Kanaama Interactive Community Support KICS UK and KICS UG
Report of Visit to Uganda by KICS UK Trustee Monika Beutel from 19
Feb 6 March 2013 KICS UK: Charity Registration No. 1132288 in
England and Wales KICS UG: Registered CBO in Kashare sub-county No.
024, and at Mbarara district level No. 1592.
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The development charity KICS works only in Kashare sub-county
in SW UGANDA
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Purpose of Monikas visit: PURPOSE OF MONIKAs VISIT 1. to
continue the dialogue and strengthen the partnership between KICS
UK and KICS UG 1.Continue the dialogue and strengthen the
partnership between KICS UK and KICS UG 2.Raise local stakeholders
awareness of KICS and strengthen community ownership of KICS
projects 3.Help local schools prepare for Connecting Classrooms
funding (British Council) with partner schools in UK 4.Give support
to RONCO, the newly established Saturday Centre for Orphans and
Vulnerable Children and help set up systems (eg admissions,
programme/syllabus development, monitoring etc.)
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1. Dialogue and partnership: meetings and a capacity building
workshop with KICS UG members
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1. Dialogue and Capacity building exchanging learning
experiences with KICS UG staff and beneficiaries
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2. Raise local stakeholders awareness of KICS and strengthen
community ownership of KICS projects District Education chief
District Community Development chief Anglican Diocese Planning and
Development Office LC3 Chief Executive and Council members
(including the Speaker) some NGOs (eg Compassion also IWO, MU
Mbarara Rotary Club and some businesses including major banks Some
of the important stakeholders that were visited included: All
appreciated being informed of KICS projects, such as RONCO,
microcredit and stoves All promised to give support, will use the
information in their own reports and are willing to attend a
stakeholder event Some pointed us in the direction of possible
grants or suggested programme contributions for RONCO (eg sessions
on family planning or advice on planting etc) LC3 wants to have
representation on KICS UG committee
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3. School partnerships Encouragement and explanations need for
email address finding an area of common interest Staff and pupil
letter writing Expectations and results two successful applications
to the British Council with teacher exchanges this year one further
primary school has started contact A UK partner has been found for
a fourth primary school
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4. RONCO, our Saturday Centre for 60 orphans and other
vulnerable children aged 5 15 A household survey helped identify
the most needy children in the villages that are within walking
distance of the Saturday Centre. The household situation of the
children who were selected to attend RONCO are shown in photos and
described in the captions. Many of the households are large and
many of the children have no parents and live with other relatives,
for example with a grand parent; others have one surviving
parent.
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RONCO children come from poor and vulnerable households Most of
the households have no land to grow food and have no regular
income. The houses in which the children and their carers live are
made of mud and sticks and sometimes have only a grass-thatched
roof. Often children have to share bedding.
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RONCO childrens home situation Many of the RONCO households eat
only one meal per day and on some days they may have no food at
all.
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RONCO households Some of the childrens guardians/carers are
elderly and frail or are sick or disabled
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What RONCO offers : two meals on Saturdays The focus is on the
childrens needs but we also try to help the whole household and
include the childrens carers or guardians in many of the activities
and benefits
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What RONCO offers: Learning and play under guidance of trained
teachers
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What RONCO offers: childrens school expenses are paid (school
fund, scholastic materials, school bags and uniforms Lining up in
their new uniforms
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What RONCO offers: psycho-social support by counsellors from
St. Francis Counselling Institute
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What RONCO offers: the households have access to a medical kit
held at the Centre and each child gets a malaria net
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What Ronco offers: households get help with growing their own
food (good quality seeds); The local church has donated a plot of
land to Ronco It is hoped that larger or commercial farms may also
give some land or allow families to use part of their land
Households will be shown how food can be grown on small plots
Mothers Union intends to donate seeds to RONCO
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RONCO staff and volunteers Centre supervisor (Head teacher of
Rweibaare school) and centre guides (teachers from two local
schools volunteer ) Counsellors from St. Francis Institute work
with the children, their carers and their teachers
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Community contributions to RONCO Carers have a rota for cooking
the lunches for all the 60 children and the staff and volunteers
Each child brings firewood
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How much does RONCO cost? The first years budget for running
RONCO comes to 8,400 The cost per child is 140 The costs have been
kept low thanks to contributions in kind and volunteer work by
local people From friends and well-wishers we have so far raised
4,900 for RONCO KICS needs to raise another 3,500 to ensure that
the RONCO Centre can stay open for a whole year
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Making RONCO sustainable This is a pilot scheme We aim to help
these childrens household to become self-reliant but there are/will
be others to take up any vacant places We plan to carry out an
impact assessment The evidence from the impact assessment will help
us submit successful funding applications to large charitable
foundations We also continue to rely on individual donations and
hope to promote a sponsorship scheme for this OVC project
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CONCLUSION The visit was worthwhile for me and I think also for
local community I was impressed by the commitment of beneficiaries,
of KICS UG and of the wider local community RONCO had an excellent
start and I hope it will continue well with support from UK well
wishers and from their own local community