My proposed project aims at raising the voices of local communities in Block 1 (Exploration Area 1) of Uganda’s oil-rich Albertine Graben. We would like to mentor at least three youth citizen journalists from each of the nine sub-counties that border the block. Block 1, operated by French oil giant, Total, has 75 percent of the 3.5 billion barrels of oil discovered in Uganda. We would like to mentor them on a) how to collect vital information on community issues, concerns and grievances, b) how to use mobile internet and use mobile phones to disseminate such information to the local media, c)
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Nebbi
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
The young people, aged below 35 years (the national youth people) are of average education and capable of using new media platforms. They belong to local indigenous communities that inhabit Block 1. They are part local communities that are most endangered and are going to be most affected by oil and gas activities in the Albertine Graben. The people are peasant in nature, remote, illiterate, lack basic social services like education, healthcare, clean and safe water, lack information on oil and gas activities, and are oblivious of what awaits them, especially as the development stage starts. They are peasants whose mainstay are farming and fishing. The population comprises indigenous peoples particularly the Bagungu, Alur, Jonam, Acholi and migrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo. M
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
We have three people who will help in the implementation of the project:
1. David Rupiny – coordinator and social media trainer – https://www.facebook.com/drupiny
2. Francis Onencan – ICT trainer and manager of the Community Knowledge Center – https://www.facebook.com/onencan.francis
3. Patience Atuhaire – social media trainer – https://www.facebook.com/patience.atuhaire
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
The content generated will be about everyday issues, concerns and grievances like access to land, casual employment, compensation, environment, biodiversity, health concerns particularly HIV/Aids and reproductive health, local content, corporate social responsibility, information flow, transfer of knowledge, tourism, etc. These will come out in the form of short posts on social media, text messages to radio stations, letters in national newspapers, pictures, short videos and audio clips, etc.
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.
Rainbow Radio and Community Knowledge Center is a fully fledged community-cum-citizen radio integrated with ICT for rural development. We conduct all-round media and ICT training for young people all year round. We have strong partnerships with organizations like Action Aid International Uganda, Uganda Radio Network, Center for Broadcast Training / Wizarts Media, Uganda Media Development Foundation, African Center for Media Excellence and many local governments and community-based organizations like Agricultural Productivity Enhancement Forum, Rural Initiative for Community Empowerment and Buliisa Initiative for Rural Development Organisation. We also intend to connect with Uganda’s Civil Society Coalition on Oil and Gas.
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
We intend to train 27 key users or mentees drawn from nine sub-counties in Block 1. The training will take place at the Rainbow Radio and Community Knowledge Center located in Nebbi town, within the block. We shall use the local authorities and community-based organisations to identify the mentees; that way we shall get the best from the communities.
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
We have a well-equipped high-tech ICT center full with 20 desktop computers, five laptops, internet connection, storage facilities, two printers, three video cameras, three still cameras, one projector, two printers and reliable power – grid power backed by a heavy duty generator and inverter. Already we conduct a string of tailor-made ICT training for various categories of people like young people, children, women, small businesses, students, farmers, etc. We operate a radio station in the block, which will be used, and we have a string of networks with local, national and international media. Moreover, we shall use popular social media platforms as well.
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
Rainbow Radio and Community Knowledge Center is a fully-fledged media and training center. We have a well-equipped ICT training facility comprising 20 desktop computers, five laptops, internet connection, soft storage facilities, two printers, three video cameras, three still cameras, one projector, two printers and reliable power – grid power backed by a heavy duty generator and inverter. We have two training rooms, one of which can accommodate up to 50 mentees. We have trained trainers in both ICT and social media. We conduct talor-made ICT training all year round.
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?
Rainbow Radio and Community Knowledge Center is perhaps the only one of its kind in Uganda. It combines citizen radio with ICT for community development. In its two and a half years RRCKC has cultivated a meaningful and symbiotic relationship with the community who literally feel part of it. We have made it our mission to bring the local communities concerns, issues and grievances, especially on oil and gas, on the public domain.
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
The major challenge we shall face is the capacity of some of the mentees to learn, considering that they come from disadvantaged communities where education is poor. The other challenge may be post-mentorship support, but we hope to fill that gap by collaborating with like-minded community-based organizations that are closer to them.
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
The regularity and volume of information disseminated on local and national and social media, from the time the training has been conducted, will give a picture of the impact of the mentorship. We shall develop a tracking mechanism to find out how the mentees are performing, the challenges they are facing and how they can be supported.
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
We propose a training period of three full days from the date of approval of the proposal, preferably in May 2014. This will be preceded by call for mentees, identification of the mentees, information on training dates and logistics, conducting of the training and monitoring and evaluation.
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
Exchange: 1$ = 2,600 Uganda Shillings.
Accommodation for three nights each at 20,000/= for 27 participants equal to 1,620,000 = $622, travel from the sub-counties for 15 mentees each at 30,000/= equal to 450,000 = $173 and 12 participants from the sub-counties each at 50,000/= equal to 600,000 = $230; Meals 3 per day for 15,000/= per day for 3 days 1,215,000/= equal to $467; Stationery $103; Expenses for coordinator and two trainees – ICT and social media $900; and Incidentals $100; Total $2492
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
Advice on how to implement such a project based on other experiences.
Contact name
David Rupiny
Organization
Rainbow Radio and Community Knowledge Center
