UGANDA

Although Uganda is facing a severe AIDS epidemic, it is one of the few African countries where HIV prevalence rates have declined, from 15% in the early 1990s to 5% in 2001, largely due to a successful public health campaign.

Programme Facts
Youth Empowerment Programme - Working where?

• based in rural communities in the areas around Mbale, Sironko, Jinja and Kamuli
• volunteers live in a community in groups of four (two Ugandans and two international volunteers)
• volunteers attached to a local primary and secondary school
• all communities have a health centre
• shops and accommodation are within walking distance to schools (otherwise bicycles are provided)
• schools are very basic, standard of spoken English is poor
• primary schools can have up to 2000 students
• secondary schools are smaller with an average of 500 students

You and your partner(s) will live and work in the community.
The activities of volunteers on the YEP include:

• teaching formal and non-formal time-tabled lessons in schools
• undertaking extra-curricular activities and organising community event days
• Introucing SOFT: Sustainable Organic Farming Techniques
• sensitising in-school youth to adolescent health issues through non-formal education
• assisting with and establishing after school clubs (e.g. debating, art, drama, health)
• organising student workshops and field trips
• promoting youth-friendly services through developing partnerships between schools, governments and local health based NGO's
engaging young people to take responsibility for environmental conservation
organising environmental event days to raise awareness of environmental issues
assisting in finding sustainable solutions to the problem of soil degradation and other environmental concerns

Case Study

In Bwabwala community, we held a Health Day in summer 2001 for 1,000 students and members of the community. School pupils and a local NGOs performed plays and ran information stalls, while a person living with HIV gave a testimony. The AIDS Information Centre (AIC) provided free testing and counselling and found that many people had tested positive. As a result AIC set-up a link between the community of Bwabwala (which is a remote community in the foothills of Mount Elgon) and TASO (The AIDS Support Organisation) - an NGO who provide long-term support for HIV/AIDS victims. The link meant that TASO representatives could visit the community on pre-arranged days to provide home-care for those who tested positive. (Home-care provides psychological and physical support and also links AIDS victims to other NGO’s who may be able to help them, such as income generating schemes.)

Programme Structure of YEP
Initial 4-week training in both formal and non-formal education. Topics covered include:

• teambuilding skills
• cross-cultural awareness
• basic development theory
• adolescent health issues (e.g. puberty, HIV/AIDS, gender issues)
• NFE (Non Formal Education) Techniques
• Participatory Rural Appraisal Techniques
• language training

Mid-placement training

• top-up training over 2 weekends during placement

Staff Support

• 2 offices - Jinja (main) and Mbale (field)
• both Jinja and Mabale have email facilities, banks and public telephones
• placements are within 2-3 hours drive of either main or field office
• two official visits to each placement group
• contact staff via phone, fax or letter
• emergency contact via office phone and staff cell phones

Community Support

• provide basic accommodation in a location near a water source and with transport to town
• provide essential household equipment

Country Information

Background: Uganda is a country of outstanding natural beauty with a varied landscape ranging from the lush and fertile shores of Lake Victoria in the South to the beautiful mountainous regions of the east and southwest. Kampala is the capital; Jinja and Mbale are the two largest towns. Placements vary from the lush green plains of Jinja and Kamuli District to the rolling foothills of Mount Elgon in Sironko districts.

Language: official language is English but most people speak Luganda

Religion: Christianity and Islam

Food:

• Staple - maize meal or ugali, a thick porridge that sets hard and is then served in flat bricks
• Meat - normally beef, goat or mutton eaten with ugali and sauce
• Vegetarianism - accepted easily, substitute the meat for beans
• Other - mkate mayai or 'bread eggs' - consists of wheat pancakes filled with minced meat and egg which are folded and fried on a hotplate. Pombe is a locally fermented banana beer and waragi is a traditional millet-based alcohol - both are very strong!

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