Uganda

Project Background:

The Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement in Bweyale, Uganda, is a UNHCR managed refugee settlement that provides shelter, land and support for more than 25,000, comprised of Ugandan IDPs and refugees from Kenya, Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Sudan.  RMF has partnered with UNHCR in supporting Kiryandango and the greater surrounding community of Bweyale (an additional 30,000 residents) with health care, education and vocational training since 2008.

Project Goal:

Assist the refugee settlement with treating the most prevalent conditions in the refugee population with special attention to Malaria and Malnutrition at the Panyadoli Health Center.

Support the education of refugee school children.

Develop the economic component of our humanitarian work through vocational training. 

Photos: Students busy trianing in the Tailoring Classes at the Vocational Institute

Project Objectives:

• Provide funding for continuous running of the vocational school.
• Provide funding for the annual registration of candidates in senior four and six sponsored by RMF.
• Provide money to facilitate candidates taking their national exams in Masindi.  This facilitation includes transport to and from, accommodation, feeding, and the allowance for the teachers who take care of the students in Masindi.
• Provide school fees and scholastic materials for all Kenyan and Sudanese refugee school children, at the beginning of the term.
• Continuous maintenance of RMF office compound at the camp and equipping it for use by RMF staff in Kiryandongo resettlement camp
• Provide other support as needed/budgeted to the Kiryandongo schools, and community as a whole.
• Maintenance and repair of the water taps at the health centre, and repair of some boreholes at the camp
• Maintain adequate medicine and medical supplies to the Panyadoli Health Center. Research the upgrade of Panyadoli Health Centre III to Hospital level.

Summary of RMF/WCF-sponsored activities carried out during the reporting period under each project objective:

School Support

RMF provided funding for the registration and equating of foreign certificates of candidates who will sit for the Uganda National Examination Board in senior four and six this year in November 2012.

Scholastic materials were provided at the beginning of the first term in early February 2012.

School Fees Structure Change:

This semester we are piloting paying only 75% of the school fees for the Secondary School students as the parents become more able to cover a portion of the fees. Additional reasons for this step are holding the parents co-responsible for the education of their children, and the fact that we have to be strategic with respect to the funding available to us since inflation has been taken its toll.  We have also continued providing the same amount of fees to the Nursery and Primary Schools but these fees are spread across the whole student population of these schools instead of specifically sponsoring Kenyan Refugees.  First semester school fees have been paid and cleared.

1,602 children, pupils, and students are supported by RMF/WCF funding in Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools:

• 713 pupils at Arnold Primary School;
• 679 children at Can Rom Primary School;
• 79 children at Beth Cole Nursery School, and
• 30 children at Daystar Nursery;
• 101 children supported at the Panyadoli Self Help Secondary School.

In summary:

Beth Cole and DaystarNursery Schools                    109

Can Rom and Arnold Primary Schools                   1,392

PanyadoliSelf Help Secondary School                     101

Total Children Supported                                    1,602

Medicine delivery

RMF/WCF, local government, and UNHCR equipped the health centre with pharmaceuticals this reporting period.

The unstable dollar exchange rate has caused the prices of drugs being increased, thanks to RMF for increasing also the funding for the drugs from 8 million shillings to 9 million shillings.  The last resupply was on February 11^th, 2012.

Vocational Training Institute

Continued financial support and guidance for the Tailoring and Hairdressing Vocational Training Institute; a total of 42 students are now enrolled in these programs and the reception continues to be positive.  All the materials for the first semester were supplied, which began in early February 2012 and will end the second week of May 2012.

Photo: Two classmates share a sewing maching during class

The RMF office at Kiryandongo was equipped with laptop and photocopier. RMF has also increased the salaries of all our staff at the Kiryandongo resettlement camp to be in alignment with OPM and UNHCR staffing guidelines.

Photos: Hairdressing students learn hari weaving techniques

Photos: Hairdressing students practicing hair dyeing techniques

Results and/or accomplishments achieved during this reporting period:

• A total of 1,602 school children were supported during the first term of 2012 (Kenyans, Sudanese, Rwandese, Burundians, Ugandan IDPs, and Congolese): 101 students at Panyadoli Self Help Secondary School; 679 pupils at Can Rom Primary School; 713 pupils at Arnold Primary School, and 109 children at Beth Cole and Daystar Nursery.
• Scholastic materials were provided for the first term of 2012.
• Continued financial support for the running of the Vocational Training Institute for Tailoring and Hair dressing
• Additional supplies and fabrics were bought and supplied for both Vocational Training courses preparing for examinations in early May 2011.