Uganda: Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement Project
Q1 2016: A New Class of Vocational Students Starting
June 03, 2016
Summary of Activities
Current Project Challenges and Obstacles
- We must find funding to open up a hairdressing shop in Bweyale Trading Center. This will help students in training to do their field work, further developing their skills, and it will also help advertise the services RMF delivers to the young generation.
- We must also find funding to open up a carpentry shop in Bweyale Trading Center. This will help students in training to do their field work, advertise the services RMF delivers to the young generation, and generate income for the institute.
- There are overwhelming needs and demands that communities at the camp bring to RMF remain a challenge because RMF Uganda does not have enough funds to resolve every problem presented.
- Language barriers still exist at the Vocational Training Institute, as those who don’t know English also want to join the program, and when they join it becomes difficult to communicate with them since the courses are more practical.
Plans for the Next Reporting Period
- Supplementation of the health project: Possible introduction of a nutrition program that will involve sensitization and education of parents on the ways to curb malnutrition in children between 0-12 years of age.
- Research opening a hairdressing shop in the neighboring Bweyale Trading Center as well as the carpentry workshop. This will help students in training to do their field work and will also help advertise the services RMF delivers to the young generation.
- Research initiative for female sanitary pads, introduced by the CEO and founder, Dr. Martina Fuchs. Having access to sanitary pads significantly increases girls’ school attendance and helps prevent early marriage.
- Create a tailoring workshop so that the department generates income for the institute to develop.
Full Report
Results &
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Primary Schools
Supporting the new generation
A total of 6,506 school children were supported by RMF/WCF funding for the first term of 2016 in Nursery, Primary, and Secondary Schools, including Kenyan, South Sudanese, Rwandan, Burundian, Ugandan IDP, and Congolese children/students. First term school fees in all sponsored schools were paid.
- 1,874 at Arnold Primary School
- 5 at Panyadoli Self Help Secondary School
- 3,143 at Can Rom Primary School
- 674 at Beth Cole Nursery School
New Staff
A growing RMF team
9 new staff members were recruited for the UNHCR-RMF project in Kiryandongo to strengthen the project in the settlement and ensure proper delivery of services to people in need. In addition, a new driver was recruited. RMF staff salaries increased and staff members feel renewed motivation; they appreciate RMF/WCF’s consideration and thinking of their welfare. A new computer was purchased to support RMF’s Kiryandongo office.
Vocational School
a new session started
We continued our financial support for operation of the Vocational Training Institute in all four departments: tailoring and garment cutting, carpentry and joinery, bricklaying and concrete practice, and hair dressing and beauty therapy. All the materials for the first semester were bought in plenty. The new hairdressing class was completed.
A Great Impact
Primary Students relieved
Students and pupils study safely and comfortably without stress because their school fees are paid and scholastic materials such as books, pens, and pencils were provided for the 2016 first term thanks to RMF/WCF. The financial and scholastic support to schools has helped keep a huge number of children school. This helps reduce the number of children that would have nowhere to go, many of them having lost their entire families in their home countries.
Changing the Future
Creating Solutions in the economy
The Vocational Training Institute is providing solutions for economic recovery for numerous refugee youth. Keeping the youth participating in vocational training directly and indirectly helps to curb other social problems in the community, such as unplanned pregnancies, rape cases, substance abuse, etc. Vocational training also provides quick solutions for economic recovery for some refugee youth who, once finished their training, can begin generating income.
Filling the Gaps
Healthcare within reach
The community feels safe having access to quality healthcare at Panyadoli Health Center, and now also has new hope and pride in its Vocational Training Institute, looking forward to expanding the program and finding new ways to generate income through graduates of the program. The health of refugees has greatly improved as we now even have a doctor in the health facilities. Mothers are also receiving better antenatal care services, which has reduced maternal mortality rates in the community
Background
& Objectives
Background
The Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement in Bweyale, Uganda, is a UNHCR managed refugee settlement that provides shelter, land, and support for more than 100,000 people. They are comprised of refugees from Kenya, DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan. RMF has partnered with UNHCR in supporting Kiryandango Refugee Settlement, the surrounding community of Bweyale, and the greater Kiryandongo District (an additional 266,197 people) with health care, education, and vocational training since 2008.
Objectives
- To serve as a health care implementation partner with the UNHCR and Ugandan Government
- To provide health care services to over 100,000 refugees and persons in the community via the Panyadoli Health Centres
- To provide skills training for South Sudanese refugees to enable them to become self-reliant
More
Photos
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Numbers
Served
95 new students for the Vocational Institute which started January 2016. The first term is just about to be completed.
- 40 for Tailoring and Garment Cutting
- 30 for Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy
- 13 for Carpentry and Joinery
- 12 for Bricklaying and Concrete
6,506 primary schoolchildren were supported for the first term of 2016
Success
Stories
Vocational Training Institute
We continue to provide financial support and guidance for the four departments at RMF’s Vocational Training Institute. A total of 95 students were admitted this intake, but the number has gone down to 88, as 7 students dropped out due to factors including some getting scholarship opportunities for further studies. Many students applied, but we accepted only a select few, as the institute does not have enough funding to take on all applicants. All students went through extensive interview processes and selection criteria. All partners implementing their activities in the settlement were invited, but only OPM, UNHCR, Kiryandongo District Local Government, Community Leaders RWCIII, RMF’s coordinator, and Panyadoli vocation teachers attended the interviews. We interviewed 132 applicants but only 95 managed to pass interviews. All the materials for the first semester of 2016 were provided for students.
The first term is about to be completed; the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) gave us a different date for exams, so we had to extent the dates for training.
Progress at the Panyadoli Health Center
The Panyadoli Health Center III continues to support refugees and the host community by providing access to basic health services from general medicine to reproductive health. In the maternity ward, we are assisting/performing 120-150 births per month. Also, with the increased prevalence of HIV, the health clinic has employed its staff to follow up with patients who have been on medication and sometimes default.
We have improved services further by introducing a pediatric wing where children can receive specialized care and be able to play. The Panyadoli Health Center III also boasts two new doctors. Their presence has greatly improved the confidence of patients and also increased manpower; the health center can serve more patients directly, instead of referring them to other facilities. With the availability of the medicines RMF provides for the health centers and RMF’s hard working staff, health center services have greatly improved and patients appreciate RMF/WCF.
Mosquito Net Campaign and Distribution
The national launch took place at Magamaga Youth Center, and the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement in Kiryandongo district on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. The program was organized and successfully led by RMF Uganda with support from UNHCR and the Office of the Prime Minister. Groups in attendance also included the Ministry of Health, Commissioner for Refugees, USAID, UNHCR Representative to Uganda, WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA Country Representative, UNHCR Hoima, and others.
UNHCR donated a total of 21,000 treated mosquito nets for the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, and RMF facilitated distribution to 6,789 refugee households. In the coming months, it is our goal to provide a total of 12,000 refugee households with mosquito nets (about 2 nets per household). The national program was launched in Kiryandongo on March 15. Pre-distribution activities were held to increase community awareness of malaria prevention and control.
A total of 105 Village Health Teams (VHTs) from the refugee community received RMF training in how to hang mosquito nets and communicate essential messages on the dangers of malaria, the benefits of sleeping under mosquito nets, and care of the nets. The training was conducted by RMF and Kiryandongo district malaria prevention and control trainers.
Additionally, dialogues were held in schools to increase awareness of malaria prevention, and a drawing competition on malaria prevention and control was organized in 6 primary schools and 1 secondary school in the settlement. Students participated by creating and exhibiting their artwork explaining how to prevent malaria in their homes and the general community.
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More Reports on: Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement Project Archive
Country Page: Uganda
Initiative Page: Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement Project
