07	TOTAL	5,542,000=

The CLTS approach

•      CLTS= Community Led Total Sanitation

•      Focus on igniting change in sanitation behavior  thru. Processes of social awakening

•      Targets community to end open defecation

•      Empowers community members to do sanitation monitoring in their area.

•      Ignites shame & disgust on open feaces

Achievements/ successes

•      Reduction in water related diseases especially, Cholera a result of community meetings on S&H

•      The intervention helped to increase WUF collections from 0 - 1,600,000= between Jan-July 2013

•      Promoted the scheme WSSB and stakeholders meetings every two months since January.

•       Triggered 07 Villages on CLTS and 33 new latrines constructed since march 2013

•      Trained 25 tap stand committees on O&M of taps

Trained the water board on the O&M

•      Mobilized & formed 06 YY groups, Mithi7 water user SACCO as the best with 3,700,000=

•      This SACCO attracts 60 members 30males & 30 females.

•      The SACCO formed health committee to promote S&H and Safe water chain at member h/h level.

Parish	Village	Category	New Latrines
Lyakirema	Lyakirema I	Triggered & Follow up	07
	Nyakasojo	Triggered &Follow up	01
Kisaka	Kisaki II	Triggered& Followed	18
	Mithimusanju	Triggered & follow up	04
	Nyamughona I	Triggered &Follow up	02
	Nyamughona II	Triggered &Follow up	01
TOTAL			33

Case story:

During the training, Grace Biira from Ndanda tap in Lyakirema parish assured participants that “since Karalike GFS scheme started 2years back, NO case of cholera is reported”. Before, this parish was one of the periodically affected with cholera in Nyakiyumbu sub county. Most people here go farming in the cotton belt which greatly has no latrines & water. Reaching home, they would still find no water!!! This is an achievement of KALI and SNV intervention on sanitation and hygiene alongside the trainings to the WUC on O&M.

 Challenges:

•      Out of 10 springs of KGFS, only 05 are functional. This affects constant flow of water

•      Failure of water users to pay monthly WUF of 1,000= affects O&M of the scheme.

•       Inadequate saving capital for all YY group members to access small loan for livelihood

•      Low skills in financial and record keeping to the YY/VSLA groups.

•       Low adaptability to new approaches e.g. hand washing facilities affect timely results.

Lessons learnt:

•      Saving culture among SACCO members  can be enhanced if  groups are properly mobilized

•      S&H project need time since it involves behavior change not measured in short period

•      The art of Team work at group level is very important in achieving collective results

•      Proper accountability and transparency is key in any group setting.  The case of Mithi7 YY group.

•      Constant follow up & partnership with existing structures is very paramount.

Compiled by;

Jeff-KALI 

bgeoffrey2011@gmail.com

THE TRANSITION FROM THE TRADITIONAL (CANDLE) TADOBA TO SOLAR EXCITES WOMEN IN ISANGO

Women in Isango Sub County are excited about the new technology of using solar energy for lighting houses. This is as a result of a project supported by WWF whose aim is toaccelerate the access to modern clean energy services for local communities in Kasese district, the main target being the local men and women who still use the traditional tadoba because they have not yet accessed the rural electricity and also low income earners.

The solar light is given through groups especially the Village savings and loans associations and the Water User groups who have started the YahuraYehuza strategy. They get the solar product on a loan where they pay 50% before taking the product and 50% is paid in instalment for four months. There is no guarantee for the loan like other financial institutions do and so even the lowest woman can easily access the products as one woman Ms Karungi Sarah said “some of my family members could not believe that this solar was mine until I showed them the receipt. This is because I cannot afford a solar if it is not a loan…I can also light my house at night and no longer use a tadoba which brings smoke in my house and the light is so bright. However, am scared of thieves that they might steal my product at night”

Another woman Ms Sumba said thus “I have a senior four son who would light my paraffin throughout the night reading and so I would buy paraffin for 1000 shillings every day for us and him to use. So in a week I would spend 7000 shillings on paraffin. And on charging our 2 phones we would use 600 shillings every three days which totals to 1200 shillings a week. Now I can save 8200= in our SACCO and it will help me to clear my loan and also continue to save…”This is indeed a mega saving for a rural low income earner and it can improve people’s lives for the better.

Many people used to take using the traditional candle known as tadoba to be the cheapest way of energy in Uganda but it has turned to be one of the most expensive models because of the daily expenses on paraffin. Here is solar energy which one buys once and it’s the sun to charge the solar for light and is easily accessible.

The community are happy with KALI and WWF for this initiative of bringing such services nearer to them.

Compiled by

Masika scovia

KALI

SCHOOL FACILITIES KEY IN PUPILS PERFORMANCE

By Nicholas Muhesi- KALI

As we strive to improve the quality of education and performance in primary schools, we should also consider the learning-teaching environment in which our children study in. It is hard for a pupil to perform better when the learning-teaching environment he/she is in is harsh in terms of lacking furniture to sit on in class, studying under trees, scorch temperature and also spending long hours without lunch. Kitsutsu Primary school has enrollment of 1012 pupils with 477 males and 535 females according to second term school compiled list. The school has few desks for the pupils to sit on especially in lower classes.

During the monitoring done in August 2013, we established that, in Kitsutsu primary school-Munkunyu sub county, P1 and P2 pupils with a total of 373 still sit on the floor for their lessons and exams and even then, they are too congested to write what is required of them by the teachers. (in set picture). This means that pupils end up copying each other and even not writing at all due to congestion. 

These pupils are expected to compete with a pupil sited comfortably on a chair with a table which is not possible. Who is responsible then? Some even sit outside the class room to do exams just because of the limited space in their class rooms (pic 2). They end up spending much time looking at passer bys than writing what is required of them. It is very natural that a person can only concentrate when the conditions are favorable and so it is no wonder that performance in schools is deteriorating.

Parents, let us work together with government and other stakeholders to make life in schools better. It is always a parent’s pride when a child succeeds but if we do not invest in these children, and then we shall not yield much from them.

NYAKIYUMBU CITIZENS DEMAND FOR THE SPLIT OF THE SUB COUNTY

NYAKIYUMBU CITIZENS DEMAND FOR THE SPLIT OF THE SUB COUNTY

By Masika Scovia- KALI

The citizens of Nyakiyumbu have expressed their need for the split of the Sub county. This was raised by the citizens themselves as an issue in the Neighborhood Assembly held on 31^st July 2013 in Kaghorwe Parish, Kalongoire catholic church with support from IDF in partnership with KALI. The Neighborhood Assembly which was attended by citizens from different parishes including Muhindi parish, Katholhu and Kayanzi  parishes who specifically want the sub county split into 3 sub counties including the parish councilors and the CDO of this sub county Mr. Bwambale Isreal said.

The Citizens said that the reasons to why they are demanding for the split of Nyakiyumbu was the same reason that had fostered the split of the “great” Munkunyu sub county which stretched from Munkunyu, to Muhindi, Nyakatonzi and Nyakiyumbu, all these as parishes. But now the great Munkunyu has been split into 3 sub counties of Munkunyu, Nyakatonzi and Nyakiyumbu Sub County. So, they argued that “…since the government is promoting decentralization for better service delivery, and the constitution puts the power in our hands, it is high time we split this sub county …” the speaker of the Neighborhood Assembly Mr. Mutoka Jolly said during the meeting.

The citizens during their discussions gave the following reasons,

1.    To speed up development in hard to reach areas like Muhindi and Kayanzi. The community here is very hard working and they need electricity to reach their area and also better roads. So, if they are given a sub county, it would be one of the priorities of “Muhindi Sub county and Nyakiyumbu Lower sub county”

2.    Long distances- The citizens argued that they face a problem coming for any development activity at the sub county. These included the councilors from Muhindi and Kayanzi who said that they use 10000- 20000 shillings to attend a council meeting where they are given travel refunds of 3000 shillings which is unfair to them. Also they said that the distances hinders them from reporting of human rights abuses and violations because by the time they come to report the issue to the sub county, evidence has been destroyed and some citizens have no cellular phones.

3.    That some of the government services in these distant places are either not monitored or takes long to be monitored because the facilitation is either not enough or people fail to reach these areas.

4.    Education- Nyakiyumbu Sub County has one secondary school which is Nyakiyumbu secondary school and students find it hard to come from Muhindi and Kayanzi for secondary education and also, one sub county chief and CDO will become 6 people employed.

Out of the 82 people who attended the E’kyaghanda E’kyabakata, 78 supported the split of the sub county by voting and 4 only disagreed with the split (see photo gallery).

The Citizens of Kaghorwe parish also expressed their need to have a health centre II in their locality. They said that apart from Kaghorwe parish, other parishes have Health centre IIs. This issue was brought by a woman M/S Kabugho Rukia. She argued that the available Mushenene H/CIII is an Integrated church founded health centre but have government facilities like staff, buildings and equipment and therefore they pay between 5,000 -10,000/= for outpatients and 15,000- 36,000/= for admissions. That a delivery of a child is between 10,000 - 25,000/= depending on the condition of the mother and the sex of the delivered child and if they fail to pay, the health centre management retains the property of the patients or caretakers yet they know that government centers have free services.

The citizens therefore, said that they need a health centre II where they can be treated for free like any other citizen of the Republic of Uganda. The citizens pledged their necessary support to get land where it can be established and they suggested to temporarily be using the Kaghorwe parish structures to house the Health unit as a kick starter, so that citizens can start getting government health services for free like other parishes.

Below, a woman explaining her reasons for the split  of the sub county