ST MARIA GORETTI WOMEN’S GROUP TRAIN IN BASKET MAKING (CARRIONS)

 Most women are held home by their husbands and not allowed to work because they are supposed to stay home and take care of their children. These women do not have any skills that can keep them busy at home and also earn them some money while at home. Lack of source of income is cause for unbalanced spouse relations and thus a cause of violence to the children.

to over come this challenge, on 26^th August 2019 RIC-NET trained the women members of St Maria Goretti women’s group in kisolholho village Karambi Sub County on how to make baskets (carrions). This is done to empower women through skills training to enable them to start up their own small businesses and earn income hence improving their standards of living.

According to Mrs.Zeresi Baguma a member of this group said they were very happy about this idea because they are learning new skills that they will use for generations to earn income. The trainer  hired by RIC-NET  gave a theoratical sessions before embarking on the practicals where every woman followed suit step by step and after some time they were weaving on their own with supervision from the trainer. 

The chairperson  of the group thanked RICNET for always considering them when such opportunities come up and encouraged RICNET to come more often because the people of Kisolholho are quick learners and ready to adopt anything productive that comes up.

The women were excited and left with the carrions they had made to go and show their husbands what they have been doing the whole day.

PARENTS AND MANAGEMENT OF KISOLHOLHO PRIMARY SCHOOL RESOLVE TO PREVENT VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN

Mr Kabote the RIC-NET Commuinity facilitator sharing on Parenting

The general PTA meeting which sat on 26^th August, 2019 at kisolholho primary school resolved to support prevention of VAC project.  In attendance was the chairperson LC1, LC II, LC III, Sub county chief, inspector of schools and RICNET staff when the parent made the commitment to  provide lunch, sanitary towels and promote positive discipline (restrict corporal punishment) in school. The chairperson PTA requested the parents who had turned up to continue paying school fees and show love to their children so that they are motivated to come to school. The head teacher in his communication encouraged parents to always visit the school and thanked them for having sent their children to school on the first day of the term. He thanked Government for the services provided to the school especially paying the teachers, serving textbooks, UPE funds like 3.08millon shillings given to the school last term. He thanked UNICEF and RICNET for educating the staff and parents on alternative corporal punishment.

The Head teacher sharing on Alternative to Discipline techiniques

“These organizations teach about prevention and response to child violence in schools. Some parents deny their children food, give corporal punishments so if these children do wrong, please call him or her sit down and discuss then give a way forward.” RICNET staff shared with the parents the different forms of violence against children, their causes and how to prevent violence against children at school and home.  The parents were encouraged to love their children, one another and for men to treat their pregnant women well so that the child in the womb is not wronged in any way.

KARAMBI HOLDS SUBCOUNTY OTHER VULNERABLE CHILDREN’S COMMITTEE (SOVCC)

RIC-NET with prevention of Violence against svhildren project supported by CRVPF supported Karambi sub county  to convene SOVCC meeting on 17^th September, 2019 held at karambi sub county headquarters. The meeting attended by the sub county chairperson, the representatives of NGOs such as Karambi Group of People with Disability, FAWE, the Police OC , the Head Teacher( zone leader), the assistant health officer, the representative of the sub county court and RICNET. The sub county chairperson appreciated members for coming especially the parents who have children to take care of and encouraged them to tell their children to go to school and invited partners to give in their reports:

The CBOs representative Apollo Ngubi told the people how Alliance for children sent sixty homes food crops to children to plant that is onions, tomatoes, cabbages, ACODEV giving school fees to twelve girls in karambi Sub County. The police OC Karambi sub county reported about the different  cases  of violence against children in the sub county where defilement was leading. FAWE represantive gave a report of the cases  handled of children being denied a right of going to school.

The SOVCC committee and the partners put up a way forward which was to conduct parent sensitization on value and role of education, community policing in area of case of child neglect and defilement, getting facts about the cases, linkage to other stakeholders and service provider NGOs and police, improve our reporting mechanism to get results from the village people, follow up on what is in the school and then each individual to develop work plans and shared at sub county level.
The programs officer, RICNET Charles then gave the final presentation on the seven strategies for ending violence in Uganda (INSPIRE) that is should be implemented such as:

 Mr. Seezi Baluku the representative of Karambi group of people with disability gave the statistics of the disabled children tha

t have passed on, the children that are going to graduate who have been doing tailoring under their help and how the projects they are doing will be expanded in the whole sub county.

Enforcement of Law, Norms and Values, Safe Environment, Parents and Care Givers Support, Income and Economic Strengthening, Response and Support Services, and Education. The people thanked RICNET for the good work done and encouraged them to come more often.

Road constructors blinding young girls with money and small gifts for the exchange of sex.

AS a follow up on the INSPIRE training strategies in Buyangabu District, the locally trained persons by RIC-NET and RIDE africa are following up on cases of Violence against Children in Bunyangabu District to highlight the inadequate implementation of the laws.

Armpass construction co.ltd has been contracted by Government of the Republic of Uganda to construct and rehabilitate a number of roads in Uganda e.g. the road from Kyanga- Rwimi town council- Bunyangabu district to Kasisi,Ruteete Sub County-Kabarole District. 

This road passes through Kadindima trading centre, near kangume’s home. Residents along this road are raising fear due to the road constructors who are blinding young girls with money and small gifts for the exchange of sex.

A case in point is Mr. Reynaldo Gumwid, a citizen of Philippine, an employee of Armpass co.ltd  who routinely defiled  a 16 years girl (names withheld) from Karambi Zone,  Kadindima parish, Rwimi Sub county,  Bunyangabu District.

Reynaldo went out of lack on 8 August 2019 when he was caught in act at Roho Guest House located in Kahungabunyonyi, Rwengoma A, West Division , Fort portal municipality. 

Police officers attached to fort portal police station received information from the victim’s brother-in- law known as Simon Byamukama that Reynaldo Gumwid is in lodge with her. Immediately, police intervened, red-handed, arrested both of them. Rwenzori Police spokesperson Ms. Lydia Tumushabe confirmed that the police arrested Gumwid with the minor from the lodge and was  taken to courts of law to face charges of defilement and  remanded to Fort portal Government prison – Katojo, later bailed out by his workmates on 15 August  2019. 

RICNET/RIDE AFRCA team was concerned buy the circumstances of the bail as reported by the local INSPIRE activitis. The team visited  the family of victim but the victim and her mother allegedly in to fort portal to see  state attorney  how to  withdraw the defilement case against Reynaldo Gumwid.

Kate Ndagano, the victim’s older sister, who is Byamukama’s wife and his Brother Bright Christopher, a bodaboda rider, they confirmed that  the victim had just completed primary seven and refused to join a vocational school on the grounds that she wanted secondary education, of which the family don’t have enough money to support her for secondary education.

According to family members, the victim was staying with her close relative since March 2019 who did not restrict her movements. she turned into a redundant, stubborn and unruly girl. 

it was alleged that the  family members were given  4 millions ugandan shillings to silence them and not to follow up the case, but the brother and sister to the victim refuted the information as mere rumors. But they said that the Armpass co.ltd employees are persuading them to withdraw the case so that the perpetrator starts paying school fees for their daughter.

  

Bernard Katesirwa, the LC1 chairman confirmed that, young girls in his area most of them are redundant, unruly, and stubborn. He further said that they take a lot of alcohol with old men and women.  He called on parents to always have enough time for their children to teach them traditional and culture values of chastity and desist from early sex .