Read without ads and support Scribd by becoming a Scribd Premium Reader.

Language:

Download

Go BackAdd Note

Link

Embed

Save for later

BRAC Uganda

A Brief on Program Activities of BRAC Uganda

INTRODUCTION

BRAC is a non governmental development organization started in 1972 in Bangladesh byMr. Fazle Hassan Abed, soon after the liberation war. Therefore the initial focus was onresettling of refugees returning from India, however in 1973 BRAC shifted its focus tolong-term issues of poverty alleviation and empowerment of the poor for sustainabledevelopment. BRAC is now a global institution working in Asia and Africa through itsdevelopment interventions, reaching over 110 million people, 72% of whom are women.

BRAC Vision

“A just, enlightened, healthy, democratic society free from hunger, poverty, environmentaldegradation, and all forms of exploitation based on age, sex, religion and ethnicity”

BRAC GOAL

Poverty alleviation and empowerment of the poor specially women through integrated program interventions.

CORE PROGRAMS

BRAC applies an integrated approach to community development, involving thefollowing core programs: Economic Development Programs (Microfinance, Agricultureand Livestock), Education, Health, Social Development, Human Rights and LegalServices.

BRAC AFRICA

With its years of experience in development and poverty alleviation BRAC startedexpanding development interventions beyond the borders of Bangladesh in 2002. TodayBRAC is implementing development programs in other Asia countries of Afghanistan, Srilanka, Pakistan, and while in Africa in the countries of Uganda, Tanzania, SouthernSudan. Shortly BRAC is going to expand its program in Sierra Leone, and Liberia.

BRAC UGANDA

In Uganda, BRAC registered as Non Government Organization (NGO) with the National NGO Board in January 2006 under Reg No S5914/6217, to promote integrated programapproach to poverty alleviation and empowerment of the poor, especially women andthus contribute to the struggle against poverty in general.The organization has since then launched programs in microfinance, Health, Education,Adolescent development, Agriculture and Livestock and Poultry in the country with acurrent coverage of 26 districts (Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono, Kayunga, Jinja, Kamuli,Iganga, Kaliro, Bugiri, Busia, Tororo, Mbale, Sironko, Pallisa, Kumi, Soroti, Lyantonde,Mbarara, Ibanda, Bushenyi, Ntungamo, Nebbi, Arua, Koboko, Pader & Kitgum ) ,with anetwork of 9 Area offices (Kampala east, Kampala west, Iganga, Mbale, Mukono,Mbarara, Arua ,Kitgum and Pader). Now BRAC is operating 48 branch offices,1

employing a total of 24 Bangladeshi and 487 Ugandan nationals. In all its programs,BRAC Uganda attaches specific importance to capacity building of both the staff and theclient. A Training and Research Center has been established at Nateete and BRACUganda has its country office at Kalema road, Lungujja, Kampala.The programs currently implemented by BRAC Uganda are summarized below withvariations in area coverage based on the organization phase by phase approach, targetingto cover the whole country.

MICROFINANCE

BRAC launched its microfinance program in Uganda in June 2006 under Tier IVfinancial system (Finance Act 2002) as an NGO primarily to enhance access to financialservices by the majority of poor Ugandans, especially women who have generally beenleft out by the mainstream financial system in the country. The program design focuseson poverty alleviation through provision of credit at an affordable cost, convenience, nocollateral or pre-saving requirement, plus provision of capacity building to clients toenhance planned for income generation activities.In the span of only two years, the microfinance program has a network outreach of 46 branch offices in 24 districts across the four (East, central, West, North) geographicalregions of Uganda. The program offers two micro credit products:Micro group lending: - 1,932 member groups formed with 55472 clients. Total loandisbursed is US $ 11,727.153 to 39,888 clients at 20% annual interest rate. No collateralor pre-saving required, and services delivery at client doorstep.

MICRO ENTERPRISE

This is a new product popularly known as “individual loan” designed to benefit small but progressive entrepreneurs to expand their enterprises and create jobs. Within last sixmonths, 44 borrowers have accessed loans amounting to US $ 74,000. The operationalmodalities for the microfinance program include: household surveys, door to door visits,formation of groups and recommendations from local council and opinion leaders.Future plans include opening up 31 more branches covering 20 more districts, to serve106,000 clients by end of 2008.

EDUCATION PROGRAM

BRAC Uganda in partnership with UNICEF and M.O.E & S is implementing a nonformal basic education Program in Kitgum and Pader districts. The program targets out of school children including those who have never been to school or dropped out of school before attaining basic literacy or numeracy skills, and aged between 10 to 15 years. It’s atwo year learning cycle, giving children opportunity to attain a primary three level of education, and thereafter enroll them into mainstream system at primary four level.BRAC offers free teaching and student learning materials. In January 2008, a total of 844students from BRAC learning centers were transferred to government schools, whileanother 1981 students are in 58 learning centers in the IDP camps.

HEALTH, WATER AND SANITATION PROGRAM

This is another component of the integrated approach by BRAC to poverty alleviation.The Health Program launched in July 2007, is designed to address and mitigate the nonincome prevalence among the poor especially women and children through the provision2

of essential (primary) healthcare services (EHC). The program is carries out healtheducation and information, provision of basic medicines and other essential medical products at affordable prices for common and preventable infectious diseases likemalaria, typhoid, diarrhoea and immunization. The ultimate goal is to free human energy,time, and financial savings to be directed into income generating economic activities bythe borrowers of BRAC microfinance BRAC cares about the health of its clients. The program coverage is currently 10 branches, in Kampala and Iganga areas reaching 42024households. Expansion plans of another 24 branch offices is underway to cover Kampala,Iganga, Mbale, Mbarara, and Arua areas. BRAC uses community Health Promoters(CHP) as change agents. Water and sanitation will be launched by December 2008.

ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

This is a program designed to empower the youth (Adolescents) particularly girls /women aged between 13 to 19 years, through innovative livelihood and life skill training,combined with credit facilitation. The objective is to cause positive behavior change andimprove the quality of life.The Adolescent girls/women are organized into clubs in their localities and receivetraining in life skills, information evaluation and assimilation, peer management,reproductive education and functional literacy in financial management and leadershipskills. The target group includes adolescents at school, out of school as well as those whohave never been to school. This program is important since 28% of Uganda’s populationis adolescents between 10 to 19 years of age. Currently, the program coverage is 10 branches and 100 clubs under Kampala and Iganga areas, and a total of 2500 adolescentshave enrolled. Hence BRAC is contributing to create a critical mass of informed andempowered young girls and women for a better Uganda.

AGRICULTURE PROGRAM

The agriculture program aims at addressing the food security needs and householdincome among the rural women farmers, especially members of BRAC Microfinance.The program conducts selection and training to four specific categories of farmersnamely, horticulture nursery farmers, model farmers cum extension workers, vegetable/kitchen gardeners and general farmers.The training covers soil and water conservation, proper use of fertilizers, use of qualityseeds, integrated pest management, crop diversification, vegetable gardening and proper crop management.The Agriculture program is currently implemented in four regions (Iganga, Mbale,Mbarara, Arua), covering 20 branches. It targets to train 400 Model farmers, 200Horticulture Nursery farmers, 1000 Vegetable farmers, and 20,000 general farmers. Theseed trial pilot scheme in Iganga will be used for selection of different varieties of seedssuitable to different soils and weather conditions.

POULTRY AND LIVESTOCK PROGRAM

The program is also designed to improve the quality of livestock and poultry and their products through technical assistance and capacity building at community level. Trainingand provision of vaccines, artificial insemination services and quality chicks and feedswill be availed to the rural farmers in order to improve on their productivity and income.This program is implemented along side the agriculture production, and BRAC has3