CESVI UGANDA ANNUAL REPORT

2008

CESVI ANNUAL REPORT 2008 Forward……………………………………………………. Brief history of CESVI……………………………………. Profile of CESVI in Uganda……………………………… Break down of sectoral interventions……………………. Project overview…….……………………………………..

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Forward CESVI started its operations in Uganda (Rakai) through implementation of development programs. We have over the years extended our programmes to cover the emergency in Northern Uganda providing services in Health, Water and sanitation, Education and Food Security. With the progress of the Juba peace talks and the ongoing return process, CESVI has now refocused its intervention in northern Uganda, from provision of humanitarian aid to recovery and development. CESVI realizes that the best possible intervention for northern Uganda at the moment is through capacity building and empowerment of our beneficiaries towards self reliance as opposed to dependence on humanitarian aid. It is in light of this aspiration that for example our food security interventions have focused more on training of farmers in modern farming techniques under the farmer field schools and provision of start up kits through seed and animal fairs plus voucher for work to returnee farmers. In terms of water and sanitation, apart from rehabilitation and construction of water facilities and latrines we have trained our beneficiaries on water source maintenance and also encouraged them to construct latrines in the areas of return through provision of digging kits and SANPLATS. Apart from northern Uganda, CESVI has sought to extend its policy of self reliance to Abim in Karamoja region where we have also trained farmer groups in modern farming techniques and provision of better crop varieties. In Kayunga district we are helping elderly persons start up income generating projects in order to support orphans under their care. All this has been made possible by the support of our donors; FAO, the Royal Netherlands government, European Union, HIVOS, UNICEF, WHO, the Italian Ministry of foreign Affairs, Trocaire and 4 Foundation. I would also like to thank all our staff for their dedicated service towards the realization of CESVI’s goals for the year 2008. Yours Sincerely, Mr. Salvatore Creti Country Director

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CESVI’s Mission CESVI strongly believes in assisting the underprivileged in developing countries, victims in war torn areas, people affected by natural calamities and environmental disasters. The value that guides CESVI is basically the moral principal of human solidarity and the ideal of social justice transformed into humanitarian aid and development reinforcing the affirmation of universal human rights.

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CESVI GLOBAL PROFILE

Established in 1985 with its headquarters in Bergamo Italy, CESVI is an independent humanitarian non-governmental organization, whose prime goal is to work towards global solidarity and social justice through humanitarian aid and development. In light of the above, CESVI has thus set its corner stone on the aspects of provision of emergency and developmental assistance to ensure survival, rehabilitation and reconstruction of systems destroyed by war or natural calamities, and the establishment of cooperation programmes and projects for the development of under privileged social groups and poor communities. The acronym CESVI, Cooperazione e’ Sviluppo (cooperation and development) further highlights the aspirations of the organization, thus not only to provide aid, but as a development partner working with the local people towards community empowerment. As a part its commitment towards humanitarian intervention, CESVI is also a member of the Alliance 2015. Alliance 2015 Alliance 2015 is a partnership of seven like minded Non Governmental Organizations working in the field of international development. The alliance members are CESVI from Italy, Concern from Ireland, Deutsche Welthungerhilfe from Germany, Hivos from Netherlands, Ibis from Denmark, People in Need from the Czech republic and of recent ACTED from France. In 2000, the Millennium Declaration was signed and in effect the international community committed itself to the eight Millennium Development goals with the overreaching objective of halving world poverty by 2015. The purpose off the alliance is to fight poverty more effectively by cooperating on various levels in developing countries with an overall goal of reaching the millennium development goals. Since its founding in 2000, Alliance 2015 members have worked to consolidate the partnership by developing new strategies for collaboration, which reflects in the range of talent and experience within the alliances’ ranks. At the same time the goal is not to become a homogenous block, but rather to respect and benefit from the diversity of the partners.

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Break down of sectoral interventions for 2008

Initially CESVI’s activities in northern Uganda were based on humanitarian interventions but gradually, especially with the ongoing return process, began shifting towards recovery and development. In Acholi region where the return process has been slow CESVI has maintained its interventions for the IDPs in Pader district, in terms of provision of safe water and Sanitation more so with the recent Hepatitis E outbreak, while at the same time supporting food security for returnee house holds through provision of seed kits, construction of market stalls and silos plus sensitization of land rights.

In Patongo (Pader), CESVI has basically focused on health interventions, in terms of improving the conditions of people living with HIV/AIDS and sexual gender based violence victims. This intervention targeted both IDPS and returnees. CESVI also carried out classroom construction and rehabilitation for returnee pupils in the district. For Lango region where the return process is now complete CESVI has mainly focused on restoration of food security, especially in Apac district through establishment of farmer field schools, distribution of seed kits and facilitation of seed and animal fares. In Lira district, CESVI has basically carried out rehabilitation and construction of classroom blocks, teacher’s quarters and health centers.

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In Abim Karamoja region, our interventions have mainly been in the food security sector, working with farmer groups through provision of seed kits, agro forestry seedlings, improved crop storage facilities and training on basic storage techniques. For Kayunga district, CESVI’s interventions have basically revolved around assisting the elderly and supporting education for the orphans under their care. This assistance has been in terms of house rehabilitation, provision of scholarships, scholastic materials, mosquito nets and establishment of income generating activities for the elderly.

An elderly lady in Kayunga upon receiving school distribution of mosquito nets in Kayunga a mosquito net.

CESVI sectorial intervention

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Sectoral interventions in 2008

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Project over view

Lango Sub- region

Food security support for displaced farmer households, returning to their villages of Origin in Apac district Owing to the LRA conflict and subsequent displacement of communities into IDP camps, like other sectors, the agricultural sector was greatly destabilized, leaving a large percentage of the population in northern Uganda dependant on food aid. With the restoration of relative peace, the return process of the IDPs in Lango region is complete; however, the biggest challenge for the returnees now is the lack of food security. It is in light of this, that CESVI with funding from the Food and Agricultural Organization implemented a project geared towards restoration of food security for the returnees. Key Activities

• Distribution of agricultural kits comprising of cassava cuttings, sweet potato veins and tools to 5000 households

• Organizing seed and animal fairs • Facilitation of sweet potato and cassava multiplication • Establishment and training of 25 farmer field schools for 1500 house holds.

A demonstration plot for one of the farmer field schools in Apac

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Establishment of Farmer field schools and cassava multiplication, in support of the voluntary return process in Apac district. Given the number of food insecure households, coupled with the need to have more returnee farmer groups trained, this project was initiated as part of CESVI’s programme to support food security for this region. Under this project, the farmers were trained in modern Agricultural techniques like integrated production and pest management, animal traction to facilitate opening up larger agricultural land, animal husbandry, aqua culture and quality seed production. In addition the farmers were also equipped with livelihoods and entrepreneurial skills

Rehabilitation of Agulu-Apolika road through voucher for work Key activities

• Establishment and training of 40 Farmer field schools • Establishment of farmer field school networks • Facilitation of farmer field days • Facilitation of exchange visits between farmer field schools • Support mosaic free cassava multiplication • Voucher for work towards community development

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FFS demonstration plots in Apac

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Food security support for flood affected farmer households In Bukedea district Towards the end of 2007, many parts of eastern Uganda experienced unusually heavy rainfalls that led to floods and severe water logging. As a result much of the crop in the fields was destroyed and most of the harvest damaged by the rains.

In response, CESVI with funding from the Food and Agriculture Organization implemented this project running from December 2007 to February 2008, giving food security support to 15,000 farmer house hold in Bukedea district.

Activities

• Distribution of crop and vegetable seed kits • Distribution of cassava cuttings and sweet potato veins • Distribution of farm implements and tools

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School and Health facility Rehabilitation for return areas in Lira District In regard to the return process, Lango region has registered the highest number of returnees, with most former IDPS settling back in their homes of origin. However it is imperative to note that among challenges facing the return population is poor infrastructure. Most of the school structures are dilapidated and poorly furnished hence cannot support a conducive learning environment for the returnee pupils. On the other hand some of the health facilities are also run down, lacking incinerators and housing for the medical staff.

Gomi Primary school before and after It is in response to this situation that CESVI with funding from the Italian Cooperation initiated this project to rehabilitate school and health facility infrastructure in Lira district. Key activities

• Classroom rehabilitation • School latrine stance construction • Provision of classroom desks • Renovation of OPD block and waste management units at Bar health center • Construction of staff houses at Okwongo health center.

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Acholi Sub- region

Improvement of food security and livelihoods of most vulnerable Individuals & families in Pader district, (Wol, Parabong, Paimol, Lukole sub-counties) Following the return process, many IDPs in Pader district have been able to return to semi urban settlements in their parishes of origin. This has greatly enabled them to access their ancestral land for purposes of cultivation. However despite this development, the returnees are faced by a number of challenges including uncertainty of land tenure, poor access to modern farming techniques and agro inputs, resource competition, low productivity, lack of access to capital and environmental degradation. These challenges are even worse when it comes to the Most Vulnerable Individuals like orphans, child/ single headed house holds, the disabled and those affected by HIV/AIDS. In this regard the overall goal of this project was to increase the house hold food security in the areas of operation by 50%, Agricultural production by 40% and raise income levels by 20% for a total of 2000 direct beneficiaries who fall under the MVI category. Activities

• Distribution of improved Agro-inputs • Delivery of Agronomic advice • Distribution of tree seedlings • Sensitization on land inheritance rights • Conducting awareness campaigns on HIV/AIDS

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Improvement to WATSAN and livelihoods for internally displaced persons in Pader District (Wol, Paimol, Lapono, Patongo and Lukole sub-counties) and Abim district (Abim, Alerek, Morulem and Lotukei sub-counties) Focusing on the significant decrease in the size of mother camps and a few of the satellite sites in Pader district, it is apparent that the most significant needs for the population is the availability of basic services like water, educational and health care facilities and food security in the areas of return. It is in this regard, that this project was initiated to help alleviate the Water, Sanitation and food security situation for the returnees. In addition, considering the fact that the emergency situation is now coming to an end, this project was initiated partly as an exit strategy to ensure sustainable use of all water hardware provided by CESVI and the Royal Netherlands government over the last couple of years.

Hand-over of water points in paimol This project was also extended to cover Abim district in Karamoja region, mainly on the premise that this region too has experienced a long running conflict characterized by cattle raids and inter communal raiding and the basic interventions here are agro related. Activities

• Drilling of 20 bore holes in selected return areas • Conduct trainings on water point maintenance • Construction and distribution of SANPLATS • Distribution of Cassava cuttings for multiplication • Agro kits distribution • Construction of produce markets

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Support to food insecure household living in rural and urban IDP camps and host communities as well as returnees in their areas of Origin. One of the biggest challenges left in the wake of the 20 year conflict in Northern Uganda, is food insecurity. Even with the ongoing return process many of the IDPs still in camps are largely dependent on food aid, while the returnees have to start building their livelihoods from scratch. On the other hand the food security situation for the host communities has also been affected by the IDPs. It is against this back ground that CESVI with funding from Four Foundation initiated this project to improve the food security situation for IDPs, host communities and returnees. Activities

• Establishment and training of farmer field schools • Use of voucher for work as a means of road and market rehabilitation • Facilitation of livestock and tool fairs • Sensitization and information campaigns on land rights. • Community sensitization on HIV/AIDS, sexual violence and women’s rights

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Establishment of farmer field schools as a support strategy for the voluntary return process in Pader District This project like most of the other projects implemented by CESVI in 2008 is closely aligned to the need to support returnee farmers in ensuring food security through establishment of farmer field schools. Basing on previous experience, it is evident that Farmer field schools are a dynamic system through which returnee farmers are imparted with knowledge that empowers them to make appropriate crop and livestock management decisions for improved productivity. Activities

• Establishment and training of 40 Farmer Field groups • Formation of farmer field networks • Facilitation of cassava multiplication

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Improvement of the Health Conditions and access to VCT services for Internally Displaced Persons in Pader District, Uganda. The displacement of the majority of the population in Pader has had an exhausting effect on the available health resources. As well, the youth and adult population in the camps are at increased risk of contracting HIV due to lack of information and related health services. Although theoretically all of the camps in Pader District have access to a nearby health centre, many of these centers lack adequate drugs to treat people living with HIV or qualified staff to administer treatment. Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) is available at Patongo, Atanga, Pajule and Pader TC health centre and Kalongo Hospital. Anti retroviral treatment is currently only available in Kalongo Hospital. CESVI initiated this project to address this situation.

Activities • Sensitization of 50,000 IDPs on HIV/AIDS • Provision of Voluntary Counseling and Testing for 12,500 IDPs and referral of

HIV+ tested • provide PMTC for pregnant mothers, treatment of opportunistic diseases and if

available ARVs to hospitals and clinics • Provision of home based care kits and training of families of the positive tested

IDPs • Provision drug kits to the health centers and hospitals to treat opportunistic

diseases in HIV+ tested IDPs and people of host communities

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Voluntary counseling and testing

Improve access to sanitation facilities, provide access to clean water and enhance public promotion for returnees in Pader district. Following the cessation of hostilities agreement between the government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army in 2006, coupled with the emphasis for IDP return by the government and the IDP populations’ own desire to return home, 2007 and 2008 saw the movement of a number of internally displaced persons from camps to transition sites and areas of origin. In effect, while the need for basic services remained in the mother camps, it has been imperative to provide the same services to the population in the transition sites as well as the areas of origin. This project was thus initiated to provide water and sanitation services for the population in all the three phases.

Activities

• Construction of motorized boreholes

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• Construction of tank stands • Laying out of water distribution lines • Forming and training camp water committees on techniques of water point

maintenance • Market upgrades

• Providing households with family latrine slabs • Training camp hygiene committees on important aspects of hygiene and hygiene

promotion • Hygiene promotion campaigns

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Karamoja region

Food security intervention for Karamoja As a result of climate related shocks such as famine drought, malnutrition and hunger, coupled with the constant raids and insecurity, Karamoja region is in dire need of support in regard to food security. In response to this situation, CESVI, with funding from the European Union initiated a three year project aimed at strengthening food security in Abim district, one of the five districts of Karamoja. Apart from food insecurity, Abim district is also faced with the problem of deforestation which in the long run also affects food security and the situation is worsened by the fact that the cassava species available in the district is susceptible to the mosaic virus. It is further estimated that about 20-30% of the harvested crop is lost due to poor storage facilities. It is these challenges that the project was designed to address. Activities

• Provision of improved cassava cuttings to already established farmer groups for the purpose of multiplication

• Provision of Agro-forestry seedlings • Improvement of storage facilities

Distribution of cassava cuttings

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Kayunga

Improvement of the Livelihood of Disadvantaged Older People and of the Orphans in their care in Kayunga District One of the most vulnerable groups of people in Uganda is that of the elderly persons. This class of people is usually neglected and most of them live in abject poverty and the situation is even worse for those in rural areas that have orphans under their care. This project for the second year running, was designed to address the plight of the elderly in Kayunga district, through improvement of their housing facilities,support towards creation of income generating activities plus provision of scholarships and scholastic material for orphans under their care.

Elderly people with the orphans under their care Activities

• Increase revenue of selected families through establishment of income generating

activities.

• Provide better living conditions for 280 families

• Provide schorlaships and schorlastic materials for orphans and children who have dropped out of school

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• Carry out sensitisation campaigns on hygeine and the use of mosquitoe nets

• Distribution of mosquito nets

• Community sensitisation on the rights of the elderly in the HIV/AIDS context.

Elderly persons who have received mosquito nets

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CHALLENGES IN 2008

• Among the major challenges experienced in the water sector is the vandalisation and theft of some of the facilities like the solar panels. In bid to address this problem we have made burglar proof installations to safeguard the solar panels but we strongly believe that this situation can best be addressed through community policing and participation of the local authorities.

• The out break of Hepatitis E in northern Uganda also proved to be a challenge, especially in light of the fact that full eradication of the disease is mostly dependant on attitude change of the affected communities, which is a slow process.

• Given the time the population of northern Uganda has spent in the IDP camps, the dependency syndrome has proved to be a challenge in implementation of some of the project activities, especially those that need community participation, like latrine construction. As an organization that strongly believes in self reliance, CESVI is working relentlessly with the returnee population, through sensitization and encouragement in terms of self reliance.

• Despite interventions from various aid agencies and the government, the war afflicted people of northern Uganda have a long way and are faced by many challenges in rebuilding their lives. In effect the interventions provided by CESVI though significant are not close to sufficient in meeting the needs of this population. It is an on going process and new areas of intervention continue to surface every step of the way.

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Data processing and Compilation Lillian Mboijana English Edited by Nina Ngabirano Paul Drilleba Photos by CESVI Personnel How to Contact us CESVI HEAD OFFICE Via Broseta 68 / a, Bergamo, Italy Tel. + 39 035 2058.058, Fax +39 035 2609.58 E-mail – cesvi@cesvi.org www.cesvi.org

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