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AgAinst All Odds A UNICEF Uganda Publication March - April 2012 Edition

You Don’t Need “Technical-Know Who” to Get a Job... Pg. 5

Defying Disability - A true story... Pg. 3

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Editorial

Compiled by Robby MuhumuzaCommunications Consultant UNICEF Uganda

Shaban Abdulrahim AhmedYouth Partnerships Consultant, UNICEF Uganda

Bob NuwagiraCommunications Specialist

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AgAinst All Odds A UNICEF Uganda Publication March - April 2012 Edition

You Don’t Need “Technical-

Know Who” to Get a Job... Pg. 5

Defying Disability - A

true story... Pg. 3

Published by:United Nations Children’s Fund Plot. 9 George Street, P.O.Box 7047 Kampala Uganda

SPEAK OUT, HERE IS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE YOUR

VOICE MATTER

As a young Ugandan, you have the right to be heard. Many times, you may have important issues you want to raise with those in power

but you feel voiceless, helpless and hopeless. Not any more. UNICEF is offering a free SMS social monitoring tool using mobile phones to enable your voice to be heard by those who matter and can do something about the issues that you raise.

This opportunity comes in the form of U-report. This system enables young people to speak out on what’s happening in their communities and provides a forum to amplify their voice through local and national media and feeds back useful information to assist U-reporters to use their initiative, enact change and mobilize their communities.

U-report is made up of weekly free SMS messages and polls, regular radio programmes and newspaper articles about stories that you report. The mission of U-report is to inspire action within your communities to unite and share the responsibility of creating a better environment for everyone; to inspire action from leaders by letting them know what is going on and what action the community wants.

Please join over 100,000 other youths that have already enrolled and are active u-reporters in Uganda. By doing so, you will make a real difference.

Text “JOIN” to 8500 on any mobile telephone network and follow the instructions. Remember, you will not be charged for sending SMS messages to this number. This is a FREE service Don’t put it off till another day. Do it now. Will you?

Send your stories and photos to: robbymuhumuza@gmail.com

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Losing Legs but Not looking Back

She lost both her limbs in a motor accident on the 29th December 2007, but never looked back at her disability and pity herself. Soon after the accident, Sandra applied for a dead year but later went against all odds and in January this year, she graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Math and Computer Science from Makerere University.

Inspiration amidst PainIt was during the recovery period at

home that Sandra found the inspiration to start up something for herself, rather

This is a True Story

“To succeed, you need a supportive

family and a passion about

something”

than be looked after. To her, “to succeed, you need a supportive family and a passion about something”, says Sandra, and it was then that she started mobilizing the youth in her community and soon had a group of 25 members, forming the Ngandu Youth Development Association.

Starting offSandra says that as a step towards realizing her dreams,

she began by saving her school allowances and bought goats and chicken for which she would resell. She was able to save enough to buy two Boer goats from a Catholic mission in Iganga. She also started a poultry and piggery project. Unfortunately, the piggery project collapsed due to high costs of feeds.

Building Self and Benefitting Community As an income generating activity, community members

bring their local goats for cross-breeding and some goats are sold at Shs 200,000 When a goat delivers, the kid is given to a member who is trained on how to take care of it. It is the money from membership contribution is used to buy feeds and drugs for the goats and chicken. To date, 18 out of the 25 members have received goats.

Supportive FamilySandra says that her strength also comes from her very

supportive family. Her two brothers, Mark and Julius (not real names) mobilise young people, conduct follow up visits and monitor how other members are keeping their goats. They are also very active in feeding the goats and chicken and selling the ones that are ready for the market. They de-worm the goats twice a year and spray them once a week. All this is done under Sandra’s

supervision and guidance.

What Sandra thinks of youth.Sandra says that, “young people

have a lot of energy that should be put to good use. They can do something with that energy”.

Any Challenges?Sandra’s and her team are faced

with the challenge of lack of enough funds. The piggery project and expansion of the goat project requires between Shs 6 and 9 million and this dream is yet to be realized.

Sandra Namuli’s story is rather unbelievable!

Sandra and her brothers (above) and one of her Boer goats (below)

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Lessons from a trip to Oyam...By: Ahmed Shaban Abdulrahim

When I and my colleague Robby Muhumuza visited Oyam in early February, we went straight to meet young people at Aber

and Ngai Youth Centres. The two youth centres are supported by ASB and UNICEF. Interacting with youth in a focus group discussion was the most pleasant experience the team has had let alone the quality of ideas and high level of interactions.

While the trip was meant to gather ideas from all angles on how best the centres will be sustained after a UNICEF or ASB pull out, the meetings with the young people were extraordinary.

The Conversation

During this trip, we learnt from the youth that one of the most effective ways of sustaining programmes is the ability to network. It is possible for the Youth Centre management to liaise with key institutions within the community to deliver services once in a given time.

For instance, during the discussions, the youth believe that an understanding can be reached between the local hospitals in the area and the Youth Centre to send medical personnel once a week to talk to the young people about disease spread, prevention and immunization of childhood killer diseases. A Police officer could visit once a week to talk about crime prevention.

According to the youth in Oyam, such networking opportunities not only help the young people to get variety of information from different specialists, but also help to create stronger partnerships between the Youth Centre and community service delivery agencies.

The youth talk business

Another great idea was that of having a business model for the youth centres. The youth believe that there is need for a business plan for sustainability to be achieved. “Once there is some income coming in, the money can be saved to pay for power bills, Internet or even DSTV subscriptions”, says James, a participant at a focused group discussion in Aber Youth Centre.

Angela, also a local youth from Aber, is even more optimistic, “we can charge some money for soccer shows since many people love to watch football. Another idea is that of a canteen and an internet kiosk for income generation”. Sam however, says that the TV set would also be used to broadcast

free educative shows for young people, since not everyone enjoys watching football”.

A piece of advice

Parweez (from ASB) Robby and I had one key message to the youth and the leaders in attendance: That on top of all the ideas of young people, their own (Youth) participation and involvement in affairs of the Youth Centres was key in sustaining them.

The piece of advice I gave them was that a school

is never a school without students - and so is a Youth Centre without the Youth. The concept of youths being involved in the planning, management and designing of the activities of youth centres creates a strong sense of ownership and belonging.

Fare the well

The last piece of advice came in from Mr. Parweez encouraging the aspect of youth – youth counselling and Mr. Robby M u h u m u z a recommended that other activities such as music, dance and drama should not be over looked.

It was time well spent.

Mr. Parweez from ASB speaking with the youth of Oyam

One of the youths from Oyam giving his view

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STELLA AKITENG PROVES THAT YOU DO NOT NEED “TECHNO-KNOW WHO” TO SUCCEED IN LIFE

By Robby Muhumuza

It’s easy to get fooled by her soft-spokenness and petite size.

But Stella Akiteng , the Gulu-based Project Coordinator of Bat-tery Operated Systems for Community Outreach (BOSCO) Ugan-da is no ordinary young woman.

She defies the trend that many Ugandan young people adopt in order to gain employment or promotion. The popular trend is commonly referred to as “technical-know who.” Stella needed none of it before she got employed by BOSCO-Uganda .

With tribalism as one of the excuses given for failing to get em-ploment, Stella, born in Ngora District , Eastern Uganda, managed to get her job with BOSCO-Uganda, a Gulu based organisation in Northern Uganda.

She too has shown that religious discrimination isn’t even a drawback. Stella, who was raised Anglican and now attending Watoto Church Gulu, still found favour with BOSCO, a Gulu Catholic Diocese owned organisation - with Dr Rev Fr Joseph Okumu as her boss.

“What matters is not your religion or tribe but what you offer at the workplace that God has offered you”, Stella says. Her roles and responsibili- ties include looking after specific project ar- eas funded by different donors, a n d representing the views of t h e organization in the project ar- eas among others

BOSCO-Uganda is one of UNICEF’s part-ners in installing com-puters, wireless equip-ment with Internet and training users at youth centres in Northern Uganda. Though Stella knew nobody prior to her employment at BOSCO-

Uganda, she knew a whole lot in

her field and this i m -

FACT FILE

Name: Stella Akiteng

Occupation: Project Coordina-

tor of BOSCO-Uganda

Hobbies: Listening to Country

music, Travelling, Nature, Arts

and Crafts

Favourite Quote: “Go confi-

dently in the direction of your

dreams.”

pressed the BOSCO-Uganda interview panel.

Stella has a MA (Master of Arts) degree in Communications from Atlantic Inter-national University, Honolulu-Hawaii; alongside a BA (Arts) in Communica-tion Skills and English Language Studies from Makerere University, Uganda.

She has also invested in many short training opportunities like Forum Theatre (Eastern Africa Work Camps Association, UNESCO and Coordinating Commit-tee for International Voluntary Services-CCIVS), Youth Cooperation Programme (Ms. Uganda/Ms. Exchange Department-Denmark, Eastern Africa Work Camps Association).

Trained in child protection by UNI-CEF in Gulu District Local Government & Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Planning-Columbia Univer-sity, Stella’s expertise extends into Public Health, Peace, Conflict Studies and youth training.

Stella’s varied work experience as tracked on www.Sakiteng.wordpress.com was also helpful in securing her current employment. Her service among children, youth, refugees and internally displaced peoples with local NGOs in Uganda also combined to furnish her experience in leadership, mentoring and facilitation.

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By Robby Muhumuza

Being orphaned at 12 did not stop her progress… The smile on Prossy Murungi’s face is telling. Through

hard work, the assistance of kind people as well as a positive attitude, she has put her sad past behind her and is succeeding in life as a mentor and role model to other young people in her community.

Prossy lost her father in 2000 after a long illness when she was 12 years of age. Her mother continued to be sickly on and off until she too passed away in 2006 leaving Prossy –aged aged 15 then - in charge of her younger brother.

“Life was tough and looked impossible at that time”, she recalls . “On the brink of starvation, we lived alone in the ramshackle house that our parents left us in and ate from our neighbours’ kindness”, she added.

Prossy, who hails from Kiddudu Village, in Kyenjojo District is mentor for disadvantaged girls in the BRAC Girls Club. The Kiddudu club was started in 2009 and has 45 registered members. They meet for four hours daily and learn weaving mats, and embroidery of table-cloths.

“We also learn life skills like how to avoid getting infected with HIV/AIDS or getting pregnancies”, Prossy adds said.

“We also learn how to save and do business. BRAC has given us loans that have helped us come out of poverty”, she added. She received a loan of Shs 100,000. She used Shs 20,000 to buy a piglet and some of the money to construct a pigsty. She used the rest of the money to rent a room in Kiddudu Trading Centre and start a small shop and set up a hair salon in one corner of the room. Her piglet grew and gave birth to 10 piglets which she sold at Shs 50,000 each to the NAADS programme. She bought a cow from this money. A few months later, her pig gave birth to another 10 piglets which she sold and bought another cow.

Prossy, who stopped in P7 and is now aged 21 is a star and a role model for other girls in her community. BRAC has nominated her to be a mentor to the other girls in their club. “No man can confuse me with money to sleep with me” , said Prossy, who is taking care of her brother, Wilfred Muhumuza, now in Primary Four.

As she showed me around the room where her club meets, my attention was drawn to the lecture notes on the flip chart on the wall that the club members held recently. The topic was on consequences of early marriage. The list included: dropping out of school, reduced earning potential, increased poverty, premature births of babies

with low birth weight, and giving birth to children who are likely to be malnourished and are at risk of being abused and neglected.

This was important information similar to what UNICEF is providing on computers that will be given to youth centres that are managed by UNICEF partners like BRAC and faith-based organizations. I look forward to a day when girls like Prossy can have access to such information so that they can be more empowered to mentor others.

PROSSY MURUNGI DETERMINED TO SUCCEED AGAINST ALL ODDS

FACTS ABOUT PROSSY

- Prossy is 21 years old

- She stopped in Primary 7

- Lost her father at 12 and

mother at 15

- She is now taking care

and paying school fees

for her brother

- She is a mentor of

disadvantaged girls in the

BRAC Girls Club

Photos by Robby Muhumuza

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By Caroline Barebwoha My name is Sarah... I am but three... my eyes are swollen... I cannot see, ... I must be stupid ... I must be bad, ... What else could have made... My daddy so mad? ... I wish I were better ... I wish I weren’t ugly, ... Then maybe my mommy ... Would still want to hug me.... I can’t speak at all ... I can’t do a wrong ... Or else I’m locked up ... All the day long. ... When I awake I’m all alone... The house is dark ... My folks aren’t home ... When my mommy does come... I’ll try and be nice, ... So maybe I’ll get just... One whipping tonight... Don’t make a sound!... I just heard a car... My daddy is back ... from Charlie’s Bar. ... I hear him curse ... My name he calls ... I press myself ... Against the wall ... I try and hide ... From his evil eyes ... I’m so afraid now ...

I’m starting to cry ... He finds me weeping ... He shouts ugly words,... He says its my fault ... That he suffers at work. ... He slaps me and hits me ... And yells at me more,... I finally get free ... And I run for the door. ... He’s already locked it ... And I start to bawl, ... He takes me and throws me... Against the hard wall... I fall to the floor ... With my bones nearly broken,... And my daddy continues ... With more bad words spoken.... “I’m sorry!”, I scream ... But its now much too late... His face has been twisted... into unimaginable hate... The hurt and the pain ... Again and again ... Oh please God, have mercy!... Oh please let it end!... And he finally stops ... And heads for the door, ... While I lay there motionless... Sprawled on the floor ... My name is Sarah ... And I am but three, ... Tonight my daddy ... Murdered me.STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN !

Violence Against Children Must Stop

By Bob Nuwagira

Uncle Bob happen to be my nickname. Its origins are not as mysterious as the coming of the Bachwezi. It came as a result of a letter. Yes a simple letter in an envelope. It was written to me by one of the people responsible for my becoming a comedian today; my grandmother.

I believe my grandmother was born funny. When I was growing up, she always said vegetarians are bad people because, as she said… “They destroy our vegetation.” But years later, she is the only vegetarian who eats meat. She apparently does not believe in the common saying that ‘an early bird gets the worm,” because she always feels sympathy for the early worm!

Going back to the letter, my grandmother wrote me one

when I was in S.2. It was the things she wrote to me about that were interesting. First was that my goat had given birth to 3 kids yet it could only breastfeed two kids at a time. So to solve the problem, she was looking for another goat to adopt one of the kids!

Secondly she wrote to me that my elder sister (who had gotten married) was pregnant, but they had not yet known whether it was a boy or a girl. So she told me to prepare either to be an uncle or an auntie! From then on students started calling me Uncle Bob.

Finally, at the end of the letter she wrote, “NB: I would have sent you some pocket money, but I have already sealed the envelope… bye.” You can tell why I ended up a comedian 10 years later! I am not responsible…some one is.

But I went against all odds (and the EVENS too…shaa..why odds alone) to make it in life. That story is for another day!

How I got the name ‘Uncle Bob’

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EVENT: Leadership, Advocacy And Communication Skills Training For Central Region Youth Coalition.

VENUE: Rider Hotel, Seeta-Mukono.

STARRING: Shaban Ahmed (UNICEF), Paul Jabuya (Uganda Scouts Association) and Lillian Bagala (Ministry of Gender).

BENEFICIARIES: Youth Organizations from Central Uganda.

GENRE: Skills Development:

DIRECTED BY: UNICEF Uganda.

RUNNING TIME: 16TH – 18TH April 2012.

PG: Approved.

RATINGS: Very Impactful.

PHOTOS BY: Ahmed Shaban.

Lilian Bagala, a co-facilitator in advocacy skills, helps guide a group

The Chief Guest, His Lordship the Mayor of Nakawa Division, Mr. Benjamin Kalumba handing over a certificate of attendance to one of the participants

Participants in a group photo with the Chief Guest at the closing ceremony