Friday, May 17, 2013

ICT TRAINING FOR KAMWENGE DISTRICT STAFF ENDS SUCCESSFULLY


The four days training that started from Tuesday 14th- -17th .may.2013 at the  E-society center  Kamwenge District Headquarters attracted numerous participants from various departments among them we hard headteachers, subcounty accountants, clerk to council, procurement officers  secretaries and some Heads Of Departments

participants on a hands on training exercise


Under the project title’ enhancing civic competence for social accountability”, Participants were trained in two shifts consecutively morning and evening whereby they were introduced to power point presentation, how to connect a projector and how to use internet for communication and making  online research.

Speaking to one of the participants Mr. Tumuhibise Edward Assistant procurement officer said that the training was beneficial “he has learnt more new skills which he did not have while at university and promised to be coming to the center for more practice.

Ms.kabarokole Aurelia  secretary for education also confessed that she had benefited a lot “the training had been beneficial to her she did not know how to connect a projector and how it  operates but now she has learnt  therefore giving credit to RIC-NET for their extending such services to the people of Kamwenge District .
miss joy mogan amooti incharge kamwenge E-center training a participant on how to organize content in power point
At the End of the training 25(17males and 8 females) participants had been trained and had a hands on practical exams that proved that they had really gained from what they had been trained as they parted ways happily and promised to continue making practices wherever they will be.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

UPDATES ABOUT PLANT CLINICS IN KASESE AND BUNDIBUGYO FOR SELECTED CROPS.


Market places
Crop
Major symptoms
Type of organism
Identification of the problem
Method of control
Busunga,Mpanga,Bubandi, in Bundibugyo and Mpondwe,
Kisinga,Kiburara,
Kinyabisiki and Mawa in Kasese
Banana
Yellowing, leaf fall, leaf spots, premature ripening, banana fingers not maturing, males bags also affected, leaf dryness from the top
Fungi, bacteria
BBX
Removal of the affected plant, hip and then burn
Maize
Yellowed, slow growth, early drying of leaves, stunted growth, fruit fall,
Insect/mite, bacteria, animal, fungi
Nitrogen deficiency, weed problem
Use of pesticides
Beans
Wilted,stunted,leaf fall, drying, dark spots and holes
Bacteria, fungi
Insect damage on the affected plant.
Remove the affected plants
Cassava
Yellowed, stunted growth, leaf fall, rotting of the stem and fruit
Fungi,
cassava mosaic
Leaves are damaged and fruits either rotting or stunted.
Remove the affected plants, spraying with pesticides.
Cocoa
Young pods yellowing, black pods,
Bacteria, fungus, Termites, aphids
Pod rots, wilting, plucking off of the branches and fruits before ripening
Remove the affected plants and spraying with appropriate pesticides.
Coffee
Brown patches on leaves, rust, holes in the leaves
Fungus, insects/mites
Holes developing in the berries and branches
Pruning and spraying with pesticides.
Cabbages




Tomatoes
Yellowing, stunted growth, rotting, nematodes,
Fungi, bacteria,
Early blight, nitrogen deficiency
Use insecticides, pesticides, mulching.






UPDATES ABOUT PLANT CLINICS IN KASESE AND BUNDIBUGYO FOR SELECTED CROPS.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

VULNERABLE GROUP LEADERS DEMAND FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN KAMWENGE DISTRICT



District Chairman for PWD's giving his remarks
This was during an interface meeting for district leaders and the vulnerable group leaders that took place on Labour Day 1st .may. 2013 at Kamwenge District Headquarters in the education boardroom. Despite the down pour of heavy rains that rained till mid day, this did not stop participants from turning up in big numbers for the meeting. These included the District Chairperson LCV who was represented by his vice, District Speaker, Subcounty Chief Ntara, District Chairman for persons with disabilities, District Councilors Kamwenge Town Council And Ntara Sub county Chairman Youth , Secretary For Social Services among others.

In his opening remarks, MR Bwambale Geoffrey the program officer Karambi Action for life Improvement told participants to organize themselves in groups so as to advocate for their rights and access government programs for equal opportunities. Under the project; “ROEA104399 Enhancing civic competence to strengthen social accountability in 25 districts, 5 regions in Uganda”, RWECO conducted the Participatory Poverty Assessment in 5 districts of: Kasese, Kabarole, Bundibugyo, Kamwenge and Kyenjojo whose aim was  to assess the applicability of the national policy papers in achieving the social goals of service delivery and launched the policy briefs in the region to share the findings of the participatory assessment. Action point during the policy brief launch was to cascade the policy briefs for the vulnerable groups to make campaigns on issues that pertain to their livelihoods and service delivery.

Thus RWECO in partnership with KALI have embarked on mobilizing the vulnerable groups especially the PWD’s basing on the outcomes of the poverty assessment. The joint annual campaigns with district vulnerable groups on poverty eradication and service delivery monitoring  in Kamwenge district follows a training of leaders of vulnerable groups that was conducted in march 2013.

The Purpose of the Joint Campaigns with Vulnerable groups was to interface with Local government leaders and bring the plight of the poor vulnerable groups on the policy agenda and to mobilize and rally support of the district leaders for increasing budgets to vulnerable groups with specific focus PWD’s and SNE  in the district.

Issues raised by the participants

Mr. Sam mugisha the chairman of Kamwenge district advocacy group for PWD’s and other vulnerable groups presented a concept note which advocated for equal opportunities, data on PWD’S and meetings with other development partners at the different levels, in his presentation he cited out challenges faced  by PWD’s as;

§  Neglect of PWD’s in policy formulation and  implementation

§  Lack of empowerment and advocacy strategy in place to enable the vulnerable to voice out their issues

§  Ignorance of the disabled they are not aware of their rights

§  Low budget allocation for the PWD’s and the youths

§  Inaccessibility of the allocated funds especially the youths

Addition to the above, He said, Disability is not inability” citing out examples of PWD’s who have excelled in their career despite of being disabled, District speaker kayunga,woman Mp Koboko and the Head Of ICT Department Uganda Martyrs University Mbarara Campus.

Action points agreed upon during the meeting;

§  Advocating for the implementation of different articles and laws that promote the plight of people with disabilities and other marginalized groups

§  Sensitization of PWD’s to participate in budgeting, planning and resource allocations at different levels of local government.

§  Follow up on budget performance for the allocated funds to the PWD’s in a given financial year

§  Lobby and advocate for user friendly pavements on all public places

§  Identifying and funding talented PWD’s

§  Creating a rehabilitation center for PWD’s and orphans

§  Conducting integrated meetings between PWD’s and development partners on a quarterly basis

§  Support the building of a rehabilitation and resource center for PWD”s

Tibimpama Rovence the Vice Chairperson LCV who represented the District chairman in her remarks promised the involvement of people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups in decision making forum such as budget formulation and policy advocacy for special considerations. She thanked RWECO/KALI for reawakening awareness campaign on policy advocacy for the vulnerable persons.

Radio talk show programme

To sum up everything the meeting ended up with a radio talk show at Voice of Kamwenge where the District Speaker, District Councilor People With Disabilities And The Chairman Advocacy For Vulnerable Groups In Kamwenge District discussed the outcomes of the meeting and sensitized the entire district to rally and support PWD’s at their different capacities.