A few project pics

From December to January, I implemented the SOVCCAN Pilot Project through a small grant from FSD. SOVCCAN stands for Ssenyange Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children Community Action Network Project. Because the villages in nearby Ssenyange are a source of many of the children coming to the streets of Masaka, together with the staff at Buddukiro, I decided that my project should address the prevention side, mitigating some of the 'push' factors that drive the children to the streets.

The strategy was to form 'self help groups' for the caregivers of vulnerable, 'at-risk' children in two of the villages. The advantage of the groups is that they encourage saving and lending activity using members' own resources, serve as a sustainable mechanism for mutual support and self-advocacy, and encourage members to actively engage in addressing common community problems.

Although there were many points during the process when I feared the whole thing was going to crash and burn, things kept moving forward somehow, and we've seen a lot of positive impacts as the groups have been formed and trained. I'll write a separate post with more details on that, but for now here's a few pics.

Staff ToT - In December, we held a training for the Buddukiro staff to prepare them for working directly with the community, something that is new area for Buddukiro.


Introductory community discussion meeting - After identifying people in Ssenyange A and B that fell within our target group (using PRA), we invited them to a meeting to discuss the challenges they face, and brainstorm about potential solutions.


Home visits and interviewing - After the discussion meeting and some other orientation and training sessions, group membership started to solidify, and we began to do home visits to learn more about the kids living in the households. In this pic the lady in the jean skirt is the chairlady of the group for Ssenyange A. We call the lady who is seated on the ground 'the prefect' (because she's kind of the teacher's pet of the group but also super helpful). The social worker Aida is sitting on the bench interviewing one of the other group members outside her home.



Developing by-laws - After completing their basic training, the group members began to democratically develop the rules that will govern their operation. In this pic, the group from Ssenyange A is discussing their by-laws.


The team trekking back from Ssenyange - Cissy, Aida and John Bosco (Buddukiro staff) were real troopers, trekking up the hill to Ssenyange several Sundays in a row during the group formation and training (since Sunday was the convenient time for the community members to meet).


Teaching the ladies in Ssenyange B to write their own names. - For a number of reasons, things moved much more slowly with the development of the group for Ssenyange B. (Including burials and other cultural events that kept them away from several training sessions.) In this pic, they are finally together again to get things going. While they were waiting for the others to arrive, Cissy and the new education staff began teaching some of them how to write their names. The two village groups are very different, and whereas A is a younger, more literate crowd, B tends to be older and many are illiterate.


Ssenyange B - I love this shot of the chairlady for the Ssenyange B group on the left, and another jia jia (grandmother) holding up a tiny baby- one of many orphan kids she is caring for. Just look at her and you can begin to understand one of the major problems caused by HIV/AIDS in this area- many parents have died, leaving their tiny children in the care of grandparents, who may not make it all the way through their childhood...