Women, Youth and Duty Bearers from Kanyamukura village, Rwebisengo sub county, Ntoroko District attended a rural radio debate/magazine.

ToroDev held a rural radio debate/magazine in Kanyamukura village Ntoroko district to capture women and youth concerns on the state of service delivery in their area especially on Roads,Water, Health, and Education among others.

The views from Kanyamukura were amplified on 15^th October 2017 on ToroDev supported weekly program “Listener’s Forum” that is aired live every Sunday starting from 8:00-10pm on jubilee FM a local radio station found in Kabarole district for leader’s intervention.

“The following were the key issues raised by the concerned citizens of Kanyamukura Village.

  

”Our roads are  impassable, slippery and they flood during rainy seasons, we have encountered this problem for many years but our elected leaders have not done a lot to lobby for the construction of the main road that connects to the town council.We request our elected leaders to consider this road in the next financial year”. Said Kabatuuku Jamimah a citizen of Kanyamukura Village.

Jamimah further said due to the nature of the roads pregnant mothers have suffered a lot when the due time reaches, some women have restored to avoid going for antenatal check ups and some have even refused to deliver in health centre’s because the roads can’t allow them to move freely to access services. We request the district to work on this road.

“We raised concerns as community members on the issues of Rebisengo to Kanyamukura road we wrote to the district duty bearers but they have failed to help us on that issue as leaders at a lower level we can’t do anything now other than waiting and reminding the leaders all the time” Said Kyomuhendo A LC1 chairperson Kanyamukura 2 in Rwebisengo.

Women,youth and leader who attended the Rural Radio Debate in Kanyamukura Ntoroko district

Leaders promised to work on Kacwankuna  road during the  last campaigns but up to now it’s in a sorry state which is even a problem to farmers .We request duty bearers to come back on ground and give accountability,” Said Kato Robert during the rural debate in Ntoroko district.

“The only primary school we have in Kanyamukura village has only  four class from 1-4 classes and after P.4 children walk long distances to access education in Rwebisengo town council which is a challenge to our children and this has resulted into high dropouts of both girls and boys who can’t afford to move to town council to access other classes on this note we request duty bearers and DEO Ntoroko district to lobby  for a better primary schools with all classes in this village”. Said Mutegeki Ronald.

“We don’t have any secondary school in Kanyamukura village student’s move 30km to access secondary school which is very costly. We request government to construct a secondary school in our area to solve school dropout challenges within our area”. Said Sight Tagga during the rural radio debate.

 A youth from Kanyamukura sharing  his views to the program moderator.

“Kanyamukura primary school the structures are badly off and they have cracks.We request district education department to work hand in hand with the head teacher to overcome this challenge.”Said Pastor Benjamin. 

“We don’t have a health centre in Kanyamukura village we walk long distances to access health services in Rwebisengo health centre IV. We request our duty bearers to lobby for a health centre in our village to allow patients’ access services nearer”,Said Kiiza penenna during the rural radio debate.

“In Rwebisengo health centre IV we don’t have an ambulance we request duty bearers and health department to lobby for an ambulance such that health services can be improved”. Said Misaki Jackson from Kanyamukura.

Jackson added that we have formed groups but we have failed to benefit from government programs like operation wealth creation and youth livelihood.We request sub county chief and community development officer to come on ground and teach people such that they can also benefit in these programs.

“We don’t have clean water in Butungama we are sharing water with animals. We request the government and water engineer Ntoroko to lobby for piped water and repair our boreholes”. Said Bugoge Ezra during the rural radio debate.

We are grateful to SIDA, NED, SPIDER, ICT4DEM, CIPESA & all our partners for the financial and technical support. 

ToroDev yields from Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa organised by CIPESA

By Johnstone Baguma

The Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFA17) was an eye opener for me on different fronts. I was one of the beneficiaries of CIPESA’s support to attend the forum in Johannesburg, South Africa in late September 2017. I would like to extend profound appreciation to organizers CIPESA and APC, who have been our partners in ICT for Development at ToroDev for many years. Their support to participate in the forum greatly exposed me to new dimensions of ICT4D that I had not paid attention to in over 10 years of my practice in this field.

I was particularly impressed by two sessions; Strategic Digital Rights Litigation and Digital Security Clinic, which I would like to spend a few minutes reflecting on here. During the former session, the issue of collaboration in digital litigation was specifically emphasized by session facilitators. When we collaborate, we are likely to be more effective, more creative and more resilient to address abuses of digital use, especial by government authorities. 

ToroDev's Executive Director, Johnstone K Baguma during the workshop in South Africa

 In collaborative litigation, the facilitator asserted that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and collaborators who work together on a given digital litigation matter can help further the bigger cause of protecting and promoting free flow of information online. On my part, I felt this was so important as a front line user of internet and its digital platforms in my professional work and daily social interactions. Digital freedom is a lifeline to the well-being of many citizens in Uganda, socially and economically. In the face of increasing threats to freedom of expression in Uganda and tendencies of gagging free flow of information through broadcast and online media, knowledge networks and collaborations to challenge such digital injustices is imperative. The recent declaration and notice by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) banning live broadcasts of parliamentary proceedings of the Age Limit Debate in Uganda, for example, needed formal collaborative litigation by media houses, digital advocates and civil society organizations. This is because, this notice was issued with full force of government apparatus that has considerable control over almost all public institutions and resources and, therefore, needed a counter collaborative effort to litigate. 

On the other hand, during the digital security session, I was able to receive knowledge and participate in a digital security risk assessment for my personal digital use and that of my organization. Again in Uganda, for example, digital surveillance is increasing day by day. Besides a few isolated cases of digital security offenses committed by individuals like theft and abuse of personal privacy, most cases of surveillance target those who question and advocate for good governance processes and is aided by sections of recent laws like the Computer Misuse Act (2011), Public Order Management Act (2013) and the Regulation of Interception of Communications Act (2010). Majority of those affected belong to civil society movements and lawful political party organizations. 

During this session, I acquired knowledge on conducting digital security assessment with specific identification and analysis of nature of threats, risks, levels of vulnerability, the capacity that myself or organization have to address such digital threats and the type of adversaries that I and my organization should always look out for to curtail their negative impact on our work. In fact as a result of my participation at FIFafrica17, am planning to lead a process of organizing a staff training and conducting a Digital Security Risk Assessment activity at ToroDev by end of December 2017.

We thank SIDA and CIPESA for the opportunity.

ToroDev in partnership with Jubilee radio and Ntoroko concerned citizens Forum held a rural radio debate/magazine targeting women, youth & duty bearers from hard to reach areas in Ntoroko district.

 On 25^th September 2017 ToroDev team held a rural radio debate/magazine in Kakoga cell Rwebisengo in Ntoroko District focusing on the state of service delivery including education, health, water, roads and economic development. The views were recorded by Wilfred Mukonyezi who moderates ToroDev’s supported ‘Listeners’’ Forum’ program that is aired live every Sunday 8-10 pm on Jubilee radio.

The issues gathered during the rural debate were amplified live on 8^th October, 2017 on Jubilee radio for duty bearers’ interventions and listener’s contributions. The area councilor of Kakoga cell in Ntoroko district where the rural debate was carried was hosted live to respond to some of the issues raised by the citizens. 

These are some of the issues raised by community members;

“We request the government to fully supply ARVs on time in Rwebisengo health center IV and improve hygiene in and around the health center. Also increase health workers so that people can access improved health services. Said Muhammad Birungi during the rural radio debate.  Muhamad added that, we have failed to fully engage in operation wealth creation due to poor coordination and late release of seeds. We request the coordinators of the program both at the district and sub county levels to come on ground and solve that issue so that farmers can benefit.

women and youth during the rural radio magazine in Kakoga Ntoroko district.

“We request the government to fully equip Rwebisengo health centre IV with enough drugs that can fully handle the population and solve the problem of staff absenteeism so that health services can be improved,” Said Katusabe Jolly during rural radio debate. Jolly added that, we have registered our group such that we can benefit from operation wealth creation but we have never received seeds and in most cases those who receive them they come late and in small quantities which are not beneficial to farmers.

 A woman in Kakoga sharing her concerns with Mr.Mukonyezi during the rural radio magazine.

“We have applied for youth funds and registered our group at sub county level  but we have failed to be considered, we request leaders to guide us on how we can qualify  and benefit on these funds ,” Said Katusime Nester.

“We don’t have water in Kakoga cell, we request mayor Rwebisengo and Ntoroko district water department to also consider our area especially with borehole so that we can stop spending heavily on water’’, Said Katusabe Grace. Grace added, leaders should increase on monitoring activities especially in  health centers and schools  this will help to solve the problems of absenteeism of teachers ,health workers  and limited drugs  at health centers levels to improve services delivery.

“Leaders pledged to improve on health centres, roads, schools and water during campaign periods  since then they have failed to fulfill their pledges and they have never come back  on ground,” Said Kabasebeni  Beatrice.

We are grateful to SIDA, NED, SPIDER, ICT4DEM, and CIPESA & all our partners for the financial and technical support.

ToroDev held a Rural Radio Debate/Magazine in central cell Rwebisengo town council Ntoroko District to capture Women, youth and leaders views on the state of health, education, water, roads and economic development

Women, youth and leaders from central cell Rwebisengo town council Ntoroko District showed their concern over the poor service delivery in their district at both town council and village levels. This was during the rural radio debate conducted by Mr. Mukonyezi Wilfred the moderator ‘Listeners’ Forum’ program on Jubilee radio and ToroDev’s M&E officer Amanya Sheila on 26^th September 2017.

The main objective of holding rural debates is mainly to capture the concerns of rural women and youth from hard to reach communities who are also unable to appear live on FM radio platforms for talk shows which are always aired late in the evenings yet women have other responsibilities in their homes that makes them not to actively raise their issues concerning the state of service delivery in their respective places.

People’s views from central cell in Rwebisengo town council were amplified live on Jubilee radio on 1^st October 2017 during the ‘Listeners Forum" program for leaders ’intervention and listener’s contributions. During the rural radio debate the following concerns were raised by women that need duty bearers’ intervention; 

“We have few medical workers, inadequate drugs, and limited water at Rwebisengo health centre IV, we request our duty bearers especially the LC5 to lobby for more health workers to come on board”. Said Dorothy Basemera during the rural debate.

Participants sharing their views with Mr. Mukonyezi the Listeners Forum Program moderator on Jubilee radio during a Rural Radio Magazine/Debate in central cell Rwebisengo town council.

 “We request duty bearers and DHO of Ntoroko to work hand in hand and improve health services in   the HC1V of Rwebisengo Town Council”. Said Mary Anne during the Rural radio Debate.

“We don’t have any ambulance in Rwebisengo health centre IV for any emergency especially to transport women with complications during that critical time of delivery has put women and other patients at risk. We request duty bearers to lobby for an ambulance to improve health services in our district”.  Said Daniel Steady Karwana chairman Rwebisengo town council during the rural debate.

“Makondo and Rwebisengo roads are impassable due to potholes, its very risky during rainy seasons and this makes transport to be costly especially to access market places” Said Bonabana Victoria during the rural radio debate in Ntoroko district.

“Operation wealth creation is not at its best and we have failed to benefit from the program especially on the way how seeds are supplied they come late and they are of poor quality which  affects farmers and they end up not benefiting. We request the coordinators of the program to always supply seeds on time so that people can plan early for the season. Said Joyce Kagole from central cell Ntoroko district during the rural debate.

A woman in central cell Rwebisengo Town council sharing her concerns during the rural radio magazine

“Most UPE Schools don’t have enough text books and enough desks some learners end up sitting on the dusty floor, this has resulted into congestion, confusion and indiscipline amongst the learners.In this case we request district inspector of schools to work hand in hand with district education officer to lobby for scholastic materials,” said Zahura Marry during the rural debate.

“Our schools are not doing well as far as education is concerned they keep increasing fees to be paid by parents yet they are government aided schools and pupils are supposed to study freely .we request duty bearers to come and explain why the money increases every term? Said Gambuza Henry during the rural radio debate.

“We have managed to form women group but we have failed to benefit in operation wealth creation program .We request program coordinators to come on ground and teach us more about the program so that we can also benefit .Said Aisha Kebirungi during the rural radio debate in Ntoroko

“The town council has failed to work on roads in central cell and they are impassable especially during rainy periods, we call up the mayor and his team to work on them,” said Kisembo Wilson from central cell Rwebisengo town council.

“Wilson added that we don’t have a public toilet in Rwebisengo town council and this is a problem to people in our community and in the town council , we are afraid anytime there can be an outbreak of diseases. We call upon the mayor and clerk to work on that problem which is likely to result into a big problem.

We take a great opportunity to thank SIDA, NED, SPIDER, ICT4DEM, and CIPESA for the financial support.