Rwenzori Women's Initiative for Community Development is a local CBO that was founded in 2002 by 5 female community development activists. The mission of RWICOD is to improve the living conditions of the rural and urban communities in the Rwenzori region. The focus of our efforts is to reduce the poverty, specifically with the women, in Busongora county, Kasese district, Western Uganda
LATEST NEWS AND DEVELOPMENTS AT RWICOD
RWICOD is moving forward, thanks for the generous support that we have received from our donors over the recent past. Below are some details about each individual grant we have received and any grants or donations we have yet to receive.
1. African Women’s Development Fund grant: We received a grant from the AWDF in the month of September 2007 to run a two week awareness raising seminar on women’s health issues. The seminar targeting RWICOD members and local leaders ended successfully with participants receiving certificates as Trainers of Trainees (TOTs). Among the most important topics of the seminar were;
- HIV/AIDS and Women
- Obstetric Fistula
- Abortion
- Breast Cancer etc.
After the trainings, some outreaches by the TOTs are being conducted through which the TOTs are getting back to the community to pass to them the knowledge they gained in the seminar. Many women are gaining from the outreaches because previously they lacked adequate knowledge on the above mentioned conditions.
2. Voeten grant: We received a financial donation from the mentioned Dutch organization to build a grain mill that will serve as a source of funds for the smooth running of RWICOD community development programmes. We received the money in the month of November 2007. Fabrication of parts of the mill is going on. Although we are encountering unexpected costs, we are seeing how we can maneuver a way around to achieve our objective.
3. Trees for the Future: We partnered with the mentioned US organization last year and early February 2008, they dispatched a package of seeds for us to establish a tree nursery that will help us in our aforestation efforts. In this regard we hope to help fight the problem of global warming through carbon sequestration. This is a component of our environmental protection programme. With this project in progress, we aim to facilitate the planting of thousands of trees.
OTHER SUPPORT WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE SOON
1. We anticipate receiving refurbished tools from Tools with a Mission, a UK charity some time this year. They include computers, printers, carpentry kit and knitting machines. These shall go into the relevant projects.
2. Another set of tools donation is coming from Workaid, a UK charity. The tools include; carpentry kits, knitting machines, sewing machines and typewriters. The tools will be arriving some time this year. The relevant projects will benefit from the tools. Many poor people will be benefiting from the tools either through employment opportunities to them or trainings in using the tools eg carpentry, knitting skills acquisition etc.
3. A donation of used bicycles is coming from Bicycles for Humanity, a Canadian organization to help ease mobility for women as well as help in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic through enabling members of anti-AIDS clubs to spread the message to the community that would enlighten people about the scourge.