A Day in Busi Island

March 8^th marks the International Women’s Day, a day where people worldwide unite in recognition of Women emancipation and empowerment. In support of this day, DSW Uganda teamed up with Kasanje Health III and Kasanje Youth Club to provide free Sexual Reproductive Health information and services to the people of Busi Island, Wakiso District.

During the outreach, the Youth Champions, Health Workers, and the DSW, Uganda Youth Truck team discussed several SRH issues that include the importance of testing for STDs, and knowing ones HIV status, the health social economic benefits of Family Planning to the family and the country at large. In addition the team discussed myths and perceptions on contraceptives, teenage pregnancies and menstrual hygiene and management among others.

The team also offered  HIV testing and counseling,  they screened health video shows and distributed Family Planning commodities such as condoms to women, men and the youth  .Over 100 people were tested for  Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STDs) especially HIV while hundreds attended and received Family Planning counseling and reproductive health services.

The outreach meant to support most at risk persons (MAPs) and far to reach communities such as Busi was supported by DSW innovative Youth Truck designed for this very purpose. The work we do with support of the Youth Truck and its team is to empower young people and communities with information and knowledge about Sexual Reproductive health rights and services across Uganda

Busi Island which is made up of three parishes is documented high rates of teenage pregnancy rates, high HIV preference rates which is predominant among the young people. The area LCI appreciated the organizers the outreach in the community. “I am happy for this intervention and I believe it will make a difference in many of lives”. He remarked

According to the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2011, the unmet need for family planning among married stood at 34%, and unmet need for child spacing at 21%, whereas un met need for limiting at 14%

Kasanje Health centre II Health workers, and DSW Youth Truck Team offer SRH  and FP information and services during the Busi outreach

FPBAG meets to review the progress and discuss/ formulate strategies to advocate for FP financing in Uganda

Securing Health through Advocacy and People’s Empowerment is a three-year program to mobilize more and better funds from key European donors (Germany, EU) as well as from East African governments (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda). Over the next three years, DSW will build on its proven successes in advocacy and capacity building through previous grant phases in Germany, at the EU level as well as in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Tuesday Feb, 28^th 2017

Family Planning Budget Advocacy Group (FPBAG) had their first meeting to review their progress and to reposition themselves with new strategies to closing the gap of FP inadequate funding by government. The Group was established in August 2016 under the coordination of DSW.

The Director General, National Population Council Jotham Musiguzi who presided over the review and planning meeting at National Population Council said that the global FP2020 goal is to mobilize global policy, financing, commodity and service delivery commitments to support the rights of women and girls in the world’s poorest countries to use contraceptive information, services and supplies without coercion and discrimination by 2020.

He requested the participants to constructively engage the relevant authorities towards FP domestic financing in Uganda. Noting that it is high time that government and the public appreciated the importance FP in the country’s Roadmap towards harnessing Demographic Dividends.

The meeting was attended by representatives from DSW Uganda, plan International Reach Hand Uganda, National Population Council, the media fraternity, HEPS, PPDARO, Straight Talk Foundation, among others , and they  made the following resolutions.

1. Collectively conduct budget analysis capacity building for the relevant factors including legislators such as members of parliament, district counselors, and the technical government people
2. Support SRH/FP policy reviews and wide dissemination across the country
3. Support MoH to develop GFF work planning and other continuous engagements
4. Hold meetings under the coordination of the OPM on the multi- sectoral approach on FP-NPC, MoH
5. Produce the FP BAG newsletter-quarterly
6. Develop and share a comprehensive work plan to which members will allocate their strengths as well as financial support. 

By David Turyamusiima

50 Family Planning Champions trained to advocate for increased support and domestic resources for Family Planning in Uganda

DSW is an international development and advocacy organisation. Our focus is on achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).DSW Uganda was established in 1999 and currently operates in 8 districts including; Kampala, Wakiso, Masindi, Mukono, Mityana, Jinja, Kamuli, Kiryadongo Busia and Tororo. In these districts, DSW works in partnership with the local Government administration and implements different project

Friday 24^th Feb 2016

In repositioning of Family Planning Champions to better advocate for increased support and resources for Family Planning in Uganda, over 50 Champions were reconvened for refresher training in family planning advocacy at Bonita Training centre Lubowa.

The 2 day training included understanding Family Planning Concepts, the budget –making process, documentation and report writing and accountability in addition to experience sharing by the champions since the last training.

The Family Planning (FP) Champions are expected to go a long way in ensuring that local governments prioritize Family Planning, and help avert the myths and perceptions about it and with the budget process starting to pick momentum, DSW thought it important to empower the champions to better advocate for FP budget allocation in the district local governments of Kamuli, Mityana, Tororo and Mukono were the SHAPE project is being implemented.

According to Mona Herbert, the country Director DSW Uganda use of FP Champions is a key and effective concept towards local budget advocacy and to the aversion of the negative perceptions and myths about FP. We underscore the importance of such trainings to empowering you in building good will and broad base support across constituencies including community, religious and political leadership structures on FP. He remarked

Mona Herbert, the Country Director, DSW addresses the FP Champions during training at Bonita Training centre recently

Mona told the Champions that the approach to FP advocacy should not only be about the commodities but rather the social and economic benefits of producing the manageable number of children such as the capacity to send their children in good schools, the prevention of maternal and newborn morbidity, and transmission of HIV, control of GBV that that have of rate been rampant in the country.

Examples of how champions can strengthen family planning programs include:

1.    Policy Advocacy: At national and county levels, champions play a key role in advocating for relevant policies that set the agenda for family programs and the needed support infrastructure and resources for the operationalisation of those policies.

2.    Mobilizing community support: Community level champions are trend setters and initiators of change. When they speak positively to communities on the importance of family planning for quality life through, they help in dispelling myths and misperceptions about family planning services Are role models: When they share their positive experiences as users of FP, they instill confidence in potential clients and help nudge those undecided into becoming acceptors of FP

The champions drawn from the districts of Kamuli, Mityana, Tororo and Mukono were the shape project is apparently being implemented in Uganda.

By David Turyamusiima