FOOT PEACE AMBASSADORS MOBILIZE COMMUNITIES

Kitsutsu Youth,sensitizing through Drama

May 12^th-22^nd  2017 was characterized by Foot Peace Ambassadors reaching out to People with Disabilities(PWDs), Women, People Living with HIV and AIDS(PLHA), and Youths in the sub counties of Munkunyu, Karusandara and Katwe Kabatoro Town Council in Kasese District with a message of peaceful co-existence and human rights as well as Mobilizing Communities to be able to share testimonies on human rights and conflict prevention and management in the three sub counties above.

Seven hundred ninety nine (799; 475 females and 324 Males) were reached and sensitized. Of these, 77 were PWDs and 25 were People living with HIV and AIDS.

Efficient methodologies were used to mobilize and sensitize community people and among others included; Music dance and drama, house to house visits and Church visits.

CBOs members preaching Peace during a community outreach

Key issues were raised and among others included;

·        Human rights violations of PWDs, especially children. Some children are still denied their rights to worship whereby in some families such children are left at home on worshiping days by their parents. Others also are not enrolled for schooling.

·        HIV and AIDS is still a threat and the youth are highly susceptible to contracting it because of their reckless lifestyles.

·        Poverty still ranks first as a perpetuator of domestic violence

·        Local people still say government alleged actions of destabilizing OBR is planting hatred among Bakonzo against the government, especially those who subscribe to it.

·        Hunger among communities is another current conflict potential in Kasese District. Most rural families visited testified that they now survive on one meal, a day.

·        Population increase is causing a lot of pressure on the limited land in the District. On average, a household in Munkunyu and Karusandara sub counties has six people. This according to the local people will make conflicts inevitable in their communities especially when children grow and start demanding for land from their parents.

·        Calmness is being observed among communities especially brought about by the continuous engagements by different stakeholders on Peace building. Community members commended the work of Foot Peace Ambassadors in promoting local peace and human rights awareness.

 

Sensitization continued, clearly educating local people on their rights.

Community members visited made some recommendations and the following were worth capturing;

·        Poverty still came out strongly from community members as escalating community based conflicts especially domestic ones. There is need to strengthen people’s economic skills so that they can easily over come economic challenges that have caused conflicts.

·        Community people asked for urgent attention towards investing in irrigation schemes as the only way to increase food production

·        Contacting HIV and AIDS education/awareness organizations to increase their actions in communities because the youth are becoming more reckless and it could increase the spread of the Disease.

·        There is also need to specifically collect testimonies of human rights status of PWDs/ or from guardians across the District. PWDs’ rights are still grossly violated and especially the children.

Awareness through drama,continued.

Lessons have been learnt from the above community visits and the following are key;

·        Foot Peace Ambassadors are progressively becoming competent in sensitizing communities and managing local conflicts. They only need continuous engagements to master the art of peaceful coexistence promotion perfectly.

·        Supporting FPAs to reach out to communities empowers them to be able to deliver project inputs and get results. It also contributes to project sustainability.