ToroDev's Impact story July-December 2016

One of ToroDev's Impact story for 2016

  

In 2016 ToroDev under ICT4Democracy in Eastern Africa, with support from SIDA-Swedish International Development Agency project directly engaged twenty two (22) leaders of Rwenzori Journalist Forum (RJF) and indirectly reached out to 781 members of RJF on their Facebook page to see how best the journalists can keep following up the pledges the newly elected duty bearers make whenever they come for the radio talkshows, as a result of this over 20 duty bearers pledges have been captured for future reference and follow up.

 More so, thirty (30)  duty bearers were engaged live on radio talkshows to present their work plans  and also to plan with  the local citizens  on how they will work together to improve service delivery in their respective areas.

Hon. Lawrence Akugizibwe, Member of Parliament representing  Mwenge North - Kyenjojo district  on Jubilee radio

The orientation and training of Sixty Four (64) newly elected district councillors from sampled Kabarole and Ntoroko districts was another milestone. It was done to enable them be more acquainted with their roles and responsibilities and how best they improve service delivery  advocacy using ICT  tools like social media, phones, Radios etc.  To ensure that there is improved standards of education especially in poor performing UPE schools; ToroDev in partnership with Kyenjojo district education department inducted 235 SMC & PTA members from 19 UPE Schools from Kyenjojo District. The capacity aimed at highlighting the roles and responsibilities of SMC’s & PTA members especially those who were serving their first term so that they can play their school management and oversight roles well to improve performance in their schools.  

Mr. Orono Francis Xavier Facilitating the District Councilors Capacity Building Training in Ntoroko District

 Furthermore ToroDev directly built the capacity of over 90 Citizens’ Advocacy Forum members in online and offline advocacy, conducted five (5) workshops to identify citizens’ priority service delivery needs for 2017/2018 budgeting in 3 districts. A total of twenty (20) CSOs were engaged during the workshops in Kabarole, Kyenjojo and Kyegegwa districts. ToroDev went further and supported 3 district budget conferences   under CSOs-District Forums. This led to increased number of CSO’s participation from 8 in 2015 to 20 in 2016 meaning more citizens’ service delivery issues were captured in the district budget frameworks.

To give  a chance to  youths and women  from hard to reach areas to record  their pressing service delivery issues, ToroDev held five (5)  rural radio debates in 4 districts of the Rwenzori Region and a total number of 120 women and  60 youth  were engaged from  hard to reach areas.

Rural debates have contributed to the empowerment and sensitization among the marginalized groups of population that include youth and women to participate in governance issues, advocacy, demanding accountability, information access, monitoring service delivery and participation in local government planning and budgetary processes. “Rural debates have helped women and other marginalised group of people to express themselves on issues affecting them & also taking part in governance issues of their communities. ‘’We thank ToroDev for the chance they always give us to also share our issues on radio, most issues do not reach our leaders because those we entrust sometimes do not do what we tell them we hope that when you air them on radio they may respond and with time our health sector will improve since it is a sector affecting us more as women’’. Said Joan during rural debate in Katooke-Myeri, Kyenjojo district.

ToroDev supported accountability talk shows on two local radio stations where duty bearers of all levels have been hosted to give accountability for improved service delivery. “Radio talk shows have helped to bridge the gap between duty bearers and us citizens, when leaders & technocrats are hosted on radio, we get chance to engage them on issues we feel vital from our communities. Please continue to bring them live to give us accountability & their plans and this will help our communities to develop”. Said Twinamasiko Julius a caller from Kabarole distinct.

Increased participation of duty bearers’ presence on electronic platforms like broadcast radio from 5 to 10 monthly.  A total of 24 live radio discussions/talk shows were held bi weekly since July 2016-December 2016, 960 citizens questioned duty-bearers on radio and expressed their priority service delivery needs. At least 5 key service delivery needs in the Health and education sectors addressed in 2 districts of Kabarole and Ntoroko, western Uganda, needs like late coming of health workers in Myeri and Kibate health centres

  

There has been incredible improvement in service delivery among different sectors as a result 21 advocacy forums.  For example  an issue of Gravity flow scheme where some villages that were supposed to be connected on the gravity scheme were left out on top of the contractor delaying the work that was meant to take 6 months but on the 12^th month work was still incomplete. The local people with the help of the forum leader petitioned the district chairperson who travelled to the site and ordered for all the anomalies that had been done to be worked on and now communities have access to safe & clean water. ‘’We are grateful to the district chairperson for hearing our cry and coming to check on what we are complaining about, as we talk now there is good work being done and some people are now accessing safe and clean water even those in Bwanika village who used to see pipes passing through their land now have been connected to the scheme’’, said Mr. Rwaheru Gilbert the coordinator of Kicwamba forum for development and service delivery advocacy.

Engineers working on the gravity scheme in Kicwamba Sub county

 “As forum members we visited Myeri Health centre II to find out the challenges that the health centre faces so that we can present these challenges to the leaders, we discovered that there is shortage of medical supplies, there is no standard maternity ward, few health workers etc, we had a meeting with the In-charge of the Health centre and he  explained that the Project of maternity ward will begin this financial year, 2017/2018 and 8 million shillings is allocated towards the construction, we also presented the issues to the sub county leaders who promised to address them during their council meetings, we shall keep reminding these leaders until we see change in place” Said Hon. Muzoora Godwin forum coordinator.

 “We received an outcry from concerned citizens of Bufunjo Sub County in Kyenjojo District complaining about Mr. Mugisha Tumwine Salongo, the laboratory assistant at  Bufunjo health centre III  after seeing him  fighting with  fellow staff.  According to eye witnesses & other staff members, Mugisha used to attack fellow workers, abuse them publically and this was the third time seen fighting fellow staff”, we engaged duty bearers and the disciplinary committee wrote to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Kyenjojo district and as we talk Mr. Mugisha has been transferred to another place of work, Said Andrew Tumwesigye the leader of Bufunjo People’s Forum.

These achievements/impacts; both online & offline, rural radio magazine/debates, consultative meetings with duty bearers, trainings & knowledge sharing workshops, online social platforms, radio talkshows, etc have all been used together with the involvement of citizens in promoting sustainable and consistent democratic & accountability engagements and also sharing information vital for development of communities.

As ToroDev we very much appreciate the continued financial & technical support from SIDA-Swedish International Development Agency for the impact/successes in the year 2016.