My first day at Proud Uganda by Twesigyemukama Josephine

Twesigyemukana Josephine

I am called Twesigyemukama Josephine. I came in the morning at 7:30 am at the project. I reached the place it was calm and good. I went to the office where the director and the manager were present. It was a holiday of first term. They welcomed me with happy face; this gave me courage to stay at Proud Uganda.

Director gave me the topics to write about for example I wrote about sexual education. At 10:00 we enjoyed the break together and lunch. I continued to work till evening at 5:00. It was a busy day of writing on those topics and reading other notice about curriculum from the office department. I found it good because many activities are to use hands while training the children.

By Twesigyemukama Josephine

My first day at Proud Uganda by Asaasira Patricia

Asaasira Patricia

My name is Asaasira Patricia; it was 30/4/2018 at 7:30 am Monday morning when I reported at Proud Uganda to start a new job of being curriculum agent and skills trainer. I was warmly welcomed by the teacher on duty as the director and manager were not yet at the project.

The director of the project came and welcomed. I was oriented by him about what the project is all about and the duties I would be performing at the project. The director went ahead to brief me about the curriculum project, how to write the curriculum and the topics that are to be written. He also gave me a document containing all topics that will make up the curriculum and guided me on how to use the document to write on the topics.

The manager also came and briefed me on what the project is all about and what should be written in the curriculum. She also took me to Group 1 to interact with the teacher and children. I was welcomed by the teacher for Group 1 and she briefed me what the children usually learn. I spent the whole afternoon and evening with them, it was a wonderful interaction with the teacher and the children. That is how I spent my first day at Proud Village.

By Asaasira Patricia

Job announcement

We have announced a vacancy at Voice of Kigezi radio. It goes as follows:

PROUD UG is a newly built facility for children and youngsters with intellectual disabilities (mentally retarded) in Kekubo. We are looking for someone to teach skills to the children and to help to write the curriculum. So you must have education talent and good writing skills. You may be a teacher, a social worker or have any other qualification (but at least you are the holder of a Uganda Certificate of Education).

Selection will take place at PROUD Village, plot 105, Kekubo Cell next Saturday starting at 9:30. Please contact Kiconco Mercy, manager PROUD UG, tel. 077 064 45 56, to confirm your participation.

Announced by Kiconco Mercy from PROUD UG.

 

Joséphine (left) and Patricia (right)

Out of more than 10 candidates we selected Asaasira Patricia and Twesigyemukama Josephine to be the new collaborators of PROUD UG. They will tell you more about their first weeks at the project themselves.

Personnel issues

This is my tenth mission to Kabale to build up the project together with the Ugandan team. Slowly by slowly we are composing a team we can rely on. That is not easy, because Ugandan work habits are very different from European ones. So both sides have to adapt to each other. At the same time the challenges in the work with children and youngsters with intellectual disabilities are unknown to Ugandans.

Even the target group seems to be unknown. When we ask candidates for a job what they know about the project they usually say we work with children who are lame or don’t hear or see. If not they say we are working with children who are mentally disturbed. Once we have pointed out we work with children who have intellectual disabilities, people may think these children can’t learn at all.

Consequently, planning for children with intellectual disabilities is also new. Within the district there are only a few facilities for them. These centers focus on custodial care. A dynamic educational approach focusing on teaching functional skills we have not seen. And what about participation of youngsters with intellectual disabilities in economic activities?

Teachers may not understand the challenge that is in the work with these youth. More, work habits in Uganda and Flanders (Europe) are also very different. One day I read an article of Ian Clarke in a Ugandan newspaper, explaining that Ugandans will promise you all and everything when they come to ask for a job. But the majority will not fulfill their promises: once at their post they lean back and wait for the salary to come.

Mission 10: external relations

A part from working at the curriculum and the infrastructure, we will also give special attention to our relationship with parents and authorities.

We plan to visit all parents at home and to discuss with them curriculum issues. The home visits will inform us about which skills we need to teach to the children. E.g. does the child brush or not? Does he/she use a tooth brush or small sticks? Is the family eating at a table or holding the plate in the hand? Do they use spoons or do they always eat with their hands?

Parents meeting May 2018: parents, personnel and authorities

We want to be registered by Southern Division and we are preparing a file for them. The Community Development Officer, Kiconco Peace, want to be informed about the children and parents involved in the project, recruitment procedures, parents meetings, the personnel and their qualifications, the actual work plan and future planning and the activity report. As these documents are readily available it does not give us much work to inform her.

Written by Pele

Mission 10: construction activities

Another major topic these months is the construction of the second part of unit 2.

We are going to build some rooms with a separate shower and toilet area. Together with the already existing ‘living’ (which will be equipped as dining, sitting and office-library) and room and bathroom, they will form the home-stay and guest-house area.

We are constructing a small bakery

We also plan for a workshop area. This area will be composed of the kitchen (built last year), the bakery space and 2 stocks (to build now).

What is so exciting is that we are going to add a space that can be used to develop productive activities (bakery). This will be a new step in the project.

Written by Pele

Mission 10: focus on curriculum project

Every year we make a work plan for PROUD UG. It tells us the outcomes we want to reach during the running year.

When I come to Uganda, usually for 2 months, we look at the themes we want to give a boost during that period.

I came first to Uganda in October 2013 to make investigations to plan for the project. Now, in April-May 2018, I’m here for my tenth mission.

The main activity for now is to continue to write the curriculum for the children. Last year we determined the core curriculum. There are four main learning areas: self help, participation in family life, participation in community life and economic participation. Now we are writing on each topic of the core curriculum, e.g. personal hygiene, cooking, music education, renting rooms etc. The topics are 62 in total, so it is a huge job.

Written by Pele