MEET HERBERT KIWALABYE AS HE EXPOUNDS ON THE SELF HELP GROUP (SHG) APPROACH

The photo is of Herbert Kiwalabye
Herbert Kiwalabye enjoys Self Help Group (SHG) formation and strengthening as playing. It is an art he has mastered. His most recent experience is when he went down to the field starting February 27, and with merger resources together with a few assistants was able to spearhead the formation of 20 (SHGs); 14 for women and 6 for men ranging from 15 to 2within just 5 days! In this reach out, he left many community members wondering where he had been all along; that he had taken so long to reach them with his mission of good news that can see to their betterment through a participatory effort where the beneficiaries are players.
What I learn from Kiwalabye is that many innovations meant to better the conditions of the poor can better be made under the umbrella of Self Help Group (SHG) initiative. One such program is NAADS. What this means is that the agents of change should get involved with those who are conversant with SHG formations and after the groups are in place, innovations like NAADS can follow. That way, better results can easily be realized.
In case you want to reach Herbert his Email and phone contact are:
Email: kiwalabyeh@yahoo.com
+256 701 424367
+256 775 424367
William Kituuka Kiwanuka.

BELOW, KIWALABYE EXPLAINS HIS EXPERIENCES WITH SHG

In most of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the word development has a different connotation to what it means to Middle Developed Countries (MDCs). In Africa; Governments normally get resources from the grass roots but without letting people at grass root to know how their resources have been used. This is the greatest hidden root for the flourishing of corruption which leads to poor service provision by these governments.

The good news is that Growth and eventually Development can be achieved through Empowerment in other words the capacity building of the people at the bottom; this is actually the SHG concept or Approach in its simplest terms. This approach has the potential of bridging all the gaps in development while impacting positively (empowering) the people’s lives Socially, Politically and Economically.

The Self Help Group Approach has grown out of the study and application of development Concepts at a community level, and seeks to combine the social, economic and political aspects of community development, leading to empowerment. It is founded on rights-based Principles that facilitate an atmosphere where individuals and communities can realize their potential and work towards their own development. A focus on attitudinal changes remains central to the approach and material well-being along with social and political development as well as empowerment is the final outcome. If this approach is well used, it can be a strategy and an entry point in all Community Development Efforts.
It is therefore recommended that NGOs and Local Governments apply this concept with the help from experts who know very well how the Self Help Group (SHG) can be applied. The concept saves resources while maximizing on impact while simplifying the work, it allows for quick and easy monitoring of results.
The SHG concept believes that people are very important in decision making on what should be implemented in their areas/communities. Hence NGOs and Governments agencies should not only give financial support to the people but also making them aware of the underlying situations regarding the circumstances in which they are. The SHG approach implies that, it is the people to always make the decisions therefore, the donors/ service providers should help the people according to the people’s priority needs and not according to what donors think should be the best for people/ dictating the entire development process.
It is of utmost importance for people to know their area well, taking into consideration all the resources, facilities like schools, health centres, places of worship, Police units, safe water sources, road network, transport means among others. Knowledge of such infrastructures helps communities to actively participate in discussing issues that affect them, hence their development. Given that background, community development agencies as well as potential service providers should make a right start in their effort to fight poverty and hence help the African child.


After the people have got to know their area/ community like in the above picture, it follows that the members of the community get to know the level of their wealth (as individuals) and the class status. For example in Rural areas, the rich are in number one, the middle class are in number two and the poor in number three.
This is KIZIMA village in Mukono District of Uganda.



Why SHG approach in Least Developed Countries (LDC’s)?
Many of the existing groups/organization reaching out to communities initially focus on development other than empowerment.
1) The poorest of the poor people are usually not part of their target group.
2) There is usually little focus on the poor, bringing out (enhancing) the potential of people (Unleashing human potential).
3) Less emphasis on building strong communities.
Yet the SHG model is:
a. Cost effective, and
b. It enhances sustainable development.
FROM SHG TO THE FEDERATION:
1. In SHG formation group numbers should be 15 to 20 and single sex, and each village may have a good number of groups.
2. 8 to 12 selected SHGs can form a Cluster Level Association (CLA) at parish level.
3. The formed CLAs in a sub county can form a Federation.
The principle attributes to the SHG Approach include the following:
1) Empowering marginalized members of the community socially.
2) Ensuring strong social groupings, members address social-economic cultural issues.
3) Extra care under taken not to create dependency syndrome.
4) Remodeling groups to emphasize social empowerment as a vehicle towards social and economic development.
Chronological order of events leading to the development of community development projects to NGOs/ Government in Local Governments/ Districts/Sub counties.
1. Initiation stage.
2. Take off stage/ implementation stage.
3. Cross cutting issues in community development.
4. Project implementation.
I. Linkages with other strategic partners.
II. Networking/ Exchange of experiences.
III. Duration of the programmes
5. Monitoring and Evaluation.
6. Phase out and sustainability;
I. Clear targets
II. Strengthening SHG and CLA.
III. Role transfer.
IV. Asset transfer.
V. Federation.
VI. Staffing and staff development.

The Self Help Group (SHG) concept is very good in enhancement of the development and welfare of children and mothers (given that they are the most disadvantaged) and to a small extent men.

WHY DOESN’T KCCA CALL FOR TENDERS TO UNDERTAKE THE SERVICES TO DO WITH ENFORCEMENT OF PAYMENT WHAT IS DUE BY TAXIs ON A MONTHLY BASIS?

Jennifer Musisi Executive Director KCCA
The endorsement of UTODA and other Taxi organizations to jointly undertake the role of ensuring that taxi operators in Kampala pay the shs 120,000 due to KCCA is simply a wrong strategy. KCCA may have convinced them to but it is clear that the companies cannot operate in harmony given the past experiences of rivalry and the favours UTODA has overtime got in the taxi industry.
Now that the official charge is payable to KCCA and the Taxi organization assisting in the enforcement is to get payment directly from KCCA, the way to go would have been to tender out the operations so that those capable of doing the work show how they are to undertake the exercise to ensure harmony, good data management and order, and the most competitive and organized company would be awarded the contract. We are well aware that UTODA defaulted on revenue to KCC which up to now may not have been made good. UTODA took KCCA to court because of the patronage they have enjoyed overtime. We are well aware of the role of UTODA in various conflicts where people believed to be party to the organization have assumed roles of the security personnel and acted on behalf of the Government. KCCA should have welcomed such an exercise after clearly expressing what the operator is expected of and whether the organization would be paid according to the number of taxi’s that have paid the revenue and the modern methods of doing business that such a company would apply to ensure that taxi’s are not inconvenienced as was a common experience with the UTODA methods of handling taxi drivers. It is also of great importance to ensure that lost luggage of the travelers is taken care of by promoting a method which is in line with use of modern technology.
Continued inconvenience of travelers by wrong decisions by KCCA is most unfortunate, given that many taxi drivers still see UTODA as inhuman given the way the organization cheated them under the cover of welfare funds.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
UTODA SUES KCCA OVER CONTRACT
By Anthony Wesaka & Robert Mwanje, 26 October 2011 Comment Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association Ltd (Utoda) yesterday went to court seeking an interim order stopping Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) from taking over the management of public transport.
The move comes a week after KCCA announced that it will directly start managing public transport in the city next month when its contract with Utoda expires. The order is intended to allow the taxi body maintain its status quo until their main application before the same court is heard and determined.
In their application filed before High Court in Kampala last week, Utoda argues that it is unfair for KCCA to take over the operation of the taxis in the city since their contract still runs up to October 2014.
The application for an interim injunction is expected to be heard before one of the Kampala High Court registrars, Isaac Muwata today. "An interim order restraines respondents, their agents from interfering with the applicant's management of taxi operations in the city due to expire in October 2014 pending the determination of the main miscellaneous cause," reads part of the notice of motion by Utoda. The respondents in this case are KCCA and its Executive Director Jennifer Musisi Ssemakula.
The friction between Utoda and KCCA arose on October 18 this year when the latter in its memorandum addressed to among others the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and the division councillors erroneously announced that the taxi operators' contract was expiring at the end of the month.

UTODA: WE HAVE NO MONEY TO PAY KCCA
Taxi Operators and Drivers Association—Utoda has blamed the company’s failure to meet its obligations on the wrangles with the Kampala Capital City Authority—KCCA leaders. This comes a day after Jennifer Ssemakula Musisi, the KCCA executive director threatened to sue Utoda for unpaid taxi park revenue collections totaling to two billion shillings. Story (1 Files) Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association—Utoda has blamed the company’s failure to meet its obligations on the wrangles with the Kampala Capital City Authority—KCCA leaders.
This comes a day after Jennifer Ssemakula Musisi, the KCCA executive director threatened to sue Utoda for unpaid taxi park revenue collections totaling to two billion shillings. Musisi told journalists on Tuesday that she has already directed the KCCA legal team to work out modalities including suing Utoda in a bid to recover the two billion shillings.
Musisi said while KCCA has been insisting that there is no binding contract with Utoda, Kampala High Court Judge Eldad Mwanguhya first ruled to maintain the status quo whereby KCCA allowed the taxi operators to continue collecting the money which did not reach the KCCA accounts.
Justice Mwanguhya dismissed the Utoda petition on grounds that it was not proper before court. Utoda had petitioned court seeking to block KCCA leaders from taking over management of the city taxi parks arguing that their contract was running till 2014.
But Charles Kamya, the Utoda secretary general says KCCA set conditions including payment of 392 million shillings per month, and also the payment of a security guarantee of 10 percent in form of bank guarantees.
Kamya says in the period when the two parties were in court, both Lukwago and Musisi discouraged drivers from paying the daily collections to Utoda.
He explained that Lukwago went ahead to address rallies in both Old and New Taxi Parks ordering the drivers not to pay any money to Utoda.
He adds that Musisi has been making statements denouncing Utoda as an agent of KCCA in the taxi business. Kamya admits the money has now accumulated to two billion shillings but insists that Utoda has no other revenue sources.
In January, Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago complained about Utoda’s failure to remit its daily collections from the two taxi parks to KCCA during the court period.
Lukwago also complained about the manner in which Utoda enforcement teams were harassing and torturing drivers in the course of collecting the daily dues. Utoda has been charging the drivers shillings 20,000 each month for a sticker and another shillings 4,500 per day.

Read more: http://ugandaradionetwork.com/a/story.php?s=39993#ixzz1ovQ5ydrZ

BESIGYE SHOULD SHAPE UP OR HE RISKS BEING A DISGRACE

The developments at Kajjansi, Friday 9th March 2012 are most unfortunate. Besigye got into Kajjansi Trading Centre. It is alleged that he branched at Kajjansi Market where he had a meal before proceeding to Uganda Clays' play ground to address those who were waiting to hear from him. Meanwhile as it is the order of these meetings, those who attend them more often than not expect chaos after, which was the case even this time. It is said that it all started when Besigye refused to take the route as advised by the Police. This is where Besigye goes wrong. If he was given opportunity to talk to the people, why doesn't he respect other people's rights? It is sad the developments after which saw a number of people victims among them school children who were eventually admitted to Namulundu Clinic simply because Besigye refused to take the route he was advised to. The Police personnel injured in the process are also victims of Besigye not cooperating. The traders who lost goods. This is to appeal to Besigye's common sense. Many of us are aware of the wrongs of Museveni's regime, but we need to do things sensibly and ensure that the people are not made to suffer the more.
Besigye should stop assuming that the way he conducts his business is welcome by all. I wish he finds a way of compensating those inflicted by his ill advised moves.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka

TORTURE IN UGANDA IS REAL AND MUST BE STOPPED

Kyazze drove his truck into cuffs of concocted charges
By Brenda Banura

Posted Saturday, March 10 2012 at 00:00

With his head tilted and hands held closely between his legs, Sulaiman Kyazze sat in an empty office as he waited to talk to me. I stood at the door for a few seconds thinking he heard me walk to it and would look up. But he maintained his posture. On knocking, he looks up towards the door but at a spot further away like he is not seeing me. He has a pensive look that disappears a few seconds after.
Kyazze is, or in this case we can say he was, a heavy-duty truck driver, a job he did for 25 years until October 19, 2006, when he got business from wrong people. “It seemed like an ordinary day only to turn out to be regrettable. I had packed my truck in Ndeeba when two men approached and asked to hire it to transport material, including iron sheets and ridges from Tororo to Nateete,” he narrates.
After agreeing on payment, they set off for Tororo Steel Works. Along the way, they picked a man from Mbale. This man turned out to be in charge of loading the material onto the truck. On their way back, he was dropped at the same spot they had picked him from in Mbale Town, and the rest headed for Nateete.
Kyazze says after off-loading all the material at the workshop in Nateete, he was paid and parted ways with the men who had hired him. However, eight days later while transporting another person’s goods from Kampala to Kisoro near the border of DR Congo and Uganda, he was stopped by the police.
“The police officer said a case had been filed against the vehicle. We (Kyazze and the turn boy) were then arrested and taken to Mbale Police Station but were later handed over to police officers from Tororo.

Detention and torture
While at Mbale Police Station, he was told of a filed complaint that he had not delivered goods transported from Tororo to its intended destination. “After correcting them that the destination was Nateete and not Lira, I told them I left the goods at the warehouse in Nateete on October 19, 2006. But they insisted that they were supposed to be taken to Lira not Nateete and I was held,” Kyazze, 52, says.
“From then on, we kept on moving from one police station to another. At some point we were handed over to the defunct Violent Crime Crack Unit (VCCU) commonly known as “Operation Wembley”, who tortured us for a week. They would hit us with batons on any part of the body most, especially the ears, ribs and ankles.”
By the time they were transferred from the “Wembley” detention Cell in Mbale, “my hearing had been affected.” Kyazze speaks in an emotionless tone. He is a man hardened by the injustice of the systems in Mother Earth. He talks while gazing in the open space, his eyes with an empty look.
When they were transferred back to Tororo Police Station, a man of Indian origin claiming to be the owner of the goods—Deepark Dartta—showed up to make a statement. He also affirmed to the police that Kyazze is the man who stole his goods. But Kyazze says he had never seen Dartta before then.
“We hadn’t met during the transaction and we were meeting for the first time. That is why I was shocked when he said he knows me and I am the one that had loaded the goods on the truck, itself a lie for there was the other man from Mbale who had loaded the goods,” he says.
After staying at various police posts for more than two weeks, Kyazze and his colleague appeared before court and were charged with theft of the goods and remanded to Tororo. A month later, he was released on bail.
“Life during that time was so difficult. In fact, it felt longer than a month. We had one meal a day at 5pm. We shared a room with about 60 other people. We also dug everyday, which was the hardest thing for me, especially since I was still in pain from the beatings by the VCCU people,” he says.
However tired he was, he stayed up at night worrying about his family and how they were surviving. And unfortunately one of his children fell sick and passed on. Kyazze’s 24-year-old son suffered from a diseased kidney. The illness was in its advanced stages and needed immediate medication, whose cost the family could not afford.
He becomes emotional at this point in the interview when talking about his son’s death. He breaks down. And in a shaky voice later, he says: “I was wounded when we lost him. My boy died in pain. It would have made a difference if I had a job.”

Bail and its conditions
While in jail, he never saw much of his family because it was expensive for them to travel to the prison. His only visitors were members of Mission after Custody, an organisation that rehabilitates ex-prisoners. These are regular visitors for most prisoners. It is missioners that also helped me get out of prison on bail after repeatedly trying in vain.

A GOVERNMENT WITH PEOPLE'S WELFARE AT HEART WOULD WELCOME BUGANDA EFFORTS FOR DEVELOPMENT

Museveni should know that playing hide and seek games with the Mengo establishment will never pay off. It is simply a sign of a regime that wished to keep Buganda behind. Fortunately, many people of Buganda are united for the cause of development. Whether bad law, whether deceit name it, the people will be supreme. One time, Museveni's regime will go and it will remain in history it bad acts towards Buganda. It is many years now since the promise of katikiiro's residence, by this time they would have long handed it over. How does the central Government decide to sit on rent dues for Buganda. These are all unbelieveable of a Government that claims to be for the people. It is sad, but expected of dictatorships.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka

Mr Walusimbi (R) talks to the Buganda Caucus members at Bulange Mengo. Photo by Joseph Kiggundu

By Robert Mwanje
Posted Friday, March 9 2012 at 00:00

Buganda Kingdom has asked Members of Parliament to exert fresh pressure on the central government to fulfill its pledges, including the introduction of a federal system of governance.
While meeting the new leaders of Buganda Parliamentary Caucus led by Mr Godfrey Kiwanda (Mityana North) yesterday, Katikkiro John Baptist Walusimbi said this was the opportune moment to rejuvenate the kingdom demands at all fronts, including that of the 9,000 square miles of land and the county and sub-county headquarters.
“I was reluctant to meet you since there was no clear leadership for the caucus but I feel this is the right time. Let’s put our political and religious differences aside and fight for what belonged to us,” Katikkiro Walusimbi said at Mengo.
“We should remain united and lobby other MPs to fight for good governance,” he added.

Ready for talks
The kingdom attorney general, Mr Apollo Makubuya, said Parliament should also press government to free people arrested during the Buganda riots of September 2009.
He said Buganda is ready to defend all contentious issues before Parliament, including the enacted laws against traditional leaders, the lost kingdom land and uncleared rent arrears amounting to Shs20 billion.
We are ready to face Parliament and defend our arguments once an opportunity is availed. All we need is your support as MPs and raising the concerns,” Mr Makubuya said.
Flanked by the caucus executive members, Mr Kiwanda pledged maximum support to the kingdom. He said the caucus will soon convene to forge a new strategy.
“My team is ready to help the kingdom attain her interests and put politics aside,” Mr Kiwanuka said.
Earlier, Buganda premier warned that the most populous monarchy will only participate in “meaningful talks” with the central government.
Mr Walusimbi said the previous Parliament largely offered a disservice to the kingdom, citing the approval of the controversial Traditional Leaders Act and the Land Act, among others.

rmwanje@ug.nationmedia.com

BUGANDA'S QUEEN AT THE LAUNCH OF THE POSITIVE FAMILY WEEK AT KITANTE PRIMARY SCHOOL

The Queen of Buganda, Sylvia Nagginda, has denounced polygamy, saying, the practice is one of the major causes of the spread of HIV/Aids.
While launching the HIV-positive mothers’ week to mark the International Women’s Day at Kitante Primary school, the Nnabagereka castigated polygamous tendencies common among African cultures, saying if men stopped the practice, it would help in the fight against new infections among married couples.
“Good cultural values like having one partner promote good health, contrary to what many people believe,” the Nnabagereka told a group from the Ministry of Health and the donor community.
“We cannot underestimate the role of our culture in promoting good health among mothers and their children,” she said, adding that people should engage men to walk with their wives in this challenge.
Among the Baganda, polygamy was a cherished virtue, and men with many wives were usually seen as prosperous.
However, the Nnabagereka’s message aims at offering a new cultural strategy on how to fight HIV/Aids among married people, which boosts confidence among many women who often vainly looked on as their husbands pegged their polygamous tendencies on culture.
She asked men to accompany their wives to hospitals for not only ante-natal care, but also to seek HIV counselling and treatment.
“This should be an era where a mother living with HIV is sure of getting free treatment and is also sure her baby will not die,” she said.
Since 2001, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Population Secretariat have supported the Nnabagereka’s missions to promote safe motherhood and promote good culture in Uganda.
Speaking at the same function, the manager of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) in the ministry of health, Dr Godfrey Esiru, emphasised on the rise in new HIV infections among married people.
“New HIV infection is on the rise with a prevalence rate of 6.4 per cent, with a shifting from the young unmarried to the married couple, between 35 to 49 years. Among these, 50 per cent are discordant,” Dr Esiru said.
He also added that last year, about 65 per cent of pregnant mothers registered on the PMTCT programme and that the government is considering a change in the programme, from prevention (PMTCT) to elimination of mother-to-child transmission of the virus (EMTCT).
editorial@ug.nationmedia.com

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY; GIVE A WOMAN A BIG CAR AND GOOD MONEY AND SHE WILL MOST PROBABLY FOR GET ABOUT POOR WOMEN

The women we see in Uganda Parliament in many cases have benefitted from the hand outs by the NRM Government, but may be a handful have really helped fellow women. The women can do far better than merely celebrate their day. They should show numbers to fight corruption. They should be at the forefront to see the NRM stop abusing funds of the taxpayer. This business of eating silently as women suffer on will not help. Women must stand up to see state inspired corruption, outright robbery by those in Uganda Government get to stop. We must fight the war and win it.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
Happy Women's Day 2012