One of ToroDev's Impact story for 2016
In 2016 ToroDev under ICT4Democracy in Eastern Africa, with support from SIDA-Swedish International
Development Agency project directly
engaged twenty two (22) leaders of Rwenzori Journalist Forum (RJF) and
indirectly reached out to 781 members of RJF on their Facebook page to see how
best the journalists can keep following up the pledges the newly elected duty
bearers make whenever they come for the radio talkshows, as a result of this over
20 duty bearers pledges have been captured for future reference and follow up.
More so, thirty (30) duty bearers were engaged live on radio
talkshows to present their work plans
and also to plan with the local
citizens on how they will work together
to improve service delivery in their respective areas.
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| Hon. Lawrence Akugizibwe, Member of Parliament representing Mwenge North - Kyenjojo district on Jubilee radio |
The orientation
and training of Sixty Four (64) newly elected district councillors from sampled
Kabarole and Ntoroko districts was another milestone. It was done to enable
them be more acquainted with their roles and responsibilities and how best they
improve service delivery advocacy using
ICT tools like social media, phones,
Radios etc. To ensure that there is improved
standards of education especially in poor performing UPE schools; ToroDev in
partnership with Kyenjojo district education department inducted 235 SMC &
PTA members from 19 UPE Schools from Kyenjojo District. The capacity aimed at
highlighting the roles and responsibilities of SMC’s & PTA members
especially those who were serving their first term so that they can play their
school management and oversight roles well to improve performance in their schools.
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| Mr. Orono Francis Xavier Facilitating the District Councilors Capacity Building Training in Ntoroko District |
Furthermore ToroDev directly built the capacity
of over 90 Citizens’ Advocacy Forum members in online and offline advocacy,
conducted five (5) workshops to identify citizens’ priority service delivery
needs for 2017/2018 budgeting in 3 districts. A total of twenty (20) CSOs were engaged
during the workshops in Kabarole, Kyenjojo and Kyegegwa districts. ToroDev went
further and supported 3 district budget conferences under
CSOs-District Forums. This led to increased number of CSO’s participation from
8 in 2015 to 20 in 2016 meaning more citizens’ service delivery issues were
captured in the district budget frameworks.
To give a chance to
youths and women from hard to
reach areas to record their pressing
service delivery issues, ToroDev held five (5) rural radio debates in 4 districts of the
Rwenzori Region and a total number of 120 women and 60 youth were engaged from hard to reach areas.
Rural
debates have contributed to the empowerment and sensitization among the marginalized groups of population
that include youth and women to participate in governance issues, advocacy,
demanding accountability, information access, monitoring service delivery and
participation in local government planning and budgetary processes. “Rural debates have helped women and other
marginalised group of people to express themselves on issues affecting them &
also taking part in governance issues of their communities. ‘’We thank ToroDev
for the chance they always give us to also share our issues on radio, most
issues do not reach our leaders because those we entrust sometimes do not do
what we tell them we hope that when you air them on radio they may respond and
with time our health sector will improve since it is a sector affecting us more
as women’’. Said Joan during rural debate in Katooke-Myeri, Kyenjojo
district.
ToroDev supported accountability talk shows on two local radio stations
where duty bearers of all levels have been hosted to give accountability for
improved service delivery. “Radio talk shows have helped to bridge the gap
between duty bearers and us citizens, when leaders & technocrats are hosted
on radio, we get chance to engage them on issues we feel vital from our
communities. Please continue to bring them live to give us accountability &
their plans and this will help our communities to develop”. Said Twinamasiko Julius a caller from
Kabarole distinct.
Increased
participation of duty bearers’ presence on electronic platforms like broadcast
radio from 5 to 10 monthly. A total of
24 live radio discussions/talk shows were held bi weekly since July
2016-December 2016, 960 citizens questioned duty-bearers on radio and expressed
their priority service delivery needs. At least 5 key service delivery needs in
the Health and education sectors addressed in 2 districts of Kabarole and
Ntoroko, western Uganda, needs like late coming of health workers in Myeri and
Kibate health centres
There has been incredible improvement in service delivery among
different sectors as a result 21 advocacy forums. For example an issue of Gravity flow scheme where some
villages that were supposed to be connected on the gravity scheme were left out
on top of the contractor delaying the work that was meant to take 6 months but
on the 12th month work was still incomplete. The local people with
the help of the forum leader petitioned the district chairperson who travelled
to the site and ordered for all the anomalies that had been done to be worked
on and now communities have access to safe & clean water. ‘’We
are grateful to the district chairperson for hearing our cry and coming to
check on what we are
complaining about, as we talk now there is good work being done and some people
are now accessing safe and clean water even those in Bwanika village who used
to see pipes passing through their land now have been connected to the scheme’’,
said Mr. Rwaheru Gilbert the coordinator of Kicwamba forum for development and
service delivery advocacy.
“As forum members we visited Myeri
Health centre II to find out the challenges that the health centre faces so
that we can present these challenges to the leaders, we discovered that there
is shortage of medical supplies, there is no standard maternity ward, few
health workers etc, we had a meeting with the In-charge of the Health centre
and he explained that the Project of maternity ward will begin this financial
year, 2017/2018 and 8 million shillings is allocated towards the construction, we
also presented the issues to the sub county leaders who promised to address
them during their council meetings, we shall keep reminding these leaders until
we see change in place”
Said Hon. Muzoora Godwin forum coordinator.
“We received an outcry from concerned citizens of Bufunjo Sub County in
Kyenjojo District complaining about Mr. Mugisha Tumwine Salongo, the laboratory
assistant at Bufunjo health centre III after seeing him
fighting with fellow staff. According to eye witnesses &
other staff members, Mugisha used to attack fellow workers, abuse them
publically and this was the third time seen fighting fellow staff”, we engaged duty bearers and the
disciplinary committee wrote to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Kyenjojo
district and as we talk Mr. Mugisha has been transferred to another place of
work, Said Andrew Tumwesigye the leader of Bufunjo People’s Forum.
These achievements/impacts; both
online & offline, rural radio magazine/debates, consultative meetings with
duty bearers, trainings & knowledge sharing workshops, online social platforms,
radio talkshows, etc have all been used together with the involvement of
citizens in promoting sustainable and consistent democratic &
accountability engagements and also sharing information vital for development
of communities.
As ToroDev we very much
appreciate the continued financial & technical support from SIDA-Swedish
International Development Agency for the impact/successes in the year 2016.
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