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Financial Accessibility and Poverty Reduction in Northern Uganda, Lango Sub-Region
Full text linkAccess to a well-functioning financial system can economically and socially empower individuals and in particular poor people, allowing them to better integrate into the economy of their countries and to actively contribute to their development and protect themselves against economic shocks. The paper examined the contributions of financial accessibility in supporting poverty reduction in northern Uganda. A cross sectional study design was adopted. The data was collected by use of structured and closed ended questionnaire. The findings revealed that financial institutions had not done much to reach the poor, which limits their productivity capacity and capacity to acquire productive assets. While there are isolated pockets of poverty reduction as expressed by participants’ ability to own personal assets and easily manage their dependency burdens, a few individuals have access to better health facilities. The strides to promote financial accessibility are highly commendable, though poverty remains problematic even among those who have access to financial resources. The paper therefore recommends that financial institutions should endeavor to offer financial management training to clients before extending credit to them, especially clients with some noticeable levels of illiteracy. There is also need for a comprehensive analysis on the current poverty reduction models and their impact on the very poor, in terms of production capacity, owning productive assets and living meaningful lives.
Keywords: Financial Accessibility, Financial Sector, Poverty, Poverty Reduction, Northern Uganda
UCU Creative Writing, Reading, Translating and Publishing for children in local languages
Full text linkUganda Christian University Community Service Writing, Reading, and publishing for Children in Literatur
Rapid scale-up and deployment of a district-wide emergency maternal-child referral network during a national medical strike
Full text linkSave The Mother Conference and Reunion Presentations, 2018Background: In November 2017, a nationwide strike of healthcare workers commenced to protest unfavourable working conditions in Uganda’s public healthcare system. The strike left many hospitals abandoned and life-saving surgical care unavailable. As leaders of a community-based organization, Safe Mothers, Safe Babies (SAFE), focused on improving maternal and perinatal survival, we shared the valid concerns of health workers but also cared about the mothers and newborns that would die from treatable complications during the strike.
Objective: To mitigate anticipated mortality, we sought to expand our existing maternal and child emergency referral network to serve the entire Iganga district.
Methods: SAFE convened the “Humanitarian Emergency Response [HER] Network” to facilitate partnership and response with other organizations. Two of the partners were private healthcare facilities with surgical capabilities. Marie Stopes furnished vouchers to reduce delivery costs in private facilities whereas volunteers the +256 Youth Platform managed referrals. We distributed our central dispatch number to all health facilities, made radio announcements, prepared motorcycle ambulances, a car ambulance and prepared our own existing health facility to handle increasing patients.
Results: Within three weeks, we responded to 15 maternal emergency calls, performed over 17 deliveries in our own facility. Since the end of the strike, the network has rescued an additional six mothers and five babies through emergency caesarean sections.
Conclusion: Collaboration between district leadership and organizations to create contingency plans for obstetric care during humanitarian crises is essential and can be effective at reducing maternal mortality.
The elements of the HER Network included: distribution of our central dispatch number to all health facilities, posting it outside the hospital, and making radio announcements so the public knew about the strike and how to reach the ambulance service for maternal and perinatal emergencies. (2) Preparing our three motorcycle ambulances and obtaining a car ambulance from a local politician. And (3) Preparing our own existing health facility to handle an increasing patient load.
Safe Mothers, Safe Babies is a non-governmental organization that works in East-Central Uganda. SAFE works in five districts with the bulk of their work in Iganga District and directly serves around 160,000 people. Their work focuses on improving maternal and child health by focusing on the Three Delays through a community-based participatory approach.Safe Mothers, Safe Babie
Intersections of Indigenous Knowledge and Place-Based Education: possibilities for new visions of sustainability education in Uganda
Full text linkA thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania, Launceston.This doctoral research pursued the intersection of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) and place-based education in Ugandan secondary schools. Particular interest was placed on how teachers use place-based education pedagogies to influence their own as well as their learners’ reconnection to their communities, cultures and places towards a more sustainable future. Even though the role of community elders of guardianship and instruction of IK has been weakened by the formal education system (Semali, 1999; Smith & Sobel, 2010), this research also explored how community elders can contribute
to place-based education in their communities. In so doing, this research was guided by
three questions:
1. How can Indigenous Knowledge, practices and values intersect with place-based education in Ugandan secondary schools?
2. How can teachers use place-based education pedagogies to influence their learners to reconnect to their community/culture and places in Ugandan secondary schools?
3. How can community elders contribute to place-based education in their communities in Uganda?
The impetus for this research stemmed from the issue where Uganda’s formal education contributes to the people’s disconnection from their communities and from
their cultures. This is primarily due to the examination driven curriculum; the foreign
orientation of the formal education system and the subjugation of IK from the curriculum. For example, Uganda is still using the colonial-inherited education system with English as the medium of instruction and assessment. This has left the Indigenous languages on the peripheries of the formal education curriculum with no importance placed on IK. Researchers (see Gruenewald, 2003; Smith & Sobel, 2010; Thiele, 2013) have found alienation of the people from their cultures and places as one of the leading causes of the profound lack of care for the environment.
This research employed a Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology which
provided the co-participants (i.e. teachers, elders and community members) with the skills to critically recognize disconnection of the people from their cultures and places because of the colonial formal education system. Since PAR is participatory in nature, it enabled me to work with the co-participants in a collaborative and reciprocal way in and through this research project. In this respect, the co-participants were engaged as full members of the research team and the investigation was based directly on their understanding of their own actions and experiences (Marshall, & Maclntosh, 2007) in the Ugandan formal education setting.
Following the planning, action, observation and reflection cycle of PAR, the co-participants planned and utilized three learning activities to integrate IK into the formal education setting.
These included learning about the traditional concept of community service; visiting and
learning about the sacred places; and learning about the Indigenous plants and their medicinal values. Data collection methods included group discussions, group interviews, sharing of samples of students’ work, sharing of co-participants’ diary entries and listening to the community elders’ personal and historical narratives.
In the analysis of the PAR cycles of this project, several themes and ideas became
apparent including transformative practice, collective responsibility, kinship with nature,
respect of the elders’ voices as voices of the land, diversity and pluralism, and creating a more just and inclusive curriculum. The findings revealed that IK, practices and values were embedded with place-based education in Ugandan secondary schools through the co-participants’ involvement with the students in the IK learning activities. In addition, the Ugandan teachers’ use of place-based education pedagogies influenced learners to reconnect to their community and cultures. This was evident in the teachers’ reports, improved class attendance and improved participation during these place-based lessons. Further, these findings revealed that community elders can contribute in a meaningful way to place-based education in their communities. This was achieved though the sharing of their cultural and historical narratives about sacred places with the teachers and students. In addition, the elders attended participating schools and facilitated the teachers’ and students’ learning about Indigenous plants around the school grounds.
The study found that collaboration between teachers, teachers and community elders,
as well as between the schools and the communities is key for successful implementation of place-based education in the Ugandan educational setting. Finally, for place-based education to be successful in the Ugandan formal education system, teachers’ participation in the improvement of their own practice as well as the curriculum is vital
A prolonged, community-wide cholera outbreak associated with drinking water contaminated by sewage in Kasese District, western Uganda
Full text linkThis study was conducted as a case-control study to compare exposures among confirmed case-persons and asymptomatic controls, matched by village and age-group and conducted environmental assessments were carried out. Water samples were tested from the most affected area for total coliforms using the Most Probable Number (MPN) methodBackground: In May 2015, a cholera outbreak that had lasted 3 months and infected over 100 people was reported in Kasese District, Uganda, where multiple cholera outbreaks had occurred previously. We conducted an investigation to identify the mode of transmission to guide control measures.
Methods: We defined a suspected case as onset of acute watery diarrhoea from 1 February 2015 onwards in a Kasese resident. A confirmed case was a suspected case with Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor, serotype Inaba cultured from a stool sample. We reviewed medical records to find cases. We conducted a case-control study to compare exposures among confirmed case-persons and asymptomatic controls, matched by village and age-group. We conducted environmental assessments. We tested water samples from the most affected area for total coliforms using the Most Probable Number (MPN) method.
Results: We identified 183 suspected cases including 61 confirmed cases of Vibrio cholerae 01; serotype Inaba, with onset between February and July 2015. 2 case-persons died of cholera. The outbreak occurred in 80 villages and affected all age groups; the highest attack rate occurred in the 5–14 year age group (4.1/10,000). The outbreak started in Bwera Sub-County bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo and spread eastward through sustained community transmission. The first case-persons were involved in cross-border trading. The case-control study, which involved 49 confirmed cases and 201 controls, showed that 94% (46/49) of case-persons compared with 79%
(160/201) of control-persons drank water without boiling or treatment (ORM-H=4.8, 95% CI: 1.3–18). Water collected from the two main sources, i.e., public pipes (consumed by 39% of case-persons and 38% of control-persons) or streams (consumed by 29% of case-persons and 24% control-persons) had high coliform counts, a marker of faecal contamination. Environmental assessment revealed evidence of open defecation along the streams. No food items were significantly associated with illness.
Conclusions: This prolonged, community-wide cholera outbreak was associated with drinking water contaminated by faecal matter and cross-border trading. We recommended rigorous disposal of patients’ faeces, chlorination of piped water, and boiling or treatment of drinking water. The outbreak stopped 6 weeks after these recommendations were implemented
Long term trends and spatial distribution of animal bite injuries and deaths due to human rabies infection in Uganda, 2001-2015
Full text linkThe study is about human rabies infection in developing countries.Background
In the absence of accurate data on trends and the burden of human rabies infection in developing countries, animal bite injuries provide useful information to bridge that gap. Rabies is one of the most deadly infectious diseases, with a case fatality rate approaching 100%.
Despite availability of effective prevention and control strategies, rabies still kills 50,000 to 60,000 people worldwide annually, the majority of whom are in the developing world. We describe trends and geographical distribution of animal bite injuries (a proxy of potential exposure to rabies) and deaths due to suspected human rabies in Uganda from 2001 to 2015.
Methods
We used 2001±2015 surveillance data on suspected animal bite injuries, collected from health facilities in Uganda. To describe annual trends, line graphs were used and linear regression tested significance of observed trends at P<0.05. We used maps to describe geographical distribution of animal bites by district.
Results
A total of 208,720 cases of animal bite injuries were reported. Of these, 27% were in central, 22% in Eastern, 27% in Northern and 23% in Western regions. Out of 48,720 animal bites between 2013 and 2015, 59% were suffered by males and 81% were persons aged above 5 years. Between 2001 and 2015, the overall incidence (per 100,000 population) of animal bites was 58 in Uganda, 76 in Northern, 58 in Central, 53 in Western and 50 in Eastern region. From 2001 to 2015, the annual incidence (per 100,000 population) increased from 21 to 47 (P = 0.02) in Central, 27 to 34 (P = 0.04) in Eastern, 23 to 70 (P = 0.01) in Northern and 16 to 46 (P = 0.001) in Western region. A total of 486 suspected human rabies deaths were reported, of which 29% were reported from Eastern, 28% from Central, 27% from Northern and 17% from Western region.
Conclusion
Animal bite injuries, a potential exposure to rabies infection, and mortality attributed to rabies infection are public health challenges affecting all regions of Uganda. Eliminating rabies requires strengthening of rabies prevention and control strategies at all levels of the health sector. These strategies should utilize the ªOne Healthº approach with strategic focus on strengthening rabies surveillance, controlling rabies in dogs and ensuring availability of post exposure prophylaxis at lower health facilities
Species Richness and Nutritive Values of Fodder and Their Relationship with Soil Characteristics in Ugandan Rangelands
Full text linkThis is a research article on conducted to determine the species richness and nutritive values of fodder and their relationship with soil characteristics in the Ugandan rangelandsA study was conducted to determine the species richness and nutritive values of fodder and their relationship with
soil characteristics in the Ugandan rangelands. The aim of the study was to determine the current status and nutritive values of
fodder species and their relationship with soil characteristics. Four fodder species Panicum maximum - Guinea grass,
Spartinaalterniflora - Cord grass, Hyperreniarufa -Jaragua/thatching grass and Acacia spp were selected for the study. The
species were counted to determine their richness in their rangelands and also tested to establish their nutritive values. The focus
on nutritive values was on CP, NDF, Ca, P and K. The research also determined the soil characteristics pH, OM, N, P and K.
Results of the study show that the fodder species were below the recommended levels of species richness in the rangelands.
Spartinaalterniflora (Cord grass) had the largest coverage of 109.1Km2 (22.4%) out of 486Km2 in the rangelands while Acacia
had the lowest coverage of 10.2 Km2 (2.1%). All the soil characteristics were below the minimum concertration levels apart
from P and there was a significant difference in soil characteristics across the different locations (P<0.05). Average pH was
6.63, OM was 0.5%, and P was 74.09ppm while K was 17cmoles/kg. The most nutritious fodder species was Panicum
maximum (Guinea grass). However all the fodder species were below the recommended nutrient levels. The mean
concentration level of CP in all the fodder species was8.95%, Ca was 1.29%, P was 0.4%, K was 1.59% while NDF was 29%.
There was no significant difference in level of concentration across all the fodder species (P>0.05). Reduction of overstocking;
growing of Panicum maximum (Guinea grass) at farm level; and rotation of animals are recommended
Stability for descriptors of Solanum aethiopicum Shum group (family Solanaceae)
Full text linkThe study is about Shum one of the four recognized morphological groups of the African eggplantSolanum aethiopicum Shum group is a nutrient-rich and income-generating crop enterprise in various sub-Saharan Africa countries. Despite its importance, the development of its improved varieties has not been prioritized. Until now, no field-based descriptor development reference for the crop is available for testing candidate varieties for distinctiveness, uniformity and stability. The purpose of this study is to identify morphological variables that provide identity of S. aethiopicum Shum group accessions across environments. With ten accessions across three test locations, it was observed that the highly polymorphic morphological variables were majorly vegetative and a few reproductive ones. They include plant height at flowering, plant canopy breadth, plant branching, petiole color, petiole length, leaf blade length, leaf blade width, leaf lobbing, leaf tip angle, flowering time, style length, fruit position, fruit flesh density, fruits per inflorescence and fruit flavor. A static stability analysis, a common selection technique for obtaining consistence in performance of genotypes, showed that accessions varied in their interaction with environments for different descriptors. The most statically stable accessions were 184P and 163P while the least stables were 168P, 148, 141, and 137. The findings indicate the potential for identifying unique and stable varieties of S. aethiopicum Shum group for the processing of official release to farmers
Changes in Sensory and Quality Characteristics of S. Aethiopicum (Shum) and A. Lividus (Linn) Leafy Vegetables along the Supply Chain
Full text linkThis study therefore fills an important knowledge gap of profiling sensory attributes and assessing changes in color, texture and appearance of S.aethiopicum and A.lividus leafy vegetables over time after harvestChanges in sensory attributes of vegetables over time under different conditions have been reported, however, little has been done regarding profiling and assessing changes in sensory attributes of raw leafy vegetables particularly Solanum aethiopicum (S.) and Amaranthus lividus (L.). This study therefore fills an important knowledge gap of profiling sensory attributes and assessing changes in color, texture and appearance of S.aethiopicum and A.lividus leafy vegetables over time after harvest. A complete randomized design in a 3 ×3 factorial arrangement (each vegetable sample was subjected to three treatments (Time of the day) and three replicates) and data was collected by use of quantitative descriptive sensory analysis. Descriptive data was entered into Microsoft excel spread sheets, averages computed and graphs generated. The data was further subjected to ANOVA and a least significant difference test was used to compare means of samples for all attributes at 95% confidence interval. Correlation analysis using Statistical Package for Social Scientients’ (SPSS version 16.0) was also performed to assess relationship between sensory attributes. Descriptive sensory analysis results showed that all 9:00hrs samples were rated highly for each attribute compared to the 12:00hrs and 15:00hrs samples. ANOVA results for S. aethiopicum showed statistical significant (p<0.05) difference for all the attributes except for light green color of leaf stalk (p<0.05) whereas that for A. lividus showed significant differences for moist appearance, well spread appearance, smoothness and overall quality. Correlation results showed significant positive relationship (p<0.05) among attributes. This study observed that sensory attributes of leafy vegetables change with time after harvest andtraders are therefore encouraged to adopt local cooling systems to help preserve the sensory attributes of vegetables
The Riddle of Yayeri the Great by Michael Ogutti
Full text linkThis is a report from the Riddle of Yayeri the Great by Michael Ogutti.The story, Lwaki Yayeri Muzira? (Ogutti 2013), translated as Why is Yayeri Great? (Gulere 2014), takes the form of a riddle whose answers are left to the reader to reflect and articulate. It is one of the Uganda Community Libraries Association (UgCLA) Local Language Literacy project books sponsored by Comic Relief under the African Storybook Project/South African Institute of Distance Education (SAIDE). Ogutti is the promoter of Busia Community Library, which is a member of UgCLA and one of the 20 writers who gathered from among the Eastern Library Cluster of UgCLA to create stories that would change the local literacy environment in Eastern Uganda and Africa as a whole. The UgCLA project produced 40 stories and about half of these were translated into English, illustrated, approved, and published on the creative commons African Storybook website. This critical study seeks to analyse the efficacy of the story to transform its audience basing on the understanding that stories transform society. The story portrays an ideal village girl child who stands prominently above his brother by acting independently and responsibly against all odds. She is an enigma and that is why she is a heroine like her biblical namesake Jael