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900 vulnerable pupils benefited from scholastic materials in Mukono

900 vulnerable pupils benefited from scholastic materials in Mukono

To prevent having an impact on their schooling, young people need to understand and accept the physical and emotional changes to their bodies that occur as they mature, especially throughout puberty. They also need to learn how to manage these changes. Over 900 vulnerable pupils were given scholastic materials (books, mathematical sets, and, pens) with messages designed to instill self-love and awareness as a campaign to promote self-confidence and respect. These pupils had undergone a series of sessions within their school clubs which led to the need for the initiative. The school administrations welcomed and appreciated this initiative and thanked APPCO for the scholastic materials.

During the club mentorship sessions, pupils explore measures to obey and respect their parents, teachers, and elders in the community, taking care of their bodies during this period such as; ensuring good hygiene, eating a balanced diet, and keeping fit through physical exercises. For emotional support, avoid stigmatizing others, seek counselling and guidance, and accept as normal certain conditions. Teens were also mentored on how to select friends who will enable them to attain their future dreams with attributes such as those who are; kind, trustworthy, honest, forgiving, empathetic, respectful, good listening, supportive, etc.

Learning happy living through School clubs

The Age project in Mukono district addressed the issues of in-school girls and boys. Appco and its partner CBO organized school clubs in various schools around Mukono where children meet to discuss, share, and learn from themselves, school matrons and other facilitators that were organized to join the sessions. Among these clubs included health, human rights, etc. These Clubs are created to impart knowledge of self-awareness, health, human rights, self-control and many other topics. “The children are always happy to participate in these club sessions. They organize themselves earlier even before the facilitators

Returning the ECD program to the classroom following the end of the Covid-19 lockdown

Returning the ECD program to the classroom following the end of the Covid-19 lockdown

The government of Uganda announced the opening of schools in January 2022. The ECD project strategy has been switched from a community to a school context, with schools hosting ECD programs. For the communities, the program has reported an inflow of up to 1200 children. The influence of the ECD community structures that occurred during the lockdown was partly responsible for the strong turnout. All stakeholders embraced the ECD program and commended APPCO for the effort once the schools were operational.

PLANTING SIGNPOSTS:

The Signpost planting was a success as we were welcomed by the different school administrators. They also helped with the planting material and tools but also more help came from the ECD facilitators and the caregivers we got on the ground. In total all the 15 signposts for the ECD schools were planted in the communities to identify the ECD host schools.

PREPARING THE CLASSROOMS FOR ECD SESSIONS

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When the government of Uganda opened up the schools on 11th /January 2022, a team of APPCO staff conducted a needs assessment of all the ECD centres under the Appco area of operation. Parents from three ECD centres teamed up with APPCO to ensure that the ECD centre host schools got the resources they needed to keep the program functioning. Because some ECD centres lacked facilities for the ECD portion, most of the class sessions were held outside under the trees.

we attended the meeting where the main issue for discussion was how to address the need for classrooms that were scattered. The chairperson centre management committee Mr Okot stated that “Due to the strong winds a few days back, the roofs of the classrooms were blown away from another ECD centre”. Parents agreed by mobilizing resources together and also lobby from different stakeholders like APPCO, AVSI, Windle international and others, they would work together to build this classroom. As a result, the parents agreed to start digging the foundation the next day and to buy and deliver bricks the next week.

The construction activity began, which demonstrated the community’s devotion, and we urged them to continue with the same attitude.  In this article, we recognize the efforts of the Parents of the Kapetta ECD centre and St. Andrews Paloga ECD centre seen engaged in the process of constructing decent classrooms as part of a community-led initiative to promote inclusive ECD learning in their community given the prevailing constraint of ECD focused infrastructure.

What parents heard to say

“The classrooms we are building will last longer so that even those who are not yet born will gain the benefit from the program, so this will give us a long time of education and make our future better in the community”
Mr. komakach joseph ochaya
Chairman ECD kapetta
"I want to thank APPCO so much for considering the children and parents of the Kapetta community by coming up to support the ECD centre. . . ECD learning is the foundation of a good modern society therefore parents should embrace and support this very important program by actively participating in all activities and bringing their children to the ECD centre"
Aol Josephine
Lamwo District
"I have one child enrolled at the ECD centre and it has created an opportunity for me to support community development by actively participating in all activities that target the development of children and livelihoods"
Lumumba Patrick
Lamwo district

Schooling Children at Home During Covid-19 Lockdown – Lamwo District

Keeping Children in School While They're at Home during Covid-19 Lockdown

Our Early Childhood Development initiative in the Lamwo district modified its strategy of operations from a classroom environment to a community setting as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown, which resulted from the closure of schools. This emergency response choice led to APPCO and the community leaders to identify people inside their communities to lead the community ECD centres. ECD facilitators were the name given to these groups of persons.

The ECD facilitators are the link between APPCO and the communities. They hold sessions at the communities’ homesteads where children between 0-8years from the neighbourhood participate in various play and learning activities. The initiative is designed to encourage youngsters to value education while they are at home and to look forward to when schools reopen.

The impact of this method was felt throughout the communities, as evidenced by the high turnout and testimony from parents who reported various good changes in their children’s behavior as a result of attending the sessions.

IMPROVING FACILITATOR MOVEMENT

Because of the great distances between these centres, ECD facilitators were given bicycles to help them get to and from them. All the members were enthusiastic about this effort and praised APPCO for taking it.

Back to school Campaign in Gulu district.

BACK TO SCHOOL CAMPAIGN  IN GULU DISTRICT.

Appco conducted a back-to-school campaign in northern Uganda following the long break as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown. The campaign that had engaging activities targeted community groups. The community dialogue had various groups participating to remind parents that they have a responsibility for sending their children back to school since the new school year was soon starting.

Learning, going to school, and remaining in school so that they can complete school is the most important activity in a child’s life because it prepares children for the world of work, brings hope and dignity to children and their families, and opens doors to a prosperous life filled with knowledge, experiment, and wonder. The discussion focused on taking and supporting children to remain and complete school. Disability Inclusiveness where Children with disability have equal opportunities with children without disabilities Emphasis was put on parents and caretakers to take children to schools that they can afford.

As part of the community participation, the members were argued to create advocacy posters messages. Posters were displayed with different messages and discussion was generated from these posters as shown in the above pictures:

Our Project coordinator Murungi Prosy during the discussions emphasized that “Every child has a right to Education, health and protection and every parent or caretaker has a responsibility of spending quality time with their children”. She encouraged parents to “set examples” for their children to follow, create an enabling environment at home for children to freely discuss body changes, HIV, and understand the unique needs of young people, especially adolescents getting the urge to be attracted to the opposite sex.

Gulu district residents use community radio interventions to advocate against gender-based violence.

COMMUNITY RADIO INTERVENTION

Because of the lockdown, social gatherings were banned and these made it hard to reach some communities. APPCO came up with the idea of using community radios to create awareness within the community. Before the installation of the community radio, a consultative meeting was conducted in

both sub-counties, and members from the communities were selected to spearhead the management and maintenance of the community radio. The organization agreed to have pilot community radios in Unyama sub-county and Bardege division. The community was consulted on this and agreed to manage

these radios. These radios played a role in reaching many people within the communities with the message of Ending GBV. Both the church and the political wing welcomed the approach and this became a tool for conveying information by the leaders to the advocacy of ending GBV.

COMMUNICATION FROM THE PROJECT COORDINATOR

She thanked the LC1 for allowing them to host the radio in his compound and the general public for being positive about the radio. She went ahead to emphasize that the radio is not for the LC1 but for the community. The reason as to why the radio was installed was due to the ban on gatherings and yet there is a need to continue with awareness creation which caused the need for community radio.

The radio management committee was tasked with the management of the community radio and therefore there is a need for community contribution towards payment of bills like electricity and maintenance of the radio. She was glad that there were witnesses from the local government and elected leaders. She emphasized that the radio shouldn’t be used for politics but instead for announcements and adverts for its sustainability.

WHAT THE CDO SAY DURING THE RADIO LAUNCH

The CDO present appreciated the effort from APPCO towards creating communication channels during this hard time of COVID-19. He advised the Community to utilize the community radio and take the owner of the radio to sustain its usage and maintenance. “All community members need to know the referral pathway”. He later used the community radio that evening to re-echo elder persons for SAGE enrolment since most of them had missed out.

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