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 in England and Wales KICS UG: Registered CBO in Kashare sub-county No. 024, and at Mbarara district level No

The development charity ‘KICS’ works only in Kashare sub-county in SW UGANDA

Purpose of Monika’s visit: PURPOSE OF MONIKA’s 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.)

1. Dialogue and partnership: meetings and a capacity building workshop with KICS UG members

1. Dialogue and Capacity building exchanging learning experiences’ with KICS UG staff and beneficiaries

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

3. School partnerships Encouragement and explanations need for 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

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.

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.

RONCO children’s home situation Many of the RONCO households eat only one meal per day and on some days they may have no food at all.

RONCO households Some of the children’s guardians/carers are elderly and frail or are sick or disabled

What RONCO offers : two meals on Saturdays The focus is on the children’s needs but we also try to help the whole household and include the children’s carers or guardians in many of the activities and benefits

What RONCO offers: Learning and play under guidance of trained teachers

What RONCO offers: children’s school expenses are paid (school fund, scholastic materials, school bags and uniforms Lining up in their new uniforms

What RONCO offers: psycho-social support by counsellors from St. Francis Counselling Institute

What RONCO offers: the households have access to a medical kit held at the Centre and each child gets a malaria net

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

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

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

How much does RONCO cost? The first year’s 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

Making RONCO sustainable This is a pilot scheme We aim to help these children’s 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

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