14th December, 2007
Katine – it starts with a village, the three-year development project set up by AMREF, in partnership with the Guardian and Barclays, is off to a flying start.
After extensive consultation with community members, activities are now underway that will help to transform the lives of 25,000 people living in Katine village and the wider sub-county.
Joshua Kyallo, AMREF’s country director in Uganda said: "We have a brilliant team in place, with years of experience in community development, and we are excited that, after months of preparation, we are now starting to deliver the activities that the community members have asked for. The people of Katine are excited about what the project has to offer, but equally they know that it will not work without their input and close involvement." He added: "In our preparation, we have also closely involved the local authorities, as we want to make sure that the impact of the project will be felt long after the three years has ended." An activity plan has been drawn up for the next three years but certain activities have been prioritised for the next two months, given the urgent needs that exist.
Maternal and child health – urgent training needed
Maternal and child health were identified as urgent areas of need by both community members and local health authorities. As reported in the Guardian last week, the majority of women in Katine do not give birth with a qualified health worker present and as a result, maternal mortality rates are high. In December and January, AMREF will be training traditional birth attendants on safe delivery methods, pregnancy danger signs and when to refer cases to a health clinic. And we will be training health workers (including midwives) in emergency obstetric care. Tackling childhood illnesses was also identified as a key priority. Malaria, in particular, is the greatest health problem facing the people of Katine.
AMREF will be training village health teams on how to best prevent and treat malaria and other diseases, such as diarrhoea and pneumonia. All of this training will mean that those who fall sick will have access to treatment closer to their homes and more people will be educated on how to prevent ill health in the first place. As with all AMREF projects, we will be improving the skills of existing health care staff in the local clinics. Early next year we will provide training to improve the quality of care that they offer and infection control, medical waste disposal and drug management services. The training will also strengthen their planning, budgeting and financial monitoring skills.
Lack of clean water increasing diseases, such as diarrhoea and guinea worm
Many villages in Katine have no access to water whatsoever and even for those who do, the water is often unsafe. This is a major factor in the prevalence of diseases, such as diarrhoea and guinea worm, and is therefore an urgent priority. AMREF has worked closely with the local authorities to identify where boreholes need to be built or rehabilitated and has contracted an engineering company to carry out the work. This has taken a considerable amount of time as organisations have to obtain three sets of quotes, to guard against corruption and nepotism. Trained water and sanitation staff are now mobilising community members to take ownership of the water sources and promote better hygiene and sanitation. In January AMREF will train hand pump mechanics so that community members will be able to do their own repairs and maintenance.
Better school environment and more equipment needed
The biggest challenges people identified in the education sector is lack of teaching materials and the poor state of the school buildings. During a recent visit to a school in Katine, the Guardian reported only 15 text books for 68 pupils in a class. Key activities in December will therefore include procurement of national curriculum teaching materials. Later in February, AMREF will start rehabilitating classrooms. Amorikot primary school, which has a few mud and thatch huts for 364 pupils, will be one of the first to benefit.
How will the project be funded?
The Guardian, Observer and Guardian Unlimited are running a three-year appeal with their readers and Barclays has provided an upfront donation of £500,000 to get the project underway and a further £1m in match-funding for donations over the course of the project.
Madeleine Bunting of the Guardian says: "The Guardian sees this as a unique opportunity to deepen the public understanding and debate around aid - how it works and why its needed - through the pages of the paper and in an unprecedented commitment to a dedicated website which offers both moving insights into the lives of Katine villagers and the challenges of an aid project."
Jo Ensor, AMREF UK’s Chief Executive added: "AMREF is delighted that the Guardian has given such prominence to the Katine project, helping AMREF to make a real difference to people’s lives. It has also given us an unprecedented opportunity to bring an African voice into the development debate, and to communicate our approach - empowering the poorest and most marginalised communities to take control of their own health and development – to a global audience."
Susie Cox, Barclays Global Community Partnership Manager says: "Barclays is pleased to be able to provide funding to support this project, but more importantly we are delighted to be working in partnership with AMREF and FARM Africa in Katine, to help communities generate sustainable incomes, to increase their access to financial products and services and to build the capacity of community groups to manage small businesses."
