Call for Development Partners to Support Mental Health Development
Integrated Mental Health Initiative was started in 2015 as a community based organisation that designs, integrates and applies programs that promote mental wellbeing.
www.integratedmentalhealth.org
It would be a pleasure if you shared information about this organisation with humanitarian foundations and ministries as well as development students and workers to support this organisation, which applies psychological approaches for mental wellbeing, peace and development. And also develop ways to strengthen peace and development initiatives through sustainable efforts.
I am supporting this organisation to succeed in Uganda and Africa. We also welcome volunteers who can come, support, and give it a stronger foundation. You can also like our Facebook Page:www.facebook.com/integratedmentalhealthinitiative
I will be grateful if you helped promote it there and in case we are needed there to come learn from you or share our expertise, or otherwise wish to hear more information from us, please do not hesitate to let me know.
Showing posts with label HEALTH. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HEALTH. Show all posts
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Reaching Vulnerable Children Through Health and Education
Over the years (10) I have selflessly and compassionately contributed towards the welfare of children and community. I left the comfort of my family’s wealth and responsibilities as assets manager to transform the lives of most neglected sections of the community –focusing on the children using youth power.
A community-based approach was employed, where if a community got empowered, the children followed.
Both the out-of-school and in-school children reached were 49, 000 and 78 youths, who worked as change agents. The water-source projects were run side-by-side with environment health education, lessons on health decision-making and activities (involving tree planting, hand-washing, use and distribution of mosquito nets, and promotions of donor-supported immunization exercises, family planning, and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention) in schools and community. 120 schools in 60 different communities directly benefited. Through a community development agency founded and run by me (Union of Community Development Volunteers –UCDV).
My work helped to improve safe-water access and use, to scale-up prevention of the most common diseases among children (for example: diarrhea, cholera, malaria, and dysentery).
While supporting the healthy development of children on one hand, the youths were being empowered on the other hand –with knowledge about their potential and practical skills. Acquired skills brought them income they much-needed to improve their welfare and self-managed projects for sustainable livelihoods. The youth effort under my leadership helped to create socioeconomic and health structures for children to survive and thrive.
While the youth (most of whom had children) were between the ages of 16 and 30), the children in question were from 5 and 18. It is worth reporting though that the programs went as far as helping the in-born and the less-than-5 to thrive parented by the volunteer program youths.
Partners in that area of work were: local government department, community leaders, and internal and local non-government organizations –mainly with interest in volunteerism for community development such as the Uganda Water and Sanitation Networks (UWASNET), United Nations Volunteers (UNV), Volunteer Service Organization (VSO), and the National Volunteers Association. The partnerships were never in vain; instead they won me confidence, courage, and funding for UCDV –an umbrella under which I now work.
More of such partnerships and networks are needed. In fact, the rewards from them now compels me to rethink the current partnership policy to include other organizations (non-volunteer based) and development agencies –with interests in children rights and advocacy, public health development, environment conservation, education, and poverty eradication. Strengthening structures for continuity of UCDV programs and replicating benefits to other vulnerable communities in the countryside has been his immediate need which from experience and drive the future is bright.
By
Mutebi Eddie,
Executive Director,
Union Of Community Development Volunteers
Block 26, Plot 842, Professor Apolo Nsibambi Road, Bulange Zone 'A'
P.O. Box 35792, Kampala - Uganda
Telephone: +256 414 690 897
Mobile: +256 782 713 500
Block 26, Plot 842, Professor Apolo Nsibambi Road, Bulange Zone 'A'
P.O. Box 35792, Kampala - Uganda
Telephone: +256 414 690 897
Mobile: +256 782 713 500
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Lifestyle Influences Environment
Lifestyle is a way of life adopted by individuals after years of interaction with their immediate cultural environment, socioeconomic environment, socio-political, ethical as applied in all aspects of community life, and natural environments through parental or family influences.
In recent years, however, globalization in all those facets has taken its share of influence on ways individuals live. It is the nature of their consequences to individuals that, in turn, dictates decision making and specific lifestyles. As a natural interaction phenomenon, the natural environment too gives its feedback proportionately to what individuals have given to it in form of natural disasters.
Otherwise, It was important that the different ways –through which lifestyle is formed are identified, point out the nature of lifestyles adopted and their influence on individuals, the lifestyle influences on environment health, and the consequences of the responses of the natural environment on individuals, and possible solutions.
The districts of Kampala, Iganga, Mayuge, Jinja, and Nairobi were put into perspective by way of observations, focused group discussions with community members mindful of gender, stories and cases, and review of data from other individuals and organizations that have worked or lived there –in line with the questions that related to the above objectives.
Interestingly for Nairobi, rather than the modernization most used to mean tall buildings, long bridges and skyscrapers, it was modernization of the natural environment –where residency of individuals did not affect their environment: they co-existed with the natural environment –including wild animals in nearby national game packs.
And because of the unfair resources distributions violence in the Nairobi city has been on-going since independence as the gap between nationals who owned resources (like arable land) widened –and the means to eventual access to development opportunities (like jobs and benefit from public services) became more of a dream than a reality.
In the Uganda districts of Jinja, Mayuge, Iganga and Kampala, it was only modernization, (or development) that mattered –and as only understood in terms of tarmac roads, high administrative and commercial building; and not all, in terms of development of the natural environment of which humanity was part.
In Jinja and Kampala, despite such a perception of development, (or modernization), appropriate waste management technologies were not applied. Garbage problem remained the talk of the town and city –respectively. In Mayuge district, a place once a habitant for hippopotamuses and with a thriving natural forest has much of them replaced of populations of immigrants from Teso and Kenya –in addition to the rapidly rising local population of people. Their settlement was secured aggressively after bloody confrontations with security in search for arable land and fish for commerce and food.
As a result of garbage-related pollution Kampala faced (and continues to do so) an annual threat of cholera and other waterborne diseases affecting mainly children. The Kampala suburbs of Bwaise, Kawempe, Zana, Ndeeba, Kalerwe, Kireka, Katwe, Ndeeba and Kanyanya most hit hardest as much of the settlements are located in the wetland zones.
On Entebbe Road, areas like Lufuka, Najjanankumbi, Namasuba and Zana were submerged. Within the city centre, Clock Tower and Kisenyi were most affected. The case of heavy rains hitting Kampala in February and May 2010 are the most recent –in which houses were flooded, along with broken sewerage systems that went on to contaminate food and other human environments, denying affected population access to main roads, and without electricity. Schools and shops were closed for most of the day in the affected areas.
That, though, was most significant during the El Niño rains of 2003-2003 –which carried human waste in the waters and foods to cause contamination in return. 200 suspect cholera cases were reported. Besides, noise pollution in the name of religion or faith and parties continued to build stressful conditions for people living in the suburbs despite the Noise Standards and Control Regulations (2003) which advises that there are licenses available for property owners –whose establishments were likely to emit noise in excess of the permissible levels.
In Mayuge and Iganga have had sleeping sickness epidemic –which was originally ecologically-controlled parasite, now only controlled through spraying and trapping of tsetse flies since 1901 through 1970s to date while violent clashes between forest officials and encroaches rage on. Malaria pandemic also posed highest threat as if replacing sleeping sickness.
The government of Uganda, on one hand, showed no environmental consciousness –when it encouraged encroachment on reserves by calling for an end to evictions of encroachers by the national forestry authority. In Nairobi, Kenya ownership of land as a natural resource was a source of conflict that was only triggered by the 2007 election rigging.
In 2002, Mungiki were implicated in the massacre of 23 people in Kariobangi, Nairobi, and some 1,500 people were killed and another 300,000 displaced in a matter of weeks after the December 2007 presidential polls in which President Mwai Kibaki was accused of having stolen the vote.
In Jinja, Uganda, sanitation-related problems were more evident in suburbs –as well than in town where the elite made “noise” to pressure politicians to have urban problems addressed while the less represented south continued to suffer the environmental choke.
In conclusion, rather than the selfish and egocentric yet destructive behaviors towards nature, and nature fighting back in terms of generating conditions for infectious diseases and “wild” rains, the people of Uganda districts of Kampala, Jinja, Mayuge, Iganga ought to borrow a leaf from their Nairobi counterparts by learning to and really co-exist with nature or the natural environment –as that would create certain climatic conditions (as low as 10 degrees Celsius as a case in Nairobi during the months of July and August) as defensive barrier against humid-shriving parasites and, by so doing, they will be able to solve water shortage through rainfall harvesting –made available by the enhanced water cycle –and helping to solve hygiene and sanitation problems associated to water shortage (or lack safe-to-drink water), to control the bleeding of parasites, to ensure a healthy national yet productive workforce –and to promote environment tourism while Nairobi needed to revisit the distribution of natural resources –whose ownership and benefits go to mainly major tribal group, the Kikuyu, who go on to dominate in all other aspects of Kenya’s economic life.
Fortunately, undesirable consequences have always pressured humanity to devise solutions. In doing so several researchers have already come up with interesting findings and recommendations for the better, though in Uganda politics has been the cause of all efforts towards positive change in favour of populism. In Kenya, the ratification of the new constitution on 27th August 2010 aimed at resolving local conflicts, secured a peaceful future for Kenya.
Whether in aspects of governance, cultural, religiosity, economic decision making, media influences or man’s ignorance the natural environment must not be undermined to meet man’s selfish interests just because it has no known language to complain, or its language (natural disasters) not simply understood. However, in self defense it will always make its own points through acts of uncontrollable rainfall, generating conditions for parasites, and contamination of food to cause ill health, or even sudden deaths.
Peace and Conflict Studies Program
Makerere University
P.O. Box 7062, Kampala-Uganda
jwaiswa@arts.mak.ac.ug
In recent years, however, globalization in all those facets has taken its share of influence on ways individuals live. It is the nature of their consequences to individuals that, in turn, dictates decision making and specific lifestyles. As a natural interaction phenomenon, the natural environment too gives its feedback proportionately to what individuals have given to it in form of natural disasters.
Otherwise, It was important that the different ways –through which lifestyle is formed are identified, point out the nature of lifestyles adopted and their influence on individuals, the lifestyle influences on environment health, and the consequences of the responses of the natural environment on individuals, and possible solutions.
The districts of Kampala, Iganga, Mayuge, Jinja, and Nairobi were put into perspective by way of observations, focused group discussions with community members mindful of gender, stories and cases, and review of data from other individuals and organizations that have worked or lived there –in line with the questions that related to the above objectives.
Interestingly for Nairobi, rather than the modernization most used to mean tall buildings, long bridges and skyscrapers, it was modernization of the natural environment –where residency of individuals did not affect their environment: they co-existed with the natural environment –including wild animals in nearby national game packs.
And because of the unfair resources distributions violence in the Nairobi city has been on-going since independence as the gap between nationals who owned resources (like arable land) widened –and the means to eventual access to development opportunities (like jobs and benefit from public services) became more of a dream than a reality.
In the Uganda districts of Jinja, Mayuge, Iganga and Kampala, it was only modernization, (or development) that mattered –and as only understood in terms of tarmac roads, high administrative and commercial building; and not all, in terms of development of the natural environment of which humanity was part.
In Jinja and Kampala, despite such a perception of development, (or modernization), appropriate waste management technologies were not applied. Garbage problem remained the talk of the town and city –respectively. In Mayuge district, a place once a habitant for hippopotamuses and with a thriving natural forest has much of them replaced of populations of immigrants from Teso and Kenya –in addition to the rapidly rising local population of people. Their settlement was secured aggressively after bloody confrontations with security in search for arable land and fish for commerce and food.
As a result of garbage-related pollution Kampala faced (and continues to do so) an annual threat of cholera and other waterborne diseases affecting mainly children. The Kampala suburbs of Bwaise, Kawempe, Zana, Ndeeba, Kalerwe, Kireka, Katwe, Ndeeba and Kanyanya most hit hardest as much of the settlements are located in the wetland zones.
On Entebbe Road, areas like Lufuka, Najjanankumbi, Namasuba and Zana were submerged. Within the city centre, Clock Tower and Kisenyi were most affected. The case of heavy rains hitting Kampala in February and May 2010 are the most recent –in which houses were flooded, along with broken sewerage systems that went on to contaminate food and other human environments, denying affected population access to main roads, and without electricity. Schools and shops were closed for most of the day in the affected areas.
That, though, was most significant during the El Niño rains of 2003-2003 –which carried human waste in the waters and foods to cause contamination in return. 200 suspect cholera cases were reported. Besides, noise pollution in the name of religion or faith and parties continued to build stressful conditions for people living in the suburbs despite the Noise Standards and Control Regulations (2003) which advises that there are licenses available for property owners –whose establishments were likely to emit noise in excess of the permissible levels.
In Mayuge and Iganga have had sleeping sickness epidemic –which was originally ecologically-controlled parasite, now only controlled through spraying and trapping of tsetse flies since 1901 through 1970s to date while violent clashes between forest officials and encroaches rage on. Malaria pandemic also posed highest threat as if replacing sleeping sickness.
The government of Uganda, on one hand, showed no environmental consciousness –when it encouraged encroachment on reserves by calling for an end to evictions of encroachers by the national forestry authority. In Nairobi, Kenya ownership of land as a natural resource was a source of conflict that was only triggered by the 2007 election rigging.
In 2002, Mungiki were implicated in the massacre of 23 people in Kariobangi, Nairobi, and some 1,500 people were killed and another 300,000 displaced in a matter of weeks after the December 2007 presidential polls in which President Mwai Kibaki was accused of having stolen the vote.
In Jinja, Uganda, sanitation-related problems were more evident in suburbs –as well than in town where the elite made “noise” to pressure politicians to have urban problems addressed while the less represented south continued to suffer the environmental choke.
In conclusion, rather than the selfish and egocentric yet destructive behaviors towards nature, and nature fighting back in terms of generating conditions for infectious diseases and “wild” rains, the people of Uganda districts of Kampala, Jinja, Mayuge, Iganga ought to borrow a leaf from their Nairobi counterparts by learning to and really co-exist with nature or the natural environment –as that would create certain climatic conditions (as low as 10 degrees Celsius as a case in Nairobi during the months of July and August) as defensive barrier against humid-shriving parasites and, by so doing, they will be able to solve water shortage through rainfall harvesting –made available by the enhanced water cycle –and helping to solve hygiene and sanitation problems associated to water shortage (or lack safe-to-drink water), to control the bleeding of parasites, to ensure a healthy national yet productive workforce –and to promote environment tourism while Nairobi needed to revisit the distribution of natural resources –whose ownership and benefits go to mainly major tribal group, the Kikuyu, who go on to dominate in all other aspects of Kenya’s economic life.
Fortunately, undesirable consequences have always pressured humanity to devise solutions. In doing so several researchers have already come up with interesting findings and recommendations for the better, though in Uganda politics has been the cause of all efforts towards positive change in favour of populism. In Kenya, the ratification of the new constitution on 27th August 2010 aimed at resolving local conflicts, secured a peaceful future for Kenya.
Whether in aspects of governance, cultural, religiosity, economic decision making, media influences or man’s ignorance the natural environment must not be undermined to meet man’s selfish interests just because it has no known language to complain, or its language (natural disasters) not simply understood. However, in self defense it will always make its own points through acts of uncontrollable rainfall, generating conditions for parasites, and contamination of food to cause ill health, or even sudden deaths.
Peace and Conflict Studies Program
Makerere University
P.O. Box 7062, Kampala-Uganda
jwaiswa@arts.mak.ac.ug
Saturday, May 16, 2009
EDITION THREE: KNOWING YOUR COUNTRY FOR POLICY AND DECISION MAKING
Having toured and understood one’s country would be one way to measure the level of patriotism in oneself. That could be a basis upon which every individual citizen would cease a moment to make a social impact –with prior knowledge about the countries challenges to address at individual level.
The recent talk about patriotism has featured two nation’s political party heads reaching out to the countryside to spread the gospel of patriotism. Unfortunately, patriotism speeches have been partisan – as applicable only to supporters of the ruling party while, according to them, the rest (Ugandans) never qualify to be patriotic outside their parties.
Much as the idea was fantastic, it has served competing interests of FDC and NRM to foster the love for one’s party –rather than in the best way to construct national identity, unity and solidarity against challenges that affect Uganda, as a whole.
As a consequence, the NRM party has resumed its patriotic activities by recruiting students into para-military engagement commonly known as chakamchaka. From that, we are set to have new definitions of patriotism; among them being one according to FDC party and another from the NRM view.
One interesting complimentary on the patriotism talk was one by former vice president of Uganda, Wandera Specioza, who suggested to members of parliament –to consider their positions as mere services to the country rather than a career –whilst responding to the proposal of securing a government house for a serving vice president.
Her appeal was a show of patriotism; although during her time as a vice president, she accepted huge sums of tax payer’s money to fund her PhD study. If Specioza was patriotic as she meant, she would have rejected tax payer’s money and opted for her own allowances, since she was working and could afford.
Perhaps, if she was in Bukenya’s position, she would as well support the idea of tax payers providing accommodation to her. It is, however, hard to imagine that as some people are making their lives as comfortable as possible, elsewhere in the country-side citizens lack essential livelihood services.
In Busia District, for example, HIV/AIDS services have to either be sought in Kenya or some miles into nearby districts like Tororo and Mbale. The situation can be worse for the more rural people, who they have to travel for several miles to access ARVs and other related services. This can be pretty costly for them to sustain in-patient care at a health center, and stigma is very high in rural areas.
Family members keep the anger and remain in denial over a period not less six months –characterized by violence against the person living with HIV/AIDS. Because of that, a much longer recovery and positive living program would be desired, for example; 1) having to address household poverty –which renders life with HIV difficult to live, 2) having to create awareness about HIV/AIDS –to desensitize people of the fears and negative cultural attitudes about HIV/AIDS and, 3) encouraging NGO establishment in places like Busia to provide psycho-social services and medical services that foster positive living.
There are a handful of NGOs in Busia. HIV/AIDS components of the existing organizations are too weak or limited to offer tangible services to potential clients. Yet, Busia, being one of the historically a trans-boarder route –through which HIV/AIDS is said to have penetrated Uganda should have benefited earliest from HIV/AIDS service organizations, both local and international. In Busia, they are mainly focused on widows, orphans and other vulnerable groups.
From an assessment of a sample of twenty five women selected to benefit from a micro-credit scheme; a poverty alleviation program of New Hope African Children organization in Busia showed that all married women did not make independent decisions that affect their health and livelihood.
Husbands often interfered with their businesses and played a more influential role, which negatively affected the extent of credit trust-worthiness –given the danger of men wholly determining allocation of money, and possibly taking it to drinking sprees.
Moreover, all did not have necessary knowledge to ensure proper hygiene and sanitation, and were under constant threat of heavy rainfall due to poor housing. Actually, some were often kept awake whenever it rained; fearful that their shelters could be washed away.
Interesting about non-government organizations there was their ability to use brain and paper-work to win and manage huge sums of donor money. However, their management was so centralized that the founder in reality acted as the chairman board of director.
Organizations decisions never involved the stipulated board members as per the constitution requirement. It was only strategic to include prominent men and women as board members –to win donor money and reputation. They only sat down and cooked attractive reports to retain healthy donor relations.
Some of them are lucky to have achieved that without key organizational structures in place. Perhaps the Christian face of such organizations left their sponsors with no doubt but to offer whatever assistance they could.
And those working for the organization are a small team of family members (wife and husband), in-laws, friends and distant relatives. This, supposedly, was intended to reduce incidence of conflicts and fasten decision making process in the organization
Whereas rising towns like Busia are basically secure, there exist individuals or small groups who are very influential and seemingly untouchable. Reports say that criticizing them could land one in trouble.
They can organize violent action against people they found a threat to their personality or any possible competitor in terms of power and wealth. And when they need anything, they explore all means to get there; an interesting value, though.
For example, a famous local council one or village chairman was able to become district speaker with ease –an opportunity only reserved for a councilor at district level –who chooses to vie for that position (district speakership).
However, religion as a major tool for social order has bigger roots in Busia. One interesting element is the ease at which one became a pastor. The balokole –born again Christians have a great network of members –who relate well and often help each other in times of need.
It, again, was the most influential and expressive balokole –who as other go to Bible schools to become pastors, they either labeled themselves so or others simply began calling themselves pastors. It was like business to do so by organizations and individuals –who want to gain financially or attract donor money.
Bazungu –whites or colored people are viewed as gods because of the commonly held view that they are “wealthy” guys who have come in the area to give away money. Because of that, they are made to feel as comfortable as possible. For a field team consisting of two or three whites, the most likelihood there could be discrimination of local team members by local communities they served.
Perhaps the only privilege local team members would enjoy is paying cheaper prices for good and services. Even with equal roles and responsibilities side-by-side with mutual respect within the team, outside it, will be conclusions that local team members are servants to bazungu.
At home stays, chefs will want bazungu to eat what is best of the food served rather than have it shared equally among team members. According to the hosts, best food consisted of passion fruits, irish potatoes, meat and rice. The local team members could only serve from that menu long after the bazungu have served.
The host expectations ever are that, when the foreign visitors return to their respective countries, they would send them gifts and other donations, which really any local community member could do to someone in need.
What Africans need to develop is the culture of volunteerism and caring or helping out change lives of vulnerable groups, victims of war and natural calamities –for the better. This could help raise and preserve African dignity in the face of bazungu.
Jacob Waiswa
Community Psychologist, DISHMA CONSULT
The recent talk about patriotism has featured two nation’s political party heads reaching out to the countryside to spread the gospel of patriotism. Unfortunately, patriotism speeches have been partisan – as applicable only to supporters of the ruling party while, according to them, the rest (Ugandans) never qualify to be patriotic outside their parties.
Much as the idea was fantastic, it has served competing interests of FDC and NRM to foster the love for one’s party –rather than in the best way to construct national identity, unity and solidarity against challenges that affect Uganda, as a whole.
As a consequence, the NRM party has resumed its patriotic activities by recruiting students into para-military engagement commonly known as chakamchaka. From that, we are set to have new definitions of patriotism; among them being one according to FDC party and another from the NRM view.
One interesting complimentary on the patriotism talk was one by former vice president of Uganda, Wandera Specioza, who suggested to members of parliament –to consider their positions as mere services to the country rather than a career –whilst responding to the proposal of securing a government house for a serving vice president.
Her appeal was a show of patriotism; although during her time as a vice president, she accepted huge sums of tax payer’s money to fund her PhD study. If Specioza was patriotic as she meant, she would have rejected tax payer’s money and opted for her own allowances, since she was working and could afford.
Perhaps, if she was in Bukenya’s position, she would as well support the idea of tax payers providing accommodation to her. It is, however, hard to imagine that as some people are making their lives as comfortable as possible, elsewhere in the country-side citizens lack essential livelihood services.
In Busia District, for example, HIV/AIDS services have to either be sought in Kenya or some miles into nearby districts like Tororo and Mbale. The situation can be worse for the more rural people, who they have to travel for several miles to access ARVs and other related services. This can be pretty costly for them to sustain in-patient care at a health center, and stigma is very high in rural areas.
Family members keep the anger and remain in denial over a period not less six months –characterized by violence against the person living with HIV/AIDS. Because of that, a much longer recovery and positive living program would be desired, for example; 1) having to address household poverty –which renders life with HIV difficult to live, 2) having to create awareness about HIV/AIDS –to desensitize people of the fears and negative cultural attitudes about HIV/AIDS and, 3) encouraging NGO establishment in places like Busia to provide psycho-social services and medical services that foster positive living.
There are a handful of NGOs in Busia. HIV/AIDS components of the existing organizations are too weak or limited to offer tangible services to potential clients. Yet, Busia, being one of the historically a trans-boarder route –through which HIV/AIDS is said to have penetrated Uganda should have benefited earliest from HIV/AIDS service organizations, both local and international. In Busia, they are mainly focused on widows, orphans and other vulnerable groups.
From an assessment of a sample of twenty five women selected to benefit from a micro-credit scheme; a poverty alleviation program of New Hope African Children organization in Busia showed that all married women did not make independent decisions that affect their health and livelihood.
Husbands often interfered with their businesses and played a more influential role, which negatively affected the extent of credit trust-worthiness –given the danger of men wholly determining allocation of money, and possibly taking it to drinking sprees.
Moreover, all did not have necessary knowledge to ensure proper hygiene and sanitation, and were under constant threat of heavy rainfall due to poor housing. Actually, some were often kept awake whenever it rained; fearful that their shelters could be washed away.
Interesting about non-government organizations there was their ability to use brain and paper-work to win and manage huge sums of donor money. However, their management was so centralized that the founder in reality acted as the chairman board of director.
Organizations decisions never involved the stipulated board members as per the constitution requirement. It was only strategic to include prominent men and women as board members –to win donor money and reputation. They only sat down and cooked attractive reports to retain healthy donor relations.
Some of them are lucky to have achieved that without key organizational structures in place. Perhaps the Christian face of such organizations left their sponsors with no doubt but to offer whatever assistance they could.
And those working for the organization are a small team of family members (wife and husband), in-laws, friends and distant relatives. This, supposedly, was intended to reduce incidence of conflicts and fasten decision making process in the organization
Whereas rising towns like Busia are basically secure, there exist individuals or small groups who are very influential and seemingly untouchable. Reports say that criticizing them could land one in trouble.
They can organize violent action against people they found a threat to their personality or any possible competitor in terms of power and wealth. And when they need anything, they explore all means to get there; an interesting value, though.
For example, a famous local council one or village chairman was able to become district speaker with ease –an opportunity only reserved for a councilor at district level –who chooses to vie for that position (district speakership).
However, religion as a major tool for social order has bigger roots in Busia. One interesting element is the ease at which one became a pastor. The balokole –born again Christians have a great network of members –who relate well and often help each other in times of need.
It, again, was the most influential and expressive balokole –who as other go to Bible schools to become pastors, they either labeled themselves so or others simply began calling themselves pastors. It was like business to do so by organizations and individuals –who want to gain financially or attract donor money.
Bazungu –whites or colored people are viewed as gods because of the commonly held view that they are “wealthy” guys who have come in the area to give away money. Because of that, they are made to feel as comfortable as possible. For a field team consisting of two or three whites, the most likelihood there could be discrimination of local team members by local communities they served.
Perhaps the only privilege local team members would enjoy is paying cheaper prices for good and services. Even with equal roles and responsibilities side-by-side with mutual respect within the team, outside it, will be conclusions that local team members are servants to bazungu.
At home stays, chefs will want bazungu to eat what is best of the food served rather than have it shared equally among team members. According to the hosts, best food consisted of passion fruits, irish potatoes, meat and rice. The local team members could only serve from that menu long after the bazungu have served.
The host expectations ever are that, when the foreign visitors return to their respective countries, they would send them gifts and other donations, which really any local community member could do to someone in need.
What Africans need to develop is the culture of volunteerism and caring or helping out change lives of vulnerable groups, victims of war and natural calamities –for the better. This could help raise and preserve African dignity in the face of bazungu.
Jacob Waiswa
Community Psychologist, DISHMA CONSULT
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
LIFE UNDER CCF AND THE STRUGGLE TO SUCCESS...
LIFE UNDER CCF AND THE STRUGGLE TO SUCCESS...
My name is Waiswa Jacob. I was raised by a single parent, Namulemo Daisy - in central west Jinja. Born a twin in October 27, 1980 along with other, Babirye Racheal. We were second-born after Tibaga Olive. After us in line was Kiiza Regiina. I joined Christian Children's Fund (CCF) a baby courtesy of Fatima Family Helper Project (FFHP).
It was first located on Oboja road, then on Iganga road, and later found a permanent home in Walukuba. I do not remember being subscribed to it. What i only recall are the moments my mother used to take me to reply sponsor letters, draw pictures, receive festive-season's gifts, receive scholastic material, get medical checkup, sing for visitors and get my share of the term's fees.
My sponsor's name was Mary Jo Horner, a wife to George Horner -a reformist pastor, now at Emmanuel Reformed Church, Westminster in Colorado State, United States. And my case number at FFHP was 427.
With support from CCF i managed to get education from one of the best primary school in Jinja called Victoria Nile School. In Kampala, it was only comparable to Kampala Parents' School and Nakasero Primary School in terms of quality.
Much of what i am is a product of that primary school. While there, English speaking was compulsory and this was enhanced with compulsory borrowing of story books and debate participation.
It was interesting to be asked to tell the whole class what the story book was all about. The same school provided us with access to the pen-pal world and encouraged us to keep writing letters as means to communicate with them. I am happy to have been part of the successful products from that school, and thankful of CCF.
To note is that CCF not only facilitated my early education, they too helped my family in general with project grants to help generate alternative income. From it we could get a decent meal and educate other siblings.
But the tough times are never avoided. It was perhaps time to get hardened off or to experience full life. I started experiencing challenges as young as fourteen, most especially when i went to stay with other relatives. CCF at this level of ordinary level studies only provided half of the requirements, and the family began to experience financial pinch that was eventually hard-felt by me.
While with relatives, life was far different from that i had with my mother. Firstly, i was detached from my sponsor, as i could hardly communicate with her easily. Secondly, my education life was greatly onto by heavy domestic chores, frequent caning, insults to ridicule -accompanied by fear within me and loss of control over my immediate environment.
Every end of classes, worry cropped inside me as i was going into a kind of hell rather than home. The only sigh of relief was the periodical visits by my mother to give me pocket money and at times and reply sponsor letters.
I was eventually taken to a boarding school in Wairaka called M.M. College by my mother. Unfortunately, Museveni's structural adjustment programme caught up with her so hard that got retrenched.
But using her saving i progressed through ordinary level. CCF token, then could be used to shop school uniform and other back-to-school goodies. One shocking day, however, was the opening day of national exams when the administration stopped me from going any closer to examination rooms.
My mother came to plead, but in vain. Suddenly, she disappeared. I was surprised by her actions. Whirling thoughts immediately stormed me. Of course, the negative ones. Without taking part in the national exams, i felt time had been wasted for four years of class-work.
While still in that state, i saw my colleagues enter examination rooms. I sat under a big tree shedding the administration building block feeling defeated. About 30 minutes into exams process, suddenly, my mother came and went straight to the bursar's office.
Another mental-flash, then showed me a positive by 50 percent chance that i could take part in answering exams, as well. Eventually, the director of studies came straight to me and ordered that i rush to the exam room.
I, at last sat the the first paper, and then others. I realized whilst in vacation that my mother had borrowed money to ensure that i sit for the national exams. It was now a longer vacation for me to help distract me from school stress.
It was not so long when senior five selection came to an end. I had to think about furthering my education. Before that, i went to get assurance from my very positive mother as to whether there was a chance for me to finish high school.
She repeatedly said i would. And in silence, i celebrated and went to link-up with peers so as to chat about the forthcoming high-school experience. Being surrounded by peers who loved going to school, too, reinforced my desire to pursue further studies, without even thinking about the differences in family income.
Positive among peers, i equally got a position among the most ambitious kids in the neighborhood. Everyone could say i want to be a doctor, lawyer, soldier, president and so on. We could go as far as pointing at or citing the best personalities claiming it was what we would be, respectively. Interesting.
Still assured of my share from FFHP/CCF enough to do shopping, i attempted high school. The sentiment at this time among beneficiaries of FFHP/CCF was that, money given as fees was not enough and opening of sponsored-children's letters. Accompanying suspicion then turned out to be; that money given was part of the other be “left” with FFHP staff.
In the mid-way of advanced level studies, i began to stumble. I spent several months without going to class. I tended to appear towards exams, and classmates soon nicknamed me academic tourist. I took it because surely, i was in a position where i could hardly attend classes!
My chances of successfully finishing studies became dim. I tried to mobilize for money in vain, so i sat for some time -without going to school. I, from that time acknowledged that i had to take responsibility over by problems.
Interesting enough, i could constantly hear my mothers' voice within me say, "you will study". This made my attitude more solid. Even when attempts to join the army backfired -due to highly qualified cadet-officer candidates, i looked forward with optimism as i bought time.
I went back to school when some money came in. From my experience from Madhivani College, Wairaka and Victoria Nile School, i knew being a school prefect was the only way to ease life at school.
Prefects, in those years were like small gods. They could dictate one's fate upon undesirable behavior. So on the day of voting, i campaigned without a penny and overwhelmingly took the lead. This was my turning point.
I served well as prefect, while ensuring that i excelled academically. By advanced level national exams day, i had last paid fees on my first day at school. It was almost a million Uganda Shillings.
Another phase of trials ensued. Good enough, whenever names of fees defaulters were read before assembly, my name was ever skipped. It was at the end of assembly that the deputy headmistress and prefects patron in charge of exams came to talk to me about the matter. I knew they liked me so much that they never wanted me to have similar treatment like other students.
It was of course humiliating to those who faced it. On my party i felt sorry for them, but also self-pity. They tried to advise me to go talk to my mother -whose financial situation i knew very well, as bad.
On the other hand, i never wanted to stay away from school because in addition to being taught from there, it served as a home to me, especially during holidays. It was my most comfortable place at the time.
But the situation worsened when i could not even pay registration fees towards exams. I rang one relative i knew could help out. She came, but only to be shocked by the accumulated schools fees.
She had had in mind a view that only a small topple-up could clear the whole fees. She looked at me helplessly, and gave school bursar the money she had (200,000/- Uganda Shillings) and left uncertain of my fate.
Because of the too much pain and relentless struggle to sustain bravery, i fell sick and spent several days at the sick-bay under the care of fellow prefects. They where like my real brothers. One of them, Joseph is now a dentist.
Busy vomiting and quietly crying in my small single room, i experienced much emotional pain due to the fact that my education future was unpredictable to me. The situation worsened as the final exams approached.
At that time i could read for 5 minutes then ask myself why i was reading yet there was no chance for me to do exams. I felt h burden was mine alone. I took three fransidars -anti-malaria drugs everyday, and with time, got used yet not recovering from fever-like and headache condition.
The school that was my best home, then became hell. I hated it all-together. As if supporting my feelings, a section of prefects asked me to leave and go "home." It was upon their calls that i suddenly saw no place for me at school.
Two of them escorted me off campus. After a few weeks, i recovered from "serious malaria". I felt more sound healthy-wise, and soon started missing school, while at the same time wondering how i could sit for exams.
My departure from school seemed to be more like self-imposed exile, since as a fees defaulter saw no reason of going back especially with the automatic consequence that i would not sit for final exams.
Still at my best physical health, and with about a week to final exams, i resolved to go and face the school administration, so that i could honestly explain my position. The deputy headmistress and headmaster frankly told me that the matter could only be heard by the director, Mr Gastone Baguma.
I stayed at school until i had to meet him. Within me it was, then time to confront the problem already defined, while on the outside, i was somebody desperately in need of kindness and help. Sincerely, i knew, the administration would be in a great puzzle, as well, because of my services to the school and the fact that i had proved to be a good student.
Faced by endless promises from me to clear fees, that time round, i conceded to the obvious fact that i had failed. So i knocked and as usual he welcomed me into his office. And because of the great liking for me he asked school staff waiting to see him to hold on.
He was a listening man, a gentleman and true leader even so strange in a private school! It was incredible to see him write a note instructing invigorators to allow me do exams. I thanked him and rushed for my first exam paper.
At the end of exams, i, as expected had to leave the home i loved with people who cared for me like my real parents and brothers. So, i went for the long holiday relieved after finishing to sit for all my exam papers, though still physically weak. I felt like one, who had for a month been running a marathon.
The general body weakness lasted for long, so much that a single malaria attack had to be dealt with by drip. A once extravert became a reserved person. It was a moment to retreat, study and re-define myself.
I set my goals that showed i could go past PhD level! I kept my list of incoming engagement under my mattress -the same mattress i had at high-school. I felt it knew my problems and increased my confidence levels whenever i went to and off from bed.
It was upon goal setting that my original personality began cropping up. I started meeting new people and working around a computer. I believed that even without formal training, basic knowledge and skills could be attained.
Whenever i got 500/- Uganda shillings, i went to the internet-cafe to learn one or two things. Computer and internet became my closest ally. During the holiday i enjoyed reading almost about anything. Incidentally, i found a places where i could do unlimited surfing at no cost. The world, then became more interesting than ever.
Around that period, i got a clerical job. The job was not only giving me pocket money, but a junction for meeting new people -something i treasured most. And of course, with my ally -the computer and internet available.
More positive about life then, university education was in sight. Days where running out, so i had to revise my goals, look and admire them. Doing so was like a ritual done in religious setting that could give me confidence to move on.
When university education called, i went to make necessary arrangements -including confirming career choices to take. And at the end of selection, i went to check the admission list. I felt i could get one of the courses i applied for.
During the checking process my name was not appearing anywhere on the selected list of students. I went to complain to the academic registrar, who recorded my name and asked me to come later.
While in another moment of sweating, though not as much as at high-school, i received a call telling me that i had been given community psychology. I was surprised, because it was not part of the courses i applied for. But when i critically thought about the issue longer enough, until i realized it would be a great course for me, and everyone was saying the same.
So i cleared for the start of another academic marathon, first by paying former high-school their debt to be able to retrieve my certificate. I enjoyed my new life in psychology field. But in the middle of the course, i failed to register and adrenaline went up.
I approached the institute director, professor John Munene for permission to sit exams pledging to register at a future date in vain. The same was with the vice-chancellor, who wrote a note to the director. The vice chancellor, however, was flexible -but bureaucracy knocked me out. The director reminded me that his office was autonomous and sanctioned that way by the university council.
The directors decision at his level was impenetrable. Friendly lecturers, on one hand, feared to lose their jobs just for me. So i chose plan D -which required me to used U-turns, answer questions very quickly, hand in and walk out. To act a U-turn, an assistant registrar or invigorator could force me out of the room, that humbly i accepted. I could hide nearby to wait for him or her to leave, then pop in.
Luckily, our exam papers where objectives (multiple-choice questions), which helped me circle 100 questions in not more than 30 minutes as i had planned. I was successful at all that, waiting for another semester when i had to pay registration fees for the past semester as well as for the new one.
Combining the two was so stressful that often i settled down in the last two to three exam papers. Too much stress made me physically ill, stayed most times thinking about “impossible” school challenges, terribly hurt by gum disease and toothaches, as new challenges for me.
At this stage, I had to deal with my poor health, poor diet -and sometimes go hungry and mobilize effort to break odds -and sit for exams. It was so painful that these health problems bothered me till the end of my university education.
Going to a health center was a luxury for me, so i took the pains to the end of my goal (completing university education). The end itself was like a man who has survived drowning when luckily sent off-shores by the waves.
By graduation time, i was still grounded trying to give my body time to recover without medication. My best friend passed by in the morning smartly dressed in a graduation gown -asking me to prepare and move to the freedom square, but found me still in bed.
He pleaded saying it is the only time we could celebrate victory, but his words only provoked more pain. I asked him to go and enjoy his day -promising him that the future had more to celebrations to make, so that he could let me to rest. He, eventually, succumbed to my request and left.
While recuperating could only leave bed to find something to eat and go back to it. And several weeks after graduation everyone in my class was asking me why i was not part of the gathering. This surprised me.
When asked how they realized i was not part of them, the answer was that my presence even in class was always noted because i was friendly to everyone, my class relations was healthy, enjoyed my company and wanted to make a big shout of victory with me as entire class of community psychology.
Often, i smiled back to show pleasure, while promising them of the huge future full of several challenges, yet of bigger celebrations. From hereon, i made a decision to close the old chapter of painful struggle and pursue a new one, moreover on the positive note.
Total recovery from situations like these is a process- whose progress must be monitored and continuously safe-guarded.
After about two months, i felt the need to make societal contribution and advance my career as a community psychologists. Working with Meeting Point International, Kawempe Health Center and Naguru Health Center during my study of adolescents living with HIV/AIDS whilst examining the role of spirituality, positive living and resilience, gave me much interest to explore more of the wellness pottential for young people, especially those living with HIV/AIDS.
During the one-on-one interaction with them, I was happy that most of the young people living positively with HIV/AIDS met the requirements of my scales and had my compliments.
While those -who did not raise 50% of my scales requirements got supported and empowered. And because of the courtesy extended to me by Meeting Point International, - a rare NGO that even supports economic needs of its clients (like education, rent for accommodation and food), i have got a plan to do part-time volunteering with them. Virtually all their clients became friend to me.
Soon after my study, i felt the needed to generate more of concern and knowledge for wellness support -through research and information sharing. My motivation was the fact that i had written articles before most especially for The Monitor publication as long as 2004.
Such a privilege to write for a big media company -covering between a half to a full page was really encouraging. I knew my writing abilities could be an added advantage to my goal of ensuring holistic human and ecological security.
I embarked on finding available opportunities for myself using the skills and knowledge possessed. I began by volunteering to help former classmates, who were still struggling with data analysis and could not afford hiring experts. My mission, then, was to improve on my analytical skills and research experience, as well as attain more knowledge in the topics they were studying or researching about.
Besides research, i also looked around for people who were maladjusted and negative about life. These, still, were mainly people i knew very well. Around August, 2007, my sister got the worst case ever encountered practically my me. She was half way insane; having multiple mental health problems -for which i mobilized effort to holistically handle them.
Spiritual counseling was one very basic programme that had to be adopted as foundation to other intervention measures. I am happy that it was not so long when she improved so much that in the end, all that had to be done was to ensure positive relationship circles to re-socialize her.
Much as helping others was my passion, i never forgot myself, along. Because of the kindness, my former school director showed me, it was about this time that i went to thank him. We talked a lot about the future of the school as well, since i was former head-prefect and chairman Makerere University Old Students' Association.
He charged me with a task of bringing together out-of-school former old students, which i humbly accepted. I then went and embarked on aggressive paperwork -leading to our registration as an Non Government Organization (NGO), and was soon voted to take on the position of chairman.
So, here, leadership continued to follow me. As old students, our work, basically,was to carry out career guidance, motivate and inspire continuing students -so that they too could excel in their endeavors.
While still residing around Makerere, i and some other Ugandans held study meetings about humanism, which advocated for non-violence, community health prevention, respect for diversity and tolerance to different ideologies among other things.
So, greeks who had come to introduce humanism in Ugand made me an orientator at Makerere Univerisity, which i accepted to do in the short period of time; of about a month. I am still in touch with them, though. And around march this, we will be organizing a peace march.
That experience along with others, i felt i needed to take on the challenge of empowering communities to realize their potential under my umbrella, “human and ecological security –through human and ecological justice as the path.
I felt my work had to center around that. So, i did the necessary documentation for future reference -from where i had to do consultancies in adjustment and coping, counseling and information or research support, career development concerns, project implementation, research and policy reviews, organization health and healthy human-environmental relations, etceteras.
In fact, i have written extensively along those lines. Many of my articles can be found one some websites. Actually, one website, www.ezinearticles.com elevated me to the writers' stature of expert author. Also, if my name was typed into google search engine, some of the articles could be seen. Others can be found on my blog page www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com.
In the same period of time, i met a colleague whose interests where just like man. He talked so much about research in behavioral sciences, and he liked to cite even in mere conversations. I acknowledged that we could team-up and be a formidable force to change the world.
Incidentally, he had done a BSc majoring in psychology, while i had purely done psychology (community psychology). He knew almost stuff in community psychology, as well.
So, we set-off to support research needs -something that inspired both of us. In the services world, we preferred using DISHMA CONSULT and GGIG instead of our names. DISHMA is decision making and situation health management, while GGIG is gold guard international group.
As a matter of division of labor, we agreed that I manage field work, data arrangements, and overall reviews, while computerized analysis and statistics remained his. On the best days each could scoop between 300,000/- and 500,000/-.
However, we are still young in the consultancy world and feel so much expriences to again and work-related challenges ahead of us to overcome, yet at the same time, ready. For example, we would like to add more advanced formal education to enrich us in the face of fast-growing consultancy industry.
Indeed, other opportunities should always find one already busy doing something. For instance, i got a chance to train with Mildmay Paediatric Center in basic child care of children living with HIV/AIDS, which found me already doing something in psycho-social and research support.
After a while, i received an email asking me whether i could go and spend some time with Student Partnership Worldwide (SPW) -to carry out baseline surveys and empower communities -through the teaching of sexual reproductive health and life skills in rural Mayuge District.
I definitely took the offer. It was interesting experience that gave me an opportunity to practice a huge part of what i had learned as a student of community psychology. Before that i had never worked in a rural area; more so, having to facilitate learning and give speeches in Lusoga languages before people of all ages.
Well, for the young people, i was already accustomed, and also made some speeches before distinguished people. But, that was never in vernacular. Instead, it was English that was conveniently used
But, then, they were, still, activities that i ever liked doing. Actual work there was like “letting the dogs out of the kennel.” We, as a team, trekked several kilometers organizing workshops, educative video shows and community events.
From my Mayuge work with SPW, i managed not only to create lasting friendship with communities -who i still miss today, but also able to write or contribute to the global community about twenty five (25) articles from just that experience.
As if showing appreciation of my work recently, i was called by them (SPW) to train there in aspects of monitoring and evaluation before a carrying out another baseline survey, again.
Meanwhile, together as research associates or business partners -as we prefer to call ourselves, continue to offer both integrated community mental health services and support for research and information dissemination or sharing -something we all enjoy. New projects this year are functional adult literacy programmes and training in data management.
My vision still remains, “to ensure holistic human and ecological security through the basic value of justice (human and ecological justice)” that will help people realize their goals in a more comfortable and peaceful environment. And in realizing that, just as i do now, i am ready to maintain the fore-front of change and take responsibility to towards that goal.
Waiswa Jacob
Situation Health Analyst
DISHMA-CONSULT
P.O. BOX 8885
KAMPALA-UGANDA
Tel. +256774336277 or +256754890614
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com
My name is Waiswa Jacob. I was raised by a single parent, Namulemo Daisy - in central west Jinja. Born a twin in October 27, 1980 along with other, Babirye Racheal. We were second-born after Tibaga Olive. After us in line was Kiiza Regiina. I joined Christian Children's Fund (CCF) a baby courtesy of Fatima Family Helper Project (FFHP).
It was first located on Oboja road, then on Iganga road, and later found a permanent home in Walukuba. I do not remember being subscribed to it. What i only recall are the moments my mother used to take me to reply sponsor letters, draw pictures, receive festive-season's gifts, receive scholastic material, get medical checkup, sing for visitors and get my share of the term's fees.
My sponsor's name was Mary Jo Horner, a wife to George Horner -a reformist pastor, now at Emmanuel Reformed Church, Westminster in Colorado State, United States. And my case number at FFHP was 427.
With support from CCF i managed to get education from one of the best primary school in Jinja called Victoria Nile School. In Kampala, it was only comparable to Kampala Parents' School and Nakasero Primary School in terms of quality.
Much of what i am is a product of that primary school. While there, English speaking was compulsory and this was enhanced with compulsory borrowing of story books and debate participation.
It was interesting to be asked to tell the whole class what the story book was all about. The same school provided us with access to the pen-pal world and encouraged us to keep writing letters as means to communicate with them. I am happy to have been part of the successful products from that school, and thankful of CCF.
To note is that CCF not only facilitated my early education, they too helped my family in general with project grants to help generate alternative income. From it we could get a decent meal and educate other siblings.
But the tough times are never avoided. It was perhaps time to get hardened off or to experience full life. I started experiencing challenges as young as fourteen, most especially when i went to stay with other relatives. CCF at this level of ordinary level studies only provided half of the requirements, and the family began to experience financial pinch that was eventually hard-felt by me.
While with relatives, life was far different from that i had with my mother. Firstly, i was detached from my sponsor, as i could hardly communicate with her easily. Secondly, my education life was greatly onto by heavy domestic chores, frequent caning, insults to ridicule -accompanied by fear within me and loss of control over my immediate environment.
Every end of classes, worry cropped inside me as i was going into a kind of hell rather than home. The only sigh of relief was the periodical visits by my mother to give me pocket money and at times and reply sponsor letters.
I was eventually taken to a boarding school in Wairaka called M.M. College by my mother. Unfortunately, Museveni's structural adjustment programme caught up with her so hard that got retrenched.
But using her saving i progressed through ordinary level. CCF token, then could be used to shop school uniform and other back-to-school goodies. One shocking day, however, was the opening day of national exams when the administration stopped me from going any closer to examination rooms.
My mother came to plead, but in vain. Suddenly, she disappeared. I was surprised by her actions. Whirling thoughts immediately stormed me. Of course, the negative ones. Without taking part in the national exams, i felt time had been wasted for four years of class-work.
While still in that state, i saw my colleagues enter examination rooms. I sat under a big tree shedding the administration building block feeling defeated. About 30 minutes into exams process, suddenly, my mother came and went straight to the bursar's office.
Another mental-flash, then showed me a positive by 50 percent chance that i could take part in answering exams, as well. Eventually, the director of studies came straight to me and ordered that i rush to the exam room.
I, at last sat the the first paper, and then others. I realized whilst in vacation that my mother had borrowed money to ensure that i sit for the national exams. It was now a longer vacation for me to help distract me from school stress.
It was not so long when senior five selection came to an end. I had to think about furthering my education. Before that, i went to get assurance from my very positive mother as to whether there was a chance for me to finish high school.
She repeatedly said i would. And in silence, i celebrated and went to link-up with peers so as to chat about the forthcoming high-school experience. Being surrounded by peers who loved going to school, too, reinforced my desire to pursue further studies, without even thinking about the differences in family income.
Positive among peers, i equally got a position among the most ambitious kids in the neighborhood. Everyone could say i want to be a doctor, lawyer, soldier, president and so on. We could go as far as pointing at or citing the best personalities claiming it was what we would be, respectively. Interesting.
Still assured of my share from FFHP/CCF enough to do shopping, i attempted high school. The sentiment at this time among beneficiaries of FFHP/CCF was that, money given as fees was not enough and opening of sponsored-children's letters. Accompanying suspicion then turned out to be; that money given was part of the other be “left” with FFHP staff.
In the mid-way of advanced level studies, i began to stumble. I spent several months without going to class. I tended to appear towards exams, and classmates soon nicknamed me academic tourist. I took it because surely, i was in a position where i could hardly attend classes!
My chances of successfully finishing studies became dim. I tried to mobilize for money in vain, so i sat for some time -without going to school. I, from that time acknowledged that i had to take responsibility over by problems.
Interesting enough, i could constantly hear my mothers' voice within me say, "you will study". This made my attitude more solid. Even when attempts to join the army backfired -due to highly qualified cadet-officer candidates, i looked forward with optimism as i bought time.
I went back to school when some money came in. From my experience from Madhivani College, Wairaka and Victoria Nile School, i knew being a school prefect was the only way to ease life at school.
Prefects, in those years were like small gods. They could dictate one's fate upon undesirable behavior. So on the day of voting, i campaigned without a penny and overwhelmingly took the lead. This was my turning point.
I served well as prefect, while ensuring that i excelled academically. By advanced level national exams day, i had last paid fees on my first day at school. It was almost a million Uganda Shillings.
Another phase of trials ensued. Good enough, whenever names of fees defaulters were read before assembly, my name was ever skipped. It was at the end of assembly that the deputy headmistress and prefects patron in charge of exams came to talk to me about the matter. I knew they liked me so much that they never wanted me to have similar treatment like other students.
It was of course humiliating to those who faced it. On my party i felt sorry for them, but also self-pity. They tried to advise me to go talk to my mother -whose financial situation i knew very well, as bad.
On the other hand, i never wanted to stay away from school because in addition to being taught from there, it served as a home to me, especially during holidays. It was my most comfortable place at the time.
But the situation worsened when i could not even pay registration fees towards exams. I rang one relative i knew could help out. She came, but only to be shocked by the accumulated schools fees.
She had had in mind a view that only a small topple-up could clear the whole fees. She looked at me helplessly, and gave school bursar the money she had (200,000/- Uganda Shillings) and left uncertain of my fate.
Because of the too much pain and relentless struggle to sustain bravery, i fell sick and spent several days at the sick-bay under the care of fellow prefects. They where like my real brothers. One of them, Joseph is now a dentist.
Busy vomiting and quietly crying in my small single room, i experienced much emotional pain due to the fact that my education future was unpredictable to me. The situation worsened as the final exams approached.
At that time i could read for 5 minutes then ask myself why i was reading yet there was no chance for me to do exams. I felt h burden was mine alone. I took three fransidars -anti-malaria drugs everyday, and with time, got used yet not recovering from fever-like and headache condition.
The school that was my best home, then became hell. I hated it all-together. As if supporting my feelings, a section of prefects asked me to leave and go "home." It was upon their calls that i suddenly saw no place for me at school.
Two of them escorted me off campus. After a few weeks, i recovered from "serious malaria". I felt more sound healthy-wise, and soon started missing school, while at the same time wondering how i could sit for exams.
My departure from school seemed to be more like self-imposed exile, since as a fees defaulter saw no reason of going back especially with the automatic consequence that i would not sit for final exams.
Still at my best physical health, and with about a week to final exams, i resolved to go and face the school administration, so that i could honestly explain my position. The deputy headmistress and headmaster frankly told me that the matter could only be heard by the director, Mr Gastone Baguma.
I stayed at school until i had to meet him. Within me it was, then time to confront the problem already defined, while on the outside, i was somebody desperately in need of kindness and help. Sincerely, i knew, the administration would be in a great puzzle, as well, because of my services to the school and the fact that i had proved to be a good student.
Faced by endless promises from me to clear fees, that time round, i conceded to the obvious fact that i had failed. So i knocked and as usual he welcomed me into his office. And because of the great liking for me he asked school staff waiting to see him to hold on.
He was a listening man, a gentleman and true leader even so strange in a private school! It was incredible to see him write a note instructing invigorators to allow me do exams. I thanked him and rushed for my first exam paper.
At the end of exams, i, as expected had to leave the home i loved with people who cared for me like my real parents and brothers. So, i went for the long holiday relieved after finishing to sit for all my exam papers, though still physically weak. I felt like one, who had for a month been running a marathon.
The general body weakness lasted for long, so much that a single malaria attack had to be dealt with by drip. A once extravert became a reserved person. It was a moment to retreat, study and re-define myself.
I set my goals that showed i could go past PhD level! I kept my list of incoming engagement under my mattress -the same mattress i had at high-school. I felt it knew my problems and increased my confidence levels whenever i went to and off from bed.
It was upon goal setting that my original personality began cropping up. I started meeting new people and working around a computer. I believed that even without formal training, basic knowledge and skills could be attained.
Whenever i got 500/- Uganda shillings, i went to the internet-cafe to learn one or two things. Computer and internet became my closest ally. During the holiday i enjoyed reading almost about anything. Incidentally, i found a places where i could do unlimited surfing at no cost. The world, then became more interesting than ever.
Around that period, i got a clerical job. The job was not only giving me pocket money, but a junction for meeting new people -something i treasured most. And of course, with my ally -the computer and internet available.
More positive about life then, university education was in sight. Days where running out, so i had to revise my goals, look and admire them. Doing so was like a ritual done in religious setting that could give me confidence to move on.
When university education called, i went to make necessary arrangements -including confirming career choices to take. And at the end of selection, i went to check the admission list. I felt i could get one of the courses i applied for.
During the checking process my name was not appearing anywhere on the selected list of students. I went to complain to the academic registrar, who recorded my name and asked me to come later.
While in another moment of sweating, though not as much as at high-school, i received a call telling me that i had been given community psychology. I was surprised, because it was not part of the courses i applied for. But when i critically thought about the issue longer enough, until i realized it would be a great course for me, and everyone was saying the same.
So i cleared for the start of another academic marathon, first by paying former high-school their debt to be able to retrieve my certificate. I enjoyed my new life in psychology field. But in the middle of the course, i failed to register and adrenaline went up.
I approached the institute director, professor John Munene for permission to sit exams pledging to register at a future date in vain. The same was with the vice-chancellor, who wrote a note to the director. The vice chancellor, however, was flexible -but bureaucracy knocked me out. The director reminded me that his office was autonomous and sanctioned that way by the university council.
The directors decision at his level was impenetrable. Friendly lecturers, on one hand, feared to lose their jobs just for me. So i chose plan D -which required me to used U-turns, answer questions very quickly, hand in and walk out. To act a U-turn, an assistant registrar or invigorator could force me out of the room, that humbly i accepted. I could hide nearby to wait for him or her to leave, then pop in.
Luckily, our exam papers where objectives (multiple-choice questions), which helped me circle 100 questions in not more than 30 minutes as i had planned. I was successful at all that, waiting for another semester when i had to pay registration fees for the past semester as well as for the new one.
Combining the two was so stressful that often i settled down in the last two to three exam papers. Too much stress made me physically ill, stayed most times thinking about “impossible” school challenges, terribly hurt by gum disease and toothaches, as new challenges for me.
At this stage, I had to deal with my poor health, poor diet -and sometimes go hungry and mobilize effort to break odds -and sit for exams. It was so painful that these health problems bothered me till the end of my university education.
Going to a health center was a luxury for me, so i took the pains to the end of my goal (completing university education). The end itself was like a man who has survived drowning when luckily sent off-shores by the waves.
By graduation time, i was still grounded trying to give my body time to recover without medication. My best friend passed by in the morning smartly dressed in a graduation gown -asking me to prepare and move to the freedom square, but found me still in bed.
He pleaded saying it is the only time we could celebrate victory, but his words only provoked more pain. I asked him to go and enjoy his day -promising him that the future had more to celebrations to make, so that he could let me to rest. He, eventually, succumbed to my request and left.
While recuperating could only leave bed to find something to eat and go back to it. And several weeks after graduation everyone in my class was asking me why i was not part of the gathering. This surprised me.
When asked how they realized i was not part of them, the answer was that my presence even in class was always noted because i was friendly to everyone, my class relations was healthy, enjoyed my company and wanted to make a big shout of victory with me as entire class of community psychology.
Often, i smiled back to show pleasure, while promising them of the huge future full of several challenges, yet of bigger celebrations. From hereon, i made a decision to close the old chapter of painful struggle and pursue a new one, moreover on the positive note.
Total recovery from situations like these is a process- whose progress must be monitored and continuously safe-guarded.
After about two months, i felt the need to make societal contribution and advance my career as a community psychologists. Working with Meeting Point International, Kawempe Health Center and Naguru Health Center during my study of adolescents living with HIV/AIDS whilst examining the role of spirituality, positive living and resilience, gave me much interest to explore more of the wellness pottential for young people, especially those living with HIV/AIDS.
During the one-on-one interaction with them, I was happy that most of the young people living positively with HIV/AIDS met the requirements of my scales and had my compliments.
While those -who did not raise 50% of my scales requirements got supported and empowered. And because of the courtesy extended to me by Meeting Point International, - a rare NGO that even supports economic needs of its clients (like education, rent for accommodation and food), i have got a plan to do part-time volunteering with them. Virtually all their clients became friend to me.
Soon after my study, i felt the needed to generate more of concern and knowledge for wellness support -through research and information sharing. My motivation was the fact that i had written articles before most especially for The Monitor publication as long as 2004.
Such a privilege to write for a big media company -covering between a half to a full page was really encouraging. I knew my writing abilities could be an added advantage to my goal of ensuring holistic human and ecological security.
I embarked on finding available opportunities for myself using the skills and knowledge possessed. I began by volunteering to help former classmates, who were still struggling with data analysis and could not afford hiring experts. My mission, then, was to improve on my analytical skills and research experience, as well as attain more knowledge in the topics they were studying or researching about.
Besides research, i also looked around for people who were maladjusted and negative about life. These, still, were mainly people i knew very well. Around August, 2007, my sister got the worst case ever encountered practically my me. She was half way insane; having multiple mental health problems -for which i mobilized effort to holistically handle them.
Spiritual counseling was one very basic programme that had to be adopted as foundation to other intervention measures. I am happy that it was not so long when she improved so much that in the end, all that had to be done was to ensure positive relationship circles to re-socialize her.
Much as helping others was my passion, i never forgot myself, along. Because of the kindness, my former school director showed me, it was about this time that i went to thank him. We talked a lot about the future of the school as well, since i was former head-prefect and chairman Makerere University Old Students' Association.
He charged me with a task of bringing together out-of-school former old students, which i humbly accepted. I then went and embarked on aggressive paperwork -leading to our registration as an Non Government Organization (NGO), and was soon voted to take on the position of chairman.
So, here, leadership continued to follow me. As old students, our work, basically,was to carry out career guidance, motivate and inspire continuing students -so that they too could excel in their endeavors.
While still residing around Makerere, i and some other Ugandans held study meetings about humanism, which advocated for non-violence, community health prevention, respect for diversity and tolerance to different ideologies among other things.
So, greeks who had come to introduce humanism in Ugand made me an orientator at Makerere Univerisity, which i accepted to do in the short period of time; of about a month. I am still in touch with them, though. And around march this, we will be organizing a peace march.
That experience along with others, i felt i needed to take on the challenge of empowering communities to realize their potential under my umbrella, “human and ecological security –through human and ecological justice as the path.
I felt my work had to center around that. So, i did the necessary documentation for future reference -from where i had to do consultancies in adjustment and coping, counseling and information or research support, career development concerns, project implementation, research and policy reviews, organization health and healthy human-environmental relations, etceteras.
In fact, i have written extensively along those lines. Many of my articles can be found one some websites. Actually, one website, www.ezinearticles.com elevated me to the writers' stature of expert author. Also, if my name was typed into google search engine, some of the articles could be seen. Others can be found on my blog page www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com.
In the same period of time, i met a colleague whose interests where just like man. He talked so much about research in behavioral sciences, and he liked to cite even in mere conversations. I acknowledged that we could team-up and be a formidable force to change the world.
Incidentally, he had done a BSc majoring in psychology, while i had purely done psychology (community psychology). He knew almost stuff in community psychology, as well.
So, we set-off to support research needs -something that inspired both of us. In the services world, we preferred using DISHMA CONSULT and GGIG instead of our names. DISHMA is decision making and situation health management, while GGIG is gold guard international group.
As a matter of division of labor, we agreed that I manage field work, data arrangements, and overall reviews, while computerized analysis and statistics remained his. On the best days each could scoop between 300,000/- and 500,000/-.
However, we are still young in the consultancy world and feel so much expriences to again and work-related challenges ahead of us to overcome, yet at the same time, ready. For example, we would like to add more advanced formal education to enrich us in the face of fast-growing consultancy industry.
Indeed, other opportunities should always find one already busy doing something. For instance, i got a chance to train with Mildmay Paediatric Center in basic child care of children living with HIV/AIDS, which found me already doing something in psycho-social and research support.
After a while, i received an email asking me whether i could go and spend some time with Student Partnership Worldwide (SPW) -to carry out baseline surveys and empower communities -through the teaching of sexual reproductive health and life skills in rural Mayuge District.
I definitely took the offer. It was interesting experience that gave me an opportunity to practice a huge part of what i had learned as a student of community psychology. Before that i had never worked in a rural area; more so, having to facilitate learning and give speeches in Lusoga languages before people of all ages.
Well, for the young people, i was already accustomed, and also made some speeches before distinguished people. But, that was never in vernacular. Instead, it was English that was conveniently used
But, then, they were, still, activities that i ever liked doing. Actual work there was like “letting the dogs out of the kennel.” We, as a team, trekked several kilometers organizing workshops, educative video shows and community events.
From my Mayuge work with SPW, i managed not only to create lasting friendship with communities -who i still miss today, but also able to write or contribute to the global community about twenty five (25) articles from just that experience.
As if showing appreciation of my work recently, i was called by them (SPW) to train there in aspects of monitoring and evaluation before a carrying out another baseline survey, again.
Meanwhile, together as research associates or business partners -as we prefer to call ourselves, continue to offer both integrated community mental health services and support for research and information dissemination or sharing -something we all enjoy. New projects this year are functional adult literacy programmes and training in data management.
My vision still remains, “to ensure holistic human and ecological security through the basic value of justice (human and ecological justice)” that will help people realize their goals in a more comfortable and peaceful environment. And in realizing that, just as i do now, i am ready to maintain the fore-front of change and take responsibility to towards that goal.
Waiswa Jacob
Situation Health Analyst
DISHMA-CONSULT
P.O. BOX 8885
KAMPALA-UGANDA
Tel. +256774336277 or +256754890614
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
STATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IN UGANDA:
A COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGIST'S PERSPECTIVE
JACOB WAISWA:
THE SITUATION HEALTH ANALYST
Health and environment are linked. In fact, most people prefer using the phrase environmental health to have the union of the two. The union intends to show how influences of human health could come from changes in the environment.
But, within environmental health, there are other issues, like poverty, population, organic farming, environmental politics, environmental health accounting, environmental health protection and environmental stress (from humans and climatic changes). In other words, it would simply mean external factors that potentially affect health.
The environmental health continues to be under serious threat from; ever increasing population that encroach it, lack of concern from both communities and their leaders, multinational firms’ scaling up of pesticide and chemical use in agriculture, and degradation of the environment -without moral conscience.
Use of chemicals is said to be highly destructive not only to weeds and pests but also to humans. Apart from losing the natural taste of food, eating food crops sprayed with chemicals, even after several hours of cooking, could soon have it settle in vital organs of the body -as lungs and liver. And thereafter, lifespan of humans and animals could be lowered.
Unfortunately, suppliers of such destructive drugs are big corporate firms -that are capable of bribing off influential African leaders, employing huge numbers of people and investing heavily in advertisements. As such, it would be so easy to shut people’s mouths –majority of who are beneficiaries, not to complain or advocate otherwise.
Yet, just looking at organic farming, which uses natural solutions to agricultural problems, it is something that is environmentally friendly –meaning that whatever constituent of the environment is not harmed. Rather, people practicing it co-exist with an understanding of the knowledge of sustainability in resource utilization.
Communities, in this case, are mindful of paying back to the environment from which they find food –with no pollutants, and ensuring that natural resources regenerate. There is, therefore, mutual benefit, unlike in scenarios -where use of pesticides, bush-burning and huge de-forestation for arable land is the mentality. Organic products are natural and in line with the similarly natural needs of the body.
And products are what consumers could be willing to pay more for in order to safeguard life. The practice of farming is itself gentle to the earth –where both compliment each other in terms of soil conservation, conservation of vegetative cover and ensuring sustainability.
Pressure on land has forced many to migrate into game and forest reserves, and thus, catapulting into aggravated de-forestation, and extinction of rare species of both animals and plants. In south west Busoga forest reserve, in Mayuge District, it is now history that there used to be buffalos and hippopotamuses in the area.
It is a place with most violent panga-yielding encroachers ever known in Uganda. They can go as far as attacking tree-planters, cutting down artificial plantation, and even uprooting of newly planted trees.
Such grave environment degradation is what in turn adds to the already existing threat of global warming, adversely affecting ecological balances, leading to natural punishments (natural disasters), and creating conditions for disease causing germs as well as immunological disturbances.
Encroachment is a key critical issue, but governments in Africa are passive about dealing with the problem. Instead, they focus more on political goals. Politics is usually mixed with serious environmental health concerns. In Uganda, the problem, mainly, is with the forest resource.
For wild life, it is well able to quell off encroachers –according to reports by forest officials in Uganda. There is a kind of discrimination in regard to forest land protection, as would be compared to resources like oil and wild life.
With many of them being immigrants from other regions of the Uganda, the reason they (encroachers) give is lack of land for food production, where denial of forest or animal park land would mean starvation to death. In fighting to live, they are willing to be shot down.
But independent observers say encroachers are runaway criminals, who ended up in forests. And those in the forest think justice can hardly be processed to the very end, which gives them a feeling of personal safety.
The passivity of local leaders has not generated action against encroachers -since they are voters capable of helping regimes in Africa stay in power. Governments, therefore, find it a delicate issue to handle. Instead, they choose to keep a blind eye as the environment is massively degraded.
While family planning would be an excellent strategy to combat growing population, the conservative lives of most Africans do not give room to the practice. Education too is out of reach for the majority of the populations around game and forest reserves –realizing that such areas tend to be remote.
The remoteness implies total absence of schools as much as the value of education. Yet, In line with education, going to school is said to discourage high birth rate and living without planning for the future. Some areas like Mayuge District have mainly junior level schools and parents value less the idea of sending children to school.
Parents think educating children is a waste of money, and that in the first place, it is hard to get. While at the same time their forest life is unpredictable –since they believe government would at one time expel them. So, surviving day by day is all they look at. Nevertheless, older men would always be on the look out for breast-pointing young girls to devour sexually. As a Consequence, many drop out before joining secondary schools.
There public health concerns in the face of high population growth -with pressure on utilities and irresponsible behavior in handling of community resources. People in such areas, as game and forest reserves -hardly care about hygiene and sanitation. Instead, the reserves act toilets or latrines.
And because they lack clean water, they frequently “host” water-borne diseases. Worse still, inaccessibility to reproductive health services makes them prey to HIVAIDS and other STIs/STDs. Where would you find condoms whilst in such areas?
The implications here are; improper disposal of waste materials, early sexual intercourse and rural prostitution around town centers. Further, in such areas, sexual intercourse is like taking a cup of tea –this time round, in Western Europe context, where anytime is believed to be tea time.
Besides, lack of proper nutrition, lack of well trained personnel, and engineered lack of drugs put local residences more at the risk of dying from the mainly water-borne, sexually transmitted infections and other simple infections -that would otherwise be treated.
Since health services are inaccessible, local residents resort to traditional medicine. Rarely would you walk in rural areas without meeting a kind of “Dr” Rashid Lukwago clinic that fill gaps where modern medicine has failed to reach. However, with integrated health service delivery system, traditional medicine and modern are one, though standards need to be set for the former.
People, there, are at subsistence level. They have very little or nothing to sale such that money is generated to buy medical drugs. Herbal medicine, therefore, becomes the most appropriate to them.
Interestingly, people claim herbs have been more effective at curing serious illnesses than modern medicine. No wonder, recent health strategy called for a twin approach to treatment of diseases.
Much as the lucky urban and semi-urban areas would be found with decent health care facilities, patients find no drugs in them. What is thought to be free treatment at government health centers is never so. At best they would offer blood testing and prescription. The patient, then, plays the last role of going to the pharmaceutical shop find drugs.
Perhaps, it is cost-sharing at work that government introduced in earlier stages of its rule. But, remember, people are poor. If unable to buy medicinal drugs, and when traditional herbs fail, they could succumb to death.
The health sector happens to be one of the most infested government departments with acts of corruption. As a remedy, liberalization of the economy in general and health sector particularly in this case, sounded as though was the answer.
However, doing so, well, helped to improve on services offered. On the other hand, only the rich could afford. The poor, as usual, were left out -and only had to pray that they do not fall sick and get close to their creator.
Not very long ago, health ministers were implicated for misuse of global funds meant for prevention and treatment of malaria and HIV/AIDS. As the lords where busy feasting and driving posh cars around, AIDS patients were dying. Sincerely, where are the hearts in the Uganda’s political players?
Unfortunately, belief in witchcraft is another problem in such areas. Any strange incident could call for a witch-doctor’s consultation or referral to cultural norms. It was not surprising; therefore, when findings by butabika hospital showed that majority of people in Uganda preferred traditional healers or faith-based prayers to health centers -as curative.
Meanwhile, the same cultural ideas could be so entrenched that changing attitudes might pose a challenge. Development pace could be slow or even static -since people find it “impossible” to think beyond simple cultural excuses. Actually, witchcraft, being at the center of cultural practices, plays roles of what science would be purposed for.
Without encouraging people to take their children to school such that young people post-pone marriage, it would always be hard to control infections and diseases as much as to change their attitudes towards the mainly useless cultural beliefs.
Useless cultures could have adverse connections to almost everything in life –be it with health service promotion, proper agricultural practices and viable leadership or managerial options. All could suffer under wrong mentalities.
More so, as the saying goes, “educate a woman, educate the nation.” The saying, just as from; different research findings on gender, experiences and the statistical occurrence of child abuse and neglect cases, educated men would tend to act more irresponsibly on matters of child development than educated women.
There could be a difference between good orderliness of a family of an educated mother and one -who is uneducated. Education, which is understandably, the high intellectual state and tangible resourcefulness of a person -long after he or she has left school, could help scale down incidences of child abuse and neglect.
Upon this background, prospective parents must go or return to school not just to attend classes, but to learn. Having done so, the future could have environmentally caring and patriotic generation.
Jacob Waiswa
Situation Health Analysis
0774336277
www.situationanalysis.blogspot.com
JACOB WAISWA:
THE SITUATION HEALTH ANALYST
Health and environment are linked. In fact, most people prefer using the phrase environmental health to have the union of the two. The union intends to show how influences of human health could come from changes in the environment.
But, within environmental health, there are other issues, like poverty, population, organic farming, environmental politics, environmental health accounting, environmental health protection and environmental stress (from humans and climatic changes). In other words, it would simply mean external factors that potentially affect health.
The environmental health continues to be under serious threat from; ever increasing population that encroach it, lack of concern from both communities and their leaders, multinational firms’ scaling up of pesticide and chemical use in agriculture, and degradation of the environment -without moral conscience.
Use of chemicals is said to be highly destructive not only to weeds and pests but also to humans. Apart from losing the natural taste of food, eating food crops sprayed with chemicals, even after several hours of cooking, could soon have it settle in vital organs of the body -as lungs and liver. And thereafter, lifespan of humans and animals could be lowered.
Unfortunately, suppliers of such destructive drugs are big corporate firms -that are capable of bribing off influential African leaders, employing huge numbers of people and investing heavily in advertisements. As such, it would be so easy to shut people’s mouths –majority of who are beneficiaries, not to complain or advocate otherwise.
Yet, just looking at organic farming, which uses natural solutions to agricultural problems, it is something that is environmentally friendly –meaning that whatever constituent of the environment is not harmed. Rather, people practicing it co-exist with an understanding of the knowledge of sustainability in resource utilization.
Communities, in this case, are mindful of paying back to the environment from which they find food –with no pollutants, and ensuring that natural resources regenerate. There is, therefore, mutual benefit, unlike in scenarios -where use of pesticides, bush-burning and huge de-forestation for arable land is the mentality. Organic products are natural and in line with the similarly natural needs of the body.
And products are what consumers could be willing to pay more for in order to safeguard life. The practice of farming is itself gentle to the earth –where both compliment each other in terms of soil conservation, conservation of vegetative cover and ensuring sustainability.
Pressure on land has forced many to migrate into game and forest reserves, and thus, catapulting into aggravated de-forestation, and extinction of rare species of both animals and plants. In south west Busoga forest reserve, in Mayuge District, it is now history that there used to be buffalos and hippopotamuses in the area.
It is a place with most violent panga-yielding encroachers ever known in Uganda. They can go as far as attacking tree-planters, cutting down artificial plantation, and even uprooting of newly planted trees.
Such grave environment degradation is what in turn adds to the already existing threat of global warming, adversely affecting ecological balances, leading to natural punishments (natural disasters), and creating conditions for disease causing germs as well as immunological disturbances.
Encroachment is a key critical issue, but governments in Africa are passive about dealing with the problem. Instead, they focus more on political goals. Politics is usually mixed with serious environmental health concerns. In Uganda, the problem, mainly, is with the forest resource.
For wild life, it is well able to quell off encroachers –according to reports by forest officials in Uganda. There is a kind of discrimination in regard to forest land protection, as would be compared to resources like oil and wild life.
With many of them being immigrants from other regions of the Uganda, the reason they (encroachers) give is lack of land for food production, where denial of forest or animal park land would mean starvation to death. In fighting to live, they are willing to be shot down.
But independent observers say encroachers are runaway criminals, who ended up in forests. And those in the forest think justice can hardly be processed to the very end, which gives them a feeling of personal safety.
The passivity of local leaders has not generated action against encroachers -since they are voters capable of helping regimes in Africa stay in power. Governments, therefore, find it a delicate issue to handle. Instead, they choose to keep a blind eye as the environment is massively degraded.
While family planning would be an excellent strategy to combat growing population, the conservative lives of most Africans do not give room to the practice. Education too is out of reach for the majority of the populations around game and forest reserves –realizing that such areas tend to be remote.
The remoteness implies total absence of schools as much as the value of education. Yet, In line with education, going to school is said to discourage high birth rate and living without planning for the future. Some areas like Mayuge District have mainly junior level schools and parents value less the idea of sending children to school.
Parents think educating children is a waste of money, and that in the first place, it is hard to get. While at the same time their forest life is unpredictable –since they believe government would at one time expel them. So, surviving day by day is all they look at. Nevertheless, older men would always be on the look out for breast-pointing young girls to devour sexually. As a Consequence, many drop out before joining secondary schools.
There public health concerns in the face of high population growth -with pressure on utilities and irresponsible behavior in handling of community resources. People in such areas, as game and forest reserves -hardly care about hygiene and sanitation. Instead, the reserves act toilets or latrines.
And because they lack clean water, they frequently “host” water-borne diseases. Worse still, inaccessibility to reproductive health services makes them prey to HIVAIDS and other STIs/STDs. Where would you find condoms whilst in such areas?
The implications here are; improper disposal of waste materials, early sexual intercourse and rural prostitution around town centers. Further, in such areas, sexual intercourse is like taking a cup of tea –this time round, in Western Europe context, where anytime is believed to be tea time.
Besides, lack of proper nutrition, lack of well trained personnel, and engineered lack of drugs put local residences more at the risk of dying from the mainly water-borne, sexually transmitted infections and other simple infections -that would otherwise be treated.
Since health services are inaccessible, local residents resort to traditional medicine. Rarely would you walk in rural areas without meeting a kind of “Dr” Rashid Lukwago clinic that fill gaps where modern medicine has failed to reach. However, with integrated health service delivery system, traditional medicine and modern are one, though standards need to be set for the former.
People, there, are at subsistence level. They have very little or nothing to sale such that money is generated to buy medical drugs. Herbal medicine, therefore, becomes the most appropriate to them.
Interestingly, people claim herbs have been more effective at curing serious illnesses than modern medicine. No wonder, recent health strategy called for a twin approach to treatment of diseases.
Much as the lucky urban and semi-urban areas would be found with decent health care facilities, patients find no drugs in them. What is thought to be free treatment at government health centers is never so. At best they would offer blood testing and prescription. The patient, then, plays the last role of going to the pharmaceutical shop find drugs.
Perhaps, it is cost-sharing at work that government introduced in earlier stages of its rule. But, remember, people are poor. If unable to buy medicinal drugs, and when traditional herbs fail, they could succumb to death.
The health sector happens to be one of the most infested government departments with acts of corruption. As a remedy, liberalization of the economy in general and health sector particularly in this case, sounded as though was the answer.
However, doing so, well, helped to improve on services offered. On the other hand, only the rich could afford. The poor, as usual, were left out -and only had to pray that they do not fall sick and get close to their creator.
Not very long ago, health ministers were implicated for misuse of global funds meant for prevention and treatment of malaria and HIV/AIDS. As the lords where busy feasting and driving posh cars around, AIDS patients were dying. Sincerely, where are the hearts in the Uganda’s political players?
Unfortunately, belief in witchcraft is another problem in such areas. Any strange incident could call for a witch-doctor’s consultation or referral to cultural norms. It was not surprising; therefore, when findings by butabika hospital showed that majority of people in Uganda preferred traditional healers or faith-based prayers to health centers -as curative.
Meanwhile, the same cultural ideas could be so entrenched that changing attitudes might pose a challenge. Development pace could be slow or even static -since people find it “impossible” to think beyond simple cultural excuses. Actually, witchcraft, being at the center of cultural practices, plays roles of what science would be purposed for.
Without encouraging people to take their children to school such that young people post-pone marriage, it would always be hard to control infections and diseases as much as to change their attitudes towards the mainly useless cultural beliefs.
Useless cultures could have adverse connections to almost everything in life –be it with health service promotion, proper agricultural practices and viable leadership or managerial options. All could suffer under wrong mentalities.
More so, as the saying goes, “educate a woman, educate the nation.” The saying, just as from; different research findings on gender, experiences and the statistical occurrence of child abuse and neglect cases, educated men would tend to act more irresponsibly on matters of child development than educated women.
There could be a difference between good orderliness of a family of an educated mother and one -who is uneducated. Education, which is understandably, the high intellectual state and tangible resourcefulness of a person -long after he or she has left school, could help scale down incidences of child abuse and neglect.
Upon this background, prospective parents must go or return to school not just to attend classes, but to learn. Having done so, the future could have environmentally caring and patriotic generation.
Jacob Waiswa
Situation Health Analysis
0774336277
www.situationanalysis.blogspot.com
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