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. 

 

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【Economic Empowerment】Economic empowerment of girls, women and youth through microcredit driven entrepreneurship

 ～Economic empowerment of girls, women and youth through microcredit driven entrepreneurship –Mubende～

 

 -Background and Challenges to be addressed:

In rural Mubende, more than 80% of youth and women are self employed as farmers, petty jobs, and petty business. Majority of these have no access to credit that is badly needed to boast their income generating activities. This is due to lack of collateral security that is required in commercial banks and credit institutions for them to acquire loans. Youth and women in Mubende and beyond have ended up living a subsistence life. Girls and women are forced into either forced marriage or informal activities like commercial sex. They cannot afford basics of life namely food, medical care, clothing, scholastic materials among others.

In the targeted communities, 60% of the population leave below poverty line (earning 2$ per day) Their vulnerability is worsened by the fact that about 40% of households are women, widow, child or grandparent headed. Such households need support to improve their incomes.

Low cost credit provided by not for profit organizations like SORAK is less costly is the best choice for such populations. Microcredit given to women and youth has the ability of providing an opportunity to invest in profitable income generating activities. They will be advanced money ranging from 50,000 UGX to 200,000 in groups of 5 youth and or women and this money could be used to start and income generating activity like market vending, making of chapatis, buying and raising a piglet etc. SORAK will accompany this with entrepreneurship training to ensure that the money is put into proper use. Each of the group will be required to repay the money within 6 months.

On the other hand, SORAK as a means of sustaining the organization as well as economic empower girls, youth and women impact by COVID -19, has established a bakery and jelly production and training centre. This is at its final stages to start production but bad need extra funding for the needed startup raw materials and marketing. We passed the market research stage where SORAK made mosquito repellant jelly with lemon grass essential oil, supplied to the potential buyers whose feedback in so encouraging. SORAK is thus motivated to contribute some money and invest into this empowering as well as income generating activity. SORAK will also use part of the money to support the bakery and jelly making and training centre for girls and women. This will further enhance their skills better livelihoods.

 

SORAK's factory to start bakery and jelly production and training

The wheat mixer

Energy saving jelly boilers

 Preliminary training in entrepreneurship to receive and make use of SORAK Credit

 Participation of youth and women groups

-Project Goal:

To contribute to sustainable income generation for beneficiaries of SORAK’s interventions.

 

-Project Summary:

SORAK seeks to given microcredit to youths and women groups as well as utilizing strengthening the bakery and jelly making production and training for entrepreneur.

 

-Target place:

This project will be implemented targeting youth and women in the sub county of Kibalinga, Mubende district where SORAK offices and bakery and jelly production units are located. This however has opportunity to grow and expand with time as production and demand increases with time after the end of donor credit support.

 

-Target people:

A total of 150 youth (80 females and 70 males) and 100 women will be supported to both access credit and or participate in bakery and jelly training and production. These are individuals who will be engaged over a 1 year period. Some will be trained and employed in bakery and jelly making. They will later have those skills for the rest of their lives. This project targets active youth and women who are willing to; access the credit and makes use of it by way of investing it in productive and profitable enterprises in order to improve their wellbeing. It also targets those who have already shown interest to join SORAK bakery and jelly making and training.

 

 -Activities:

Activities proposed here are those that will be implemented at the start of bakery and jelly product production. These are proposed will understanding that SORAK has already done all the needed investment in terms of housing, machinery, water supply, mould and what is remaining are the, marketing, human resource and start up raw materials.

The activities of the project will include;

1-     Procure materials needed to start bakery and jelly production

2-     Mobilization and capacity building of youth and women groups and prepare them to receive and effectively utilize the credit

3-     Identify and select youth and women to participate and benefit in bakery and jelly making and training

4-     Make, blend, brand and pack and sale/market bakery and jelly products

 

-Methods of Microcredit Project and Fund:

Over all SORAK will be provided funding from Global Bridge Network(GBN) in form of a loan that is repayable at the end of 2 years. This money will be used by SORAK to both strengthen her bakery and jelly production and training unit. It will also be used to extend credit to carefully selected youth and women. These will also be provided with relevant training to ensure that they effectively and impactful utilize the provided credit.

There will be 2 methods of this credit management;

1-Beneficiaries will be organized into groups of 5 persons. They will be given credit to implement a jointly agreed up on enterprise whose startup 50$. Not all these people will receive credit at once. This is a targeted number to receive credit over 2 year’s time. The 1000$ is budget allocation to be given out in credit in small groups of 5 persons, for instance 1000$ can be given out to 20 groups at a go(50$x20=1000). This credit will be refundable on a monthly basis at a simple interest of 2-5% per month depending on the purpose of the loan and the risks involved in recovering it.  The interest generated will be used to meet administrative costs as well as reserving some for repayment back to GBN.

2- Some funds will be reserved in SORAK bakery and jelly production. It is anticipated that this will provide the badly and urgently needed startup capital more especially for inputs that will see the factory takeoff. This will supplement the already invest capital in tools, production equipment (mould) building modification, plumbing and sanitation.　

 Lastly, here SORAK anticipates making good use of the funds, generating revenue that will be used to run the production as well as having excess/profit that can be used to refund to GBN.

↓↓↓Click on the following link to view related reports

The List of Reports 

*This project is supported by GBN's self-fund including personal donations!

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【Staff Report】Situation about corona in Uganda

Bike taxi driver wearing mask 

As the COVID-19 pandemic snowballs, the day-to-day reality has created a nightmarish situation in developed and developing economies. Although to date Uganda has got around 6,468 confirmed cases which also includes 2,731 recoveries with 63 deaths (as of Sep 22, 2020). The latest number is see this link 

https://www.health.go.ug/covid/?fbclid=IwAR0F4Mungnedub9g9kCGCnJsa6I-9ZMdWLiIIB9gDdv8zxYzEqqg8PlnNw4 

Which is not quite bad. The numbers of those acquiring the virus and associated death globally is alarming. The impact of the pandemic is already taking a toll on communities already vulnerable or marginalized – the poor, the rural, the illiterate, women and girls. 

Right now Uganda’s situation about corona could be of a high risk. Not because cases are so many compared to the other countries, but If you get sick in Uganda and need medical care, resources may be limited. A lockdown was imposed in Uganda by the end of March. The president extended its period for another 21 days on top of the 14 days. This lock down period continued from April 15 to May 5, 2020. Masks became mandatory in public in May while restrictions started to ease in July.

Town: empty in Kampala (capital city)

Town: Light traffic

Town: Very quiet

As a precautionary measure, on 18 March, the President banned all public gatherings, incoming and outgoing travel to specified highly affected counties and up-to-date, the airport hasn’t yet been reopened. But rumor has it, it’ll be soon reopening. Schools have been closed and now students are trying out to access their education via e-learning. A situation so tough for many Ugandans amidst the challenges in accessing the internet.

Up until May 5, 2020, most businesses had to remain closed. Food markets remained open, but many vendors were unable to return home and had to sleep in markets due to the suspension of public transport. A small number of businesses such as factories, garages, hardware shops, metalworks and restaurants for takeaway were allowed to reopen on May 5, while others such as hair salons and business arcades remained closed until July 27. But as per now they are all starting to open up slowly by slowly. 

Food distribution

Washing hands

People wearing masks 

Due to the high level of informality in Uganda's economy, it is not yet possible to assess the full magnitude of the economic impact of the lockdown, but the consequences for incomes and poverty are likely severe. Research results from July 2020 show that many informal entrepreneurs in Kampala (Capital city in Uganda) had no income at all during the lockdown, and hence had to dip into their own savings, rely on government food support, or ask for help from family or friends to survive.

Due to corona, a lot is really happening and nobody knows when this corona saga will be ending but every day that comes by. 

We just keep praying that everything gets better soon.

Sekitto Arafat

Executive Mobilizer

Sep 23, 2020

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☆The 4th anniversary of GBN’s foundation!☆

Hello, everyone!

I am glad to inform you that Global Bridge Network has reached its 4^th year.

Pls review the annual report → H31R1_Annual_Report_en.pdf



We have managed to successfully complete the third term of our two main projects, regarding international support in Uganda.

“Improvement of school environment to combat Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) “ “Improvementof Educational Environment for Girls”

"Environmental Protection through Expanding Lemon Grass Growing and Education in Uganda"　“EnvironmentalProtectionand Education”

Unfortunately, the environmental protection through lemon grass growing has come to an end this year.

However, as our final achievement, ‘the mosquito repellant jelly’ made from lemon grass essential oil which will be used as prevention from malaria, has been successfully initiated. This production has been greatly popular among local communities and our local partner SORAK will promote this business.

Promoting the product of  ‘the mosquito repellant jelly’

‘the mosquito repellant jelly’ made from leomon grass essential oil

Also, allow me to share the reports of Ms. Hadijah from SORAK, who participated in the 9-month training course (from March 2019) for rural leaders training program at the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) in Japan.

Hadijah's Training Reports at ARI, Japan

Well, let me share our current situation over COVID-19 pandemic. Right now, we are facing a halt within our activities



We had planned to initiate a social business of lemon grass essential oil in collaboration with a Japanese company, as well as expand our project of girls’ MHM project through our original product, sanitary pads called ‘Happy Pad’



In this case, we take this situation as an opportunity to consider what we can do and prepare for the next step.



However, we are going to start a small project to support kids’ education in the slum community using a self-fund. This project is meant to be as a trial starting with a small scale but we expecting to develop a bigger project in future depending on the needs.

We really hope everyone stays safe and happy in this trying period as we continue to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. 



Thank you so much for your continuous love and support and looking forward to seeing you soon.



Global Bridge Network

Maiko Ohnishi

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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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