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.

Photo: Sorting through the new semester's Vocational Training supplies for the Hairdressing Program

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. 

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 center, 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

Scholastic materials were provided at the beginning of term two in early May 2012.

All of the school fees in all sponsored schools have been cleared for the second term of 2012.

Photo: RMF's Camp Coordinator, Among Sharifa giving out the new school  supplies to Primary School students

1,643 children, pupils, and students in total are supported by RMF/WCF funding in Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools: 

• Arnold Primary School, we support 713 students
• Panyadoli Self Help Secondary School, 101 students
• Can Rom Primary School, we support 679 students
• Beth Cole Nursery School, we support 90 students
• Daystar Nursery; we support 60 children

Medicine delivery

RMF/WCF, local government, and UNHCR equipped the health center with pharmaceuticals and medical supplies this reporting period.  The last resupply was on May 12^th, 2012.

Vocational Training Institute

Continued financial support and guidance for the Tailoring and Hairdressing Vocational Training Institute, initiated by RMF; a total of 42 students are enrolled in these programs and the reception continues to be very positive. All the teaching materials and supplies were provided to run the second semester which began in early June 2012 and will end in the second week of September 2012.

Photo: Namatovu  Maxensia, a new teacher at the Vocational Training Center, and specializes in making sweaters.

RMF opened another small office space in Kampala and hired an assistant to Charles, Alphonse, who is employed on a part time basis and works out of Kampala.

Results and/or accomplishments achieved during this reporting period: 

• A new camp coordinator was recruited, Among Sharifa, and she is so far doing well in representing our organization before stakeholders and in managing the day to day work of the Kiryandongo programs.
• New teaching staff for the Tailoring vocational program was recruited for the vocational school.
• Scholastic materials were provided for the second term across all programs.
• Continued financial support for the running of the Vocational Training Institute for Tailoring and Hair dressing was provided.
• A total of 1,643 school children were supported over the second term of 2012, including Kenyan, Sudanese, Rwandan, Burundian, Ugandan IDP, and Congolese children/students).
• The RMF/WCF office at the camp was maintained.
• RMF attended and participated in the World Refugee Day (June 20^th) at the settlement.  This day was commemorated based on the theme, “One family torn apart by war is too many” and the guest of honor was the Head of the UNHCR, Hoima.
• RMF attended and participated in the World Environment Day (June 5^th) at Can Rom Primary School, which was accompanied by the planting of trees, and monitoring and checking how the school environment has been conserved. This day was commemorated based on the theme: “Green Economy. Does it include You?”