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KA TUTANDIKE JOINS DISABILITY NGOS TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DISABILITY ON 3 DECEMBER

3 December 2011 marked the seventeenth year since Uganda started celebrating the International Day of Disability and this time round, it was celebrated under the line theme ‘Together for a better world for all: Including persons with disabilities in development’. The event brought together participation from Government which was represented by the Third Deputy Prime Minister – Moses Ali who presided over the ceremony and the Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development – Saidah Bumba, individuals, schools and most importantly the Civil Society Organizations (CSO) family that is in the struggle of advocating and fighting for the rights of PWDs in Uganda and these included; National Union of Disabled Persons in Uganda (NUDIPU), Community Based Rehabilitation Alliance (COMBRA), Action on Disability and Development (ADD), Sign Health Uganda, Independent Development Fund (IDF), Sense International in Uganda, Uganda National Action on Physical Disability (UNAPD), Jinja Foundation of Women With Disabilities (JIFOWWID), The Disabled Women Designers (DWD), ADNA Foundation Uganda, Action for Youth with Disabilities Uganda (AYDU), Uganda Parents of Children with Learning Disabilities (UPACLED), Uganda National Association for the Deaf (UNAD), Uganda National Association for the Blind (UNAB), Uganda Parents with Blind Children Association, The National Council for Disability (NCDI), National Union of Women with Disabilities In Uganda ( NUWODU), Disabled Group Kole, Arua Mental Rehabilitation Center , and KA TUTANDIKE UGANDA. Besides what we would call the ‘common participation’ we also witnessed support and participation from international agencies like UNICEF and corporates such as the Standard Chartered Bank.

KA TUTANDIKE NOMINEE WINS ROTARY CLUB AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE TO DEAF AND DISABLED YOUTH

As one drives in to Masaka, there is a small trading centre called Bukulula. This is where we met Noeline Nakaggwa - a remarkable woman. She has a physical disability and outside of her wheel chair, she has to crawl on her hands and knees. But this did not stop her starting up a Community Based Organisation (CBO) for people with disabilities. As one turns in to her compound, one is met by the young men and women with physical disabilities, they no longer have to beg on the streets, Noeline has managed to advocate for them and get them equipment for a carpentry workshop. Today they make furniture and are positive and proud of what they do. She has also ensured that the Deaf youth she lives with make crafts like beads using paper materials. They knit sweaters, make printed table cloths and are equipped with skills in improved farming methods and hair dressing. As a manager Noeline has ensure that there is capacity building, income generation and sustainability.

KA TUTANDIKE PROJECT BRINGS REAL HOPE TO CHILDREN OF MARKET VENDORS

Musa Mukwaya is a 3 year old child with disabilities. By the time Ka Tutandike Uganda and Mwana Mugimu (health unit at Mulago National Referral Hospital) started monitoring his growth in May, Musa weighed 12.5 kilograms. This prompted the staff from Mwana Mugimu to refer him to Kiswa Hospital. Kiswa Hospital is the first point of call for cases of malnutrition from the urban markets project. Musa’s health deteriorated and he registered a drop in weight to 9.5 kilograms. This prompted Mwana Mugimu to refer him to their Unit at the national referral hospital in Mulago. At Mulago he was taken care of for two weeks and moved from a state where he was hospitalized and bedridden to a point where he could be attended to from home. He is now back at home and there is close monitoring of his health by the social/ health worker, Mwana Mugimu and Ka Tutandike Uganda.

SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENT MUSASIZI WILSON LOVES TO READ

He is a 14 year old pupil in Kyambogo Primary School in Star class which is for special needs students. He is the second born in his family. His father has died and Wilson lives with his mother.

Wilson’s mother says that she never had any problems while she was pregnant. He never had any major complications as a child such as malaria at any stages of growth. When he was three years he was an able child who did everything done by children in his age group. When he turned five years the mother discovered that he had challenges with talking and took Wilson to hospital to get him help and address the problem. Some procedures were conducted but the problem was not identified successfully.

POSITIVE PARTNERSHIP TO COMBAT MALNUTRITION OF CHILDREN IN URBAN MARKETS

At the beginning of 2011, Tutandike Uganda started working with the Mwana Mugimu nutrition Unit at the national referral hospital. It was due to the good work they were doing in terms of supporting children 6 months -8 years, whose parents work in and around Nakawa, that Government agreed to work with Ka Tutandike in the area of nutrition. For purposes of implementation, the Unit has availed Ka Tutandike Uganda with a nutritionist and a doctor. Mwana Mugimu conducted a growth monitoring baseline activity during which time the middle upper arm circumference, weight and height of 400 children under the Urban markets project were taken.

The findings showed that though most of the children were healthy, two children were severely mal-nourished while 12 were mildly malnourished. [The difference between severe and mild mal-nutrition lies in the mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement. For MUAC of 11.5cm -11.9cm, the child is considered to be severely malnourished; for MUAC of 12cm-12.9cm the child is considered to be mildly malnourished. Anything above 13cm is normal.]

VOCATIONAL TRAINING FOR OUT-OF-SCHOOL DEAF YOUTH BEARING FRUIT

At the end of August, the Disability Programme Manager, Julius travelled to Masaka to see how the Deaf youth who had been trained in jewelry making were faring. He was joined on this trip by Heidi- the Chair of the UK Board of Trustees, Richard Dowden- a Trustee and Anisha- the International Development Advisor. There was a lot of excitement as the team travelled to Masaka. Heidi and Richard who had heard a lot about the 3 August training and had read about it on the website, were eager to see how the young people had progresses since returning to Masaka. Julius and Anisha were confident that the Deaf young people must have put the learning to action given the enthusiasm and motivation that was clear over the 3 days of training that was conducted.

LOCAL RESOURCES USED TO PROMOTE GOOD READING PRACTICES

Ka Tutandike looks towards using more and more of the locally available resources to sustain its programmes. Under the Literacy Programme, Ka Tutandike continues to work with local partners such as Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the district and school authorities to ensure that the programmes continue even after KTU interventions are phased out. Ka Tutandike also works closely with parents, religious leaders and young Ugandan volunteers, who will help sustain the project.

Ka Tutandike works to end child malnutrition

Hunger is the way a person's body signals that it needs to eat, and malnutrition is a lack of the right nutrients in the body. Over 56,000 children under the age of 5 die each year in Uganda from nutrition-related causes. About one-quarter of the population is unable to secure adequate food for all or part of the year. This exciting three way partnership is giving market parents in Kampala the skills and knowledge they need to grow and provide nutritious foods for their children.

Trustee of Ka Tutandike Trust UK addresses Nigerian President and Cabinet on Nigeria's National Day

There were moments when I thought this was a dream. It could not be real. Maybe I was being lured to Nigeria as part of some 419 scam. I was being asked – sounded out rather – to come to Nigeria to give the main speech on Nigeria’s National Day. Furthermore it seemed to be at the request of the President. Indeed he and his entire government would be in the audience. As the emails began to flow faster and longer it did indeed seem to be true.

A few months ago I got a call asking me to sign 40 copies of my book to be sent to Nigeria. President Goodluck Jonathan had read the chapter on Nigeria and wanted to give copies to all his cabinet. I was naturally flattered but I did wonder whether he was saying: “This is a brilliant analysis of the Nigerian situation” or “My God, see what people out there are saying about us. We had better do something about it!”

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Ka Tutandike Uganda and Ka Tutandike Trust UK formalized in Uganda

On 20 August 2011 key representatives from Ka Tutandike Uganda (KTU) and Ka Tutandike Trust UK (KTTUK) signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the two bodies that provides a common reference point and a useful guide to the collaboration between KTTUK and KTU in the strategic direction and management of KTU. This Agreement is considered as a binding document towards the smooth functioning of roles and responsibilities assigned to both parties. The purpose and aim of this partnership is to develop a broad, transparent and effective working relationship and mutual understanding that will enable both organisations to respond efficiently and effectively to meet the mandate of KTU in the period covering 2011 – 2014.

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