Reduced Aid for Uganda

Countries have started to withdraw aid to Uganda, a worrying problem which IRT’s Marijn heard about extensively during her recent visit there. This has stemmed from the growing unpopularity of President Museveni and the political decisions which are being made by the Ugandan government.

President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni (left) with Amama Mbabazi, the Prime Minister of Uganda. Both have been criticised for acts which have led to reduced aid (observer.ug)The main issue which donor countries face is the recently leaked UN report which states that the Ugandan government are supporting the M23, a rebel group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which has led to half a million people being internally displaced. Ugandan officials deny this and as a result are threatening to withdraw peacekeeping troops from the DRC, the Central African Republic and Somalia unless the report is changed. Uganda has been at the forefront of international efforts to stop the Lord’s Resistance Army and al-Qaeda linked al Shabaab militants in Somalia, if they withdraw their troops the repercussions will be significant.

Another issue deterring countries from giving aid to Uganda is the anti- gay bill which will be passed by the end of the year. This will criminalize same sex relationships and those convicted will either face life imprisonment or death. Many countries have stated that if this bill is made legal they will withdraw aid from Uganda. In addition key donors such as Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark have suspended aid to Uganda over alleged corruption in the office of the Prime Minister. Anti- corruption activists in Uganda have been protesting their dissatisfaction with how corruption within the government has been dealt with over the years.

It is important for pressure to be placed on governments to bring an end to corruption and the abuse of human rights, however it is the people of Uganda who will bear the brunt of these decisions. IRT are continuing to help the most vulnerable in Uganda by working with projects run on the ground, this way we feel that the money raised will go to the right places and have the greatest impact.

Update on the Obaya Community Association

Achola Betty bought a bike with her voluntary savings, the importance of savings is part of the training given by OCAWe have been working with the Obaya Community Association (OCA) in Lira, Northern Uganda since 2009. More recently IRT has worked with OCA in the Alebtong District to implement a three year project based on the Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) approach. PLA involves communities in analysing the issues which are keeping them in poverty and deciding on how to combat them.

We support how the PLA approach rightly and effectively places responsibility with the community, empowering them to make sustainable social and economic changes. We are happy to already be seeing great results and to be able to share these successes with you. The overall purpose of this project is to raise the economic and social status of subsistence farmers, some of the outcomes can be seen in the following case studies:

Mr. Oyugi Sam and Betty in front of the house they are constructing since receiving training from OCAMr. Oyugi Sam and Betty

Since his training with OCA Mr. Oyugi Sam has started the foundation and made bricks to build a better home, him and his wife Betty are now saving for permanent roofing materials. They have also planted a vegetable garden and plan to grow onions and rear pigs to establish a sustainable income. By working together they say their relationship has improved.

Mrs. Christine Ogole and Mr. Ogole

Mrs. Christine Ogole standing by the plot of land her and her husband have purchased, they plan to use the grass for roofing.Christine is happy with the changes the OCA training has had on her husband and their relationship, he now helps with the cooking and has reduced his drinking. The couple have bought a piece of land and are saving to buy mattresses and better bed sheets for their children. After receiving training on the importance of educating girls they are now helping fund their daughter’s education as well as their son’s.

As you can see, the effectiveness of the PLA approach is widespread in securing better living conditions, boosting income and improving familial ties by placing responsibility and ownership within the community. We look forward to seeing even more success. 

Christmas Fair

IRT at the fair in 2010, our stall piled with colourful products from Uganda IRT are very excited to be returning this year to the Fair Christmas Fayre on Oxford Street on Saturday 1^st December, it will be a great chance to get some Christmas shopping done whilst supporting IRT’s projects- so be sure to put the date in your diaries!

We will be selling a range of products including cards, jewellery, bags and colourful fabrics, all handmade by the Wawoto Kacel Cooperative in Northern Uganda, who IRT have been involved with since 2009. The Wawoto Kacel Cooperative was founded in 1997 by a group of HIV positive women, with the support of the Comboni Samaritans of Gulu, to help to empower those marginalised: many members of the Cooperative suffer from HIV, some are former LRA captives, and some are physically disabled. The cooperative has been hugely successful and now sells their products both locally and internationally, this helps community members have an income as well as a sense of independence and dignity.

One of the members of the Wawoto Kacel Cooperative making nativity setsWe really admire how the Wawoto Kacel Cooperative is helping those most vulnerable and stigmatised and want to continue our support to them, as well as to our other projects. The fair will have a range of stalls, all selling eco and fair trade products, and is a great opportunity to get some early Christmas shopping done, whilst helping a range of good causes. We hope to see you there!

To get an idea of the products we will be selling, visit our online shop.

 The Wawoto Kacel Cooperative helps those marginalised to earn an income, work with others and have a dignified standard of living

Peace talks for Colombia

Colombia President, Juan Manuel Santos, is optimistic for the outcome of tomorrow's peace talks (Reuters)Tomorrow will reportedly see a meeting taking place in Oslo between representatives of the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed forces of Colombia (Farc), to discuss how to bring an end to 50 years of conflict. This war between the state and the Farc rebel group has seen thousands of civilians kidnapped and killed and millions forcibly displaced from their homes.

Efforts to bring about peace have been made previously with no success, this time the government have refused Farc's request for a ceasefire to ensure that they can not use the opportunity to regroup, as has been done previously. 5 topics are on tomorrow's agenda: rural development, political participation, the end of armed conflict, drug trafficking, and the rights of the victims of the conflict.

One of the projects IRT supports is a skills training centre in Bogotá to help those displaced by conflict. Here are a group learning breadmaking to enable them to get jobs locallyDue to the current weakened state of Farc and the different structure of these peace talks many are optimistic for a positive outcome. Until then however, a lack of ceasefire means civilians are still caught in the conflict and unable to return to their homes. Whether peace is established or not, resources and help are still desperately needed for the millions of internally displaced people in Colombia, who make up one of the largest refugee populations in the world. Here at IRT we are continuing our support through our projects in Colombia, and we hope that a better future is on the horizon.

To learn more about the peace talks and how they have arisen follow this link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/15/colombia-peace-farc-talks

Global Handwashing Day

A tippy tap in use (www.tippytap.org)Yesterday marked the fifth anniversary of Global Handwashing Day, created to draw attention to the benefits the simple act of washing hands can have across the world. Its theme ‘Help more children reach their 5^th Birthday’ aims to raise awareness of the significance of washing hands to prevent diseases such as diarrhoea and pneumonia, it is estimated that 3.5 million children die each year worldwide from illnesses of which 1.2 million could be prevented by washing hands with soap.

As part of our PLA approach in working with the Obaya Community Association we are helping people to enclose natural springs and filter the water in structures like these. Here at IRT we recognise the vital importance of sanitation to combat preventable diseases, handwashing in particular is an extremely effective and inexpensive method which has incredible results.  Sanitation and health is an integral aspect of IRT’s efforts to help the Obaya Community Association in Lira in Northern Uganda. Most households here do not have latrines or running water and diseases such as diarrhoea and intestinal worms affect many in the community. IRT, as part of our Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) approach, has helped improve basic sanitation, one of the methods has been to train farmers on how to construct a tippy tap, which is a simple homemade device for washing hands under running water. We see this is an important initial step which will have immediate benefits which can then be built on with other projects, such as housing and education.

Global handwashing day was celebrated across the world, including in refugee camps in the Maban county of South Sudan, as discussed by the UN Refugee Agency’s article: ‘Sudanese refugees embrace Global Handwashing Day for disease control’. South Sudan is one of the countries where IRT works and we are happy to see these efforts to reduce levels of Hepatitis E among refugees in these harsh conditions.

To learn more about tippy taps visit http://www.tippytap.org/ and see a video of one being made at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qdpd3roZjYw.