REPORT by Henry Nsamba
ROTARY YOUNG MOTHER’S EMPOWERMENT PROJECT
October 15th 2023 to 15th February 2024
Back ground
The Rotary club of Kampala Kawempe District 9213 and the Rotary Clubs of Watertown, New York, USA and Rotary Club of Cornwall Sunrise, Ontario, Canada, have successfully undertaken a six month’s project to empower 100 young mothers from the slum areas of Kawempe division in Kampala district in Uganda.
The aim of the project was to enhance the economic situation amongst the city poor people of Kampala in Kawempe slum communities in Uganda.
The goal of the project was to enhance their skills and values so that they can sustain themselves and their children
The objective has been to train them in vocational and life skills which include tailoring, hair dressing, cosmetology, computer studies, financial and health management, making soap, books, and so on.
Eligibility to Participate
All the beneficiaries of the project are recommended in writing by the local leaders {Area chairperson} with the photo of the beneficiary included and then visited at their homes by one or two Rotarians on the projects committee to justify their status for eligibility.
Target group
100 young girls 95 of whom are young single mothers and 5 young girls who are unfortunately not going to school and are vulnerable
Project duration
October 15th 2024 to April 15th 2025
What made the project unique
The project has put much emphasis not only on imparting skills to the trainees but also endeavoured to enhance their personal values, it’s for that reason that we came up with a motto relating to integrity.
The project endeavoured to see that all trainees are multi skilled to increase their chances.
The project endeavoured that trainees are employed or start up employment programs in their indigenous areas
How Rotarians participated
Other that Rotarians making financial contributions to the project, Rotarians were formed into committees, the assessment committee which carried out the community needs assessment and has always done the monitoring and evaluation reports. We have also had the finance committee and procurement committee involved.
Every Rotarian was expected to pay a visit to the project, and at the project class, every Wednesday they expected a Rotarian to participate and volunteer in the training of mothers in life skills like making soap, candles or pads. Rotarians have also been making oral classes on reproductive health, parenting, financial management and so on.
Rotarians have participated in fundraising for the project to raise funds to sustain the project. They also mobilized clothes, food and other necessities after the area was hit by floods which even caused death of some of the community members (mostly children).
Rotarians have participated in the promoting of the project in the community to grow the image of Rotary through organizing exhibitions and inviting the community, through media, and also Rotary events like conferences, installations and fellowships
How the community participated
The community members, especially the leaders have been so helpful and supportive in the project as they participated in the community needs assessment.
They have helped in identifying and assessment of the project beneficially, they have been helping in guiding and providing information.
Community leaders together with Rotarians had scheduled visits to the homes of the mothers. This has been crucial for monitoring purposes.
They have always invited Rotary and the mothers to participate in community activities like clean ups which also helped in growing the image of Rotary
They helped in mobilizing the community into fellowships which helped us do the sensitization easily.
Rotarians have invested countless hours to make this project successful.
What was done - Accomplished
We were able to undertake the following activities in line to achieve the project vision
Activities 1.
A. Community Assessment - Members of RC Kampala Kawempe according to the assessment resolved that community empowerment more so towards the young single mothers, is the best project for the society.
B. Search and mobilization of trainees - While trainees where mobilized through their local council zone leaders, one or two Rotarian was assigned to visit the home of each trainee to ascertain and confirm eligibility to the project.
C. Orientations - We were able to organize two counseling sessions
1st session involved the trainees, local leaders, guardians and Rotarians and was aimed at agreeing on how best we can utilize, sustain and manage the project
2nd session was called Rotary mother to mother breakfast talk, this was between the Rotarian mothers talking with young mothers {trainees} on how to manage life positively through the different challenges they are faced.
D. Formation of curriculum - We held a consultation with the ministry of education {directorate for industrial development – business technical vocational education} this was aimed at developing a good curriculum
Organized two training sessions for the trainers which was carried out by officials from ministry of education DIT section
Activity II - Procurement
A. Members of the RC Kampala Kawempe together with the trainers visited and collected invoices from different suppliers of different products and services and were able to create out a list of partners to depend on during the project execution
B. the procurement committee together with the trainers and administrator managed to procure different items meant to help in the implementation of the project.
I. items for administrative purposes
ii. Items for the hair dressing and cosmetology section
iii. Items for the tailoring section
iv. Computers
Activity III - Project LAUNCH
The Rotary club of Kampala Kawempe launched the project on 3rd November 2023, the project which is done RC Kampala Kawempe, RC Watertown and RC Cornwall Sunrise, Canada
We hosted different leaders from the division Meeya, counselors and local area persons, guardians of the trainees. The guests were told all about the project, its objective, activities and visions and were shown around. It was a very successful day. At the launch we also hosted Spark TV media house that also run the project’s story in the day’s television news.
Activity IV - Training
The training was carried out at Youth Ark Center in Bwaise village, Kawempe division. Training was carried out by the different trainers of Youth Ark Uganda, Rotarians, Rotaract members of Rotaract Kawempe and other friends from the church
The trainees attended classes in tailoring, hair dressing, cosmetology, computer studies and life and vocational skills
Activities V
- The Young Mothers {trainees} are being trained for 6 days every week in different skills including tailoring, hair braiding, cosmetology and computer skills
- Every Tuesday or Wednesday of the week, the projects host a Rotarian who undertakes a two-hour life training program and other studies to the young mothers, financial literacy, making books, beads and so on. This has helped increase participation of our Rotary club members in the project. This is the same day, the learning team has a weekly meeting to discuss and assess progress.
- The projects committee conducted stock taking exercise on training materials and a meeting with the training and administration team on every 10th day of the month to ensure positive progress of the project.
- Counseling {one on one with Rotarians} where we had sessions on a given day of a young mother sitting with a Rotarian and talk about life experiences and how to manage through. Most of the young girls are going or have gone through a lot of challenges and sometimes one needed someone to talk to.
- Life skill trainings from Rotarians and members of the Rotaract club be ongoing to increase participation of Rotarians in the project {making candles, reusable sanitary pads and so on.}
- We also endeavored to involve the trainees in extra curriculum activities like netball games, music and drama
- We are carried a study tour to Desire beauty products factory for the trainees of hair dressing and Best Dressers tailoring firm in Kampala for the tailoring class.
- Extended monthly inspirational awards to the trainees in the areas of best punctual, dressing, team player, social aspects to improve their values.
- Carried out an exhibition to show case to the community, Rotary friends and local leaders of how Rotary is changing lives in the community and to show case what the Young mothers have learnt
- The graduates at the center now are involved in making masks, sanitary pads, children’s clothes so that they can earn something and also be able to save in the saving pool not only to grow their saving or financial management culture but also to grow sums that can help them startup their own small income generating ventures.
- The girls have been involved in various Rotary Programs like “Clean Katoogo To Fight Malaria”.
Activity VI - Graduation
- We held graduation ceremonies for the graduates with our District Governor as the guest of honor
Activity VII - Monitoring, supervision, reporting and assessment
- The project is visited daily by a Rotarian on the projects committee, the beneficiaries sign in on the attendance on arrival for training.
- A progress report is shared in the weekly club meeting and the monthly board meeting.
These are the achievements
- Empowerment of the Girls - We have been able to economically empower 100 young single mothers with skills and knowledge and also change their values. An evaluation on the trainees shows that there is capacity growth amongst the beneficiaries, those in the tailoring section can now make a dress, shirt, skirt, bag, mask and so on. While those in the hair dressing section can now braid different types of hair, do treatment and so on.
The trainees can make liquid soap, black books and candles
There is an improvement in the behavior conduct of most of the trainees in relation to how they joined the program, mostly in the area of dressing, social conduct and so on.
To top it all some of the beneficiaries have been able to find employment as they have been taken up and others started their own income generating avenues.
- Participation by Rotarians - The project has provided a ground for participation for our members in service as they were involved in the different committees from assessment, procurement, training, cancelling and evaluations.
The project provides for a weekly training slot every week for Rotarians and members of Rotaract club of Kawempe to participate through training using their vacations and professions and monitoring
A Rotarian taking girls through reproductive health on a Tuesday
The Local leaders in communication with the projects committee members visit the project site once in a while attend functions like the launch and monitor beneficiaries in their homes. The also help in identifying and recommending vulnerable people to benefit from project.
Local leaders also of different institutions from religious, educational to business {Somero Uganda, Bwaise Catholic parish, Opportunity Bank and others} contribute to the different training sessions in the project.
- Collaboration - The project has also provided an avenue for Rotarians to serve together with members of different institutions like the local leaders, Rotary Corps, and others
- Rotary image growth - The project has also helped to grow the image of Rotary in the community as Rotary is now known for service and changing lives of the vulnerable.
- Rotary Visibility - The Project has also increased the visibility of Rotary in the community as more members of the community now know about Rotary and for a great cause
- Membership growth - We have realized membership growth in our Rotary club after different people endeavor to join us because of what we do in the community.
Our club was even able to win a DG recognition award at the District event
These are the Challenges
- More vulnerable people {old and young} are seeking to be added to the program
- The trainees are struggling financially as they struggle with what to eat while at the training Centre yet they have children, this is another cost we had not accounted for.
- Babies get sick so many times which always lead to mothers miss training
- Managing morals like poor dressing, theft and so on has always been a challenge
- Trainees spoil training equipment so much in the learning process which always raised the costs for repair
- Punctuality was a big challenge as the Young mothers claim to first feed the children before coming for training
- Mothers would come with babies who create obstructions during the training sessions.
- Most trainees loved to stay over the whole day to go on learning while starving along with their children.
Strength and inspirations
In a meeting after a 3 day suspension of the tailoring class members, the mothers ganged up to one of the young mother for misusing training materials and equipment and risking their opportunity and they told her of the very many other young mothers out their yearning to join the project. To us, this showed how they value and love the project, the great attachment they had with this program.
The level of commitment of trainees was very good, with very many focusing while learning and giving good attitude.
The support of the local community mostly the local leaders and elders has been a great inspiration
Sustainability
Those who successfully completed the courses stayed around or even kept visiting to help in the training of the new entrants which cuts down the cost of training and speeds up the training process of the new entrants.
Those who finished joined in the production process of making masks, clothes mainly cardigans and reusable sanitary kits hence the products are sold out to create income for the trainees and project to sustainably go on.
Conclusion
We want to send special appreciation to the different partners for all the contributions towards this project most especially the members of Rotary clubs of Watertown, New York, USA, Rotary Club of Cornwall Sunrise, Canada and the members of Rotary club of Kampala Kawempe for their time to practically coming down to participate in the project.