CREATING SPACE FOR ENGAGEMENT, A PATH TO COMMUNITY PROBLEM SOLVING

Gone are the days when Baraza’s and Neighborhood Assemblies were the only model for leaders giving accountability and feedback on government programs. Leaders were tasked to answer questions about what they are doing in their offices and how they were doing it. Some leaders liked this model only if they had what to say! Some thought it was a model of exposing their weaknesses to the people they serve. And indeed there was change in terms of service delivery.

However, this model only focuses on the role of duty bearer, forgetting the responsibility of the citizens themselves. This is why KALI changed its model to emphasize on the engagement strategy than just putting duty bearers on the spot to account to the citizens. When we identify a challenge in the community, we share it with the community members and the duty bearers and together, we find a workable solution to overcome it as partners. Everyone has a role to play and at the end, we together evaluate our successes and challenges to inform our next action planning.

In the project “promoting children’s rights in Kasese District, KALI has used more of the engagement model and results have been seen in all sides. The duty bearers have prioritized the issues of children; cases of abuse being given utmost attention; to be handled to conclusion and collective massive awareness campaign on issues of children’s rights have been vivid.

People have been shocked by how children can analyze issues that affect the realization of their rights. This is because of giving them a favorable space for engagement with their duty bearers, which had never been the case. They have succeeded in reducing occurrences of violence in their schools and especially; engaging them in baby sitting at class time, corporal punishments and involving them in hard labor like; asking them to come to school with firewood to cook meals for teachers which prompted other children to miss school.

If we need results in our communities, we need to scale up our engagement processes so that together, we can achieve and also reduce the blame game which leaves out responsibility. If all people realize their roles, then development is felt since every one strives to do best what they are supposed to do.

TEACHERS SIGN A COMITMENT TO PROTECT CHILDREN By Masika Scovia

When parents take their children to school, it means that they fully entrust teachers to protect their children from any form of abuse that happen in and outside the school environment. While some teachers are looked at as mentors for these pupils, others are actually guardians or even parents for these children. They look up to them as their role models in their communities. However, we have had some instances where teachers have been perpetuators of violence in the schools and communities.

Some teachers engage children in hard labor like fetching water from long distances, sexual relations (defilement) and administering corporal punishments like heavy beating and making them carry heavy items and kneel for long hours under scorching sunshine. These have led to some of the children in schools drop out  and or perform poorly in class or even have very low self-esteem and also increase cases of child marriages.

KALI with funds from IDF have held several engagements with the teachers, parents and other local leaders on how, together, we can promote and protect the rights of children at school and in the communities they live.

In the district dialogue meeting held on 16^th june 2016, at Rwenzori International Hotel in Kasese, teachers signed a commitment with KALI and other district stakeholders to continue protecting and promoting the rights of children. This was witnessed by the Kasese District Vice Chairperson LCV Mr. Elly Magwara, who wished that every teacher in the district signs such commitment, so that they prioritize children’s issues. They specifically committed to the following;

1.       Treat Children with equal respect irrespective of gender, status, religion, race, ethnicity, political views or sexuality.

2.       Respect the privacy of children and sensitive nature of Histories

3.       Only come into physical contact of children at times of absolute need

4.       Act appropriately around children in respect of language and behavior.

5.       Avoid situations in which I will be alone with a child

6.       Not invite children in my Home/Quarters/isolated place unless accompanied by an adult or at times of absolute need

7.       Not engage any child in any form of sexual act, sexual exploitation or abuse of any nature

8.       Not misuse technological resources for the purpose of exploiting children

9.       Comply with the relevant International Human Rights treaties and domestic laws regarding the rights of a child.

We believe this will increase vigilance of teachers in the struggle to take care of the pupils and showing them what is right or wrong. More so, since the project is closing, this is a sustainability strategy that teachers will continue to act as watch dogs to ensure that the rights of children are protected with no compromise.

PUPILS OF KINYAMASEKE PRIMARY SCHOOL REVEAL SHODDY WORK: by Masika Scovia

Kinyamaseke Primary school is a government aided school with 5 class room structures. Of the five blocks 2 were constructed with the support of the government of Uganda. Three blocks were entirely the efforts of the parents of this school. It has an enrolment of ….pupils,…being females and …being males, and …teachers.

The pupils of this school have revealed that their classes are collapsing any time. There are visible big cracks in the classrooms which is putting the lives of the children in great danger. Some have shifted from one of their classrooms to share with other pupils. Some P6 pupils said “…we are just risking our lives because if a heavy wind storms now, we shall be no more” It really takes courage to sit in those collapsing classroom. There is a lot of heat in these classes as one pupil said “we undress after lunch because the heat is un bearable and we are very squeezed inside this class” said Jacob. Another pupil said “I don’t know who constructed this block. It is very weak and it is always shaking when you touch it.”

The head teacher Ms. Anne Nyanjura is hopeful that the parents’ efforts will not go to the waste. “I am working tirelessly with the school management committee to rehabilitate these structures” Some of these classrooms were built in a shoddy manner. They are short with limited fresh air. They need to be raised high in addition to rebuilding the cracked block. There was no ring beam in these building so there is need to put the beam to make them more firm and stronger.

Pupils have decided that come second term of 2016, they will not enter these classrooms anymore. They said that they would be safer studying under the trees. The school has sofar completed a 2 classroom temporary structure which was meant to host a primary section but these will for the meantime be a class room for children  

CHILD NEGLECT STILL HIGH IN ISANGO SUBCOUNTY: By TANTINA Masika-HRA Isango

These days, everyone struggles to get money in whichever way it could be; ranging from working in the markets to working in the farms. They try to work hard to get income to support their families in buying food, medicines and paying fees. This has eventually affected their parenting role. Young children are left on the mercies of older ones; whose ratio is 1-4 under the care of 7-10 children.

As a result, children are found loitering along the road with no one to take care of them. One morning, I found Masika Rita, an 8 year old girl in Kyempara one village carrying a 3 years old child who had been left in her care as the mother had gone to the farm which is about 8 kilometres from their home. The little girl was miserable because she had missed school on this day as she said “My mother said that I should not go to school today because she was planting G.nuts. I am scared that tomorrow; our teacher will beat me for missing school”. Scared as she was, she had no hope for the next meal! “Mother did not leave for us anything to eat, I am going to my grandmother’s place to see if she is there because we are too hungry” Rita said with a pale long innocent face!

Another girl called Sifa, 10 years of age was left to take care of her brother who was 2 years old and other children from the neighborhood of Kyempara village as it was a market day, where almost every parent had left to the market to involve in small businesses. When I asked her why she had not gone to school, she said “My mother left home at 6am this morning and assigned me all the house work. She said I should not go to school but instead stay home to take care of the children.”

All these children are left with no food or anyone to provide for their food. Their parents come back home late at night. So, most of these children do not eat food for 24 hours during market days. This leaves them weak and vulnerable to malnutrition and also can eventually lead to school drop out of those children who are left home to take care of the younger ones.

The most affected is the girl child whose role is to “take care of the children” while her boy counterpart is in class all the days of the week. These two cannot compete well academically in the same way.

As a trained Human rights activist, I have started bringing these issues in the Neighborhood Assemblies so that community members can appreciate that this is a big problem that is affecting our children. Since NAs are a mode of creating awareness and they are attended by most of our community members, I believe change will be realized. I also have identified these homes whose cases are so severe and have booked the Sub county Community Development Officer so that we can together visit these homes for proper targeted sensitization.