The Project aims at building the capacity of a Group of Women of Nambi Sseppuuya Community Resource Centre, in rural Eastern Uganda by improving their accessibility to relevant and up to date information. The group will be exposed to modern methods of individual and community development. The project will build internet connectivity using the 40 computers currently available in the Resource Centre's ICT Lab., organize sensitization workshops, seminars and visits to vocational institutions. This will enable them to perfect their handcraft work, farming, and other activities they have started.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
JINJA
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
The Nambi Women's Group Igmbe are part of the Nambi Sseppuuya Community Resource Centre, a Centre whose Mission is “to fight illiteracy ignorance, poverty and disease through education, training and provision of reading and research materials”. The women are regular participants of the Resource Centre's activities. (Please see the Blog and Photo sections of the Centre's website, http://www.nambicommunityresourcecentre.com). Like all other undertakings, planed and executed by this group, this project too has been fully discussed with the Resource Centre's Staff and all those concerned have worked on its submission. The group is composed of women with varying levels of basic education. The Centre has assisted them to acquire basic ICT skills. They are computer literate.
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
In order to minimize costs and come up with very good results I plan to work with a small but effective and efficient Team. In addition to Justin Kiyimba, the Director of the Resource Centre, The Resource Centre Librarian will be on the Team. (maganda.isa@gmail.com) The Centre works with the National Library of Uganda,s Director .(Gertrude Kayaga Mulindwa. gkmulindwa@nlu.go.ug) We shall seek her assistance for a staff for more computer training. We shall involve the Community Development Officer of our area and get him to participate in the the project's implementation. (Stephen Nkwehaire. Tel. 256-701 207879). We also plan to work with a Nutritionist to impart basic Catering skills to the women's group (Michael Bamuwamye. micky831@yahoo.com)
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
The Resource Centre has attracted good media attention. The New Vision, a leading newspaper in Uganda has written several articles based on the activities the Resource Centre has conducted. The latest is an article that was published on Women's Day, 8th March, 2014.(Please see Blog section of http://www.nambicommunityresourcecentre.com). The media will be invited to the Workshops, Seminars, discussion groups, visits and other training sessions organized for the women's Group. this should encourage other women in the country to form groups that can attract assistance both within and outside the Uganda. The Centre recently received a donation of two water tanks with a capacity of 10,000 liters each. This, was a result of the publicity of these women's activities and others
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established or plan to establish that will contribute to the success of the project.
Since its inception in 2004 Nambi Sseppuuya Community Resource Centre has worked in partnership with HORIZONT3000, an Austrian Non Government Organization. Book Aid International, a British based NGO, British Council, the American Centre in the United States Embassy in Uganda Natioanal Library of Uganda, Natioal Book Trust of Uganda, Uganda Publishers and Booksellers Association, Uganda Communication Commission, Kyambogo University, Uganda, Under The Reading Tree Canada, Uganda Community Library and Information Association, Uganda Community Libraries Association, Reading Association of Uganda. Local government Authorities.These Organizations and Associations have been and will continue to be instrumental in developing the Centre and helping it to offer credible services to the community
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
The Women's group has a membership of 120 women and 85 youths. Altogether the project will give training to 205 Members. It is expected that these will form a nucleus of manpower who will in turn train those many women and youths in the community estimated at over 500 women and 15,000 youths who will not have had the opportunity to get training. the advantage we have is that the Resource Centre has a permanent structure with a Mission to educate and train. The Project should offer an opportunity for a multiplier effect where those who have received the training will through experience and further training become the Centre's source of trained manpower. It is hoped that the Centre will become a model for rural training in the country.
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
Digital Videos are more widely used in Uganda and are more suitable for this project . They are simple to operate, they are not sophisticated. What one needs is a Video camera, a television preferably 28 inches flat screen, a projector a DVD Player. I am a trained information scientist with a wide experience in information management. i can very comfortable handle the equipment listed above. The Resource Centre Librarian is a trained librarian with a good knowledge of ICT. he has been involved in the day to day handling of adult learners. He has been instrumental in the formation of both the women and youth groups. The National Library of Uganda with whom we are working has staff with very good knowledge of ICT. A very competent Team will be put together to handle the Projec
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
The Workshops will be held within the premises of Nambi Sseppuuya Community Resourcewith the following rooms: A material processing room measuring 17.6 Sq.Metres. A Seminar room measuring 18.7 Sq.Metres. A Research Room measuring 18.6 sq.metres. A Conference Room/Adult Library measuring 98.6Sq.metres. a Children's Library measuring 66.7Sq.metres. A Special collection Room measuring 13.5 Sq.meters. An ICT Laboratory measuring 69.4 Sq.metres. A Librarian's Office Measuring 4.8Sq.metres. A Store measuring 2.9 Sq.Metres. The ICT Lab. has 40 Computers fully networked. The computers are without internet connection. There is no ADSL, Dial-Uo or USB modems. this is a very serious short-coming which the Project seeks to correct.
What is your current relationship with the community with whom you plan to work? What makes you the most appropriate individual or organization to implement this project?
The Resource Centre is in the first place a community initiative. It was put up in consultation with and participation of the community. the relationship with the community, therefore is excellent. It is the most suitable place for a project of this kind because it belongs to the community. It has facilities for children, youths and adults. I am a founding member and I have been with the Centre since its inception. I am very much conversant with the vision, the mission and the objectives of the Centre. I am a resident and share the aspirations of the community. I have the education, the experience and am an interested party in the development of the community. The long-term plans of the Centre is to have it contribute to the total growth of the community and grow to be a model for Uganda.
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
members of the rural population depend mainly of subsistence agriculture. Depending on the season if it is a rain season, keeping time for sensitization workshops may be a problem. People go to attend to their gardens early in the morning and later in the afternoon. So, time management could be a problem. Secondly, one is handling people with varying levels of education and therefore different levels of understanding. thirdly their ages and levels of responsibility is different. There is also the challenge of attitudes and people's commitment to work. There are social obligations people have to attend it like burials of the dead, weddings etc. With all these challenges the answer is for one to understand the community, be flexible but firm. Adhere to the deadline with the desired results
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
The two groups already have their projects. The first step in the Project implementation will be to establish the expectations of each group. These expectations will be recorded. During the implementation, we shall monitor the progress as well as establishing whether we are on course. At the end of the project there will be an evaluation by the facilitators and an outside person to find out whether the the groups expectations have been met. This will be done mainly through a questionnaire to the participants in the various activities of the Project. After the Project the impact will be measured by the post project performance by the Groups. The products they come out with. The rest of the community will also be asked to evaluate this post project evaluation soliciting their comments.
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
1. 1st to 15th July 2014 sensitizing the groups about their obligations and responsibilities. Procurement of the necessary equipment
2. 16th July to 31st August, 2014 Assembling the Team, planning visits to vocational institutions and getting the participants ready to start plus sorting out other logistical issues relating to the project.
3 . 1st September to 31 December 2014 Workshops at the resource Centre. This will include:
(a) Identification of income generating projects both locally using available resources, local entrepreneurs and others knowledgeable in the field of income generation and through the internet.
(b) Organization of workshops, seminars and discussion groups using video and other media.
(c) Practical workshops based on what has been viewed and discussed
These being adult learners with domestic and other responsibilities, one cannot expect to have them more than twice a week, three hours a day. Visit trips will have to be a maximum of 2 days each.
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Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
1. Purchase and installation of Internet connectivity equipment US$ 1,365
2. Video Camera Us$ 600
3. Television Us$ 475
4. Projector US$ 300
5. DVD Player US$ 50
6. Workshop facilitators US$ 400
7. Transport US$ 200
8. Refreshments US$ 100
Total US$ 3,490
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
The resource Centre deeply appreciates working with partners both within and outside Uganda. We would appreciate the assistance of Rising Voices to acquire partners who can sponsor volunteers in the area of ICT to come and work with the the Resource Centre for a period of 6 months to one year to impart ICT skills to members of our community particularly children and the youth. The volunteers need not be young people at or just out of University. They can be adults, even those who have retired but are willing to come out here in a different environment.
Contact name
Justin N. Kiyimba
Organization
Nambi Sseppuuya Community Resource Centre