Starting a community?

Arinda and Sarah

Yesterday evening I was chatting with Rose, former director of l’ Arche Uganda. And this morning with Blessed, a Reverend’s daughter. It made me think I want to explore the idea of starting a community to take the PROUD project forward. That would be a different approach from the strictly professional approach that we are adopting now.

Years ago I was reading a book of Henri Nouwen on his friendship with Adam, a resident in one of the many Arch communities. Just like Nouwen I’m convinced and I experienced that persons with intellectual disabilities are our neighbors and can teach us so many things.

They put me on the way of that community idea and I would like to find out how it can be combined with a ‘pro poor’ strategy. Many non disabled people in Uganda don’t have what to live from but you may find they have a golden heart!

Joseph and Praise

If you want to know more about l’Arche google Jean Vanier. He is the founder of l’Arche and has given many interviews.

If you want to help us with that community idea, take contact please! See page Contacts.

MISSION 13 Main objective: to make the project sustainable

Mission 13 is aimed at making the project more sustainable. In recent years the project has been expanded at a rapid pace with great external support, but sustainability requires managing capacity within the project and a budget that can be maintained over the long term.

Unit 1 of PROUD Village

In the project we work with a management scheme, annual work plans and plans for specific projects. In the working with the children, the activity schedules and the individual action plans are key instruments. We also pay a lot of attention to operational planning, in particular to the development and implementation of the curriculum. We are therefore adepts of the management and planning approach.

Financially we have set the operating budget - staff and current expenses - at 2 million Ush (500 Euro) per month for ten students. Project management must work out a balanced budget and eventually decide on saving measures. Investments, e.g. building projects, are treated separately, as specific projects with their own budget. Nevertheless the project will still remain dependent on external support. This will be the case as long as Ugandan state doesn’t provide the necessary subvention.

A part of the vegetable garden of WORK UG

Progressively, the project must generate its own income. This direction must be visible in the planning. We plan for a vegetable garden, breeding chickens and rabbits, baking ourselves, making jams, set up childcare, a home stay and a canteen with meeting, workshop and party facilities and a flower shop.

Preparatory steps have already been taken for most of the aforementioned activities. The home stay will aim at welcoming tourists. We can already make 2 double rooms with sanitary facilities available to visitors!

Translation to Dutch:

MISSIE 13 Hoofddoel: het project duurzaam maken

Missie 13 is gericht op het bestendigen van het project. De voorbije jaren is het project met veel steun van buitenaf aan een hoog tempo uitgebouwd, maar duurzaamheid vereist ‘managing capacity’ in de schoot van het project en een budget dat kan worden aangehouden over de lange termijn.

In het project werken we met een managementschema, jaarlijkse werkplannen en plannen voor specifieke projecten. In de werking met de kinderen zijn de activiteitenroosters en de individuele handelingsplannen sleutel-instrumenten. We besteden ook veel aandacht aan operationele planning, in het bijzonder aan het uitwerken en in praktijk brengen van het curriculum. We zijn dus adepten van de managements- en plannings-benadering.

Financieel hebben we het werkingsbudget -personeel en lopende uitgaven- vastgelegd op 2 miljoen Ush (500 Euro) per maand voor tien leerlingen. Het project-management moet een sluitende begroting uitwerken en waar nodig besparingsmaatregelen uitwerken. Investeringen worden apart behandeld, als specifieke projecten met een eigen budget. Het project is dan nog altijd afhankelijk van hulp van buitenaf. Dat zal zo blijven zolang de Oegandese staat geen subsidie voorziet.

Progressief moet het project voor eigen inkomsten zorgen, maar op dit ogenblik is dat nog te vroeg. Deze richting moet wel in de planning te zien zijn. We denken dan aan de eigen tuin, het kweken van kippen en konijnen, zelf bakken, confituur maken, kinderopvang, home stay, kantine, vergader-, workshop- en partyfaciliteiten en een bloemenshop.

Voor de meeste van de voornoemde activiteiten zijn al voorbereidende stappen gezet. De homestay zal vooral gericht zijn naar toeristen. We kunnen nu al 2 tweepersoonskamers met sanitair ter beschikking stellen van bezoekers!

Year theme cooking: Sarah preparing ground nuts

Sarah cooking

Sarah is a student of group 3 at Proud Uganda. She feels happy when she finds herself in the kitchen cooking. When it’s her time on the timetable to be in the kitchen to prepare food she is all the time smiling. She says am the “boss”. She enjoys preparing groundnuts and rice.

International Women's Day 2019

Mary, Immaculate, Apophia, Josephine, Annet and Mercy

International Women’s Day is the day for women that comes on 8th February every year. The women from PROUD Uganda were happy enjoying from New London Image Hotel. They were: Kiconco Mercy, Twesigyemukama Josephine, Wednesday Immaculate, Asiimwe Apophia, Tumusiime Annet and Tindibasa Mary.

They felt happy to be called women because it’s a special day for them. Every woman gave thanks to the director for giving them an opportunity to go out for pleasure while enjoying their day so called International Women’s Day. Wednesday Immaculate said that “All days are for men but I’m happy this day is also mine.”

My first day at PROUD Uganda by Tumusiime Annet

It was Monday 14/01/2019 when I arrived at Proud Uganda. I came early in the morning, I found a lady sitting in group one class. We greeted each other and she welcomed me well. I introduced myself to her and she answered me that she is called Asiimwe Apophia.

I asked her about the activities which are carried out in the project, she explained everything to me and later she took me around the project. She showed me group one class and group two which has a shop inside, she showed me bathrooms, toilets and changing room and they were so nice with uniform tiles.

She explained to me about the big building that it was to be used as a restaurant. We went to the kitchen and it was so smart with sinks, tiles from top to bottom. She told me that small buildings which were unfinished were to be used as bakery and home stay.

She took me to the garden and told me that Immaculate is responsible for the gardens. I found sugarcane, vegetables for example sukumawick and cabbages.

Later other skills trainers came and the children also. I introduced myself to them and they also introduced themselves to me. The assistant manager who is called Madam Twesigyemukama Josephine showed me the children I will be teaching. The staff was so cooperative.

What surprised me were the lessons which are done at Proud Uganda and I had never seen them for example cognitive games, watering, serving food by children from group 2, setting tables and gardening.

My first day at Proud Uganda was so interesting and it ended well, I went home at 5:00 pm.

I remain Tumusiime Annet.

WORK UG Training centre

WORK UG Training centre is situated in Kabale, Kekubo Cell. We offer training on curriculum for children with intellectual disabilities.

At this time the following training is available:

-Training 1: The education situation of CwID

We look with you at the education situation of children with intellectual disabilities (CwID) in Uganda. From there we find an answer at the question what CwID should learn and how we can create a learning environment that is suitable for them. At the end of the process you will feel empowered as a teacher.

This training is for professionals in education: teachers, inspectors etc.

-Training 2: Curriculum for CwID: self care

A curriculum for CwID starts with self care. Children need to become as independent as possible in toilet behavior, personal hygiene (including menstrual hygiene), dressing, eating, moving around and develop good health habits. We discuss with you the basics of toilet training, how to organize the meal situation etc. etc.

This training is for parents or teachers.

Training is given by:
-Peeters Leon (°1953), Master in Special Education of the University of Louvain (Belgium) and
-Kiconco Marcey (°1994), holder of a Diploma in Education from Kabale University (Uganda). Both have a leading position in PROUD project for children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities in Kabale.

For each training we discuss the formula with you, depending on your time, means and interests. We can accommodate small groups.

Broad curriculum for CwID

A broad curriculum is a curriculum targeting a specific group. We want to make a curriculum at project level (or school level) for children with mild, moderate and severe intellectual disabilities who are in primary and secondary school age.

The final work will be published as

Peeters Leon & Kiconco Marcey, True to life. Skilling children with intellectual disabilities.

Curriculum brochures

Since beginning 2019 parts of the curriculum are becoming available in the form of brochures. At this time the following brochures are available:

THEORY

1. Curriculum issues. 24 pages

SELF CARE

2. Toilet training. 9 pages

3. Personal hygiene. 16 pages

4. Menstrual hygiene. 30 pages

5. Dress and appearance. 22 pages

6. Eating habits. 9 pages

7. Health habits. 10 pages

8. Moving around. 7 pages

PARTICIPATION IN FAMILY LIFE

9. Respecting parents. 13 pages

Electronic versions of brochures can be ordered from kiconcomarcey2018@gmail.com
or leonpeeters53@gmail.com

Curriculum development

Since 2016 we are developing a curriculum for children and youngsters with intellectual disabilities. We got financial help from The Province of East Flanders (Belgium).

In 2016 we studied on how to make a curriculum.

A curriculum for children and youngsters with intellectual disabilities needs to be functional for the actual and future situation of the children. So: focus is not on academics, but on life skills!

In 2017 we wrote down the core curriculum.

The curriculum for CwID is divided in 4 parts:

1. Self care;

2. Participation in family life;

3. Participation in community life;

4. Economic participation.


Some examples of each section:

-self care: toilet training; menstrual hygiene; eating habits; dress and appearance…

-participation in family life: respecting parents; cooking; cleaning; sexual education…

-participation in community life: expressing yourself; use of mobile phone; shopping; church attendance…

-economic participation: gardening; animal keeping; baking; flower shop…

In total more then 60 subjects!


For more details look in the brochure ‘Curriculum issues’ from WORK UG Training centre.

Mission 12: in service training PROUD UG staff

Team PROUD UG: Apophia, Josephine, Mercy, Immaculate, Annet

We have been much more explicit than before with the training of staff. In the month of May there was training every day from 4 to 5 p.m.

We organized trainings on "curriculum issues", "toilet training", "personal hygiene" including "menstrual hygiene" and "dress and appearance".

Each topic took approximately one week (five times one hour). For each topic, we also looked at the practice in the project and improvements we can make.

Mission 12: the WORK UG file folder

'Great things are done by a series of small things that are brought together'

Jimmy Okwonga from AD Consult

At the time the first modules of the curriculum for children with intellectual disabilities were ready, we decided to make a file folder to distribute them. Because it was not possible to find an advanced printing company in Kabale, we were looking for a partner in Kampala. 

Big printing machine on small picture 😉

Jimmy Okwonga from AD Consult turned out to be the right partner. Jimmy organized the entire process from exploring what we needed to packing the folders. We worked together on the design, I had the opportunity to visit the company where they printed the folders and saw how others were cutting them. 

           

File folder quality control

The outcome is a nice file folder with images of the PROUD project.

Mission 12: visit to the "First national skills fair"

The "First national skills fair" took place at UMA shouwground in Lugogo, Kampala. Since teaching skills is the main task of PROUD UG and WORK UG, we could not miss this scholarship.

We went there to listen to the presentations and were not disappointed. Erwin De Wandel, Head of the Belgian cooperation in Uganda, finished his speech saying: “It is not only about creating jobs, but about creating decent jobs leading to decent lives. It's about lives of men and women, leaving no one behind, nor the vulnerable or the disabled.”

The PROUD project works in that line. We see participating in fully-fledged economic activities and environments as the best strategy to value people with intellectual disabilities.

In the margin of the "skills fair" we also visited the "Uganda Private Sector Foundation" and more specifically the offices of the "Skills development facility". SDF sponsors skills training for various categories of workers.

Mission 12: start "Transition from school to work" project

This year we are starting a new project in collaboration with the Belgian Province of East Flanders, namely: “Transition from school to work. Phase 1: productive activities (program 2019-2021). Vocational education, young people with intellectual disabilities. "

The project was favorably assessed by the Province: "project with a clear goal and vision to integrate young people with disabilities into the normal work field."

In 2019 we will be working with the young people especially on cooking traditional Ugandan dishes and gardening.

For gardening, we are entering into a partnership with an external horticultural company: Mbabazi Ronald comes to work one morning (two hours) every week with our gardening teacher Immaculate and five youngsters with intellectual disabilities. He will also help with the planning of the garden.

The responsible teacher for cooking is Apophia.

The project is managed by Mercy (manager of WORK UG) with the help of Josephine.

Participants transition project

The team discussed the philosophy of the project, the activities to be set up in 2019 and the results to be achieved. A first meeting with all people involved - students, gardening and cooking skills trainers, external collaborator Owembabazi Ronald and the project management - took place in April.

Mission 12: founding CBO WORK UG

The office with certificates from District of Kabale and Southern Division approving our activities

We have established a second association under the name ‘WORK Uganda’. She has similar statutes as PROUD UG, but PROUD UG is concerned with 'appropriate education' for children and young people with intellectual disabilities and WORK UG will be working on the ‘employment’ of adolescents and adults with intellectual disabilities. WORK UG also wants to organize training courses for third parties on the coaching of people with intellectual disabilities.

WORK UG has received a certificate of registration from Kabale District Local Government as a Community Based Organization (CBO) on 11/3/2019 under number 14006. The CBO is recognized to undertake the following activities:

-to create job opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities;

-establish social enterprises where people with intellectual disabilities can work;

-organize vocational training and job coaching for people with intellectual disabilities;

-organize exchanges and training courses on work for people with an intellectual disability (WORK UG Training center).


It is assumed that the basis is laid for future activities of a productive and commercial nature that will lead to employment for our young adults.

Mission 12 focuses on transition from school to work

Josephine, Ronald and Immaculate discussing the gardening project

The highlights of mission 12 are:

-founding of CBO WORK UG;
-start up project ‘Transition from school to work’;
-visit at ‘First national skills fair’;
-making the WORK UG file folder;
-in service training personnel.

Mission 11 Program 2019: transition from school to work

PROUD project has 2 groups:
-group 1 focusing on self care;
-group 2 focusing on household activities.

From 2019 we will start with group 3 focusing on “economic activities”. We will teach productive and commercial activities to our youngsters. In the first year the focus will be on gardening and cooking. We will welcome some specialists from outside the project to work with our children and teachers.

Vzw The village is seeking support from the Province of East Flanders to finance this project. Follow future developments on this blog.

Mission 11 Workshop for professionals: curriculum issues

In November we invited a select group of professionals to discuss the progress we made with curriculum project. We discussed with them a questionnaire inspired by the core curriculum for children with intellectual disabilities (CwID) which can be used as an assessment instrument. We also looked at the final text about ‘Menstrual hygiene’ as an example of how we will develop all curriculum topics. We ended the morning with a discussion about curriculum dissemination issues.

In the afternoon we addressed training youngsters with intellectual disabilities (YwID) for work. The basic assumption is that YwID take most profit from partial involvement in normal work activities in normal work environments.

Mission 11 Workshops with parents and personnel: work for adolescents

We discussed with parents and personnel the transition from school to work for our youngsters. We examined the existing work situation of adults with intellectual disabilities (AwID) in Ugandan communities like Kabale Town. Participants found that AwID have no jobs or poor jobs. Many times they do tiresome or dirty and unhealthy casual works for almost no money and don’t get appreciation for the efforts they make. We want the opposite: normal work, clean and not harmful, quite stable jobs bringing a reasonable income.

Mission 11 Workshop with local committee members: welcome to PROUD Village

PROUD UG invited all local committee members to visit the project and get informed. The seven female members of the committee responded to the invitation, the three male members were absent.

Project staff explained the time table of our children and all learning activities they become involved in. As local committee members knew some of the children but did not know very well what they were studying, many times they were surprised. The reactions were very positive what made us think that women understand better about project matters, daily activities and vulnerable children than men. 

Anyway, additionally visitors got the opportunity to visit all project infrastructures and asked questions about all project activities. We ended up with taking some snacks and drinks and making an original group picture!

Mission 11 Bringing power to PROUD Village

Last year we brought a water line to the project; this year we got a power line. We asked for advice at a private company how we should act and followed their recommendations. They also negotiated the necessary admissions with neighboring land owners and authorities. This appeared to be more difficult than expected but finally the pole and power line were legally installed and in the mean time earthing is done. In the near future we plan to finalize connections underground. We prefer underground cables as we don’t want to take risks with our children who may not understand fully the danger of fallen power lines.