BRINGING BACK THE SPIRIT OF PARENT-CHILD COMMUNICATION

Good Hope foundation believes in raising children that understands, feel comfortable and confident, and hopefully feel comfortable discussing the violence they pass through with teachers, leaders, parents and guardians that love and support them.  The organization reorganizes the need for efficient platforms for children to present what they pass through and their suggestions in regard to prevention of violence against children to their parents, community members, leaders and teachers and through this approach we hope will diminish the number of abusers by raising children and community members that condemn violence against children with the ability to better empathize and respect the rights of children and adolescents through good parenting practices and creating safe learning environment for the children at school.

There has been a complete breakdown in communication between children and parents and this has continued to impact the academic and personal growth of the children and the wellbeing of the children at school and in the entire family.

On 22^nd June 2017, Good Hope foundation facilitated an annual open day at Kiburara primary school as a means of show casing pupil’s works, interactions and sessions to bring back the spirit of parent-child communication. The event was for purpose of creating platform for the children to interact with the parents, community members, teachers and the sub county leaders on issues of violence against children and school learning environment. In attendance 136 (103F and 33M) parents, 463 (225M and 238F) children attended the event including the sub county chief, community development officer, police officials, teachers, center coordinating tutor as well as the local leaders who were sensitized on the prevention of violence against children and adolescents looking at the good parenting practices, parent child communication, and the learning environment for pupils.

During the event, variety of issues where raised by children through poems, Music Dance and Drama and among the issues raised included; the poor sanitation and hygiene at their school mainly the lack of water of water within and around school as well as inadequate latrine stances, lack of mid day meals at schools which affects their academic performance and increasing school dropout, the poor nutrition in the households that increases malnutrition among the children as well poor performance, child neglect in most of the families, domestic violence which effects children most, failure of parents to provide the basic necessities to the children, defilement and early marriages which has affected girl child education

While reacting to the children’s communication, parents, teachers and the leaders made the following suggestions, comments and commitments  

From the children’s presentation, parents recognized that children go through a lot of violations and challenges right from home, on the way and at school without the care taker’s knowledge which members attributed to lack of strong bond between children and the care takers which builds confidence in children to share their issues with the care takers. On this, parents and other care takers where reminded to always give time to their children and to develop a positive parent-child communication.

With the increased hunger, parents took it as a concern that they need to provide meals to the children at school and with the poor seasons currently, parents were advised not to sale off the little they will harvest rather keep it to address the hunger problem. On the water problem, parents committed themselves to complete their payment by the end of June

Parents were also recommended to always use the local leaders, religious leaders, and the fellow parents in managing children’s issues and that they should always report cases of violence against children to relevant law enforcers

On absenteeism of children and teachers, parents were informed that following the implementation of the district child protection ordinance, the sub county leadership have started making follow ups in the households and gardens arresting children who are not at school. While the school management was advised to use part of the school land and put up a banana plantation demonstration to support the teacher’s welfare.

On household economic strengthening, parents were called upon to join village SACCOS and establish income generating family initiatives.

Parents were also informed on the sub county bye-law on nutrition which stipulates mandatory establishment of kitchen gardens per household.

Children were also advised to respect their parents, community members and teachers for them to excel and to always resist gifts from strangers.

Pupils presenting a play to their parents during the school opening day

Pupils of Kiburara Primary School presenting music,dance and drama to their parents

Good Hope Foundation project officer explaining to parents what is expected of them as parents

RELIGIOUS LEADERS DEVELOP MECHANISMS ON PREVENTING VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Religious and faith leaders often hold positions of great respect, trust and confidence in our society. Behind the protected walls of religious institutions, congregants often feel safe and comfortable to disclose and discuss their most private matters and secrets to their religious leaders, including the often painful secret that they are experiencing abuse in their homes. We have often stressed the role of the state and non-state actors in addressing violence against children and adolescents but this time we took a closer look at the role of our community of faith or our religious leaders. Religious/faith leaders are important in influencing the behaviors, practices and attitudes of house hold members and community members towards family building and uniting community members through building morals both among the children and community members which are all geared towards prevention of violence against children and adolescents as well as building stable families.

On 6^th and 8^th June/2017, Good Hope Foundation organized a training meeting for 60 (34m and26F) religious from the two sub counties of Kisinga and Karusandara on positive parenting and prevention of violence against children and adolescents. This was intended to team up with religious institutions in building synergies in positive parenting and prevention of violence against children and adolescents. Among the religious institutions that participated in the meeting included; Roman catholic, church of Uganda, Muslim and Adventist from the two sub counties of operation targeting mainly the parish priests, catechists, lay leaders, imams, parish council members, head of lights as well as the church/mosque group/ ministry leaders who included; mothers union leaders and fathers union leaders, CHWA leaders, women’s league as well as the youth leaders representing the youth and children ministries. The meeting was mainly to strengthen the capacities of religious leaders to be able to engage in the prevention of violence against children and adolescents especially through building good morals among the families and communities and also to empower the trained religious leaders to reach out to their religious faiths and ministries to share with them on how children are parented and how to build stable families geared towards prevention of violence against children and adolescents since most of the violence against children begins at family level.

Key of the issues handled during the meeting included; understanding the concept of violence against children and adolescents where the discussion mainly focused at understanding the forms, causes and effects of violence against children and adolescents, laws and policies in place that protects the rights of children and adolescents and how violence against children and adolescents can be prevented.

Participants were also taken through the concept of positive parenting were the discussion mainly focused on understanding who a parent is, forms of parenting as well as the different aspects of positive parenting which included; behavior control looking at how children are disciplined were members emphasized on loving guidance and the use of alternative punishments when controlling the behaviors of children. The discussion also looked at the aspect of Respect for Individual autonomy looking at the child as a human being who needs also to be given plat form to express his/her mind on something that might affect him as a child and taking his/her decision of much importance in parenting. Members also looked at the aspect of modeling appropriate behaviors of which members said in parenting children are shaped by their parents which means what parents do while with the children it’s manifested in the behaviors of children. Under this aspect members discussed the different types of behaviors that parents can model to their children such as showing respect for others and yourself, practicing positive communication skills as well as working on anger management were members said most of the people punish children not out of love but out of anger. Lastly were taken through the aspect of provision and protection which looks at the joint roles and responsibilities of parents to provide basic necessities to the children and adolescents.

Key commitments from the participants

The following were some of the actions and commitments agreed upon by the participants;

As a way of reaching out to many community members on matters of child upbringing and family stability, leaders of the different ministries in churches and mosques committed themselves to always share with their members issues on preventing violence against children as well as on positive parenting practices during their meetings.

While organizing lessons for Sunday/sabath/ juma, priests/imams will always be sensitive on issues regarding children’s parenting and family stability

Working with other parish council members, a specific Sunday/Sabbath in a very month will be set for a summon specifically on children’s issues more especially positive parenting

Parish priests while working with the model couples to always organize enough sharing meetings with the partners going into marriage to prepare them for family tasks a head of them, duties and how to solve family issues.

                     Training of religious leaders to prevent violence against children

Different Religious leaders join  hands to prevent Violence against Children

KASESE LEADERS ASSURE RESIDENTS OF A PEACEFUL DISTRICT.

Baseline survey presentation,presented by GHFRD ED

On May 19^th 2017, Kasese leaders met at Kasese District Multi-purpose Hall in Kasese Municipality, mobilized and organized by Good Hope Foundation for rural Development to share the baseline findings with the District stakeholders and validate the data for final incorporation into the final report baseline report. The baseline survey was conducted across the District in 2016 with objectives of; Documenting stakeholder’s knowledge and understanding of the triggers of conflict and human rights violations in Kasese District and documenting existing community based actions and interventions aimed at prevention and management of conflicts and human rights violations in the region.

Fifty seven (57; 14 Females and 43 Males) attended and participated in the Meeting. Two of them were persons with disabilities that included the District Council Speaker. And among the participants included; LCV C/Person, District executive committee members, District Council Speaker, Resident District commissioner, District police commanders, District councilors, Sub county chairpersons, CSOs leaders, FPAs, HIVOS M&E Officer, Cultural leaders of OBR and other ethnic groups in the District

 

One of the LCIII C/Ps raising his concerns

During the plenary session after presenting the baseline findings, several issues were raised and among others included;

·        Findings showed that Kasese ranked highest in human rights awareness in the Rwenzori region. Participants dug deep to understand if Kasese is the only District that gets Human rights messages compared to other districts in the Rwenzori region.

·        Media violates human rights by uttering out words like Kandi banabo” quoting from some songs meaning again they are the ones”  Kasese being a community of several ethnicities, other tribes feel these words are being thrown to them hence inciting violence.

·        Some musicians sing songs that directly or indirectly provoke specific ethnic groups, and as a result there are different interpretations by people that cause misunderstanding in the community hence fueling conflict. 

·        Specific groups feel marginalized via employment at the district, in away that they feel there is no employment balancing in regard to tribes of the district, only one tribe is considered while others feel they are given low offices or positions

·        Politicians trigger conflict by supporting some one in a wrong act, e.g according to one participant,” during the violence that took place in Bigando, a chairman LCIII  supported people who had pangas to attack the ones they considered to have caused the violence”.

·        Segregation in schools, some parents and students feel some students are favored in regard to tribe depending on the administration of the school. This is witnessed when specific tribe in school are given text books at the expense of others, involvement in school activities for exposure. 

·        Leaders (political leaders) cause conflict in a way when they are voted and recognize that they did not yield high votes in specific villages, they only concentrate on those they feel voted or supported them.

RDC-Mr. Aminadabu Muhindo giving his remarks

The above issues among others guided participants to come up with the following action points;

·        Need to engage key stakeholders such as politicians and NGOs on the un ending conflicts and human rights violations in the district;

·        Equal treatment by district leadership- a scan through the district staff and top political leadership doesn’t show the cosmopolitan nature of Kasese district

·        Community sensitization by foot peace ambassadors on human rights and conflict prevention must continue.

·        Joint follow up of  elders forum by district leadership regardless of political affiliation- the elders forum should comprise of the ethnic tribes in the district and non political and be based on old age ( at least of retirement age bracket)

·        Need for reconciliation committee that will bring together different conflicting parties

·        Take affirmation action on measures to reduce poverty through- Education, engaging in agriculture,  public health

·        Utilization of the radio spaces to sensitize communities on their rights and responsibilities given the different sectors like agriculture, education,  public health and SACCOs

·        District Commercial officer to sensitize the business community on transforming from informal sector to formal sector

·        Affirmative action for the youth given that they have a lot of energy that could be transformed into productive work- Youth livelihoods,  women’s fund and form a district youth forum ( NAYODE to follow up on that action)

·        Bringing on board the Uganda Human rights Commission given that its there duty to do civic education and according to the baseline results they scored least as government agencies that the CBOs had engaged with.

Members carefully scanning through the report.

At the end of the Meeting, the following key messages by leaders were noted;

LCV C/P-Mr. Sibendire Bigogo giving his remarks

“ I support a combined elders forum that will  bring together all tribes living in Kasese, I believe if we had a non political elders forum, as leaders we could have where to go when faced with such incidents as that of November 2016”  LCV- Kasese District( Mr. Sibendire Bigogo Godfrey)

“Let us talk as leaders given our different roles, sometimes I get concerned when a church leader meddles in politics, you talk the bible and leave the politicians talk politics. Conflicts here in Kasese need consorted efforts given the nature and what we have gone through for the last couple of years.  Sections of people must learn to behave as leaders, so as to be role models for the youth who are being used for selfish motives” –Deputy RDC- Kasese (Mr. Aminadabu  Muhindo)

“ we as leaders have sometimes contradicted ourselves even when we come from the same areas,  that is already sign of conflicts, what do you expect the youth to do, if we cant agree as mature leaders, that’s what I have observed in the community. We need to talk the same language when we go to the communities that we represent” Karusandara Sub county District woman councilor (Hon. Mbambu Doreen)

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.