Learning activities group 1: listening and playing music

Children with cognitive disabilities can enjoy listening and playing music as well other children. Music relaxes the minds of children, it makes them happy and excited. 

We are still looking to record more songs and music styles to be enjoyed by the children. Among the instruments our children play we have shakers, sound tubes, drums, xylophone, flute…

We are concentrating on traditional music instruments (e.g. drums), songs (e.g. ayimwigure orurembo =you open the gate), dances (Kikiga dance practiced by the Bakiga) but don't exclude modern music.

As for other activities we are still working on a more in depth study of music education for children with cognitive disabilities. We do so by reviewing its aims, contents, methods and materials. Possibly we will also involve a music teacher (specialist).

Learning activities group 1: cognitive games

Matching

Cognitive development refers to how a child perceives, thinks and gains understanding of his world. Children with intellectual disabilities have relatively weak cognitive capacities. But they can also benefit from brain training games, as can kids with normal cognitive development.

Construction game

In the project we dispose of cognitive games donated by children from Kalken, the Belgian village where our main sponsor is located. Examples of materials: building blocks, jig-saws, matching games, dominoes, sorting games etc. As you can see on the pictures, our children like to play with them.

Learning activities group 1: physical exercises and games

Group 1: physical games

This activity is healthy, promotes physical fitness and gross motor development. Children learn to have a better control over their body movements, it enhances agility and coordination etc. 

Group 1: physical games

  It can even have a positive effect on their future working capacities and preparedness of working together.

Group 1: Arinda our top football player

There are many different physical exercises and games one can play. For instance teachers practice ball skills with the children, like throwing, catching, rolling, bouncing, kicking etc.

Learning activities group 1 (and 2): morning devotion

Morning devotion is for creating a positive mind set so that we can do things well and become active during the day. It creates a feeling of togetherness and stimulates the will to help each other and to practice things with care.

Morning devotion: dancing

Composing elements of morning devotion are singing, dancing, waving, clapping hands and praying among others.

Morning devotion: praying

On the pictures you see children dancing and praying. Even if not everyone understands what we are praying it still brings souls together.

Learning activities in PROUD Village

Hello, we are informing you about the learning activities in PROUD Village. Those of group 1 children with intellectual disabilities in primary school age and those of group 2 youngsters with intellectual disabilities in secondary school age. In future we will also start group 3 young adults with intellectual disabilities, to compare with their siblings who follow higher education.

Group 1: physical games

But we start with group 1. The activities are: physical exercises and games; cognitive games; music: playing and listening music; drawing and shading; toilet training; self care: dressing, combing, brushing, smearing, brushing shoes; setting and clearing the tables; washing utensils: cleaning and watering plants. So most of all: general education with a do component.

Through all activities we train communication and social skills.

Some activities are for all children e.g. group 1 and 2 are together for morning devotion, break porridge and lunch.

Group 1 and 2: morning devotion

The best trained team in Uganda

I've turned the bar into a workshop

Personnel of Kirigime guesthouse in Kabale are surely the best trained team in Uganda. How is that possible? Well it is because many workshops take place in Kirigime and by these occasions the club and bar are turned into a conference hall.

I am a member of many associations

We hear all those important messages

Members of the personnel of the guesthouse are purchasing T-shirts of the workshops and they hear all those important messages. The anti corruption flag is waving several times a year in Kirigime as former 'Kick corruption out of Kigezi' turned into 'Kick corruption out of Uganda'.

One day I even found a family member of mine attending the fight against corruption workshop!

The flag of 'Kick corruption out of Uganda' waving in Kirigime Guesthouse

The brand new car of Kick-U

At night many cars of important organizations come to sleep in Kirigime Guest house. They are nice cars, donated by important donors, but no one can beat UN. The UN cars are equipped to go in every corner of Uganda and to communicate directly with UN head quarters. So if you want to know where your tax payers money goes, come to take a look at the parking of the Guesthouse.

WOGE

Many cars come to sleep in Kirigime Guesthouse

21st July Fifth edition of ice saloon

(news 2017 -3)

Enjoying ice cream

For the fifth time our association invited supporters to come and eat ice cream to support PROUD project. Many people responded to our invitation and the weather was excellent. Ice cream was gorgeous and adults as well as children had a good time. The team of volunteers led by Ellen and Kathrien gathered more than 3000 Euros for the project!

After party for the volunteers

De Bremders, a beautiful garden

(news 2017 -2)

Romantic gardens

Every year in June Paul and Erna open their garden for visitors. And for 4 consecutive years they invited us to serve drinks and snacks to the visitors. It is great: raising funds in a beautiful garden. Find some pictures of the place.

Jakob representing Uganda

This year there were many visitors. Belgian television came to shoot images on Saturday and many people decided to come to take a look on Sunday. Pele was washing plates, cups and glasses the whole day, without any interruption. So the team from The village, for this activity guided by Annie, gathered a good amount for the project! Thanks a lot, Paul and Erna for the opportunity.

De Bremders gardens

Paul, the boss

Annual report

(news 2017 -1)

On 12th of July we organised the annual meeting of The village. Pele prepared the annual report. It gives an overview of activities in Flanders and in Uganda. In Uganda activities are through PROUD UG. An annual report is as well a narrative report as a financial report. So bills of 2016 were approved by the 'general assembly' and we presented a budget for 2017.

In 2016 the PROUD project spent € 3.154,25 for functioning (main items of expenditure were school fees plus rent of rooms and workshops curriculum development) and 4.197,02 for personnel. So main activities in 2016 in Uganda were teaching the children and starting up the curriculum development project.

Board members Herman, Stefaan (vice president) and Martin (finances) enjoying Devils beer

A lot of money was invested in construction of a facility for children and youngsters with intellectual disabilities. The finishing of class rooms and sanitation cost €11.386,04 and we started building the kitchen and administration block (€6.504,74). Those efforts made it possible to open PROUD Village at the start of school year 2017.

Kiki handed over the Annual Report 2016 to development cooperation section in the Belgian Embassy in Kampala. We hope to continue to develop the project and in the middle long term to become an example of good practice for Uganda. The focus is more and more on skills training and in the coming years we want to organize suitable employment for young adults.

Our animals

Rats are everywhere in Kabale. One day a rat came to sleep in my suitcase. In the middle of the night I decided to escape: the rat had taken over my room. The hotel manager was astonished: leaving the place for a rat? Why can't you fight rats? I asked him. But we do he said, but just this time the director has taken the traps to his home...

Another day I visited a restaurant and rats where running up and down. The girl who welcomed the customers saw that I was astonished, but she quickly tried to put me at ease: "these are our animals" she explained. As the rats wanted to confirm what she was telling me they came to look another time. In the mean time I saw a man sitting on a table calmly enjoying his meal.

Was it me who was the problem? Or the rats? I asked Kiki for an explanation. She started telling me that rats are common in Kabale, but it does not mean that everyone likes them. At night they come to eat the white part of your feet when you are asleep. They keep on blowing so that you cannot feel pain. But in the morning when you wake up you feel pain when you start walking. To avoid this situation some people decide to sleep with shoes on.

Our animals

End of 2nd term reports

Ignatious and his grandmother

The second term ended on 18/09/2017. The manager welcomed the parents for having come to receive the reports with their children. Each child was happy to receive the report with the parents. Bridget came to receive the report alone because she is able to take herself to PROUD Village.

Bridget 

Written by Kiki

Washing utensils (learning activities)

Praise, Joseph and Elizabeth washing utensils

Group 1 children washing utensils

The children in group 1 has made great improvement in this term. Everybody now is able to wash and wipe the utensils.

Among the children in group one Musasizi Elizabeth prefers washing utensils and she feels happy during washing utensils.

Musasizi is at the right hand side, Joseph at the middle and Praise at he left side.

Their teacher makes a group of three people to wash every day; they keep changing the groups to avoid being congested while washing.

Sinks at PROUD UG

Elizabeth (foreground), Arinda (middle), Bridget and teacher Patience (background) washing utensils

The first time for the children to wash utensils in the sinks.

All the children at PROUD Village were happy to use the sinks to wash utensils.

They started to use the sinks on 28/06/2017. Everybody was happy to wash the utensils while standing.

Bridget, one of the youngsters for group 2, said that it is better to wash while standing using the sinks than bending while washing from the saucepans.

Bridget is the one near teacher Patience and at the middle is Arinda followed by Elizabeth.

By Kiki

Caring for flowers (learning activities)

Joseph and teacher Patience

The PROUD Village has grown flowers. The flowers are growing well. The children in group one take care of them together with their teacher. They water them the days that is indicated on their time table so that they grow well.

Every child has a wateringcan to water the flowers.

By Kiki

President's visitation to the project

Brenda Mwesigwa (left) with children and staff members of PROUD UG

The president of the project madam Mwesigwa Brenda visited the project on 10thApril 2017. After reaching at the project all children and staff members became happy. 

Bridget (middle) and teacher Doreen (right) show their work to Brenda (left)

She visited the shop at the project, she also posed with the girls when making table clothes. She brought many things for the children and started explaining to Kiki the manager how to use them and how to handle them, brought other things also for the teachers. 

She had good time with the teachers and children and appreciated the work being done in PROUD Uganda.

How Sarah loved Patricia

Joseph, Sarah and Elizabeth with Patricia

Sarah one of the pupils for PROUD Uganda told the sister of the president, madam Patricia, that she is the most beautiful person. She asked her to pose with her in a photo and was very happy to pose with Patricia. She started asking manager to let her go with Patricia but manager promised her that she will go with her to see Patricia in future.

By Kiki

Uganda Cranes football team in Kabale

Kabale stadium

On 8/7/2017 the 'Uganda Cranes' team and 'western Uganda' had a match. The match took place in the Kabale stadium. Many people were watching the football competition including the prime minister of Uganda Hon. RUHAKANA RUGUNDA who comes from Kabale district in Bugongi. King Siza Mulenga was also among the spectators and he gave one million five hundred thousand shillings to the players from 'western Uganda'. Many of the 'western Uganda' players from Kabale District played very well and pleased Hon. RUGUNDA and Hon. Baryayanga Andrew Aja who also made a gift.

During the first half of the match all teams had scored zero goal. In the second half the 'western Uganda' team scored one goal and 'Uganda Cranes' scored zero goal. The 'western Uganda' team won the match.

By Kiki

The African stretcher

The stretcher in the boat

In Kabale when the people are sick especially in the villages they lay the mattress and mat in the stretcher.
They put the sick person to sleep in the stretcher; it has four arms where to pass the poles to support the person who is in the stretcher. The stretcher needs four people to carry it. The people put the poles of the stretcher on their shoulders. When they reach at the lake they put the stretcher in the boat. Reaching at harutindo they remove the sick person and put him/ her in the car and be taken to the hospital.

By Kiki

Kiki travelling on lake

Kiki travelling on lake Bunyonyi

Kiki comes from Bunyonyi, one of the best places for tourism. She crosses the lake as she goes and leaves her home by boat.

She likes putting on life jackets to protect her while travelling on the lake. She cross the lake and pass through islands like Burumba Island. She says that it is better to travel on the lake while in the boat as it is big which makes it capable of stopping water from entering inside especially when the wind is blowing. She also said that it is risky to travel on the lake using canoes because when wind comes it makes the canoe falling down and people drawn and die from there.

By Kiki

Good Friday and Easter Sunday

Good Friday in Kabale (picture Joventah Niwandanda)

Good Friday

On Good Friday 14th April 2017, different religions, that is Catholics and Protestants, organized together and moved around the town. They were carrying their crosses and were singing the songs about the death of Jesus Christ. One Reverend father acted like Jesus and they were beating him using simple sticks but not beating him seriously just demonstrating how they mistreated Jesus Christ. The Reverend who was acting like Jesus was made to carry a big cross and a man helped him to show how Simon helped Jesus to carry the cross.

 

Good Friday

Easter Sunday

During Easter Sunday people in the village were celebrating and taking local beer. They used calabashes (orushare) to drink their local beer called Omuramba in local language. This local beer is made from sorghum and many people in the villages from Kabale district like it very much.

Good Friday

By Joventah, Patricia and Kiki

A new hobby: visiting kitchens

Agip Motel in Mbarara has both a modern and a traditional kitchen

Kiki and Pele visited a series of kitchens. They wanted to get an idea about how to build the kitchen of the project.

We visited the kitchens of Kirigime Guesthouse, New Skyline Hotel, Barista Café and Cepha's Inn in Kabale, Agip Motel in Mbarara and Faze2 in Entebbe. And what did we learn?

Basic things for a kitchen are a provision for electricity (heavy duty) and for water. Facilities to prepare food vary from charcoal to wood, gaz and electricity. A provision for smoke evacuation is always necessary (window or other opening, chimney,…). A tip: make sure you can pass the food easily from the kitchen to the dining.
 

This is the place where they prepare your food in Faze 3 Entebbe

A part from a fire and an oven, cooking pans, casseroles and a variety of utensils there are many other usefull instruments to prepare food as a fryer, meat roaster, toaster, croque monsieur machine, blender, kettle, coffee machine, scale, mincer, microwave…

A kitchen is not only about preparing food, you also have to make provisions for storing ingredients and materials, to conserve food (fridge, freezer) and to deal with left overs…

There are also different categories of small utensils you will find in every kitchen. Utensils to prepare (e.g. different types of knives), to hold (e.g. flasks), to serve (e.g. trays) or to consume (e.g. forks and spoons) food.

  Prudence showing Kiki the future 'open kitchen' of Cepha's Inn (Kabale).
You will see how the chef is preparing your food.

The biggest lesson comes at the end. A kitchen has to be build in a way that it is easy to preserve hygiene. We found that tiling is very common as well for walls as floors and also the use of metal equipment(s) is wide spread. A big kitchen sink is the favorite of Kiki!

All these are a necessary but not a sufficient condition for fine work!

Work plan 2017

Every year we compose a work plan that guides our activities during the year. The workplan indicates what has to be done, how, when and by whom.

For here we familiarize you with the first column: what is planned for 2017?

Project manager Marcey (Mercy) Kiconco

Vision/mission: write a 1 page document about the project wherein we define ourselves.

Target group: recrute 2 or 3 more children who fit in the target group, by preference for group 2.

Operational plan:

-write a time table. The time table structures the school day.

-develop a curriculum for our target group with the help of teachers.

Phase 1: document situation analysis

Phase 2: first draft of curriculum

Step 1: define the goals of the curriculum. Define the core curriculum.

Step 2: select and organize teaching contents

Step 3: specify teaching methods and teaching materials

Phase 3: gathering information to facilitate dissimination and implementation of the curriculum in 2018. Visits to special schools in Kabale and Ntungamo Districts.

-revise individual action plans. Education goals for each child and a strategy to realise these goals are available.

-test a selection of learning contents and teaching methods/materials defined in the curriculum.

Personnel:

-2 ½ teacher, 2 half time curriculum project staff, half time project manager and 1 worker-guard are in function

-worker, teachers and manager get support

-different skills trainers help and train the team

Infrastructure:

-finishing unit 1 (last phase). Water supply: harvesting rain water in plastic tank 5000 liter and permanent tank; reservoir tank with pump on stand; eventually shallow well. Connection with National Water or Diocese gravity water sheme. Wiring plus connection to electricity net (Umeme). Water channels. Improving accessibility for wheelchair users of sanitation installation and site in general.

-finishing unit 2 (first phase): ceiling, doors and windows, wiring, plastering, flooring, glasses. Second phase: tiles kitchen and bathroom, guttering, veranda, painting.

Materials:

-equip classes and kitchen.

-didactic materials (cfr. activities on time table) including cooking materials. A very good collection of materials for teaching/learning activities is available.

-inventory. A list of the materials of the project is available. Photos of valuables are stored in the computer of the project.

-key management is real.

Finances:

-a budget 2017 is available. The budget estimates the cost of planned activities.

-accountability 2017 is available. The accountabilty registers the expenses.

-fundraising: make 2 attempts of fundraising inside Uganda.

Relations:

-an inventory of external relations is available.

-an up to date brochure is available.

-the blog is up to date.

Reports:

-termly reports are available.

-an annual report is available.

Some of these tasks are already done. E.g. the time table is available, we have written a first draft of the situation analysis (curriculum project) and defined the core curriculum, we have recruited the personnel, a great deal of finishing unit 1 and equipping the classes is done etc. But still a lot is to come. We will be at the mercy of Mercy!

Finishing unit 2 -kitchen and office

More doors and windows for unit 2. Left Innocent (worker); right Willy (welder and father from Elizabeth).

Thanks to positive fundraising outcomes in Flanders the construction program is advancing very well. We are busy finishing the first building of unit 2. This building houses the kitchen and the office. 

The boss himself is tiling the kitchen. Provisions for electricity are already there.

Justus and his team worked on making ceilings, plastering and flooring, fixing doors and windows, making provisions for water and power and tiling the kitchen. If erecting a building goes relatively fast, finishing takes more time.

Later this year we hope to finish the last details and to start to equip this building. The kitchen is already operational at least as far as cooking on charcoal stoves is concerned.

For more pictures look at the Page construction.

(Pele)

Finishing unit 1 -classes and sanitation

In February-March Justus Murangira and his team finished unit 1. They placed a plastic tank and builded a permanent tank to harvest water. At the same time water channels to drain water from unit 1 were constructed. Finally the wiring of the buildings of unit 1 was done.

Construction of a permanent tank

By doing so unit 1-classes and sanitation- is finished. We still have to connect to water and power. We're also making some adaptations at 1 toilet to secure accessability for wheelchair users.

The construction of unit 1 is finished!

Now that the buildings are finished we will concentrate on equipping these buildings.

For more pictures, go to the page Infrastructure.

By Pele

Who picks the children from school?

Children are taken from school by relatives or boda boda man. Here are some pictures.

His grand mother helps Ignatious

Ignatious is picked by his grand mother. Grand mother is helping him to put his clothes well.
       

Pritty resembles her grand mother

Pritty is also picked by her grand mother. Pritty resembles her grand mother. They have to climb a very steep hill to go home.

So the grand mothers go by foot with their grand children.

Praise is proud to travel by bike

Prize makes use of a transport system that is common in Kabale: a bike taxi. She is proud when she climbs the bike!
 

The boda boda man and the mother of Arinda came to pick Arinda

Arinda is picked by her father, who comes with his moto when he is not to busy with his timber bussiness. If not the parents hire a boda boda.
       

Elizabeth is happy to sit on the moto of her father Willy

Elizabeth likes to sit at the moto of her father. Willy is a welder. He produced metal doors and windows for PROUD Village.

     

The younger sister of Sarah (left) comes to pick Sarah (right) together with her schoolmates from Child Africa

The mother of Sarah sells shoes at Kabale market. So, it is the younger sister of Sarah who comes to pick Sarah at PROUD Village. Usually she is accompanied by her schoolmates from Child Africa. They are a colorfull group!