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| Head teachers and the senior woman teachers during the inception meeting in Mubende |
<Activities conducted>
1.
Conduct radio
talk shows about girls’ education and use of a reusable sanitary pad (happy
pad).
2.
Draft a booklet
and a brochure about MHM, sex education and gender issues
3.
Conduct project inception
meetings in the three districts
4.
Finalize the
baseline survey
5.
Work towards finalizing
the happy pad promotion center’s renovation.
1. Conducted
radio talk shows about girls’ education and use of happy pad
In Mubende
The radio talk shows were conducted on 2/02/2022
respectively at Heart FM in Mubende town for one hour starting at 7:00pm to
8:00pm. The talk shows were attended by the Executive Director, Projects
manager, projects officer, and projects volunteer. Issues talked about by each
one of the above are outlined in the talking point/concept note.
In Wakiso
The
talk shows were conducted at Tiger FM located in Nabweru division on the
4th/02/2021.
It
was attended by the Executive Director, Projects Manager, Project officer-
Wakiso, And Project Assistant information communication and technology (ICT.)
The programme lasted for one hour between 7:00pm to 8:00pm.
In Butambala
The shows were not conducted this month.
2. Draft
booklet and brochure about MHM, sex education and gender issues
SORAK obtained materials/information for creating a
booklet and a brochure from Ministry of
Health. This was used and guided the project team in the process of drafting
the booklet and the brochure. These two items are still under discussion
and development with GBN and will be finalized by the end of March 2022.
3. Conducted
project inception meetings in the three districts
The inception meetings were attended by the
respective head teachers, their senior woman teachers/ a member of the school
management committee, and the selected government officials. Much more emphasis
was put on ensuring that schools
report about this project in their routine reports to the district and
governmentduring the process of reporting back to government
by the school head teachers and to ensure that they provide changing rooms and
wash rooms at their respective schools.
In Mubende
The inception meeting was held on the 28/02/2022
from 10:00am -02:00pm at Kibalinga sub-county hall. The agenda to the meeting
included: registration of participants, opening prayer, self-introductions from
the participants, Opening remarks,presentation and
purpose of the meeting, remarks from the DEO,remarks from the Education centre
chairperson remarks from area inspector
of schools, open discussion , way forward
and closing remarks .The meeting
was attended by the representatives of or respective head teachers of the ten
selected schools and their senior woman teachers. The government officials
included the Education center chair person, area inspector of schools, Senior
Assistant Secretary /sub county chief and the LC3 chair person. Head teachers
of the respective schools signed Memorandum of Understanding as a guiding tool
to assist in renovating the identified schools’ facilities as par the task list
within an allocated budget.
In
Wakiso
The inception meeting was conducted on the 4/03/2022 from 10:00am-02:00pm
at Jinja Karoli Primary School student’s hall. The agenda to the meeting was, Arrival and registration of participants, opening
prayer, self-Introductions, purpose of the meeting, opening remarks,
presentation about the project, open discussion and way forward, closing
remarks by the Municipal Education Officer (MEO). The opening remarks were given by the Honorable Secretary for education
for Nansana Division and the closing remarks were given by Municipal Education
Officer. The respective head teachers and the senior woman teachers from the
selected project schools. Head teachers of the respective schools signed
Memorandum of Understanding to assist in renovating the identified schools’
facilities as par the task list within an allocated budget.
In Butambala
The
meeting was held on the 3/03/2022 from
12:00-3:00pm at Budinse Memorial School in Ngando sub county.The agenda
to the meeting was; arrival and registration
of participants, opening prayer, self-Introductions, purpose of the meeting,
opening remarks, remarks from the Senior Adminisrative Secretary,remarks from
chairperson LC3, remarks from the DEO,remarks from the inspector of
schools,,presentation about the project, open discussion and way
forward,closing remarks by the deputy RDC. In attendance were the
District Education Officer (DEO), Town clerk, Head of Teachers Union, School
head teachers of the 10 selected schools and the Deputy Resident District
commissioner of Butambala district. Head
teachers of the respective schools who signed Memorandum of Understanding to
assist in renovating the identified schools’ facilities as par the task list
within an allocated budget.
Emerging issues from the inception meeting;
l
A request to provide more than one sawing
machine, more toilet blocks and washrooms as some schools like Jinja Kaloori
and Ssanga primary schools in Wakiso district have a big population which
causes a lot of congestion in such facilities and a number of girls have their
menarche at nine years hence a need for more menstrual materials especially
provided at school. (This was Highlighted in Wakiso by the Headmisress of both
Jinja Karoli and Ssanga.
l
A request for a box where to store both
material for making sanitary pads and the finished products.( reusable pads)
l
Participants requested for providing
certificates to the trainees at the end of the trainings in schools to act as a
motivator to the trainees.
4.
Finalize the baseline survey
The
baseline survey report was finalized. It was used to inform the inception
meetings in the 3 project districts.
5. Finalize
with working on a happy pad promotion center in Wakiso
The centre is under renovation and will be ready for use in the shortest
time possible. Equipment is going to be bought and installed as well. This
centre has been now been connected to electricity and awaits being provided
with a door and windows. This will commence by the end of March 2022.
<Positive influences/ Changes>
The inception meetings had the following influences;
Ø School
head teachers were glad to know more about the project as they promised to
follow the terms and conditions in the MOU for effective project implementation
Ø The
respective district officials and the local leaders promised to always work
hand in hand with SORAK and the respective schools in the three districts to ensure
success of the project implementation
Ø A
WhatsApp group for head teachers and project staff was formed for proper
monitoring of the project activities in the three districts.
Ø The
meeting created chance for the government officials to interact with the
respective head teachers and learnt of the challenges faced in such schools
which they took note of for further action.
<Challenges faced
during the conduct of February activities in all the 3 districts >
Ø The participants did not keep time during the inception
meetings however the team was patient until a reasonable number of them turned
up and started the meeting as the rest found them along the way. In
Wakiso, the Municipal Education Officer got delayed but managed to come towards
the end of the meeting and delivered his message to the representatives of the
different schools.
Ø Some
Head teachers were not responsive for example in Wakiso one of the Head
teachers did not turn up for the meeting despite the fact that he had been
invited and reminded about the meeting.
The project team requested the Municipal Education officer to advice
accordingly. He promised that he will physically reach out to the Head teacher
and will update team accordingly.
Ø Some of the telephone contacts of the participants
were not available but team identified their other numbers and for the ones with
only one number. Team kept on calling until they went through.
Ø There was need to ensure that the booklet has
simplified language to suit the students, teachers and the community at large
and this was resolved by ensuring to make use of more graphics.
Ø
Expectations of the beneficiary schools
were higher than the actual budget allocated for the improvement of the
selected school facilities however, they were encouraged to concentrate on
working towards the success of the project implementation which shall lay
ground for more funds.
Ø
Poor internet connectivity where it was
not easy to effectively connect with the GBN team in Japan during the inception
meetings. The project team kept on trying to connect for the members to join
the call.
<Lessons Learnt>
Ø Some of
the schools had more demanding different needs such as buildings and wholly
constructed toilet, and some materials as compared to the ones in the task list
and in the project.
Ø
Participants appreciated the idea of
training learners and teachers on how to make sanitary pads.
Comments from related
parties
↓↓↓Click on the following link to view related reports
*This project is implemented under JICA's Kusanone Partnership Program.
