2013 Review

Here is a review of 2013 featuring some of the key events of 2013.

We have 1320 jackfruit trees to donate to another Uganda based nonprofit

Hello Family, does any one know a grassroots organization in Uganda that is also promoting FOOD TREES planting with youth or women? We have an extra 1320 jackfruit trees to donate to another nonprofit. As you maybe aware, Uganda needs combined efforts to ensure that we sustain our food security systems, conserve the environment as well as undoing effects the huge environmental degradation. ICOD Action Network believes that the more partners we bring on board, the easier it will be achieve national food security and environment conservation goals. We are excited to partner with other organizations with similar goals. Please read about ICOD Action Network's food trees project here http://icodactionnetwork.org/trees.html and also, remember to send the name and contacts of the organization you know to info@icodactionnetwork.org and our team will contact them.

Support our campaign on Indiegogo

ICOD Action Network believes that working with communities to grow and share healthy food helps cultivate healthy communities able to sustain themselves in future. Since 2008, we have been using community organizing and agriculture as a catalyst for social change by bringing people together across social, economic, and cultural barriers. 

ICOD ACTION NETWORK staff have been able to produce 6325 jackfruit trees in 2013 all of which were distributed free of charge to school children. We are committed to the idea that food  and fruits should be available to everyone, regardless of social and economic status. We worked hard in 2013 to ensure that food trees are freely distributed to school children in schools in rural and youth.  

To go to our campaign, click in the Image above or this link HERE 

Our Food Trees Model

Growing fruit trees provides social, environmental, and possible economic benefits. From a social perspective, growing fruit directly in communities where it is consumed provides residents with immediate access to healthy food and can improve food security in poor communities. Additionally, people gain a stronger sense of connection to the food they consume if they know how it was grown and where it came from.

• From an environmental perspective, locally grown produce has the potential to reduce air and water pollution related to conventional food production and transportation. Trees grown have immediate and direct impact on the environment and help reset degraded local ecosystems.
  
  
  
  Goal
  The goal is to plant 5000 fruit trees in local communities so as to promote self-sufficient food production and overcome environmental degradation due to human activity.
  Our Approach
  ICOD Action Network believes that children "own the future" and has set up mechanisms to mobilize and encourage children to directly take charge of their environment and food by planting food trees. School children have been mobilized and trained in planting food trees of mangoes, papaya and Jack fruit in their respective communities. School in Lyantonde are participating in this project and 5000 trees have been planted 2013.
  
  

ICOD Action Network’s Human Rights Based Approach in programming and joining the global converation on Human Rights - Blog Action Day 2013

As a community based organization, ICOD Action Network maintains the belief that all human beings are created in the image of God, underlining the equal value and the inherent dignity in all human life. 

ICOD Action Network chose to work within a human rights framework, because it believes that this framework among other benefits creates a common platform for action for communities, donors and  implementing organizations like NGOs, Faith Based Organizations and the private sector. In its rights-based programming, ICOD Action Network works with six guiding principles. The are as follows;

1. Accountability

ICOD Action Network attaches great importance to this element and considers it an essential principle in it rights-based commitment for increased protection and realization of human rights. Accountability is the basic and outstanding operational principle in all projects implemented by the organization.

2. Universality

ICOD Action Network  believes that human rights are inalienable in the sense that they cannot be selectively granted or withdrawn but represent inherent claims and entitlements for all human beings, regardless of class, ethnic background, gender, religion, caste e.t.c.

3. Equality/ non discrimination

This principle is important in our planning projects targeting marginalized communities and those excluded in our area of operation in order to ensure and strengthen their claim for;

·      An equal voice in the distribution of resources and rights.

·      Real access to and control of these resources and rights.

·      Equality in legislation, policy and administrative practices.

4. Indivisibility / inter-relatedness

ICOD Network recognizes the importance of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights. By so doing, ICOD Action Network acknowledges the multidimensional aspects and causes to poverty and marginalization and believes that a holistic approach must be taken in analyzing human rights deficits in overcoming poverty, exclusion and oppression.

5. Participation

The right to participate in public affairs is a human right, recognized in international human rights standards. ICOD Action Network always analyzes the systematic barriers to participation for the poor in development and has continued to empower the poor to overcome these barriers and claim this right. This principle has helped alter existing power relations in some communities were we work. 

Source: ICOD Action Network website

#BAD13, #OCT16, #Humanrights, #BlogActionDay, #Uganda, #ICODActionNetwork #Lyantonde

My 1000th Smile

This is a video about Harriet; the 2013 beneficiary of the ICOD Action Network and GlobeMed at Arizona State University Housing and Sanitation Project. Harriet lost her husband to HIV/AIDS leaving her with 4 children aged between 2 and 10 years living in a collapsing house, with no access to safe water, food, health care and with basic sanitation facilities like a pit latrine. In July 2013, ICOD Action Network and GlobeMed at Arizona State University started building a new two roomed house and a pit latrine that was handed over to her on September 30, 2013. She said she has smiled about 1000 times since July which is the reason  for "My 1000th Smile" READ MORE about our Housing and Sanitation project here icodactionnetwork.org/shelter.html

What Will Your Hands Do? - A new Video from our partner GlobeMed at Arizona State University

Competition: Anti-Corruption Youth Essay Competition, AFRICAN UNION ADVISORY BOARD ON CORRUPTION

AFRICAN UNION ADVISORY BOARD ON CORRUPTION Presents Anti-Corruption Youth Essay Competition:  “How to make corruption unattractive in Africa”. Are you an African youth concerned about corruption on the continent? Have you or anyone close to you been a victim of corruption? Do you believe your future is in any way threatened by corrupt practices? Would you want your voice to be heard on the issue of corruption? And do you have a passion for writing?

Then you should seriously consider participating in this year’s ‘Anti-Corruption Youth Essay Competition,’ organized by the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption (AUABC). This is within the framework of festivities to mark the tenth anniversary of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC) which include the annual International Anti-corruption week, which is a major item in the Regional Anticorruption Programme for Africa, developed by the UNECA, in collaboration with the AUABC.

DEADLINE: October 15, 2013

Source

Are you in Nairobi? Connect with us

Are you in Nairobi and have passion for Permaculture, please connect with our Head of Programs Fatuma; she is attending a Teacher Training Program  with the Permacultue Research Institute. We believe the training will help improve on our food security programs in  Southwestern Uganda. 

Fatuma, GlobeMed @ASU and our staff helping build a house for an HIV/AIDS affected households

Activists warn Uganda on GMOs

By Michael Odeng

For Uganda to embrace Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) is a recipe for disaster for the country, activists have cautioned.

GAIA Foundation International advocacy coordinator, Teresa Anderson, said that opening Uganda’s gates to GMOs will pose an irreversible health and environment risk to the country.

The American activist made the remarks during a workshop at Sanctum Apartment Hotel in Entebbe today Friday afternoon.

GMO plants or animals contain genes which have been artificially inserted. The highly contestable GMOs include living organisms such as seeds or plants that could alter native plants through cross-pollination.

“In a global perspective, GMOs in the country reduce agriculture productivity,” she said. She also said that the consumption of MGOs may cause side effects such as cancer and obesity.

Anderson also said that mining reduces agricultural productivity by 40% in a 20km area around the mine. “Miners dig 20 tonnes of earth and rock to get gold hence affecting agriculture.”

She added that about 1bn and 1.4bn people were hungry and obese respectively across the globe despite a surge in genetically modified (GM) crops.

“GMOs are not suitable for Uganda’s agricultural system because the country is dominated by small-scale farms and not the monstrous ones required for monoculture of GMOs.  It does not allow replanting and is expensive,” stressed Charles Olweny, VEDCO / FRA advocacy officer.

He said since GM seeds are patented by the producers, farmers will be yanked into cyclical poverty because they will have to continue buying seeds from the producers despite their small farms.

Olweny called for the shelving of the National Biosafety and Biotechnology bill on grounds that the current version was been pushed by GM seed corporate companies as a conduit to use it as a ploy to flood Uganda with GM products.

Uganda in 2008 passed a law on the use of GMs as the Biosafety and Biotechnology Act permits the use and cultivation of biotechnology crops facilitated by multinational seed companies. The Government has also embraced field trials for various GM crops.

The Government says the regulatory framework will address issues of safety in using biotechnology by providing measures to be taken to minimise risks to human health and environment arising from actual contact with GMOs.

Activists from VEDCO GAIA, NAPE, ABN, Food Rights Alliance (FRA) urged Ugandans to vehemently oppose the Bill since it has been drafted in the dark corridors without the input of the public. The Bill is awaiting the second reading in parliament.

“The Bill does not provide for labeling of GMO product thereby stifling informed consent. It does not establish risk management guidelines and schemes,” said Olweny.

In recent times, many countries across the globe have banned the use of GM foods because of the health implications associated with its use. They are Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France and Ireland.

Source 

GMO technology will enslave generations of Uganda farmers

Uganda Government right to reject proposed HIV ‘prevention drug’

By Irene Nabusoba

On August 26, 2013, the New Vision published an article about a drug that can be taken before sexual intercourse as a prevention tool under a strategy called pre-exposure prophylaxis. This proposed HIV preventive pill, is a combination of tenofovir and emtricitabine commonly referred to as Truvada’.

The article titled, ‘Government rejects HIV prevention drug,’ quoted Dr. Alex Ario, the programme coordinator of Antiretroviral therapy in the Ministry of Health (MoH) explaining how there was a proposal to introduce the controversial strategy in Uganda on grounds that it will help reduce new HIV infections.

I can’t thank the Ministry of Health enough on this move because the strategy risks destroying all the achievements we have registered as a country in the HIV fight, especially at a time when we are already struggling.

You recall that Uganda once made strong strides in the HIV fight under the Abstinence, Be faithful, or use Condoms (ABC) strategy to the extent that we became a global yardstick.

But time dictated that the campaigns needed re-enforcement from different fronts in the face of globally increasing research advances, like emergency of Antiretroviral (ARV) medicines that have given patients a second lease on life, putting the death-row fears associated with HIV and AIDS in the back row. These ARVs have also made it possible to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV under PMTCT, and now Option B+ strategy.

Then we rolled out safe male circumcision (SMC) with its benefits.

However, while we embrace everything possible to prevent HIV infections in the absence of a vaccine, too many approaches may undermine the very efforts and progress, like introduction of the proposed ‘prevention drug’.

ARVs have been hailed as ‘wonder/miracle’ drugs but without proper HIV counselling and testing, drug adherence and responsible sexual behaviour, we are witnessing a wave of increasing new HIV infections. National reports show that Uganda's HIV prevalence rates have increased from 6.4% in 2005 to 7.3% in 2012.

Reason? ‘Complacency’ is the chorus. The Uganda AIDS Commission and several policy makers have repeatedly been quoted in the media, attributing increasing risky sexual behaviour and consequent rise in HIV infections to complacency. Apparently, the public no longer considers HIV as a big threat because of availability of drugs.

And now we want to tell the increasingly ‘complacent’ population that they now have a ‘temporary’ vaccine under the proposed ‘prevention drug’!

Take an example of SMC, where many think removal of the foreskin is definite protection against HIV infection, rushing into risky sex long before they even heal, with little regard for the fact that the medical procedure simply minimises risk.

We risk shooting ourselves in the foot by proposing this drug as a preventive tool. The public tends to look to medicines for healing instead of prevention. Besides, there are imminent fears of ARV resistance because of poor adherence yet people have to commit to taking this drug every day lest they compromise even the natural immunity.  If the HIV positive ones have challenges adhering well-knowing their life depends on the drugs, what of healthy fellows?                                     

Thanks to government efforts, half of HIV positive Ugandans that are eligible for ARVs can now access them. Let us ensure that the remaining half that still have challenges accessing ARVs get them by reserving treatment to improve and prolong life for the HIV infected/exposed.

After all, research by the World Health Organisation even shows that early, effective treatment minimises risk of HIV infection by significantly lowering the viral load.  

The writer is a Public Relations Executive with Quality Chemical Industries Limited.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Chicago Eco-Fashion Startup Reaches $10,000 Goal in Less than 5 days

Contact: Harish I. Patel | harish@ishivest.com | 312.823.0090

Local entrepreneurs bring a community organizing approach to sustainable fashion

 

Chicago, IL - Tuesday, August 20th - Only 5 days after launching a Kickstarter community funding campaign for their new eco-fashion venture, "ishi vest" co-founders Harishi Patel, Rhea Vitalis, and Jackie Mahendra were stunned as they tipped past their $10,000 seed funding goal. In less than one week, they had exceeded their initial seed funding goal, attracted 160 backers, and had received dozens of international orders for the sustainable, fair-trade vests.

In fact, the team raised their first $5,000 in less than 24 hours, were featured among the most popular projects on Kickstarter.com’s fashion page, and demonstrated the potential of a community organizing approach to both sustainable fashion and social entrepreneurship.

“I am blown away to see us raise all of the seed funding we set out to raise for our eco-fashion startup on Kickstarter in less than one week of launching,” said ishi co-founder Harishi Patel. “When I think about the many social justice projects I’ve founded or facilitated over the years, there's a common thread of giving people the chance to see themselves as part of the solution, even when the problems are so huge."

What had started out years ago as a powerful trip home to India for ishi co-founder, Harishi Patel, turned into the seeds of a hip, conscious clothing line with the intent to remind people about how their smallest choices can have a huge impact. Patel turned to two friends, Rhea Vitalis and Jackie Mahendra, and the three worked together to launch a company that would put people and the planet above profits.

In addition to being committed to ethical fashion, 10% of the company’s profits will be donated to sustainability efforts that customers will vote on, whether in the U.S., where the founders live, or in India, where the vests are produced.

The first step for ishi’s founders was to partner with a fair-trade certified, organic and natural-dye fabric company near Patel’s hometown in Gujarat. At the company, the fabric starts with organic seeds, is dyed naturally without chemicals, and is processed by workers in safe conditions, who are paid fair wages. With help from a local Chicago designer and friend Tamana Azizi, the “ishi vest” team refined their first prototype, a unisex vest which is being featured on Kickstarter.

All three founders have been involved in social justice and community organizing efforts in Chicago over the past decade, and they are once again calling on their community to help them reach their next milestone of $15,000. This will allow them to not only design, test, and launch their next vest, an ishi women’s signature style, but also begin the design process for a third unisex style that their Kickstarter supporters will get to vote on before it is produced.

The individuals backing ishi vest on Kickstarter are investing in more than just a hip clothing line; they are backing a vision for an alternative production process in India, which is now the world’s second largest producer of cotton and one of the largest producers of textiles and apparel, employing over 35 million people.

In India, exposure to certain pesticides has left many workers with fatal respiratory diseases, noise exposure has caused hearing loss and sleep disorders, and ergonomic issues are causing musculoskeletal disorders. Furthermore, the standard chemical dyeing process itself has been closely linked to a list of cancers that includes: nasal, lung, brain, stomach, colorectal, and testicular cancer. The ishi founders hope to model social responsibility and environmental sustainability in a country where farmer suicide rates are on the rise due to unmanageable debt, and where factory workers are often forced into dangerous working conditions.

“Right now, communities across the country are thinking deeply about their daily choices, from the food we eat to the clothes we wear,” said ishi vest co-founder Harishi Patel. “After hearing about the recent horrors in factories in Bangladesh, I am more motivated than ever to be launching a new kind of clothing company that puts people and planet before profits. We’re making beautiful, sustainable products, but we’re also rethinking consumption and asking our friends and customers to do the same...one vest at a time.”

View a video update from Harishi Patel, ishi co-founder:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35Y8qEEBh8Y

View the kickstarter launch video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psETk3YiUM4

www.ishivest.com | vests with benefits

Facebook: ishivest 

Twitter: @ishivest 

Ahabwe Mugerwa Micheal's interview with The Mosquito , The Netherlands

Our founder Ahabwe Mugerwa Michael was interviewed by Batenburg Brendy and his interview was published by The Netherlands magazine The Mosquito. Scroll to Page 5 and Page 6 and read about his views on Human Rights, Religion, rights of minorities and his views on the state of Human Rights in Uganda. 

Most of the content is in Dutch, we hope our Dutch readers enjoy this full magazine as our English readers have Ahabwe's interview in English on Page 5 and 6.

Ahabwe Mugerwa Micheal's Interview with The Mosquito , The Netherlands by ICOD Action Network

Blog Action Day 2013 - Join Us

Courtesy of: http://www.blogactionday.org

2012 Annual Report - Share, embed or download your copy.

Missed the 2012 annual report? You can now read it here, download, embed to your website or share online. Enjoy

ICOD Action Network Annual Report 2012 by ICOD Action Network

Our unique Model

ICOD Action Network believes that the best and last solutions to every challenge are those developed from within communities or sustained by local communities if developed by NGOs or government. ICOD Action Network brings together innovation, community development and sustainability to create lasting social change in rural communities. ICOD Action Network partners with communities to build sustainable responses to communities challenges. 

Innovation and Education

With the establishment of a solar powered Internet Center in 2010, communities now have access to better online information resources. ICOD ACTION NETWORK believes that access to information and literacy is critical to personal and economic empowerment, so our programming is centered on easing communities access to information.

In many of the communities where we work, ICOD Action Network  has  become a vital resource for farmers, women and youth  and our projects have provided a forum for communities to share skills and ideas.

Community Development

ICOD Action Network operates on the belief that communities are in the best position to assess their own needs and strengths and generate the best responses to overcome them. It is critical to our model that we partner with communities  and fully involve them in all projects. ICOD Action Network staff spend time educating communities about our model, level of participation required and setting long-term goals.

Community participation

An important part of our model is establishing true partnerships with communities. In addition to ICOD Action Network investment, each community contributes own resources  - no matter how small, to tackle identified problems. Communities have always contributed training venue, local resources, schools and religious institutions have also provided training venues during our farmer engagement sessions. As a result, everyone in the community feels invested in the success of our projects. Participation has helped communities embrace ownership and management of all projects implemented by ICOD Action Network.

WHY OUR MODEL IS WORKING

• Engages community leaders, local experts, volunteers, our staff and other development partners in collaborative practices to overcome challenges.
• Energizes community motivation and engagement through discussions and active participation in our activities. 
• Uses information technology to connect communities to “outside world” to learn, share and network.
• Sets clear expectations and provides opportunity for teamwork, contribution and use of local resources.
• Builds a new group of local leaders and inspires them to continuously mobilize and encourage communities to take part in development initiatives.
• Develops local leaders critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Offers space for ICOD Action Network staff and communities to analyze progress, evaluate impact and set new targets
• Builds a collaborative practice within communities, and beyond
• Integrates structures for assessment and data-informed practice that communities understand and embrace.
• Our model is a concrete model for sustainable community development. 

Change of our website address.

Hello Family,
Are you aware that our website was moved to a new address? We are now at www.icodactionnetwork.org

We apologose for the inconvience caused.

ICOD Action Network Team

Five Thousand Trees

When ICOD turned five years old they decided they wanted to do something big… they decided to plant five thousand trees. After being denied money from multiple donors to support this project, instead of giving up, they found another way. 

Jack fruit trees in a nursery bed

They decided to connect with youth groups, children think of the now, they think about the food they want to eat for dinner and what they are going to do tomorrow. Adults, they think about the far future, how they are going to pay for their children’s university fees and how they are going to get food on the table. So they reached out to schools where the students were involved in environment and agriculture groups. 

A child with a Jack fruit tree donated by ICOD Action Network

They asked the students “if you could plant any tree what would you plant?” they almost all answered “Fene” also known as Jack fruit. So they started collecting seeds and planting them in nursery plots. Once they have sprouted and started to grow they take the seedlings to the classes and do permaculture training on how to plant their trees, take care of them, and encourage them to grow. Once the Jack fruit are matured they will not only provide shade, but also fruit which can feed the family and give them something to sell at the markets for additional income. It was very exciting to be involved in planting the seeds for tomorrow.

Source: GlobeMed at Arizona State University

ICOD Action Network - GlobeMed at Arizona State University House and Sanitation Project update #2

Enjoy this set of pictures from the assessment and tell us your favorite.

ICOD Action Network - GlobeMed at Arizona State University House and Sanitation Project update #1

Do you know how we selected the household we are constructing a new house and pit latrine in partnership with GlobeMed at Arizona State University? Here is how we did it #UNIQUE; 50 households affected by HIV/AIDS we selected in the first phase of the planning process. Our staff and local leaders selected 10 out of the 50 that were either moderately or critically vulnerable. Out of the 10 households that our staff and local leaders visited and assessed using the Vulnerability Index, one household headed by a widow was finally selected after a community Dialogue that was attended by Lyantonde District leaders, our staff, village local leaders and community members. Here are some of the pictures from the households assessment.

ICT training packages preference

Access to free ICT training by rural farmers groups and youth in Lyantonde is one of our key ICT program goals. We have received overwhelming response and the level of ICTs adaption in Lyantonde since 2008 has improved over the years. Here is a chart showing the most preferred computer training packages. Whereas some trainees prefer learning Microsoft packages, others opt to learn using internet and how to access online resources. 

 

400 people in Uganda are infected with HIV everyday

According to the 2011 National HIV Indicator Survey, the prevalence rates among Ugandans between the ages of 15 to 19 are going up. It now stands at 7.3 percent and even higher in women at 8.3 percent up from 6.4 percent in the 2004-2005 survey. The sad news comes as Uganda joins the rest of the world to commemorate those who have succumbed to AIDS today at Kasana grounds, Luweero District.

“Today nearly 400 people in Uganda are infected with HIV everyday ,”Director General of Uganda AIDS commission Dr. Apuuli kihumuro told a news conference yesterday at the Uganda Media Center.

Dr Kihumuro acknowledges that in the early phases of the HIV/Aids, Uganda scored impressive success when the whole nation got together in solidarity to fight the epidemic. They brought down the overall proportion of people infected with HIV and more importantly the number of new infections per year. However, now the number of new infections is rising from 124,000 in 2009 to 128,000 in 2010 and approximately 145,000 in 2011. He notes that if new infections continue to rise the HIV burden is projected to increase by more than 700,000 over the next five years.

ICT Project beneficiaries age distribution

Could any of you our readers guess the age distribution of our ICT trainees? Here is another chart for you that includes data for all out-of school youth  above 17 and other trainees above 17 years. Visit us again tomorrow for another chart about our ICT project.

 

ICT Project Trainees

Did you know that our ICT project has reached out to people as far as Rwanda? Here is an interactive graph for you.

We we also share with you Male Vs Female statistics on utilization of ICT in our region in our next post.

National OVC Cross cutting Situation Indicators for the year 2012

Are you following our projects targeting orphans and other vulnerable children? Here are interesting statistics about Uganda's OVC Cross cutting Situation Indicators for  2012

1. Total Population of children in Uganda also reflected as a per cent of the total Ugandan population -19,566,430 children based on UBOS population Projections for 2012. Generally the percentage of children to the population is 56%.
2. 52% of the population is under 15 years of age
3. Less than one percent of children under age 5 tested positive for HIV (AIDS Indicator Survey 2011).
4. Percentage of children under age 18 who are orphans (11.5% UDHS 2011)
5. Percentage of children under age 18 who are vulnerable(38% UNHS 2009/10)
6. 19% of the children not living with biological parent (UDHS ,2011)
7. Number of children who live without an adult care-giver 32,000.
8. Percentage of Children living below the poverty line

- Over 30% of children live in economic poverty

- In terms of access to water, but 28% of children were deprived of safe water by 2009.

-  Nearly one in ten children (8.7%) lack access to any toilet.

- 0.7% of children under the age of 5 years are infected with HIV/AIDS.

- Under five mortality rate is 90 per 1000 i.e. 98 for female and 114 for males.

- Infant mortality rate is 54 per 1000 i.e. 59 for females and 70 for males 

- Percentage of children under 5 sleeping under insecticide treated bed nets is 42.8 i.e. 44 females and 41.6 males.

- Proportion of 1 year-old children immunized against measles is 75.8 i.e. 76.6 for females and 74.8 for males

- Ratio of girls to boys in primary education is 1.0

- Ratio of girls to boys in secondary education is 1.1

- Ratio of girls to boys in tertiary education is 0.7

9. Percentage of children living with elderly caregivers (F)
10. (51 per cent of children are living with both parents, 23 per cent live with their mothers and not their fathers, per cent live with their fathers and not their mothers. 9 per cent of children under age 18 have lost their biological fathers, 4 per cent have lost their mothers, and 2 per cent have lost both parents (‘double orphans’). (Uganda AIDS Indicator Survey, 2011),
11. Percentage of children engaged in child labour (25% i.e. 28% for males and 24% females, UNHS 2009/10).
12. Child labour was highest among children in the age group of 5-11 years (34%).
13. Over 32,130 children between the ages of 10 to 17 head households
14. Over 40,000 children live in residnetial care facilities like children’s homes (Alternative Care Assessment by the MGLSD, 2012).
15. Number of children living with HIV/AIDS (150,000)
16. Overall, 4 percent of those in the age 15-24 are living with HIV. However, there is a gender gap; HIV
17. prevalence among women age 15-24 years is 5 percent, while among men, it is only 2 percent. Prevalence rises rapidly with age, especially among women (Uganda AIDS Indicator Survey 2011).
18. 30% of children of 0-5 years have their births registered (USDH 2011)
19. A tiny fraction of children under age 5 are HIV-positive— 0.7 percent (Uganda AIDS Indicator Survey 2011).
20. 18% of women between the ages of 15‐19 are already mothers and another 6% are pregnant with their first child showing levels of child mothers (UDHS 2011)
21. Infant mortality rate is 54 deaths per 1,000 live births (UDHS, 2011)
22. Under‐five mortality rate is 90 deaths per 1,000 live births (UDHS, 2011)
23. Childhood mortality is generally higher among children of less educated mothers and those on the poorest households. Also Child mortality is highest among children born less than 2 years after a previous birth and those born to mothers under age 20. (UDHS, 2011)
24. Maternal mortality ratio is 438 deaths per 100,000 live births (UDHS, 2011).
25. Net attendance ratio in primary education is 81% (UDHS 2011) ( 81.0 % for Males and 81.1% for girls). The rate is based on reported attendance, not enrollment, in primary education among primary school age children (6-12 year-olds). The rate also includes children of primary school age enrolled in secondary education. This is proxy for MDG indicator 2.1, Net enrollment ratio.
26. among children age 10-14 whose parents are both alive and who are living with one or both parents, 96 percent attended school during the 2011 school year, compared with 84 percent of children who have lost both parents (‘double orphans’)(Uganda AIDS Indicator Survey 2011).
27. The ratio of school attendance among orphaned to non-orphaned children is 0.88. This implies that double orphans have a disadvantage in school attendance compared with children who are living with one or both parents.

Lyantonde District International Women's Day celebrations

Did you miss Lyantonde  District belated International Women's Day celebrations and missed out on Fatuma's live tweets on our twitter account? She got some pictures for you here.

Annual Monitoring Report 2012 is ready

Watch out for ICOD Action Network's Annual Monitoring report 2012 in the next 11hrs. Read about Projects implemented in 2012, detailed data on beneficiaries, lessons learnt,  way forward for 2013 and so much more about our work in Uganda.