Transforming Lives in Western Uganda: Strengthening Reproductive Health at Kinoni MCHC IV and Fostering Economic Development in Rwampara District.
Introduction.
Kinoni is located in Rwampara District Western Uganda on the highway to Mbarara-Kabale main road. Like so many other rural areas in Uganda, poverty is rampant in this area and is manifested by low levels of household productivity, poor income, food insecurity, and the community’s susceptibility to diseases. Rwampara is one of the densely populated areas in Uganda and is faced with very limited land for agriculture and their main stable food is Banana. Due to the exploding population, land availability is not enough hence improvement in their crop yields by applying crop rotation is not sustainable, they cannot afford fertilizers, and their good soils are depleted.
In Uganda, the agriculture sector is the corner- stone of our economy, it therefore presents a great opportunity for poverty reduction because it employs about over 75% of the total active labor force in the rural areas. On Average, 70% of the population are women and active in agriculture compared to 58% of men. In addi- tion, children below the age of 5 years account for about 16% of the total community, posing a challenge to the health sector since they do not contribute to the sector. These children with their young mothers need assistance so that they can remain in their community but with some useful contribution to their livelihood.
Malnutrition and food insecurity remain significant with over 46% of deaths of children less than 5 years as reported in 2020 and these were attributed in part to malaria and malnutrition. In rural Uganda, only 51% of people have access to safe water, and unhygienic water is a major cause of ill health. As a result, this community is making attempts to bridge the gap by addressing maternal and child health, primary health care, HIV AIDs prevention, and poverty alleviation.
Problem statement (Relevance).
Like so many other rural areas in Uganda, poverty is rampant in this area and is manifested by low levels of household productivity, poor income, food insecurity, and the community’s susceptibility to diseases. Faced with very limited land, poor health service delivery, and a young population of child-bearing age exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, where there was an increase in school-girl dropouts and single mothers that unfortunately do not continue with any form of training and are not qualified to attract any formal employment with little knowledge they so far acquired at both primary and secondary school education. It’s noted that the employment avail- able was housemaids, barmaids, digging on farms fetching less than two dollars a day with harsh conditions such as rape and defilement on farms and houses. Kinoni finds themselves in a situation of desperation. They need a health unit to turn to, for medical attention and care for the young ones. They need a degree of awareness of maternal-to-child health and agriculture to improve their earnings and feed themselves, their families as well as the growing population.
How relevant is your proposal to the needs and constraints of the target?
The proposal is designed to address three areas of focus:
1. Disease prevention through equipping Kinoni Health Center IV with Medical equipment, providing an Ambulance to handle emergencies, training, and Treatment in the form of transport at the Health Centre IV, providing drugs, and motorcycle for staff transport doing routine work of community sensitization, community immunization with educational meetings and training the health workers in modern methods of treatment. A total of over twenty-three (>23) will benefit from this training and drugs will be subsidized to the patients. VHTs will be co-opted for health improvement campaigns in the community.
2. MCH will be through training health workers in managing early pregnancies and monitoring HIV mothers and their babies. An ambulance will be procured for the HIV outreach programs and treatment of patients that are unable to reach the hospital.
3. ECD through the purchase of Goats, Rabbits, Piglets, fertilizers for crops and banana plantations, cows on zero grazing, and other vocational work materials like baking, mat making, and sewing for the Youth and women to create their own jobs by accessing Microcredit Loans. Those in Agriculture can be able to access and afford improved seeds and fertilizers. Priority will be made to women and young girls.
Beneficiaries:
A population of 250,000 comprising 70% women of these 425 young women of childbearing age will benefit from this project.
What are the objectives?
1. Increase access to health facilities of Kinoni by procurement of an ambulance, supplying drugs of at least to last 6 months, and training 23 health workers in modern health management.
2. Improve management of MCH through awareness to 10 schools in adolescence support, training 10 health workers in MCH, through procurement of PAS to be used in the community training and awareness.
3. Improve the lives of the community by targeting 30 women through the supply of animals for framing.
What are the expected results/Outcome?
1. Improved community management of common diseases such as malaria.
2. Reduced unwanted pregnancies, and improved HIVF management.
3. Improved animal husbandry, better feeding, and reduced malnutrition of children below the age of 5.
Sustainability.
How will the project achieve sustainability? The community will make some payments for drugs, and the MOH will be approached. Will it have multiplier effects? The general community improved in health, better output, and a possible return to school for some of the young mothers. More patients who did not come to the health center doing so. An overall better life, and better community welfare.
In implementing this project, the Rotary Club of Kololo in joint Partnership with Rotary Clubs of Kiwatule, Muyenga Sunday Sunset (in D9214), Mbarara City (D9214), Rotaract Club of Kololo, and Some Corporate Sponsorship Collaboration with the support of RCC in Kinoni-Rugando sub-county- Rwampara county constituency and their leadership will collaborate the project to its realization and sustainability.
The total project cost is estimated at United States Dollars One Hundred Eighty-Seven Thousand Five Hundred Seventy-three USD $187,573.
