ToroDev trains rural advocacy forum members in using media for development

On 31^st October 2013, ToroDev held yet another one day training of rural advocacy forum leaders that aimed at increasing the impact of media in building mutual beneficial relationship between the rural advocacy forums and the local media. The training attracted 7 leaders of advocacy forums who included leaders of Kicwamba Forum for Development and Service Delivery in Kicwamba Sub County Kabarole District, Peoples Rights and Forum for Development in Mugusu Sub County Kabarole District, Bufunjo Peoples Forum in Bufunjo Sub County Kyenjojo District, citizens in Action Development Forum in Mpara Sub County Kyegegwa District, Ntoroko Citizens Concern in Ntoroko District and the coordinator of Rwenzori Journalist Forum.

Participants during the training 

During the training, ToroDev’s media and communications officer Akugizibwe Solomon was able to share different skills with the advocacy forum leaders such as skills of writing innovative stories, skills of building and sustaining online communities and skills of sharing challenges and learning from each other through success stories.  

The rural monitors also achieved skills of using Web 2.0 tools like Ushahidi, face book, twitter and Skype. A face book page was also designed for the rural monitors to post there issues concerning service delivery concerning their sub counties. “We have opened up a face book page called State of Service Delivery in the Rwenzori Region and we expect all the rural monitors to always post there issues concerning service delivery in their sub counties so that there is easy and free interaction between the rural monitors and the journalists concerning service delivery issues in the Region”, said Akugizibwe Solomon.    

Meanwhile, ToroDev also gave out 6 (six) internet modems to the different advocacy forums to help them share their service delivery issues on line so that there is attraction of the local leaders intervention. “We give you these internet modems to help you access internet in your respective sub counties so that you can be able to share your service delivery issues on line and also make online communication with your fellow rural monitors and journalists so as to seek the local leaders interventions into the raised issues”, said Shilla Amanya, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, ToroDev.