Child Friendly Environment in Uganda - Oyam District 2010

Child Friendly Environment in Northern Uganda

OYAM DISTRICT

From the People of Japan

The Republic of Uganda

A Pictorial

Report

The Republic of Uganda

Child Friendly Environment in Northern Uganda

A Pictorial Report OYAM DISTRICT

From the People of Japan

Published for UNICEF Uganda P.O Box 7047, Kampala, Uganda COWI LTD Crusader House P.O Box 10591 Kampala, Uganda By: Advanced Communications Ltd, P.O Box 11670, Kampala, Uganda E-mail: info@advancedcommunications-ea.com www.advancedcommunications-ea.com ŠUNICEF Uganda. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of UNICEF and her partners.

Table of Contents Page Angolo Primary School

3

Aungu Primary School

4

Ngai Primary School

5

Wiagaba Primary School

6

Iceme Health Center

7

Minakulu Health Center III

8

Ngai Health Center

9

Child Friendly Environment in Northern Uganda

Oyam District

Introduction

T

his report has been compiled by COWI Ltd to document the developmental contributions by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the reconstruction of schools and health centers in six districts in Northern Uganda that were affected by the insurgency in the past 20 years. It portrays the reconstruction efforts for works executed by UNICEF with funding from the government of Japan in the then districts of Gulu, Amuru, Kitgum, Pader, Lira and Oyam. It is important to note that other districts have since been curved out of the six districts and it shouldn’t be surprising to find that some of the institutions dwelt on in this report are now actually found under different districts.

The project was implemented by UNICEF with funding from the Government of Japan and was executed under the supervision of COWI Ltd. The project construction activities commenced in August 2009 and were substantially completed in June 2010.

Project background Two decades of armed conflict between the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) resulted in a complex humanitarian situation in northern Uganda, notably in Acholi and Lango sub-regions characterised by massive internal displacement of people.

More than 1.8 million people were forced to shift from their homes by the insurgency to the more secure Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) camps where the Uganda government forces offered them protection. This led to drastic deterioration or even outright collapse of infrastructure particularly schools and health centers due to abandonment and lack of main-

tenance. The existing facilities were abandoned while temporary facilities were set up at the IDP centers till the insurgency subsided.

With positive developments in 2006, the humanitarian situation in northern Uganda gradually improved and by the end of September 2007, more than half of the formerly displaced people had been repatriated with over half a million settling permanently in their original villages. The return has certainly not been smooth as almost all families had to return to destroyed, damaged or dilapidated facilities and infrastructure and in most cases, a stark lack of institutional, social and economic structures. Not only did the conflict disrupt the provision of critical social services such as primary health care and education, it also contributed to the breakdown of traditional community structures for support and assistance.

Through the Child Friendly Environment and Community Empowerment (CFE) project, UNICEF with support from the government of Japan embarked on a comprehensive rehabilitation process that saw the revitalization of two of the most critical services impacting the survival and development of children in these regions. These comprised services in primary schools and the health care facilities.

In October 2008 UNICEF with funding from the government of Japan contracted COWI, an engineering consulting firm to offer technical expertise in the aspects of design, planning, tendering and post contract supervision of rehabilitation and construction of new facilities in 72 schools and 24 health centre facilities in the 6 districts.

The project was aimed at improving education, hygiene, sanitation and

safe water access especially by the children in these areas.

The total project cost was approximately USD 5 million (12 billion Uganda shillings) and covered 4 districts in the Acholi sub region (i.e. Amuru, Gulu, Kitgum, and Pader ) and 2 in Lango subregion (i.e. Lira and Oyam). In all, 72 primary schools and 24 health centres were targeted to be improved. This project was effectively completed in November 2010.

Project objectives and achievements The overall objective of the project was to ensure that after the conflict, children and women were placed at the centre of the recovery and development process in northern Uganda, and that the facility based structures of the formal sector are strengthened with the ownership and participation of communities:The project has so far achieved the following:1.

A remarkable improvement in access to primary education by the children in the region through provision of sound classroom structures, scholastic and recreational materials.

2.

A remarkable improvement in the provision of safe and clean water in schools and health centres with improved sanitation through provision of sanitation and hand-washing facilities 3. Improvement in teachers’ commitment and morale through provision of decent staff houses and sanitation facilities.

4.

A remarkable improvement of health care service delivery

1

Child Friendly Environment in Northern Uganda

Oyam District through rehabilitation of health centres and related sanitation facilities.

Map showing location of Oyam district

About Oyam District

Total estimated of 18,710 persons living in 09 camps

Oyam district comprises of 2 counties and 7 sub counties. The district had a population of 329,600 projected to grow to 335,300 by the start of the CFE project in 2008 with 163,700 being male and 171,600 being female.

It is an exclusively agricultural district with mainly subsistence farming being practiced.

GULU

Apac

OTWAL

09

05

MINAKULU

04

ALITO

ABOKE

02

ABER

Kampal a

LORO

OYAM

AYER

LIRA

BALLA ACHABA

AKALO

INOMO

ICESERE

ABONGOMOLA

AP AC Tc MASINDI

Schools:1.

Angolo Primary School 2.

Aungu Primary School 3.

Ngai Primary School 4.

Wiagaba Primary School

2

06

ICHEME

08

The CFE project covered the following institutions in Oyam district.

The following chapters are an elaboration of the particular interventions by the CFE project in each of the institutions above.

NGAI01

03

CFE project coverage in Oyam

Health Centers:1. Iceme Health Center 2.

Minakulu Health Center 3.

Ngai Health Center

07

IBUJE

ADUKU

APAC

AP AC NAMBIESO AKOKORO

NAKASONGOLA

LEGEND:

MAPAPAC_OYAM_IDPCAMPS_200706 Organizations are most welcome to provide Information to OCHA Lira Sub office or rmail comment to ocha-uganda@un.org

NAMBIESO

Child Friendly Environment in Northern Uganda

Oyam District

Angolo Primary School Angolo Primary School is located in Otwal Sub-county. At the time of intervention had a population of 579 (330 boys and 249 girls) with 9 teachers.

Before intervention, the school had classroom structures that were dilapidated and inadequate for the pupil population.

During the CFE project, the following intervention was made:1. Rehabilitation of classroom blocks.

Pupils attending classes under a tree

Pupils sitting on bare floor during lesons

Newly rehabilitated classroom block

3

Child Friendly Environment in Northern Uganda

Oyam District

Aungu Primary School Aungu Primary School is located in Iceme Sub-county. At the time of intervention had a population of 462 (213 boys and 249 girls) with 9 teachers.

Before intervention, the school had classroom structures some of which were structurally sound but had no windows and doors shatters and also had dilapidated splash aprons.

The other classrooms comprised an incomplete structure with a loose roof on pillars between partially built wall infills and eroded concrete floors.

During the CFE project, the following intervention was made:1. Rehabilitation of classroom blocks.

Newly renovated classroom block

4

The old classroom block

Inside the old classroom

Child Friendly Environment in Northern Uganda

Oyam District

Ngai Primary School Ngai Primary School is located in Ngai Sub-county. At the time of intervention had a population of 1,125 (591 boys and 534 girls) with 9 teachers.

Before intervention, the school had an incomplete classrooms of corrugated sheet roof sitting on gable walls and pillars with no side infill walls. The classroom floor was not cemented and was overgrown with weeds as shown in the pictures.

During the CFE project, the following intervention was made:1. Rehabilitation of classroom block.

Pre-intervention classroom block

Inside the old classroom

Newly renovated classroom block

5

Child Friendly Environment in Northern Uganda

Oyam District

Wiagaba Primary School Wiagaba Primary School is located in Otwal Sub-county. At the time of intervention it had a population of 711 (336 boys and 375 girls) with 9 teachers.

Before intervention, the school had classroom structures that were incomplete, abandoned, without roofs and were overgrown with bush.

During the CFE project, the following intervention was made:1. Construction of 2 classroom blocks.

The old incomplete classroom structures

Newly constructed classroom blocks

6

Child Friendly Environment in Northern Uganda

Oyam District

Iceme Health Center Iceme Health Center is located in Ngai Sub-county and serves a population of approximately 5,000 people.

Before intervention, the health center had no decent on-site accommodation for staff. The existing sanitation facilities were similarly inadequate both for patients and staff.

During the CFE project, the following interventions were made:1. Construction of staff house.

2. Construction of 4-stance VIP latrine.

Newly constructed staff house

Newly constructed 4- Stance VIP Latrine

7

Child Friendly Environment in Northern Uganda

Oyam District

Minakulu Health Center III Minakulu Health Center is located in Minakulo Sub-county and serves a population of approximately 8,000 people.

Before intervention, the health center had insufficient on-site accommodation and sanitation facilities for staff.

The facilities were dilapidated.

During the CFE project, the following interventions were made:1. Construction of staff houses.

2. Construction of 4-stance VIP latrine.

Pre-intervention staff house

Newly constructed 4- Stance VIP Latrine

Newly constructed staff house

8

Child Friendly Environment in Northern Uganda

Oyam District

Ngai Health Center Ngai Health Center is located in Ngai Sub-county and serves a population of approximately 7,500 people.

Before intervention, the health center had a dilapidated maternity ward with no on-site accommodation and sanitation facilities for staff. The OPD was an old dilapidated structure that required rehabilitation.

During the CFE project, the following interventions were made:1. Construction of staff houses.

2. Construction of 2-stance VIP latrine.

The existing OPD

Newly constructed 2- Stance VIP Latrine

Newly constructed staff house

9

UNICEF Uganda P.O Box 7047, Kampala, Uganda COWI Crusader House P.O Box 10591 Kampala, Uganda By: Advanced Communications Ltd, P.O Box 11670, Kampala, Uganda E-mail: info@advancedcommunications-ea.com www.advancedcommunications-ea.com

From the People of Japan