CHURCH OF UGANDA SOROTI DIOCESE

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
TESO INITIATIVE FOR WOMEN EMPOWERMENT PROJECT
FINAL REPORT SUBMITTED TO ARTEFACT GLUECKSBURG- GERMANY ON IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIVITIES OF TIWE PROJECT

Making Lorena stoves on VSLA session

Teaching on Nutrition

Pamba women

The women receive bicycles Training on bakery

Training on candle making

Prepared by Education Department staff

August 2013 OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT

PROJECT TITLE: EMPOWERMENT PROJECT PERIOD: REPORTING PERIOD: REPORTING DATE: 2013 PERSON RESPONSIBLE: (PROGRAMME OFFICER) ADDRESS: (EAST AFRICA) E-MAIL: PHONE: BUDGET: IMPLEMENTER: DEPARTMENT COUNTRY: UGANDA tesocsp@yahoo.com +256772884441 4,000 EUROS (13,741,500) COU SOROTI EDUCATION P.O Box, 107SOROTI UGANDA REV. SAM EDIAU MAY 2013-JULY2013 AUGUST 2013 SUBMISSION DATE: 5TH AUGUST TESO INITIATIVE FOR WOMEN

PROJECT OBJECTIVE: To increase women productivity for improved household incomes leading to poverty reduction and self reliance. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The TIWE project was a pilot women empowerment initiative that Soroti Diocese Education Department implemented in its core programmes from May to July 2013, with the aim empowering women economically so that they can be able to take care of the education of their children and meet other family needs. The TIWE project aimed at increasing the number of Women targeted; ensuring that skills gained will be for the self-empowerment of the women, helping them start up income generating activities, and addressing vulnerability and abuse of Women in Teso. The TIWE project built and used an integrated approach, utilizing skills building and community support to enable the vulnerable women realise their potential in society.

This report entails details for activities conducted during the period of implementation in all the seven self-help groups of Cathedral, Pamba, MoruApesur, Nakatunya, Cambiswahili, Omodoi and Kichinjaji. The summary of the activities implemented during the reporting period included: An exchange visit to was carried out to Bushenyi and Fortportal by Carolina Nelson (Volunteer) and Annet Ikima (one of the competent women leaders) between 1st and 7th May 2013. The exchange visit offered fora for learning and exchange of ideas meant to be rolled out to other women in the self-help groups. These two had a diverse exposure to learning through guided garden tours from which they learned about environment-friendly trees as well as the medical use of many indigenous and non-indigenous herbs. There was also a training of trainers workshop for 70 women from the 7 self help groups. The women attended a three days training of trainers workshop that took place at the Mother Union Nursery school training hall in Soroti municipality in from 22nd to 24thMay 2013. In this ToT workshop, capable persons were selected and trained so that they gained knowledge and skills which they would roll over by training other women within their communities. The women trained were able to train other people in the topics they were trained in. Both project staff and outsourced facilitators handled various topics. A minimum of three topics were taught per day. A total of 195 women from 7 self help groups received vocational and apprenticeship training in sewing, knitting and patchwork, and, bakery, jewellery and bead making, tree planting and energy saving stove making. Establishment of various projects for the women groups like mushroom, bakery, vegetable, knitting and sewing, soap making, tree nurseries. After receiving the training and the skills, each of the 7 self help groups 3

established and operated its own projects for bakery, knitting and patchwork, jewellery, mushroom growing, tree nursery and energy stove making. Each group was facilitated with equipment; training materials and minimal capital to kick start these project activities. Initiation and rolling out of Village Saving Loan Associations (VSLAs) methodology in all the 7 women groups. Upon training of all the self-help groups on VSLA, all the self-help groups received the entire VSLA tool kit from TIWE. The tool kit which each of the self-help groups received comprised of a saving metallic box, 10 pass books, a ruler, calculator, ink pad, stamp, 3 pad locks, a counter book and 3 pens. 7 Bicycles that were purchased and distributed to the self-help groups to facilitate them in monitoring their activities and also for marketing their products
2.0 DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT ACTIVITIES This report presents activities implemented during the whole project cycle by TIWE through her project staff and project beneficiaries with funds received from Artefact Gluecksburg- Germany. It is a three month piloting project with a goal to promote

gender equality and womens empowerment through enhanced knowledge and skills for self reliance. 2.1 PROJECT OBJECTIVE To increase women productivity for improved household incomes leading to poverty reduction and self reliance. 2.2 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES 1. To increase women's access to vocational and apprenticeship training. 2. To empower women groups through sustainable Income Generating Activities (IGAs). 2.3 PROJECT STRATEGIES The project will focus on mobilizing 60 rural women into 6 Self Help Groups (SHGs) and educating them on aspects of Vocational skills in bakery, sewing, knitting, skills in mushroom growing, jewelry, environmental conservation, agro-livestock, project proposal writing, HIV/AIDS and Financial management. The project intends to integrate cross cutting issues of HIV/AIDS and environmental conservation in project activities of empowering women and networking with partners. 2.4 PROJECT LOCATION The project will be based in Soroti Diocesan Offices but will operate with women groups within Soroti District. 4

2.5 DIRECT BENEFICIARIES The project will directly benefit 60 women from the six self help groups. 2.6 INDIRECT BENEFICIARIES The project is expected to benefit 200 household members and spill over effects that will benefit other nearby societies. 3.0 ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD. 3.1. Sensitization and mobilization of women into self help groups
Planned: Sensitization and mobilization of women into 6 Self Help Groups of

10 members each.
Achieved: Over the 3 months, 200 women have been mobilised and are

members of the 7 self help groups of Cathedral, Campswahili, Nakatunya, Kichinjaji, Pamba Moru-Apesur and Omodoi. They were sensitized and mobilized for life skills, vocational and apprenticeship trainings so as to empower them to earn more income and improve their household incomes thus reducing poverty and becoming self reliant. See attached table:
S/No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Self-help Group Name Nakatunya Campswahili Cathedral Moru-Apesur Pamba Omodoi Kichinjaji Total No. of Registered Members 40 35 20 25 30 30 20 200

3.2 Carry out exchange visit to Bushenyi and Fort Portal

Planned: One exchange visit carried out to Bushenyi and Fort portal

Achieved: The project volunteer Carolina Nelson and Ikiima Annet, one of the members of Cathedral self-help group on 1 st of May had and exchange visit to Bushenyi and Fort Portal. This took duration of 7 days from 1 st to 7th of May 2013. The exchange visit offered fora for learning and exchange of ideas meant to be rolled out to other 5

The women are busy sewing

women in the self-help groups. These two had a diverse exposure to learning through guided garden tours from which they learned about environmentfriendly trees as well as the medical use of many indigenous and nonindigenous herbs. Additionally dried Artemisia ready for tea, dried medical lemon grass, a Healthy drink and seedlings for the spicy Rosemary were bought during this visit. (Picture 1.3). In Fort Portal, the team visited the crafts shop from where they had lessons on crafts and patchwork. The knowledge and skills from a 7 day exchange visit was used a basis of learning. These two participants were core in rolling out and disseminating the

knowledge to self-help

Stem cutting

Products bought in the TBG

other groups.

Ikiima, host and Carolina

3.3 Training of trainers workshop on womens rights, IGA (Income Generation Activity) financial management and group dynamics, environmental conservation, nutrition and agro livestock management, project proposal writing and local resource mobilization Planned: 60 women for Training of trainers workshop on womens rights, IGA (Income Generation Activity) financial management and group dynamics, environmental conservation, nutrition and agro livestock management, project proposal writing and local resource mobilization Achieved: 70 women from 7 women self-help groups were mobilized for Training of trainers workshop on womens rights, financial management and 6

group dynamics, environmental conservation, nutrition and agro livestock management, project proposal writing, VSLAs and local resource mobilization.

The 70 women from the 7 self help groups attended a three days training of trainers workshop that took place at the Mother Union Nursery school training hall in Soroti municipality from 22nd May to 24th May 2013. ToT was where capable persons were re-elected and trained so that they gain knowledge and skills which they roll out by training others. The women trained were able to train other people in the topics they were trained in. Both project staff and outsourced facilitators handled various topics. A minimum of three topics were taught per day.

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Partic

Participants during a ToT training

Participants show their certificates of attendance of the 3 days ToT workshop

3.4 Trainings of women group members on vocational and apprenticeship skills in knitting, sewing, bakery, candle and soap making, jewellery and bead making, mushroom & vegetable growing Planned: Trainings of 60 women group members on vocational and apprenticeship skills in knitting, sewing, bakery, candle and soap making, jewellery and bead making, mushroom & vegetable growing Achieved: A total of 200 women from 7 self help groups received vocational and apprenticeship training in sewing, knitting and patchwork, and, bakery, jewelry and bead making, tree planting and energy saving stove making. Having taken the women through enterprise selection exercise to identify what best they could implement, a team of facilitators and women used these to make work-plans to roll out the implementation of these activities in all women groups. The essence of enterprise selection made some groups like Campswahili to carry not only the above activities but mushroom growing and making liquid soap in addition. Except sewing which was centralized, all these activities were decentralized at group level. 9

3.4.1 Tree planting The mothers union already had an existing tree nursery run by Carolina Nelson the Volunteer. However after the ToT workshop on environmental conservation, all groups were given seedling to plant and they were urged to buy more and plant for their groups. At the time, a total of 42 various species of trees have been planted by women across the 7 self-help groups.

Participants during a guided session on how to plant different types of trees.

3.4.2 Baking The project volunteer (Carolina Nelson) took lead to roll-out knowledge and skills of baking in all the 7 women self-help groups. To enhance demonstrations, 7 energy saving ovens were constructed in all these groups and practical sessions were carried out by women. The TIWE project office met all the costs for purchase of requirements for baking demonstrations. However, from group savings and sales, all the self-help groups have been to scale up this.

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Baking session at cathedral one of the groups

Farewell cake made for Caroline by

3.4.3 Lorena stove making Having had a central training on construction of energy saving stoves (Lorena stoves) during the ToT trainers workshop, women have co-cordially appreciated the performance of these stoves as they are energy saving, time saving and work friendly. Although construction is still on-going in some groups, already a total of 25 Lorena stoves have been constructed by women across the 7 self-help groups.

A facilitator taking participants through a lesson on how to make a Lorena stove. 3.4.4 Mushroom and vegetable growing Although not all groups are indulged in this activity due to variations on enterprises specifically selected by self-help groups having taken all the 7 groups through enterprise selection session during the ToT workshop, one of the 7 groups is taking lead to pioneer in mushroom growing and vegetable growing. This is expected as a basis of learning from other groups. Already there is evidence of success from this project activity as the group is realizing quite huge profits from the sale of the mushrooms. So far, this group has realised profits of 210,000 shillings. Its expected that other 11

groups will imitate and initiate mushroom growing through sharing mingroup exchanges and sharing of experiences across groups.

Women from cathedral group preparing their mushroom gardens

3.4.5 Jewellery and bead making This was rolled out in all the 7 self-help groups with support from the project staff, volunteer and out-sourced facilitators who took lead in training all the women across the 7 self-help groups. Quite a number of beads, earrings among others have been made by women across all these groups and already some sales worth 165,000 shillings have been realized in total across all these groups. This is boasted by the foreign market sourced from Germany. Women also have the local demand of these products, among others, various church members upon which women sell the jewlery products in church compounds during Sundays after prayers.

Women being trained on jewellery and bead work

3.4.6 Patchwork, purse making and knitting 12

Women across all the 7 self-help groups are carrying out patch work, purse making and knitting. A total of 50 money purses and 15 table cloths have been made in all these groups with some sales of money purses realised.

Women being trained on purse making and knitting. Below are the materials they use

3.4.7 Village Saving Loan Associations This has been fundamental and played big part in the cohesion and dynamics of all these 7 groups as group members across self-help groups regularly meeting to save money. Accumulations are realised from individual member savings, emergency fund (meant to handle emergencies like death, accidents etc among members), fines levied from group members who default group constitutions, interest from loans borrowed by members group membership registration fees among others. Upon training all the self-help groups on VSLA, all the self-help groups received the entire VSLA tool kit from TIWE offices. The tool kit which of the self-help groups received comprised of a saving metallic box, 10 pass books, a ruler, calculator, ink pad, stamp, 3 pad locks, a counter book and 3 pens. Since our bottom line was to have all project activities in all groups be sustainable and continued even after the project ends, participants were taught group dynamics and business planning skills and marketing principles so that they know how to write a business plan, make budgets, market their products and keep their money. To ensure this development, we initiated VSLA methodology in all the 7 women groups.
A Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) is a group of 10 - 30 people who save together and take small loans from those savings. The activities of the VSLA run in cycles of about nine months, after which the accumulated savings and profits are shared out among the members according to the amount they have saved.

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VSLAs are member-managed. Programme staff only train members, but never manage the VSLA, write in the passbooks or touch money belonging to the members.

Members not only save during the week but as well interested members can borrow loans from the group savings and after the duration of one month, the borrower is expected to return the loan with the 10% interest. Group savings also accumulate through the fines levied on members that default the group constitution. Its expected that groups will share out their money by the end of this year in December 2013.

A set of VSLA kit that was purchased and handed over to each group to initiate and facilitate group savings

3.4.8 Briquette making. In all the groups, women were taught how to make charcoal briquettes in a bid to save environment and reduce wastage of fuel wood energy from trees. This was incorporated with construction of Lorena stoves that was demonstrated during the ToT workshop. Already a total of 5.3 bags of briquettes have been particularly made by women across the 7 self-help groups. These first products have been locally basically consumed by women at their homes, its expected that women will gradually scale p the productions from which they can begin selling to realise profits. 3.4.9 Weaving and basket making Women groups source local materials used for weaving and making baskets. So far, 06 baskets in total so far have been made by Campswahili self-help group members. 3.5 Staff remuneration Planned: Provision of motivational allowances for 4 key staff. Achieved: The three staff who were involved in the implementation of the project each received minimal motivational allowance for their input in the project. These included the programme Officer, Accountant and Field 14

Assistant. The volunteer was not paid as per the policy and we did not engage the driver since the project was implemented within town and did not need the services of a full time driver. The driver was supposed to serve as a field assistant but did not get time for the project because of his other work with another organisation. This made us to solicit the services of a field assistant called Opio Samson whom we engaged for 2 months at a consolidated allowance of two hundred thousand per month. See details in the financial report. 3.6 Office running and maintain ace Planned: Purchase and maintenance of training materials and other project equipment. Achieved: The equipment, assets and materials purchased included bicycles, sewing machines, office camera and various training materials. Responsibility for assets and materials given to groups was tagged to group leadership as formal agreements between groups and TIWE office were signed. The copies of these asset lists and agreements were kept both by the group and the project office.

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Camera above and the four sewing machines below bought for the project

Except the bicycles which the women groups have continued using for marketing their products, other project assets have been kept at the project training centre (mothers union nursery and training centre) for future projects .

7 Bicycles that were purchased and distributed to self-help groups to facilitate marketing 16

3.7 Monitoring and Evaluation of project activities Planned: Conducting regular planning, monitoring and evaluation.
Achieved: Periodic assessments were conducted to ascertain multiple

adoption and implementation of project activities at instituted women selfhelp groups. Findings were routinely documented as it was used as a basis for evaluation and improvement strategies derived shared during regular meetings with self help-women leaders.

Mid-term planning and evaluation meeting at the education board room

4.0 LESSONS LEARNT. 1. The approach of supporting the women initiated projects that were identified during enterprise selection session is rather better than making direct interventions based on assumed planned interventions. This was unique because the women were empowered with skills to identify working projects in their local areas. This aspect made participants to appreciate and own the whole working of these hence being able to work upon achieving the best project output. 2. TIWE has over the three month consistently used the approach of networking with other partner local organizations and stakeholders. This was especially helpful in identifying persons with legitimate knowledge and skills to train women on some topics where TIWE staff had inadequate knowledge during the ToT trainers workshop. 17

3. TIWE has realized that women have demonstrated capacity to initiate and support income generating activities. They only need to be kick started. This they have exhibited through the various project activities implemented during the whole three month project period, the joint effort by both TIWE and women self-help group members has greatly increased the level of the participation of women in local resource mobilization.

5.0 CHALLENGES. 1. There was a limited resource base for TIWE not only in meeting demands of the targeted women self-help groups but also the overwhelming requests from non-targeted groups of people like orphans, school drop-outs etc. 2. Limited transport means to support project staff to reach al the women self-help groups still remains a challenge as TIWE office lacks a functional motor vehicle used for entire project work. This made reaching out to women self-help groups difficult, a case for example where the office incurred high costs of hire of a transport means (bodaboda) to transport staff and or volunteers to roll out project activities women self-help groups. 3. The office still lack essential assets to be used e.g. generator etc. making it hard to operate in crisis especially need times to meet deadlines. 4. Inadequate project staff to handle the overwhelming number of women and self-help groups 6.0 RECOMENDATIONS. 1. Since this pilot was a great success, there is need to scale up the project and bring more groups on board so that more women get the skills and are empowered to support their households and communities. A scale up proposal needs to be developed for the same. 2. There is need to vigorously diversify the TIWE income sources so as to increase the area of coverage and also include other aspects like children with disabilities, school drop-outs and orphans. 3. There is need for provision for facilitation of purchase of a means of transport especially a motor bike to be used to ease reaching out women self-help groups so as to avert costs of hire. 4. There is need to widen resource base of TIWE to support bringing more staff on board so as mitigate inadequate staffing and boast execution 18

of future project activities and also meet purchase of additional office assets like generators among others. 7.0 CONCLUSION In summary, TIWE has been a very unique joint initiative in the eyes of many stakeholders. It has tried to work hard towards the attainment of planned outputs, outcomes and results. This was based on a two intervention strategies of To increase women's access to vocational and apprenticeship training and To empower women groups through sustainable Income Generating Activities (IGAs). This has resulted in active involvement and participation of women locally mobilizing for incomes at home hence boasting family care and development. There is need to continue with the efforts so as to reach to more other women across other societies especially within Teso, this cannot be achieved single handledly but through a concerted effort. The project was implemented based on the project plan and thus registered a number of effects which were positive but were not devoid of challenges as stated above. The challenges however form a basis for diversification of the funding sources so as to fill gaps.

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