ACTIONS by SORAK under COVID-19 among vulnerable communities

 study on the effect of COVID-19 among girls and women

Brief situation on COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the corona virus outbreak to be a global pandemic-a classification used once an epidemic grows in multiple countries and continents at the same time. Most countries in the world have registered at least a COVID-19 case with numbers in Africa, as of April 15th, hovering over 10,000.

In Uganda, the first case of the ‘novel’ corona virus was reported on March 22, it was a 36-year-old male who arrived from Dubai. President of Uganda subsequently announced an extensive list of measures to stop the spread of the virus; including closing the Ugandan borders land and air, closure of all institutions of education, a ban on both public and private transport, 14-day lockdown followed by a 7 pm curfew.

 Resident district commissioners (RDC’s) were given new powers as the sole granters of permission for the sick to access health centers. The 14-day lockdown later on 30^th April 2020 was extended for another 21 days sending shiver to poor agitated subsistence earners who had anticipated to hit back to their daily work to earn a living.

As of 20^th April, Uganda has reported 55 COVID-19 cases, 28 cured and zero deaths.  The lockdown that was anticipated to last for a few weeks turned out to be months. It was only eased in October 2020 when schools were allowed to operate with only candidate classes, gatherings in prayer places and meetings limited to 70 persons with strict adherence to SoPs.

The COVID-19 period also coincided with those national general elections inclusive of presidential and parliamentary. Here the regulations also restricted gatherings and processions to only 200 persons. As of January 7^th 2021, Uganda had 222 new cases, bringing an accumulative total to 37,296.　Uganda had 300 cumulative deaths, 12,619 cumulative recoveries with a total of 775,941 tested

 

Actions undertook by SORAK toward COVID-19 pandemic

Action 1: Conducting focus group discussions with vulnerable women and girls to assess the impact of COVID-19 lockdown in their livelihoods and rights in July 2020

The key findings were;

·        Most girls have lost hope of going back to school and had resorted to early marriage

·        There had been increased domestic violence as a result of lockdown. That made men stay hope jobless

·        Increased sexual abuse and violence (rape and defilement) against girl children who now lacked school stay and protection due to lockdown.

·        Increased adolescent girls and women unwanted pregnancy due to redundancy of men, women and girls stay at home.

·        This has resulted into many unwanted children ”COVID-19 babies”

·        Loss of economic activity especially among women who were working in markets as market vendors due to their closure during lockdown.

Focus group discussion about the impact of COVID-19

Focus group discussion about the impact of COVID-19

Action 2: Moved to villages and sensitized them about the dangers of early marriage and pregnancy especially during lockdown when adolescent girls are at home in August 2020.

Note:　the dangers are; early and unwanted pregnancy, exposure to sexually transmitted infections, death related to sexual abuse, it is criminal and punishable by imprisonment. This was a danger during lockdown because girls no longer going to school that keeps them occupied and protected. Police advice given that reporting sexual abuse as soon as it occurs, avoiding risky places for girls, keeping girls safe and protected, keeping girls busy at home, skilling, doing art and craft etc.

 

With police officer sensitizing communities
on the dangers of sexual abuse and violence during lockdown

Action 3: Identified vulnerable women and youth and provided them with bean and maize seeds (from SORAK Director’s self-fund) which they planted in order to address the food security concerns. 

Handing over maize seeds to Kabubbu Youth group –Kibalinga subcounty

Vulnerable women of Nkandwa Parish –kibalinga subcounty
 provided with beans seeds　

　　　

Action 4: With support from Peace Corps with provided mosquito nets to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in July2020 

SORAK Executive Director handing over mosquito nets

 to vulnerable mothers

Action 5: With support from Untapped Shores International USA Inc, trained vulnerable girls and teen mothers in the Water, sanitation and hygiene entrepreneurship via making water tanks.

It is a business or enterprise that deals in the promotion of water, sanitation and hygiene through making of water tanks for sale or a fee. This would also address water needs for hand washing, and other domestic use especially during COVID-19 when hand washing is crucial. Girls are trained in order to be able to make tanks for as many households as they can demand. They are able to earn money for every tank they make on demand.　Girls can also make tanks at a fee to able to pay households and hence earn income and a living.          

WASH entrepreneurship Trainees receive tools
to use in their water tank making business

The group chairperson demonstrated who they make water tanks
 during a community engagement to remember
16 days of activism against GBV

One beneficiary trainee show off one of 
the semi-completed girls made water tank

Action 6: Garbage collection during the lockdown period in Lusalira village Mubende district Uganda in July 2020

Participated in garbage collection from our rural trading centre 

Thanks for reading this report on SORAK's actions toward COVID-19. 

We hope the situation of COVID-19 will be better in 2021. 

 

＊GBN's Facebook＊ 

SORAK's Hadijah Completed Agri Leadership Training at ARI☆

Hadijah from our partner NGO SORAK in Uganda completed at ARI's agriculgure leadership training.

She had really made her best effort to learn. We, GBN really appreciate ARI for giving her such wonderful opportunities.

We are planning to start a new project on environmental protection through organic farming so that she can apply what she learned in Japan.

Hope we can get a fund, inshallah!!!

We will update her reflection paper so that we can see what she leant in Japan.
Thank you!

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—An NGO visit to Uganda — by Tadayuki Kiyohara

In October 2019, I visited a local NGO, SORAK development agency in Uganda and observed its activities. This is a report of description of what I happened and felt during that time.

Originally, I sometimes travel backpackers, and on average I go on a medium to long-term trip once every few years.

My most interesting part of such trips is “the lives of the local people”.

This is because through that, I can get a glimpse of the differences in culture, values ​​and the problems faced by each society, which I find very useful in expanding my horizons.

Before I went to Uganda, I wanted to see the poverty and social problems of African countries with my own eyes, but I didn’t have any connection in Africa.

So, I requested “Global Bridge Network” to assist and it introduced me to two local NGOs from Uganda which has enabled me to be heading to the sites like always by myself. 

● Mubende Townscape

First, I visited an NGO called “SORAK” which is active in the countryside of Mubendé.

In the morning of the first day, I met SORAK`s representatives, Mr.Muhammad. Then I visited its offices and SORAK-built school (which also serves as a childhood orphanage) and neighboring houses.

In the afternoon, I went to a small village nearby and saw a representative of SORAK giving a speech lecture at a women's association (Women gatherings seem to be common in villages of Uganda). 

The content of the lecture was about knowledge that seemed to be useful in their daily life, such as efficient cultivation methods of crops and how to sell them.

I was given the opportunity to speak, so I asked them a question "What is the hardest part of your everyday life?"

Many people raised their hands and spoke positively, giving the following answers.

・ Poverty
・ Job shortage
・ Male domination of women
・ Livestock disease
・ Drought / Poor harvests
・ Distance to the hospital and transportation costs
・ Hospitals being closed on weekends
・ Husbands do not take HIV tests
・ Corruption of the police
・ Lack of knowledge / education

It was almost the same problems faced by most of the people in Africa, but I felt that it was a good trend that many people were aware of their lack of knowledge and education.

●  Participants presenting their opinions at women's association lectures

One of SORAK's activities is raising awareness of hygiene management.

For example, Before, there were many people who did not have the habit of washing their hands after visiting the toilet, which seemed to be the start point of the spread of diseases.

So, SORAK staff are now visiting households in small villages and making simple hand-washing devices beside the toilet.

If you have a tree branch, a small plastic bottle, and a string, you can make it in 5 minutes.

Also, there is a system of using pot-hole toilets in the gardens of each household, but when not in use, if you do not cover the hole, the flies might end up jumping onto your food.


In the result, it may lead to the spread of diseases.  Therefore, there will also be need of making a toilet lid as well.  This can be made free of charge because the material is only plastic fragments, tree branches and nails.

Villagers using simple hand-washing equipment installed by SORAK   

 On the 2nd and 3rd days, I also participated with the SORAK’s staff and volunteers in the activity of making this hand-washing device and toilet lid.

The fourth day was the Uganda Independence Day(Oct 9), so there was no work and SORAK'ｓschool held a party at school.

This party is also for a school and a graduation ceremony. Basically, children spend a day singing and dancing and performing musicals.

Uganda children are carefree, and even to me who doesn’t like children, I feel they are cute.

At first glance, there seems to be no bullying.

Ironically, maybe there are more bullies in countries with economic development.

Finally, I spent 4 days with the people of “SORAK” and had a great experience.

They were always kind to me that I was able to eat rice several times for free, and every day, I was picked up by car to a cheap hotel where I stayed.

● School students of SORAK`s built school

A few days later, I visited the other NGO that I was introduced to by “Global Bridge Network”.

The NGO called “HOPE FOR THE FUTURE” and supports slums in the town of Entebbe.


The managing director of the organization took me to the actual slum, gave me a lot of explanations, and was able to see the residents' homes.


This seemed to be even worse than the rural people supported by SORAK, and many homes in Uganda are made of bricks, but their homes were made of soil and wood.


In addition, many homes were collapsing, and there were no toilets in each family.


Furthermore, even if there are schools, there is no money to send the child to school, and many of the children are not able to go to school.

Many children had abdominal swellings due to malnutrition.


The cause of poverty seems to be due to the fact that there are many single mothers, there is almost no work, and unlike the villages in the countryside, there are no fields to do farming.

At HOPE FOR THE FUTURE, it seems that there is still lack of funds, and also the support is not yet enough

● Slum children

● State in residents' house

By the way, Uganda seems to have many local NGOs run by Ugandans.

I wondered if there were so many Ugandans who could afford to donate even though the country was economically poor, but most of the donations seem to come from overseas NGOs and individuals.


Europe and the United States have a culture of donating more than Japan, so I think many of them come from such places.


Even with all kinds of problems, I feel that assistance for the education of children is especially needed.


If children are not educated, the next generation will remain poor and will not be able to escape the negative chain.

Support for education is support for independence.


Also, since children cannot choose the country where they born and their parents as well. Although in Japan, where we have a strong theory of self-responsibility, I think there are many Japanese people who can support this, especially if it’s about education.


Not only in Uganda, but just looking at news from around the world about problems in the world, if you don't know the actual situation in detail, you won't have a sense of realism and will not be willing to help. When you look at it, you can see the actual situation and get the feeling.


So, first, I think I would like many people to visit the site and see the facts with their own eyes.

● Lake Victoria near the slum

The people of Uganda are calm and friendly, so it's easy to stay and the security is not as bad as it seems that Japanese people think ‘dangerous’ .

Because it is a far country, air tickets are not cheap, but the local prices are cheap, so it was not so expensive.


I stayed in a cheap hotel for around 900 yen per night in a private room with a flush toilet and water shower.


There are also some sightseeing spots such as safari tours.


At last, I stayed in Uganda for a total of about two weeks and apart from the time when I visited the NGO, I traveled around the country alone and had much fun.


I hope many people can have a chance to go to Uganda once.


Thank you!

＊GBN's Facebook＊

【Partner】STUDIO BARJARA（Ms. Atsuko ）

We are pleased to introduce Ms. Atsuko, who is the head of STUDIO BARJARA.

Ms. Atsuko is offering African style dance and Pilates lessons, and she is also active as an organizer of GBN’s international exchange event Sanyu! In addition, we have received various support such as donations through the sales of dance costumes.

Good smile♪

She talked about her work, why she started to teach African dance and collaborations with GBN, etc.

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<What is your current work?> 
I have been mainly organizing “African style dance,” which is not traditional African dance but mixes various genres of dance. Besides that, I am active as a lecturer for hip hop & house dance classes for adults and children, Pilates lessons for women who are not good at exercising and function training, as well as health gymnastics for elderly people. I also organize and coordinate dance events, etc.

<Why did you start to teach African style dance?>
Originally, I was mainly learning street dance and jazz dance for becoming professional dancers. However, when I joined a workshop on African Dance at the dance school, I was moved by this dynamic and expressive dance; therefore, I began to learn it. I want many people to feel their heart will be liberated and feel great through dance, so I started to offer African style dance classes.

Looks very energetic!

<What is your passion in cooperating with GBN and your feelings toward Africa?>
I myself live without international assistance, but I am mainly working to teach African style dance. African style dance is supporting my life and I feel joy and sometimes sadness … I feel a lot of things.

I thought that maybe it was about time to give back to African style dance by helping Africa. Therefore, I am cooperating with the activities of GBN through organizing some events and donating from the sales of dance costumes. By deepening collaborative activities, I am glad that I can learn about Africa today and interact with lots of Africans through GBN.

I would like to continue my support and do what I can do by looking at Africa as a country that I still do not know much about.

<About African Style Dance lessons>
STUDIO BARJARA is waiting for you to start our dance lessons regardless of age and dance experience♪ Come join us!

Be sure to check out STUDIO BARJARA’s website!
https://www.studio-barjara.com/ (in Japanese)

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We really appreciate her continuous cooperation.
Thank you very much, Ms. Atsuko!

＊GBN's Facebook＊

Introduction of SORAK, our partner organization in Uganda♪

SORAK having a meeting with HIV/AIDS women group

We would like to introduce our partner local organization in Uganda, SORAK(Strategic Organization for real Acton -Kampala  (SORAK) Development Agency. SORAK and Global Bridge Network (GBN) has been conducting “Improvement of school environment to combat Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) challenges to Stop Adolescent Girls’ School Dropouts in Uganda” and “Environmental Protection through Expanding Lemon grass growing and Education in Uganda “since 2017.

SORAK was started in 2003, following a study conducted in rural Mubende district about the effects and causes of wife battering. SORAK therefore, initially started by addressing issues of gender-based violence as HIV/AIDs.

By 2010, SORAK had extended its scope and actively implemented projects in the areas of ; advocacy, livelihood, environment and agriculture, water and sanitation, education, community mobilization and capacity building, children, women and persons with disabilities (PWDs) rights promotion and protection within the framework of the named project and activities.

Vision: Improved quality of life for vulnerable women, youth and children in Uganda.

Monitoring the community

Precious Child Center, the primary school run by SORAK

School Children in Precious Child Center

Lemongrass distrilator owned by SORAK 

We will introduce 2 members of SORAK.

Mr. Muhammad Kyeyune

 Muhammad 
SORAK's Executive Director 

Mr. Muhammad Kyeyune who established SORAK, the Executive Director. 

A social worker, educationist and a social entrepreneur holds an MBA (HRM), BA(SWSA), Diploma in Education and Diploma in Rights Based approach and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights-

Muhammad has got special bias in the areas of Organizational development and assessment, Documentation and Report writing, Project Design and management-with a niche in proposal/grant writing and business planning, Community development and mobilization, conducting socio-economic and baseline surveys, Conducting sensitization and awareness campaigns, Advocacy and lobbying, Conducting project evaluations and Evaluations, Developing Institutional Promotional Materials, Designing community based monitoring and evaluation systems(CBMES), strategic planning, Mainstreaming and analysing gender issues Disability and HIV/AIDS.

Muhammad lisning to women's voice

 Here is the message from Mr. Muhammad about his motivation to manage SORAK as follows.

“For the past 15 years, I have had a strong concern for the living conditions of the rural communities in Mubende district. This is an area in which I was born and raised. Through my studies at the university and my practice as a teacher as well as a social worker and human resource management specialist I have come to learn that it is possible to alleviate the problems of; human rights abuse, poor health, gender based violence, sexual and reproductive health, HIV and AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB), environmental degradation, poor sanitation and hygiene, poor education and lack of employable skills, low incomes and poverty through well designed and meaningful focused intervention programs. 

The challenge to the creation and operation of these programs, however, is twofold. First, there does not exist the required resources and funding to assist the vulnerable communities in improving their situation. And second, there has not existed a community pro-poor focused approach to assist in delivering the necessary and relevant intervention in a timely and meaningful manner.

Research suggests that the most powerful way to affect the wellbeing of the poor rural communities, is through the improved understanding of the situation that precipitate poverty and suffering. Muhammad through SORAK is motivated and driven by the desire to assist rural poor communities in the local community location, close to where the poor and the suffering are living.”

Ms.Hadijah

Hadijah,

SORAK's Programmers Manager

Hadijah Nakiruuta, Programmes Manager in SORAK as well as our sister; holds a Degree of Bachelor of Community and Adult education. She has four years’ experience in community work mainly in youth and HIV/AIDS related programmes for both in-school and out-of-school youth among other livelihood projects in Mubende.

She has also worked with single and HIV and AIDS widowed mothers as well as Commercial Sex Workers. She has good Negotiation skills, Computer skills, Leadership & Management skills and public relation skills, Analytical skills, Administration and management skills, Lobbying and Advocacy skills.

Hadijah giving a speech in front of school kids

 Here the message from Ms.Hadijah about her motivation working in SORAK as follows.

“For the past 4 years of working with SORAK Development Agency, I have gotten a chance of working closely with vulnerable women and adolescent girls and this is where my passion lies.

Mostly women and girls are subjected to gender based violence and on a large extent gender based violence affects women and girls so always my major focus is on empowering women economically for them to be able to start some income generating activities with a reason of promoting economic independence among women and am happy that women are now operating small businesses and having livelihood stock businesses and am happy that I always mentor them.

Another thing I like is working with adolescent girls giving them career guidance plus building their capacity for them to defend themselves from sexual abuses and exploitation.

Currently the major challenge that I face and SORAK at large during the course of implementation is the scope of coverage. Many other vulnerable persons always express the urgent need for our intervention but we are always limited by funds to cover wider geographical scope.

I thank our partners for the support they provide to see that the quality of life among our rural vulnerable persons in Mubende is improved.”

We believe SORAK deeply understand local people’s needs since they work close to the communities. Their activities are so passionate and serious; therefore GBN can trust them to work together. We can’t achieve our projects success in Uganda without their efforts.

GBN and SORAK are really appreciating your continuous support.

Thank you very much!

SORAK's Faceebook is Here

       GBN's Facebook Page is here♪