An Introduction for Ian's 'Shadow'!

Natukunda Shalince is Ian's 'shadow'. She works at the MARPs Network as a trainee organisation development facilitator. The plan is that when Ian leaves Natukunda will take on the task of leading (with the Executive Director) the growth of the Network. But before that can happen Natukunda decided to get married (with Eddie's agreement of course). And before you get married Eddie has to be introduced to Natukunda's family and they have to grant permission for her to be given away.
On 10 September the 'Introduction' ceremony took place - actually quite an achievement as 2 days before the venue had to be changed because of flood damage. As the images indicate it was a truly lovely occasion and congratulations to the families of Natukunda and Eddie - proud you are and deservedly so! Being patient and waiting for the action to start.
Two of Natukunda's relatives share a reflection while waiting.
Eddie's family arrive - Eddie's in the lighter grey suit
Natukunda arrives with her escorts - she's the one with a white top
And Eddie looks very pleased!
Now it's time for a delicious lunch and everyone forms an orderly queue
This is what Ian chose to eat - Irish potatos, rice, ground nut paste (G-Nuts), greens, rolled chappati, steamed banana (Matooke) and millet. Very good!
A great contemporary / traditional band / dance troupe called "Da' Crowns!" entertained us.
Natukunda and her escorts enjoyed that.
Now it's time for Natukunda to go into the 'visitor's tent' to get her man!
And . . she's got him and they both look pleased enough.
"Da' Crowns" seem especially joyous!
Finishing things off was an incredible dance by a guy in an astonishing blod wig. A truly lovely day! Ian and Renate loved every minute and slept very well.

Travelling East

Following the field trip to northern Uganda, the next excursion was to eastern Uganda to visit local government officials in Bugiri, Busia and Tororo Districts. These districts have the "Trans Africa Highway" running through from Kampala in the west through to Kenya and Tanzania in the East. An apparently endless stream of long distance trucks carrying essential goods and fuel for South Sudan, Uganda, Burundi, Congo and Rwanda use this road. The trucks stop at 'hot spots' along this stretch and the drivers get 'relief'. There are plenty of suppliers eager to satisfy their needs and risky sex is commonplace. If the spread of HIV infection is to be arrested effective action has to be taking along this road. In addition to truckers, fisher folk from Lake Victoria with money to spend after selling their catches in Busia and Tororo are also known to be partial to some risky sex.
Mboizi Richard and Ian visited the District Community Development Officers in the three districts to introduce them to other colleagues to secure permission and agreement to collaborate around better coordination of the variety of 'players'. The aim is to try together for the all important breakthrough in securing a change in personal behaviour among these most at-risk populations.
In all three districts Mboizi Richard and Ian received a great welcome and were happy to leave with signed commitments for joint work in the near future to come!
This map shows the four regions of Uganda with, in Eastern Region, the District headquarters of Bugiri, Busia and Tororo. Jinja is the important town close to the source of the River Nile.
This diagram (click to enlarge) illustrates how the MARPs Network seeks to enable its member organisations at the very local level to be empowered to make a difference. The members will have an automatic right to belong to regional 'technical working groups' (TWGs). The TWGs will be forums for sharing success and challenges and for coming up with shared solutions - they'll also be forums where bigger non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the very small civil society organisations (CSOs) can agree to collaborate to make a difference. Each TWG will be facilitated by a local (large) NGO that the Network will appoint to act on its behalf.
The visits that Ian and his colleagues are making to the four regions of Uganda right now are crucial to building this structure. So far the preparatory work is going well. Within the next 6 weeks the four launch meetings will have been held - watch the bogs for updates!
The proximity of the Trans Africa Highway makes for a good place to set up a cement factory - ease of distribution plus access to power.
Tororo is not far from the hydro electricity plants situated along the upper Nile Valley and it's also close to a couple of additional power plants that generate electricity from thermal energy that's powered by diesel fuel. This plant (along with other similar thermal plants) tries to produce enough electricity to bridge the gap between what the hydro electricity plants on the Nile produce and what Uganda needs. Right now the gap is not closed - mainly because of these two reasons: (1) a drought has reduced water flow levels - thus reducing the amount of electricity generated along the Nile; and (2) the cost of diesel fuel has risen sharply making the thermally generated electricity hard to afford. Result - right now there are power cuts (load shedding!) every other day in most parts of Kampala - these cuts can last for 24 hours.
Ian walking with the District Community Development Office under the shadow of the 'Rock' of Tororo.
Ian thanking the HIV Focal Person at the Tororo District Local Government Offices for his welcome and commitment to work with the MARPs Network.
By the way, Mboizi Richard loves taking photographs - he's taken many of the photographs of the field trip to the north and east of Uganda.

After the trip to the three eastern Districts the Network organised a 24 hour briefing events for its newly chosen Directors - see earlier blog post focusing on the Network's first Annual General Assembly. Here are some images from a highly enjoyable and productive event.
Here's Emmanuel - the Network's communications and networking officer (feeling the cold - in the green shawl) working with Directors Julius Nkuba and Bob Bwana.
Eva, the Network's finance and contracts manager working with Directors Peter Ogwal and Oboth Ofumbi.
Dr Geoffrey Mujisha enjoying a discussion with Director Sanyu Batte
The seven Directors about to board the minibus to make the journey back to Kampala. On the left is Peter Ogwal representing the Royal Danish Embassy - in the middle is Dr Geoffrey Mujisha the Network's Executive Director. The newly elected Chair of the Board of Directors is Veronica Asaba on Geoffrey's immediate left.

Field trip to Northern Uganda

Last week Mboizi Richard, Natukunda Shalince and Ian travelled from Kampala to Northern Uganda. The MARPs Network is focusing its work in priority districts where most at-risk populations are especially vulnerable to HIV infection. The Network has chosen four priority districts in each of Northern, Eastern, Western and Central Uganda. The districts in Northern Uganda are Apac, Amolotar, Lira and Dokolo. These Districts form a Lango speaking sub region to the north of Lake Kyoga.The purpose of the visits was to meet officials from the District Local Government offices to brief them on the work of the MARPs Network. And to gain their support for forming partnerships to enable small civil society organisations to be supported in their work with most at-risk populations. Each District in Uganda employs an HIV Focal person who's job it is to try to coordinate effective action to combat the spread of HIV infection. The HIV Focal Person usually works very closely with the District Community Development Officer so as to engage with small and very local organisations that are likely to be trusted by most at-risk populations.
On our way from Lira to Apac along a very bumpy road we passed many very traditional compounds - in this compound a small thatched grain store can be seen - standing on legs to gain protection from insects.
A little further down the bumpy and by now very muddy road (the second rainy season of the year in this part of Uganda had just begun) we passed a contented group of cattle - these rounded horns caught the eye!
Another perfectly maintained compound in the local style which has been unchanged for centuries - the pattern of recently flowing water on the ground shows that the recent rain was significant.
Here we are meeting with Jolly, the Community Development Officer for Lira District. On the right of the picture in the grey T shirt is Natukunda Shalince who is the Organisational Development Trainee at the MARPs Network - shadowing Ian. On the far right is Judith Shiraku who is a VSO volunteer working in Lira - Judith is from Kenya and she's working as a public health manager with Lira District.
A meeting in Amolotar with District Local Government Officials - many expressed enthusiasm at the prospect of partnering with the MARPs Network.
Ian chatting to Alex Agoo who is the HIV Focal Person working with Amolotar District Local Government.

Mabira - a rainforest threatened by sugar

Late last month Renate and Ian spent a night in Mabira Forest. This is rainforest half way between Kampala and Jinja - 50 km from the City. During Idi Amin's rule in the 1970s chunks of the forest were lost to the encroachment of settlements and to charcoal burning. In recent years the Uganda Government has entrusted the safe keeping of the rain forest to the National Forest Authority (NFA). The NFA arrange guided walks through this million year-old remnant of much greater expanses of rainforest.
In today's Sunday Monitor newspaper it's reported that the forest future is under threat to enable expansion of sugar growing and production - something that goes on either side of the forest. This is a good example of difficult decisions faced by a Country that needs to create more jobs and wealth for its people. Some will argue that eco tourism might provide greater and more sustainable employment in the future. But maybe that argument has yet to prevail.
It will be more than sad to see Mabira go. Once gone it won't come back.
The view from the window of our wooden 'lodge' in the forest.
Renate and our guide standing by a 'fig' tree (Ian thinks he said fig tree!)
People from nearby settlements come to this tree to carve bits of its bark to grind into a powder which is used to calm upset stomachs. Its very spicy!
This tree's roots have spread as the tree has grown and created an amazing arch - this will have taken hundreds of years to happen.
A magnificent mahogany tree - straight as straight can be - we couldn't see the top as it was lost in the leaf canopy above us.

A team building event for the new employees of the MARPs Network Secretariat

The team at the MARPs Network Secretariat now numbers 10. A big change from October last year when the team was Geoffrey and Ian. This is thanks to the grant that the MARPs Network has received from the Danish Government. Last week the new team went for an 'orientation' in Jinja on the shore of Lake Victoria.Here's Eva (Finance Manager) discussing a point with Geoffrey (Executive Director)
Natukunda (Organisation Development Trainee) giving feedback (in a blur) on her group's views on what the team's ground rules should be.
Mboizi Richard (Office Manager) giving feedback from his group on what they believe the team needs to do to ensure effective delivery.
Sagal Simon Peter (Finance Officer) giving feedback on his group's opinions on how to develop a 'standard operating procedure'.
More group work involving Eva, Natukunda and Mboizi Richard.
Emmanuel (Communications and Network Officer) with Marco (Finance Intern) and Richard (Office Assistant - Security) enjoying the shade in the garden.
Natukunda, Eva and Mercy (Office Assistant - Reception) also enjoy the late afternoon sun in the garden.
Geoffrey settling into the boat that would take the team to a nearby island to do some bird watching.
The boat setting off with its precious cargo!

Work visit to Hoima in north west Uganda - inducting a new Director and recruiting new members for the Network

Following the successful first Annual General Assembly of the MARPs Network we have visited all the newly chosen members of the Network's Board of Directors. Veronica Asaba is the Director chosen to represent the experience of people living with HIV / AIDS. Veronica is the executive director of Meeting Point Hoima, a voluntary organisation that provides comprehensive counselling, testing and treatment for people with the HIV infection. It was a pleasure for Mboizi Richard, Natukunda Shalince and I to visit her and her colleagues on behalf of the Network.

Before meeting up with Veronica we held a briefing meeting for organisations interested in becoming members of the Network. 13 signed expression of interest forms. Membership is open to community based organisations who target most at-risk populations (in terms of HIV infection) in their work.
Ian introducing the work of the Network and explaining benefits of membership.
Natukunda Shalince - is Ian's shadow! Natukunda is the organisation development trainee at the Network's Secretariat and works closely with Ian to 'learn on the job'. She'll also be enrolling soon on an appropriate part-time learning programme.
Ian and Natukunda with Veronica Asaba at Meeting Point in Hoima
Veronica wanted to explain to her team what being a Director of the MARPs Network would entail - she stressed that she would be absent on Network business from time to time. She was also careful to point out that she was a Director to represent the experience of people living with HIV and not to directly represent the interests of Meeting Point Hoima. Everyone was very happy for Veronica to sign on the dotted line and commit to being a Director of the MARPs Network!
Veronica signing the declaration, committing herself to the code of conduct required of Directors of the Network.
On the way back from Hoima to Kampala we could not resist stopping at several road-side stall selling cheap, fresh, high quality fruit and vegetables.
In a forest half-way between Hoima and Kampala a special passion fruit is to be found. Much smaller than the ordinary passion fruit, with a rock hard skin, they have the most amazing flavour - completely moorish! We bought every single one that this stall had to offer - here's Mboizi Richard supervising the packing of the fruit.
These tiny bananas are delicious - very sweet!

13 July 2011 - the day the MARPs Network held its first Annual General Assembly!

The Assembly was held at the Crested Crane Hotel in Jinja - a Uganda Government training initiative for people seeking careers in the hotel and tourism industry.
43 organisations took part in this, the very first Annual General Assembly of the MARPs Network. All the organisations at the event work with most at-risk populations - in terms of contracting HIV. Key discussions focused on future membership categories and criteria for membership as well as priorities for the new Network's early work plans.
Perhaps the most important business was the choosing of 5 members to join the Board of Directors. Organisations targeting one of the 5 most at-risk groupings (sex workers, sexual minorities, long distance truckers, fisher folk and people living with HIV / AIDS) each went into an electoral college made up of others targeting the same at risk grouping. In a good natured and serious discussion 5 new Directors were duly announced and celebrated by the rest of the participants. The new Directors will serve initially for one year.
The 43 participants plus the members of the Network Staff team together with an independent chair and rapporteur meant that over 50 people just about squeezed into the conference room.
Dr Geoffrey Mujisha - the Network's Executive Director - (on the left) appreciates a participant's contribution
This point is being enthusiastically explained!
Veronica Asaba from Hoima in Western Uganda was chosen by her peers to be a Director 'representing' the interests of people living with HIV / AIDS. Next to her is Tadeo who gracefully accepted the runner-up position.
This is the group 'representing' the interests of "Fisher Folk" discussing who they should choose to be their Director.
A very inspiring day with participants very pleased to be in Jinja to finally launch the new Network after several years of hard lobbying and fund-raising!