KABAROLE DISTRICT REAPS BIG FROM NEIGHBORHOOD ASSEMBLIES

On 1/02/2012 I set with the team of four staff from Ride Africa, RWECO and CEWIT   for a joint  monitoring visit and  our first stop point was a group meeting at  Busoro Christian women group of 35 members in Busoro subcounty had recommendable achievements in one year of existence and promoting service delivery in  Busoro subcounty.  In their report it was key to note that the group led a crusade to follow up a defilement case with support of RIDE AFRICA where the defiler was arrested and the girl enrolled back in school.  It was rather a new experience that a women’s neighborhood assembly invited the MP Burahya county, Hon. Stephen Kasaija Kagwera,  the Chairperson LC III Busoro subcounty and all LCI-II  to discuss   the plight of poor performance in the schools of Busoro subcounty especially at HOPE primary where the neighbourhood assembly meetings often take place. A  resolution was passed with the support of the leaders for all parents to pack school lunch for their children. That was  empirical evidence that explains the improvement in the performance of P.L.E results for 2012 at Hope primary school where the school attained 32 first grades out of the 42 pupils who sat for primary leaving examination compared to 2011 where the school only attained 5 first grades. The group attributes the good grades to intervention of the parents by providing lunch to the pupils, constant PTA meeting, follow up of teachers and school management meetings that were revived.  Their efforts resulted into an exchange visit for neighborhood assembly members and the head teachers to Harugongo primary school a UPE school which was performing better  and had  65 first grades in 2011. The exchange visit was facilitated by the Hon. Stephen Kasaija Kagwera, MP Burahya County.

On the same day we had a meeting with 9 monitors of Busoro subcounty where one of the monitors  proudly  reported  that was elected  Chairperson Busoro Sub county Water board because of his  commitment in monitoring water service delivery.  The strategy of inviting the subcounty leadership in the subcounty sharing meeting was  unique as they become part of the team and  are prompted to  address the concerns of the community. The monitors reported that the health Unit management committees and the water user committees have been retooled on their roles and responsibility  and  can now work with them  to monitor service delivery in health and water sector thus reduced shoddy work and neglect for service points. It is pleasing to note that a nurse who was reported as absconding from duty during the public expenditure tracking has been replaced at Rwengaju HC II. Visiting the subcounty headquarters, the chairperson LCIII  Busoro subcounty noted that RIDE Africa a member of RWECO should be applaud for the improved performance in Busoro subcounty as he described it as  the other eye and hand of the subcounty leaders  and felt  indebted  to them because of  their  efforts in  identifying  service delivery gaps in the district.

My visit to south division in Kabarole district seemed like reading a fiction Novel,  Imagine seating on the fire place every Sunday evening to discuss issues that are affecting service delivery with some MDD to do the infotainment. That I thought ended with the generation of our grandparents. With lots of doubt about the strategy the group chairperson  Zebidayo was proud to inform me that MDD had proved an effective strategy for Toro cultural Research and development Group that doubles as a drama group and a neighborhood assembly  with support from RWECO through RIDE AFRICA. Some of their notable achievements were sensitizing the community of water source management, advocating community participation in the government processes.

All I can say is kudos to Kabarole district especially south Division and Busoro subcounty leadership. We as RWECO we also feel indebted by your generous support to our program.

By Sheila K
RWECO