By Bazio Doreen.

A new 5 year (2022 – 2027) project funded by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and implemented by the Legal Aid Service Providers Network (LASPNET) is expected to strengthen the Criminal Justice System and the ability to respond to organized crime and related threats in Adjumani. It however focuses on extremist violent crimes and abuse of drugs. This is key because only 80% of Ugandans can afford a lawyer and only 10% have access to the services of a lawyer. All this amidst the absence and pending approval of the National Legal Aid Law.

While launching the project on 24^th July 2024 in the new Adjumani District Council hall, LASPNET CEO, Dr. Sylvia Namubiru Mukasa, said that they recognize the role played by the local government and commended the district leadership for demonstrating readiness and commitment to achieve the project objectives. She also explained that while they submitted a budget to UNODC timely in August 2023, funds were only sent in June 2024.

While responding to the comment, the District Chairperson, Hon. Anyama Ben, observed that the intervention is timely as the district continues to grapple with dwindling funds to support both refugees and their host communities. He also observed that most of the support towards justice processes is mainly funded/implemented by NGOs and commended them for their efforts.

On his part, the PACAO, Mr. Edema Richard thanked LASPNET for choosing Adjumani to be one of the 20 districts where the UNODC project will be implemented. He also appreciated LASPENT for donating 3 bicycles to support those who will be involved in the implementation of the project.

Established in 2004, LASPNET is a national member-based non-governmental organization that has 56 LASPs spread across 80 districts countrywide. LASPNET also has a wide network of members and partners that include: Uganda Law Society, Law Development Centre, Justice Defenders, and Hague Institute for Innovation of Law and Justice Centre Uganda.

The project outcomes include: strengthening mechanisms for court administration and case management; increasing access to quality legal aid services for the vulnerable; promoting of alternatives to imprisonment; crime prevention among the youth; and protecting the economy of Uganda from illicit financial flows and money laundering.

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By Bazio Doreen.

Before you visit a remote village in the Pearl of Africa; you could easily assume that more than half of Uganda’s population have access to electricity as households in major cities do.

Far from this assumption, the truth is that only about 30% of Ugandans have access to electricity. While this presents a huge market potential for alternative technologies like solar PV systems to provide electricity, those in need may not be able to afford it.

The story of a blind man.
One such vulnerable person is James Iranya, a South Sudanese Refugee from Kajokeji now residing in Elema Refugee Settlement. While Iranya is a father and has the task of providing for his family of 5, his disability (partial blindness) deters him from doing many jobs.

This is perhaps how he settled for being a caretaker of Elema Community Center. At the center, James is lucky to tap into opportunities that many times are channeled through the leadership that sits at this place. That is how he received a solar lamp from EMESCO. The solar panel not only helps him charge his lamp but he is also now saving money for his other needs.

“Previously, we used to spend 500/= shillings about 4 times a week to charge 3 phones that we have in the household. But now we save this money and use it for other basic needs.” James reveals.

When the lamp is fully charged. It serves two purposes. James’s family uses it to light their house at night and also for studying/reading by those still in school. In a refugee setting, where the education provided is just basic; it takes a lot for one to make out good what they are taught. But this would require more studying especially at night and perhaps doing assignments given.

Who else benefitted?
James is among the 500 Persons of concern who were supported by EMESCO with solar lamps. The categories of beneficiaries included; Gender Based Violence survivors, Persons with Disability, Older persons at risk, separated children, and single mothers among others.
Sustainable Development Goal 7 envisions that there will be improved access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services for all by 2030 which is in line with Uganda’s Vision 2040.

The Government’s policy vision on energy in the National Development Plan III (2021 – 2025) is to increase the proportion of households with access to electricity from the current 30% to 80% by 2040.

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By Bazio Doreen

Many people agree that menstruation is indeed a normal phase of a girl’s life but few people acknowledge the challenges it comes with for the one who has to go through it every month because people interpret differently the onset of the cycle. In a traditional Adjumani community, a girl in her menstruation period was not allowed to live in the same home with her mother as she would be seen to be a woman herself now. However, with formal education and the ever-changing dynamics in culture, this opinion is slowly dying away.

Team Work.

According to Gloria Matapkwe, 17, a Primary Six pupil at Ajugopi Primary School, Menstrual Hygiene in her school and the community has improved as all children are now aware of it.

The children manage their menstruation by themselves without the help of the teachers and the elder children help the young ones to manage theirs properly.

Gloria also observes that girls no longer miss classes due to menstruation but now the boys and girls in her school now have the skills of making reusable sanitary pads and how to manage menstrual hygiene.

“Boys no longer laugh at a girl whose uniform gets stained with blood. But they rather do help the girl who is in trouble.” Gloria says.

Gloria also reveals that from the trainings provided by EMESCO children in her school have now learnt skills such as sewing and it has become a source of income and livelihood.

“The money which I would use to buy disposable pads now is used to buy something. And also I can make the pads for myself and I sell some to other people to get money. Before EMESCO came in, girls were spending much of their money to buy sanitary pads monthly which sometimes they cannot afford to buy thus missing school” Gloria describes.

Involvement of boys.

On the other hand, Iceta Norbert, 15, a Primary Six pupil at Ajugopi Primary School, the increasing rate of school dropout was due to embarrassment by boys which made the girls shy and decide not to come to school.

He rates the menstrual hygiene management at his school at 90% owing it to the trainings by EMESCO on menstrual hygiene management and how to make reusable sanitary pads.

“As a boy, I have learned the skill of making reusable sanitary pads for my sisters at home. I no longer laugh at the girls whose clothes get spoiled with blood but I rather help them. I can also make the re-usable sanitary pad and sell them to any man.” Iceta Norbert said.

Before the coming of EMESCO, Iceta Norbert reveals that he did not know menstruation happens to every girl. He used to tease the girls who underwent their menstruation because he thought they were ready for marriage.

Involvement of teachers.

Masudio Rosemary, a teacher, at Ajugopi Primary School, says EMESCO has contributed a lot to menstrual hygiene at the school by teaching them how to make emergency re-usable sanitary pads in addition to providing disposable sanitary pads and soap for girls in the school.

“Before EMESCO, girls were facing difficulties in purchasing sanitary pads. Parents were unable to provide them with sanitary pads which made them miss classes because of periods and some dropped out due to lack of sanitary pads as they feared to be laughed at by the boys at school when their clothes got spoiled with blood.” Masudio Rosemary explains.

Masudio also observes that before the coming of EMESCO, some girls were asking for money from their boyfriends to purchase the sanitary pads. They did not know how to make reusable sanitary pads. But now both boys and girls know the good materials to make the sanitary pads and they make the pads by themselves.

“The children act as role models. They even train the parents at home on how to make the reusable sanitary pads.” Masudio Rosemary explains.

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By Doreen Bazio,

It is about 9:10 am when we arrive in Oliji Refugee Settlement which is a 15-minute drive from Adjumani Town. The situation in our destined home brings both pain and joy. I find Sabina, a resident of this settlement having breakfast with her 3 daughters and 5 grandchildren. They are having a mixture of beans and maize commonly/locally known as; ‘Anyoi’.

Anyone could tell that this might be the most important and affordable meal for this family. Maybe even as a routine. More than just a woman struggling to fend for her family, Sabina presents herself as a courageous woman when she later tells me a story of bravery and passionate motherhood.

In 2013, the civil war in South Sudan forced Sabina to leave the youngest country on the continent after she abruptly became a widow. This is how she was inherited by a Hajji (moslem man with many wives) relative of her husband. Little did she know that this marriage too wouldn’t last.
Although he was an alcoholic and irresponsible husband, Sabina was willing to stay with him for the sake of marriage but only if he would stop beating her. But this never stopped. The disagreement that consequently always led to the fights was about intimacy. Sabina had a chronic illness and doctors had advised her to tread carefully when it comes to conjugal rights. Sabina had 3 children with her first husband and 2 with the second.

When Sabina couldn’t take the beatings anymore, she decided to leave her husband in Alere Refugee Settlement in another Sub County where they had first been resettled when they came to Uganda. She moved on along with her teenage daughters.

This decision however came with far-reaching implications as she later found it so hard to afford school fees. This meant that her daughters would spend a bigger part of their time at home and thus conceiving was inevitable. But this condition equally took a toll on her, she lost her self-esteem and confidence.
However, this recently changed after attending sessions conducted by EMESCO through Gender Promoters. EMESCO has reached out to about 5,000 persons of concern on messages about Gender Based Violence through 100 trained Gender Promoters.

From these sessions, Sabina has regained her confidence and self-esteem. This was unlike before when she used to live a miserable life out of self-pity due to the domestic abuse she was going through. Sabina says she is now empowered and feels better because of the advice she received from the sessions.
Sabina also says that because these sessions are done jointly, the community now feels responsible for uplifting and protecting survivors of Gender-Based Violence. This motivation has helped Sabina start life all over again by doing odd jobs so that her extended family can survive.

Sabina now hopes that she will thrive and look after her family with the support of her community which she feels understands her better. This is how gender promoters are ensuring that protecting of especially women against GBV is a communal rather than a personal responsibility.

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By Bazio Doreen.

Each year, an estimated 358,000 women in especially developing countries die while pregnant or giving birth and 2 million newborns die within the first 24 hours of life because of inadequate or insufficient health care. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, each day approximately 800 women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth – meaning that a woman died around every two minutes. Observers say these statistics could be lessened if midwifery services are prioritized or upgraded. Uganda has made strides!

According to the 2022 Uganda Demographic Health Survey, recently (2023) released, maternal morbidity reduced from 524 (2001) to 189 (2022) deaths per 100,000 live births. This is mainly because development partners have joined the government in its effort to improve health service delivery at all levels. This is important because Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.1 is to reduce maternal mortality to less than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.

The situation in Adjumani.

According to Lulu Henry Leku, the Assistant District Health Officer in charge of Maternal Health, among the 36,000 deliveries registered in Adjumani District in the last three financial years (between 2020 and 2023), only 7 maternal deaths occurred. For a refugee-hosting district where resources are usually meager, what has then been the magic cure?

As a patient narrates her experience, you realize that the solution lies in not just ensuring that all that is required is available, but putting in place dedicated staff with a passion for bringing life forth.

For Chandia Stella, a refugee, and mother of three, the experience of labor is always new. There might be some experience but it never means expertise. As fate would have it, Stella and Harriet met in the labor ward as strangers but left as friends.

Harriet Agwang is a midwife recruited by EMESCO Development Foundation, an NGO supporting health service delivery at Agojo HC II, Agojo Refugee Settlement, Ciforo Sub County, in Adjumani District. She has served there for only 10 months as per the project. But in this about a year, Harriet has touched the lives of many.

Difficult moment.

Harriet’s competence was put to the test when in the middle of the night, Stella was due for labor but had complications. But she had more to worry about, there were 5 other mothers in the ward and they all needed her attention. Stella stayed all night trusting that God would come through for her. At least she felt, she was in the best care.

Harriet dozed off and lay beside her waiting and monitoring her progress. Looking back, Stella says she felt sorry that Harriet had to sleep by her side without any mosquito net. She feared that they might survive the battle to bring her son to the world alive but Harriet may have contracted Malaria. But she stayed strong and thanked God that she had met a good nurse on duty on her expected day of delivery.

Regains faith.

Stella had met Harriet before and heard good things about her passion for work, but they had really never been in a difficult situation together for her to experience it. Besides, she believed that that was her routine work and was probably paid to do so. But she was now more impressed about her human side. She could have decided to go and have a rest in her bed as they waited. Hours later, her son was delivered but the complications continued. She had lost her faith but her son won the battle and still continues to live.

Intervention by EMESCO

Stella is one of the 866 women who received pre-natal consultation services and delivery care. These were offered at Alere and Agojo HCIIs through the recruitment of a midwife at each. According to Stella however, Mothers at Agojo HCII just like in many other parts of the district, suffer from many other challenges ranging from the small delivery beds to the lack of reliable ambulance services and unstable electricity supply.

Harriet who also worked during COVID-19 observed that SOPs were greatly hard to manage for mothers and that could partly explain the high numbers of maternal mortality rate at the time. However, the Ugandan government has since learned its lessons and is now doing better.

Future.

For refugees, UNFPA works in partnership with the Ministry of Health to improve delivery care by strengthening health systems; and training health workers, in particular midwives who are then recruited to work in some of the most hard-to-reach parts of the country like Adjumani and other refugee hosting districts.

According to the State Minister in charge of Primary Health Care, Hon. Margaret Muhanga, the Ministry of Health in Uganda has also been able to ensure that 85% of the population has a 5km radius of a health center. The Ministry of Health also established a system that allows them to identify and categorize women at risk, as well as to continuously monitor and ensure their continued care through pregnancy mapping done by the village health teams and volunteers (partners).

Every year, Uganda hosts the ‘Safe Motherhood Conference’ as an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in delivering the different components of safe motherhood and also provide inputs in the key agenda and campaigns focused on improving maternal and reproductive health in the country.

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