Tuesday, November 27, 2012

RWECO’s ANNUAL REFLECTION MEETING KICKS OFF.

RWECO Staff and BoD at the Kasunga Reflection meeting from 22-25 Nov. 2012

RWECO staff and BoD members arrived at Kasunga Training Center in Kyenjojo last night 22nd Nov.2012 ahead of the two days Reflection meeting that kicked off today 23rd Nov 2012. The meeting that has so far attracted approximately twenty three participants (08 females&15 males) participated is expected to run until Sunday 25th Nov. 2012.
The reflection meeting whose objectives include; to build a strong crusade on enhancing civic competence on voice and accountability in the Rwenzori region, to coordinate capacity building of the RWECO members and constituents in citizen empowerment on constitutionalism, human rights and good governance, to undertake and or coordinate advocacy activities on major policy issues at regional nationalism and international level and to mobilize and manage resources for the consortium started at 9:00am with opening remarks from Jimmy Baluku Odyek RWECO Chairperson.
Opening the meeting Jimmy welcomed participants to the reflection meeting and also took them through two days program and the climate setting session. Below are some of the participants’ expectations about the meeting as shared;
 
1.    To learn of RWECO’s future interventions
2.    To come up with a comprehensive and final RWECO report and strategic plan
3. To understand the commitment of RWECO members towards fundraising for the consortium.
4.    To understand RWECO’s sustainability plan.
5.    To learn of the members’ ICT challenges and suggestions to RIC-NET to address them.
6.    To know the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of RWECO.
7.    To Learn of RWECO’s key achievements registered so far.
8. To know all the RWECO BoD members and understand their take on RWECO’s programming, interventions and Progress.
9.    To share experiences from the different activities’ implementation going on in the different organizations.
Commenting on this, the Jimmy thanked all members for having a vision for RWECO, indicating that the meeting will make sure that all the raised expectations are surely met. He then invited the chairperson of the day Ms. Kegingo Sheila to facilitate the report writing session. This session is expected to take the whole of day one, 23rd.Nov.2012.
In this session, focal persons are reporting on the different activities they have been implementing with key focus on the numbers reached, content discussed, passed on or received, area/place of operation, achievements registered, challenges faced, case studies noted and key lessons learned. (A comprehensive report about this will be availed by end of today). However, several issues emerging from the different presentations include;
Key Emerging Issues
Ø  Monitors need to be encouraged and or guided to learn to take action at their level without necessarily reporting monitoring issues to the RWECO members they are attached to. Doing this it is said will facilitate immediate correction of service delivery problems identified in the community.
Ø  Enhanced monitors capacity in monitoring public expenditure, reporting, documentation articulation of issues and advocating for positive change has been registered. This is evident in the increased number of news stories shared by the monitors for the RWECO monthly newsletters.
Ø  Some case studies on the Orgaanizations’ success stories have  also  been shared for instance RideAFrica shared a case from Nyantabooma HCII, Kichwamba sub county Kabarole District; where CPF and monitors monitored the HC and found poor sanitation; unhygeinic latrine, dirty and bushy compound, poor disposal of garbage, alleged high prevalence of malaria, poor time management by HC staff-late coming. Following this, the monitors engaged with the Sub County leadership and HC management on these issues demanding that these issues be addressed immediately. Later the monitors learnt through their other monitoring visits that the issues had been adequately addressed.
While KALI shared about their success in getting children in Kamwenge primary schools to report to school the first week of the term since many do not turn until the second and third week. Accordingly they hosted the secretary for social services on VOK who mobilized parents to send their children to school right from the school open day and also educated the parents on the value of education. Consequently the number of pupils that reported to school in third term is reported to have soared high as opposed to the previous terms.
Ø  Lack of Cameras by the monitors has limited evidenced based monitoring because they are not able to capture an event as it happens.
Ø  What is the impact of RWECO’s intervention; there is need to establish what the situation was before and what it is since RWECO’s intervention; e.g the number of pupil enrollment, retention and completion of primary level before and now, the involvement of PWDs in social accountability work and accessing good public services.
Ø  Poor phone radio network limits the number of phones-ins and as thus participation of the community in radio programs.
Ø  There is increased demand for radio programs by the community although it is challenged by the inadequate funds.
Ø  Radio programs have proven to be the most effective means of reaching out to masses in a faster and reliable manner.
Ø  I.EC. materials are effective because their message are not time bound, the message on is continuous and they have enhanced RWECO’s visibility, branding and created more understanding on the consortium’s programs, and activities.
These among others are some of the key highlights in the meeting sofar, other things to be looked at include reviewing the RWECO M&E framework, strategic planning and developing the consortium’s fundraising strategy. To be continued…

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