Uganda
Ugandan Youth Are Empowered By Their Involvement in Promoting Safe Motherhood
Sharing, Learning and Enhancing Partnerships
In January 2011, WRA Uganda had a unique opportunity of hosting two different organizations in the pursuit of working closely together to exchange information and experiences.
On 23rd January 2011 The WRA Kenya team, led by Ms. Angela Nguku, Founder and National Coordinator, accompanied by popular radio and TV personalities Mr. Kazungu Matano and Mr. Phelix Oduor, visited WRA Uganda for two days.
The visit gave a platform for the Ugandan youth to share experiences on safe motherhood promotion. The youth explained how their involvement in maternal health has impacted on their live individually in terms of building their confidence to communicate and advocate, and acquisition of new skills such as dance and drama. “My first experience with WRA Uganda was when I visited Kabale district and saw and heard personal experiences from pregnant women. The experience changed my whole outlook,” shared Gertrude Kayaga.
Mr. Oduor said when he was when he was chosen to be a maternal health champion, he did not realize its importance at first but later found that bringing men on board is strategic direction and has a great trickledown effect. He promised to use the lessons learnt from the Uganda Youth Convoy to organize a bigger one in Kenya. Mr. Matano added that they are planning to use their popularity to disseminate maternal health information through billboards.
Ms. Nguku noted that discussions were underway between WRA alliances in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda to raise the profile of maternal health at regional level. WRA Kenya will invite WRA Uganda youth to share their experience in Kenya during their planned youth convoy because our mission is to unify different people for maternal health cause. WRA Uganda also held a sharing meeting with KiBO Foundation on 1st February 2011 at WRA Uganda offices. KiBO Foundation is a social enterprise organization focusing on empowering the youth with various life skills and community service programmes.
A section of WRA Uganda youth and secretariat staff pose for a group photo with visitors from WRA Kenya after the sharing meeting. Holding phone handsets are Ms Angela Nguku (Coordinator WRA Kenya next to her on left is Phelix Oduor and Kazungu Matan WRA Kenya Champions.
Accountability: Maternal Health is a political Issue
On 10th February, 2011 WRA Uganda participated in a televised debate to give presidential candidates an opportunity to discuss maternal health and its inclusion in their political manifestos. The programme had two technical panelists and three political parties’ representatives, including Beti Kamya, MP, President of Uganda Federal Alliance and presidential candidate and Hon. Nabila Nagayi Sempala, MP and representative of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) political party.
Hon. Nabila and Hon. Beti Kamya expressed displeasure at the widely spread perception that maternal health is a woman’s issue including their colleagues in parliament. However, when a mother tragically dies while giving life the impact is greatly felt at the family, community and nation at large! They revealed that when maternal health discussion is brought for debate on the floor of parliament some men legislators do not give it much attention.
The 1-hour programme engaged the general public who were given an opportunity to call in or send in questions through mobile text messages. The discussion concluded with a poll on the questions “Are the presidential candidates giving the issue of maternal health attention in their manifestos and campaign messages,” Guess the answer! 87 percent said NO and only 13 percent said YES.
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WRA-Uganda Advocates to African Heads of State
The theme of the African Union (AU) Summit was “Maternal, Infant and Child Health and Development in Africa”. WRA-Uganda collaborated with Save the Children Uganda, Oxfam, Action Aid, Water Aid, Mama wa Afrika and other civil society organizations (CSOs) on the CSO activity planning committee for the Summit.
East African Caravan on Maternal Health
The Caravan, which started in Kenya on 3rd July, moved through Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda. It made several stops in Uganda at Katuna, Kabale, Ntungamo, Mbarara and Masaka and arrived in Kampala on 14th July. WRA-Uganda took part in planning the Uganda section of the Caravan and had three representatives on the Caravan from 11th July to 14th July, and mobilized the communities around the Caravan stops. Over 6000 people participated in Uganda, receiving reproductive health services and information.
(Left) Women and youth participate in the East African Caravan at the Uganda-Rwanda border. (Right) Participants at the Civil Society Organizations Forum appeal to governments to allocate 15% of GDP to health.
Civil Society Organizations Forum
Two members of WRA-Uganda participated in the CSO Forum to draft resolutions, which were presented to Heads of State during the Summit. WRA-Uganda worked closely with Save the Children Uganda and other CSOs to develop advocacy materials and organize the meeting.
African Youth Forum (AYF)
The youth forum was held in Entebbe from 17th to 18th July. It collected views of youth on maternal, infant and child development. The views were eventually presented to the Heads of State. Activities included: membership recruitment and exhibition of WRA materials, including both audio-visual and print materials.
AU Heads of State Summit
WRA-Uganda participated in official AU Summit exhibitions from 25th to 27th July. WRA exhibited fact sheets and audio-visual materials, including Stories of Mothers Saved, Atlas of Birth and Importance of Women, a film produced by WRA-Uganda featuring interviews with Ugandan officials and community leaders.
First Ladies Luncheon
During a luncheon for African First Ladies hosted by Ugandan First Lady and WRA-Uganda Patron Mrs. Janet Museveni, two WRA films — Play Your Part and Avec Nous from WRA in Tanzania and Burkina Faso, respectively — were screened.
Media Activities
Several media activities were implemented targeting the periods before, during and after the AU Heads of State Summit. Media training and evaluation workshops were conducted alongside talk shows over radio and television stations. WRA representatives were discussants for 13 radio and television talk shows on stations that receive up to one million audience members.
See www.whiteribbonalliance.org/au for more about the African Union Summit.
White Ribbon Alliance Convoy to Kampala
8th to 12th March 2010
Youth for Safe Motherhood-Play Your Part
Convoy to Kampala Celebrates International Women's Day, Mbarara District, Uganda
Traveling through Uganda to mobilize youth for safe motherhood. In honor of the 100th year of International Women's Day, the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood-Uganda (WRA--UG) launched a ground breaking convoy. The Convoy to Kampala used music, art, dance, drama and film to raise awareness and capture the many voices calling for safe motherhood for all women.
Every minute of every day, one woman in the world dies during pregnancy and childbirth. In Uganda, sixteen women die each day while pregnant, giving birth or shortly after birth. This is unacceptable and it is time for us to join together and make some noise for all of the women who deserve to survive the process of giving birth. The politicians have heard the statistics, they know what needs to be done, and White Ribbon Alliance Uganda is working with youth, musicians and the media to inspire change and ensure that politicians commit to action.
Over the course of several days, the Convoy (a group of WRA members, musicians and a film crew), will travel to various communities to join with local musicians, youth, and drama groups in performances that will raise awareness and support for safe motherhood. With the theme Youth for Safe Motherhood: Play Your Part, the Convoy will launch in Kabale on 8th March, the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, where they will be joined by young people from WRA Rwanda, delivering the message that young people have a part to play in Uganda and throughout Africa.
The next day, the Convoy will proceed to Ntungamo where the WRA-UG Patron and Ugandan First Lady, Mrs. Janet Museveni will be the guest of honor, and leading Ugandan music star Bobi Wine and his wife Barbie will participate. Other convoy stops include Masaka, Mbarara, Jinja and Tororo.
On 12th March, the Convoy will gather for a finale in Kampala, with a march in celebration of safe motherhood, performances from popular musicians, video message from the convoy, and drama and musical performances from youth groups. Partner organizations from across Uganda will also be invited to participate in a health fair throughout the day to raise awareness about the tremendous work that they are doing throughout the nation.
WRA Uganda would like to invite you and your organization to get involved and "Play Your Part" for safe motherhood. Many individuals and organizations are already doing terrific work across Uganda and the Convoy provides a unique opportunity to unite stakeholders under a common theme. If you are a young person, a member of the media, a musician, a politician, a doctor, a midwife, a teacher, a student, a husband or just a person who believes that every woman has the right to survive childbirth, then we have a role for you. Play your part! Please contact us for more details:
WRA Uganda:
General queries: info@wrauganda.org; National Coordinator, Robina Biteyi biteyi.robina@gmail.com 0771872172; Mobilisation Officer, David Ssebugwawo davidse@wrauganda.org 0772480136
WRA Global Secretariat:
Kristin Savard ksavard@whiteribbonalliance.org; Maeve Shearlaw mshearlaw@whiteribbonalliance.org
