PTA AND SMC MEMBERS OF SCHOOLS IN KIBIITO TOWN COUNCIL PROMISE TO PROMOTE A SAFE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT.

 

One-day training on safe school environment was carried out with 24 members of SMC and PTA from the 12 schools in Kibiito town council that RIC-NET is working with. It was in this training that these members promised to join hands with the teachers and the headteachers to create a safe school environment.

From the training it was learned that there are gaps in the implementation of schools policies, where the stakeholders do not communicate the same language, schools rules and regulations need to be reviewed to suit the current government policy of discipline and as an alternative to punishment, the school rules and policies can be communicated to the parents the learners and the community, learners’ behaviors are shaped by the homes where they come from. The managers realized that children have been left to the teachers and that is why these days as a result of the covid19 pandemic, the parents are complaining of poor behavior and high rate of teenage pregnancies, positive discipline shape behavior, educates the person as a whole, promote social responsibility, and generate learning among the learners.The challenge in the schools is about mindset change amongst all the stakeholders the managers, the local leaders can work on mindset change by sensitizing the key stakeholders to adopt the changes in the learning process and the state of ownership is lacking among the managers and the parents, managers are there just to fill the posts as per government requirement to have PTA and management committees in schools and there is the need to improve the relationship between the schools and local government in the implementation of policies, regulations, and suggestions the parents put in place to create and improve a safe schools environment. These included for example policies in regards to midday meals, support to the infrastructure development where parents agree to contribute. Local leaders and security need to understand that communities have a responsibility to define their schools.

It was agreed from the training that these committees should review the school rules and regulations to suit the current learning environment in the schools, sensitize the parents on mindset changes to continue supporting the schools and her policies, support the infrastructure development in the schools to create better classroom environment suitable for learning.

Continuous monitoring and supervision of the school to ensure the teachers are in schools and performing their roles and duties as provided for in the teacher code of conduct, to create and adopt the lunch policy and disseminate it to all the stakeholders before its full implementation and that there should be shared decision making and implementation plan of the decision reached.  This is a result of interference by the politicians in decisions reached in schools.

Continuous community and parent’s sensitization on the rights and responsibilities of; parents, teachers, and the learners in the schools. Management should not be excluded from this and the purpose is to change the mindset.Creation of the motivation plan for the teaching and non-teaching staff in the schools to improve retention in school for the teachers and improve their performance, adaptations of measures that can help the community come out of poverty like supporting the community with skill development as well as proper use of government programs.

 

And finally it was agreed that the district should set a certain level of excellence the inspector can follow to ensure the schools comply with.

RIC-NET CARRIES OUT MONITORING AND SUPPORT VISITS TO ITS PROJECT AREA.

 

ED RIC-NET during monitoring visit in Kagoma C

There was a support and monitoring Visit to the areas where RIC-NET is implementing its activities in Kibiito town council Bunyangabu district. This was done to document project progress, challenges and provide technical support to areas that need improvement, assess progress, and document observable impact as well as document change stories from the beneficiaries.

Visiting Kasaali A

session for men alone in the parenting sessions

It was observed that the parenting groups are carrying out the lending and saving process in their groups and using the materials that were provided to them. Support was given during the parenting sessions in this visit and the idea of making groups of 5 business people was sold to them. These people were to choose an amount to be saving weekly and this was going to be happening alongside the VSLA in the parenting groups. These people were to register at the offices of RIC-NET in Kibiito town council and also meet there for their weekly savings as one member takes the money and returns it with interest. The people bought the idea and they were willing to start on it.

Group work during the sessions

The members thanked RIC-NET for the work and said that they have received changes in their homes and encouraged us not to stop from only the selected villages but also to move to others so that they can learn too. The chairperson LC1 Kagoma B thanked the director of RIC-NET for coming to check on them and sharing the idea of making more money through the group of five people.

KAGOMA PARENTING GROUPS TRAINED IN INCOME-GENERATING ACTIVITY.

 

Poverty exacerbates the risk for violence, abuse, and exploitation of children. Children who lack basic needs are often left vulnerable, fending for themselves. Perpetrators of violence prey on these marginalized children. They use the child's desperation to their advantage. It is on this that RIC-NET embarked on increasing the income of the households through training the parents on the hands-on skill that is making baskets. The four groups trained in this basket-making included the united family group, Ihunde family, Muhumuza group, and Eka eyobwesigwa group in Kagoma A and b respectively.

During the training

“We are excited and happy for this initiative and thank RIC-NET for the good work and the change it has brought in our community, I have been selling pancakes and in a day I earn like ten thousand shillings am so happy that I have gained some other skill that is going to increase on my income so that I can sustain providing for my children and my family “ a member of the Eka eyobwesigwa group said. 

“We are so grateful for this opportunity and we pray that God gives you more blessings and opportunities as RIC-NET and we promise to keep our group as united family members and we are going to be making baskets as a group, sell and add to our VSLA group to increase our incomes.” Said a member of the united family.

The parents promised to always provide all the basic needs that are needed by their children so that violence is prevented in these households since most of the time they violate their children’s rights because they do not have the money to provide for their needs.

            

 

 

 

RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND CULTURAL LEADERS TRAINED AS CHANGE AGENTS FOR VAC.

 

As one of the activities of the project RIC-NET trained the cultural and religious leaders about parenting and prevention of Violence against Children (VAC) on 25^th and 26^th October, 2021. The training was attended by 30 (12M, 8F) people and these included reverends and lay leaders from the Anglican Church, reverend sisters from the Catholic Church, Imams from mosques, pastors from the sevenths Adventist church,  born again churches and the parish chiefs and sub county chief of Toro kingdom and the CDO from Kibiito town council.

The Ed RIC-NET explaining the different forms of violence

during group work in the training

Religious leaders and cultural leaders were trained on different topics like positive discipline of children, transparency and communication between parents and bonding and attachment with the children. The leaders impressed the training and were sharing their experiences and lessons learnt and these were need for trust with each other for effective communication in a family, and that homes with two religions have difficulty in communication with their children. It was also learnt that father should know their responsibilities in their families, plan for their families and should know the personality of their wives to avoid quarrels with their spouses.

It was agreed from the training that sharing what has been trained on in the sermons during the services in the churches and mosques, provide the modules to the participants and at the district, involve all stakeholders in the planning process of the training that is the district people, share the outcomes of the training to other members of the denominations that did not attend the training, Continuous radio programs on Mondays on Ngabu Fm to share the critical issues and inviting some of the participants to share experiences and the CDO to organize with the cultural leaders to ensure the message is diffused in the community through the meetings in villages and parish wards. 

during the presentations in the training

The CDO thanked Bunyangabu cluster for help for fighting VAC in Kibiito town council. He cautioned the participants to be champions in fighting violence against children and encouraged the organizations to pick the OVC MIS reporting template so that the work we are doing can be reflected on the ministry of Gender website and also invite the LC 3 mayor for the trainings. A reverend sister thanked the organizations for calling them for the training because they have changed and are going to change the way they treat their children. She told the participants to protect their children because there is a car that is passing around Kibiito kidnapping the children.

The CDO giving his remarks

RIC-NET PROVIDES VSLA BOXES AND MATERIALS TO THEIR PARENTING GROUPS.

members of kagoma  B

 

It was after the training of the community Based facilitators on the VSLA methodology that they went to their different groups in their respective villages of Kahogo, Kagoma B and c, Kasaali A and B to train the parents about VSLA.

The parents were trained in different topics of VSLA and these were group formation and general assembly, VSLA concepts, leadership and election of association leaders, development of internal rules and regulations, introduction to written record keeping, meeting procedures, conflict resolution and share out.

Much emphasis was put on the child Emergency fund concept that is used to support vulnerable children with temporary consumption support and health insurance concept that will be used to improve access to health services and health outcomes.

members of kahogo

  It was after this training that RIC-NET visited all the ten groups in the villages they are operating in in Kibiito town council and provided all the materials needed for the groups to start the saving and lending process and this included the VSLA boxes, the rulers, pens, passbooks and bowls among others.

All the groups were excited about the materials and started the saving and lending process immediately in their respective groups.

Members of Kasaali saving group

HAND SKILL TRAINING FOR THE OUT OF SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS.

                        

Out of school adolescents after the training

After the training of the peer educators that later went and trained their fellow out of school adolescents in the learning forums about personal development and business management, RIC-NET  organized a training for the out of school adolescents from Kasaali, kagoma and Kahogo in the hands on skill (Income generating activity)

The training was attended by 23 (11M, 13F) out of school adolescents at Destiny school from 25^th to 27^th October 2021.This was done to equip the out of school adolescents with the skill that will support them to be self-reliant and start their own business and earn income hence improving their standards of living and preventing different forms of violence against them for example early pregnancies and marriages

The out of school adolescents were happy and grateful   with the new knowledge acquired, they were so grateful and also promised to help those who were unable to make it. Some parents were also happy with what they saw and requested to allow their own children join the group.

 

TOP UP TRAINING OF THE COMMUNITY BASED FACILITATORS (CBFS) ON THE PARENTING FOR RESPECTABILITY PROGRAM (PFR).

 

During role play in the training

RIC-NET carried out a top up training on the parenting for respectability program to finalize the modules of the program. The training was carried out on 21^st to 24^th September, 2021 at Travellers nest in Kibiito town council. In attendance for the training were 15 people (6M, 9F) inclusive of the staff and the community Based facilitators. The PFR program is composed of five modules that is  Bonding and attachment, Positive discipline,  Gender, Spousal relationships and Fathers/ male involvement in Parenting. RIC-NET had earlier carried out the training of the first three modules of the PFR program and so were finalizing with the last two modules that is spousal relationships and male involvement in parenting.

project coordinator facilitating the sessions

The CBFs were trained on the impact of parenting and spousal conflict, healthy marital relationships, sexuality, alcohol and communication and reducing parental conflict in the spousal relationships module. By the end of the training of this module the CBFs had attained skills and knowledge on improved communication between spouses, reduced incidences of violence between spouses, reduced excessive use of alcohol/drugs, improved constructive ways of resolving disputes among spouses and improved hygiene among spouses. In the fifth module of Fathers involvement in parenting they were trained on men as heads of family, fatherhood and care giving and on the impact of power dynamics on parents. The CBFs had gained knowledge and improved skills on father’s understanding of the ‘power to parent’ and be responsible for their children and families, fathers engaging with children at family level, lightened fathers /male caregivers burden in taking care of their families and women’s economic empowerment and reduced gender based violence and violence against children and improvement in maternal related outcome at the end of the training.

During the session of practice makes perfect for men in care giving 

From the training it was agreed that CBFs were to carry out training in their respective groups on the two modules trained on.