Ha scritto una lettera per gli amici che erano con lui in Uganda, chiedendomi di pubblicarla sul blog. Vorrebbe infatti far arrivare le sue parole a tutti i suoi compagni di avventura, ma anche trasmettere la sua testimonianza a tutti voi e agli altri volontari, amici e sostenitori di Italia Uganda, raccontando cosa significa fare un viaggio in Uganda. Cosa significa vivere in mezzo alla “grande famiglia” che è la missione di Padre John, scoprire giorno dopo giorno chi sono le persone che aiutiamo, conoscere i bambini sostenuti, le loro storie, i loro sogni. Capire, dopo alcuni giorni trascorsi con loro, quali sono le cose davvero importanti della vita.

Qui sotto trovate la lettera di Michele, scritta di getto il giorno stesso in cui sono tornati da Kampala. E’ lunga ma non fatevi spaventare … vedrete che la leggerete tutta d’un fiato … e vale la pena arrivare fino in fondo!

Burago di Molgora, 23/04/2012

Cari amici tutti,

Il calore della gente durante il viaggio a Gulu

vi devo rimproverare per avermi svegliato stamattina molto presto, non avendomi fatto recuperare la faticaccia del rocambolesco viaggio. Certo, siete stati voi a svegliarmi perché siete entrati improvvisamente nella mia mente e neanche tre gocce di sonnifero sono servite per farmi rientrare nel mondo di Morfeo. E’ curioso il modo in cui mi siete comparsi perché vi ho recepito come un’unica entità, me compreso, come se fossimo legati da un qualcosa che ci accomuna e che ci unisce. Nello stesso momento mi scorrevano nella mente le immagini di ognuno di noi, così diversi l’uno dall’altro, con i nostri pregi e i nostri difetti e osservavo come i difetti, che spesso non vengono sopportati, stando insieme venivano invece reciprocamente accettati e neutralizzati dalle qualità, creando un’atmosfera di simpatia e di cameratismo, come se un sottile filo di concordia ci attraversasse e ci avvolgesse.

Questo filo è sicuramente la fantastica esperienza vissuta insieme in questi dieci giorni in Uganda, un’esperienza umana unica, al di là di ogni aspettativa, che sicuramente ha segnato profondamente tutti noi del gruppo, un’esperienza che ci ha uniti non soltanto come amici ma anche come fratelli, figli di un unico padre, padre John, che sicuramente ci ha accolto come suoi figli come ha fatto con tante persone di quella affascinante terra dell’Uganda. Attraverso di lui abbiamo trovato anche questi altri fratelli, attraverso i quali ci sentiamo ancora più uniti.

Le esperienze e le sensazioni che abbiamo vissuto insieme in quei giorni sono state talmente tante e intense che non basterebbe un libro per descriverle.

Una parentesi affettuosa durante i festeggiamenti per Padre John

Non dimenticherò mai tutti quei bambini così belli e radiosi, le loro espressioni, la dignità e la spontaneità della gente. Non dimenticherò mai quelle strade sterrate piene di buche, a volte di piccole voragini e quei negozietti fatiscenti sui bordi delle strade, in cui spesso vivevano anche, fatti di lamiere e pezzi legno, con merce di ogni tipo. Non dimenticherò mai i piccoli villaggi di capanne del nord, la povertà della gente, gli sguardi smarriti e rassegnati di alcuni bambini. Non dimenticherò mai l’accoglienza che quella povera gente ha fatto ad Awach a padre John, la loro commozione e l’amore reciproco che traspariva nel ritrovarsi. Non dimenticherò mai  il rosario e la messa della sera nella missione di Luzira, soprattutto l’ultima, e la sublime e soave voce delle ragazze ugandesi del coro. Non dimenticherò mai tutte le operose donne della missione, così serene nell’affrontare il loro lavoro. Non dimenticherò mai il mio incontro di sabato sera con padre John e l’averlo potuto stringere e abbracciare prima di partire.

Stefania, Marco, Fabio e Cinzia ... i super-accompagnatori!

Non potrò mai dimenticare i quattro simpatici amici e fratelli che ci hanno assistito (e sopportato) in questi dieci giorni. Fabio, Cinzia, Marco, Stefania grazie, grazie, grazie per quello che avete fatto e che state facendo per i nostri fratelli dell’Uganda. Avete dato tanto e state dando tanto, affrontando sacrifici, mettendo a disposizione la vostra esperienza, le vostre qualità, il vostro tempo. Vi prego, tenete duro, è troppo importante quello che state facendo.

Un grazie particolare a Fabio, che con le sue capacità e il suo know how ha saputo dare un impulso vitale all’organizzazione, permettendo di trovare maggiori risorse per incrementare il numero e la qualità delle opere al servizio della gente e soprattutto dei giovani diseredati dell’Uganda. Sono sicuro che padre John non poteva trovare persona più adatta da avere al suo fianco per consolidare e sviluppare quanto ha fatto.

Grazie a Edilio, così utile a padre John, così presente e utile in tante mansioni e situazioni. Un vero pilastro della missione.

Grazie a tutte le persone che aiutano Padre John a far andare avanti la sua missione e i suoi progetti.

Grazie a Padre John per tutto quello che ha fatto e sta facendo, che ha veramente dell’incredibile. Grazie a lui per averci contagiato con il suo grande amore. Lunga vita a Padre John.

Quindi, cari amici e fratelli, considerando la gioia che mi avete procurato con queste sensazioni ripensando ai dieci meravigliosi giorni passati in Uganda, vi posso perdonare per avermi svegliato all’alba e non avermi permesso di recuperare il sonno accumulato nel viaggio di ritorno.

Vi  abbraccio tutti

Vostro Michele

La locandina dello show dedicato a Italia Uganda

Oggi vi scrivo per parlarvi di un evento un po’ “speciale”: il 12 maggio presso la Palestra della scuola Castiglioni di Mozzate (CO), si terrà uno show organizzato dalla Federazione Italiana di Wrestling il cui ricavato andrà interamente alla nostra Associazione.

La Federazione Italiana Wrestling, fin dalla sua nascita è sempre stata molto attenta a trasmettere, oltre alla passione per uno sport sempre più diffuso in Italia, anche l’idea dello stretto legame che esiste tra sport e solidarietà. Per questo ha scelto di dedicare ad Italia Uganda lo spettacolo di sabato e di destinare la totalità del ricavato dalla vendita dei biglietti alla nostra Associazione. Come direbbe Padre John … “Le strade della Provvidenza sono infinite” … e a volte anche imprevedibili!

Vi invitiamo tutti a partecipare: l’incontro inizierà alle 21.00 e saranno presenti, oltre a numerosi campioni di wrestling nazionali e internazionali, anche i volontari di Italia Uganda, che riconoscerete per le inconfondibili magliette rosse con il nostro logo, e che allestiranno un banchetto con oggetti di artigianato ugandese e un’area-rinfresco con snack e bibite.

Sarà un evento emozionante, uno spettacolo unico … adatto ai bambini, che sono da sempre i più grandi “fan” dei campioni del wrestling, ma divertente anche per i genitori. A questo link trovate tutte le informazioni su chi si sfiderà sul ring e su come raggiungere il palazzetto: http://www.icwwrestling.it/shows/prossimi-show/

Cosa ne dite? Vale la pena di comprare qualche biglietto, sostenere Italia Uganda e insieme trascorrere un sabato sera sicuramente diverso dal solito? Cosa aspettate, scriveteci a info@italiauganda.it oppure chiamateci allo 0382 467742 e vi riserveremo un posto in prima fila!

Se poi voleste fare di più, e darci una mano a gestire il banchetto o la zona bar, fateci sapere …  più magliette rosse di Italia Uganda siamo meglio è!

E … un grazie di cuore va alla Federazione Italiana Wrestling, che con la sua generosità ci permetterà di aiutare sempre più bimbi ugandesi in difficoltà!

Le capanne intorno a Gulu

Una strada, in realtà la strada, l’unica che attraversa l’Uganda e che abbiamo percorso per raggiungere Gulu. La città che ci ha accolti un lunedì pomeriggio di pioggia mostrandoci la sua cattedrale che conserva memoria di crudeltà e violenza, accanto al cimitero dove riposano i fratelli comboniani di Padre John.

Siamo stati ospitati in tre strutture, il centro comboniano di Lahibi da Padre Larem, il Cosmo Hotel e il centro delle suore comboniane.

L’oscurità della sera e il buio della notte hanno chiuso una giornata lunga, a tratti faticosa, sempre densa di emozioni spesso difficili da comunicare. La memoria di un tempo passato che, osservando i villaggi di capanne sulla via per Awach, non sembra passato, prepotentemente ci assale.

Qui lo aspettavano. Padre John nei villaggi è accolto come un padre che ritorna dopo una lunga assenza e ritrova tutti i suoi figli, ritrova la sua famiglia e la sua gente. Lacrime silenziose scivolano sulla terra rossa e cruda, è lui che abbraccia chi ha amato e chi lo ama racchiudendo in un abbraccio la gioia del ritrovarsi e il dolore della povertà e della sofferenza.

I bimbi della missione di Awach

Awach è stata la sua prima casa e un po’ lo è ancora, il villaggio è in festa, la Messa affollatissima rende omaggio al padre ritrovato. Offrono ciò che possiedono per celebrare ciò che è e ciò che è stato. E si intravede il futuro, quel domani che per i piccoli significherà la possibilità, grazie all’intervento di Italia Uganda, di frequentare l’asilo e quindi di poter imparare la lingua inglese, avere un pasto garantito e poter fare i primi passi sulla strada dell’educazione e della formazione.

Un altro capitolo indimenticabile del viaggio, un’altra pagina che rivela un po’ di come eravamo e di come siamo diventati. Oggi Marco mi ha detto che vorrebbe poter portare con sé tutti questi figli che, in qualche modo, pensiamo anche un po’ nostri perché sono accanto a noi nei nostri pensieri. E mi sono chiesta ancora una volta, davanti alla bimba che timidamente mi ha scelta come “amica” avvicinandosi silenziosamente e appoggiando la sua mano sulla mia,“come farò a raccontare tutto questo a chi non c’è, come farò a dire quanto è profondo il senso di queste ore?”.

Io direi a Stefania di non preoccuparsi … che è riuscita a raccontarlo benissimo!! Non credete anche voi??

SUDAFRICA, GRUPPO ALBERGHIERO ‘CRESCE’ NEL CONTINENTE
30 marzo 2012

AIUTI, I TRUCCHI DELL’ITALIA BOCCIATA. “PROMESSE PER ALTRI 50 ANNI”
4 aprile 2012

CENTRAL AFRICA: KONY VIDEO AN ACT OF ‘DECEPTION AND MANIPULATION’ ACCORDING TO LRA
8 april 2012

MINISTER MUYINGO ADVISES YOUTH ON SKILLS TRAINING
11 april 2012

2,000 CHILDREN DIE OF DIARRHOEA IN AFRICA DAILY
11 april 2012

CHINA TO CONSTRUCT CHINESE TEACHING SCHOOL IN UGANDA
11 april 2012

STAFF SHORTAGE CRIPPLING UNIVERSITIES
12 april 2012

LRA: UNIONE AFRICANA E ONU RINNOVANO IMPEGNO CONGIUNTO
12 aprile 2012

HAVE THE COUNTRY’S GREAT SCHOOLS GONE TO SLEEP?
16 april 2012

PRIME MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA AMAMA MBABAZI RELEASES ‘VISIBLE UGANDA’ ADDRESSES KONY 2012 AND URGES VIEWERS TO SHARE THEIR ‘MY UGANDA’
17 april 2012

SHOULD UGANDA AIRLINES BE REVIVED?
22 april 2012

UPDF INTENSIFY SEARCH FOR JOSEPH KONY
23 april 2012

EAST AFRICA: OBAMA EXTENDS U.S. SEARCH FOR LRA’S KONY
25 april 2012

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AIUTI, I TRUCCHI DELL’ITALIA BOCCIATA. “PROMESSE PER ALTRI 50 ANNI”
4 aprile 2012
Cifre gonfiate con acrobazie contabili per celare le promesse non mantenute ai paesi più poveri. I dati sull’Aiuto pubblico allo sviluppo diffusi oggi dall’Ocse rivelano che l’Italia resta molto lontana dall’obiettivo di destinare lo 0,7% del Pil alla lotta contro la povertà. Se il nostro Paese registra uno 0,19% – un incremento, seppur ’sospetto’ dall’anno scorso – l’intera comunità internazionale compie un preoccupante passo indietro. Il primo dal 1997.
Spese che non c’entrano con gli aiuti – “La percentuale dichiarata dall’Italia – ha detto Elisa Bacciotti, portavoce di Oxfam Italia – non riflette il ritardo del nostro Paese, e fa pensare che il governo abbia conteggiato come aiuti pubblici allo sviluppo spese che con gli aiuti non hanno molto a che fare, come, ad esempio, quelle per fronteggiare l’arrivo degli immigrati sulle nostre coste a seguito della primavera araba. Lo 0,19% è una percentuale troppo alta rispetto alla realtà dell’impegno italiano nella lotta alla povertà, che nel 2010 e nel 2011 è stato inesistente.
Basti pensare che l’Italia è l’unico paese OCSE che non ha previsto finanziamenti alle iniziative di lotta alla povertà nel mondo della società civile italiana nel 2012. Ci auguriamo che questo Governo inverta la rotta e la nomina di un Ministro per la Cooperazione Internazionale è un primo segnale positivo e benvenuto. E’ però necessario che siano presi impegni concreti, a cominciare da un piano di rientro per gli impegni internazionali dell’Italia“.
Lo scenario negli altri Paesi Ocse – Nel resto dei paesi Osce la situazione non è confortante. A causa dei tagli operati da diversi paesi, centinaia di migliaia di poveri saranno privati di medicine salvavita e molti bambini non potranno più andare a scuola. Nel complesso, si tratta della prima diminuzione globale degli aiuti registrata dal 1997.
Le cifre del’Ocse mostrano che gli aiuti dei paesi industrializzati dal 2010 al 2011 sono diminuiti in termini reali di 3,4 miliardi di dollari e, in percentuale, dallo 0,32 % allo 0,31% del Pil. L’analisi di Oxfam mostra che di questo passo i paesi donatori nel loro insieme raggiungeranno l’obiettivo dello 0,7% solo tra 50 anni.
I tagli più pesanti sono quelli di Grecia e Spagna, ma anche Austria e Belgio hanno diminuito i fondi per i paesi in via di sviluppo. Lo scenario prossimo futuro è ancora più cupo: Spagna e Canada, infatti, hanno già annunciato ulteriori tagli, mentre l’Olanda, che ora supera lo 0,7% del Pil, li sta discutendo.
Le Nazioni virtuose – Ma ci sono anche paesi virtuosi: Norvegia, Danimarca e Lussemburgo mantengono il loro impegno di dare più dello 0,7% del reddito nazionale in aiuti; il Regno Unito è impegnato a centrare l’obiettivo entro il 2013; Germania, Australia e Svezia hanno aumentato i loro aiuti. La capacità di alcuni paesi di mantenere i loro impegni mostra che tagliare gli aiuti è una scelta politica piuttosto che una necessità economica.
“I paesi ricchi stanno utilizzando la crisi economica come una scusa per voltare le spalle ai più poveri del mondo, proprio quando hanno bisogno di sostegno” – dice Jeremy Hobbs, direttore di Oxfam International – “Con i tagli agli aiuti non si sistemano i bilanci e si perdono vite umane. Gli aiuti, infatti, sono una parte talmente piccola dei bilanci, che tagliarli non ha un impatto percepibile sui deficit. E’ come tagliarsi i capelli per cercare di perdere peso“.
Bastano 1.000 euro – Si stima che 1.000 euro in aiuti siano sufficienti per salvare la vita di un bambino. Secondo Oxfam, i 3,4 miliardi di dollari che mancano all’appello basterebbero per pagare un intero anno di cure mediche per metà dei bambini che nel mondo sono colpiti dall’Hiv.
La spesa globale in aiuti è nulla rispetto ai 1.000 miliardi di dollari destinati dai paesi ricchi alle spese militari e meno di un terzo dei 400 miliardi di dollari che in tutto il mondo si spendono in cosmetici. L’incapacità dei governi di tener fede agli impegni presi nei confronti dei paesi più poveri è in netto contrasto con i 18 mila miliardi di dollari reperiti per salvare il mondo della finanza dalla crisi del 2008.
Ci vuole la tassa sulle transazioni - Oxfam chiede l’adozione di una Tassa sulle Transazioni Finanziarie (TTF) per sostenere le popolazioni colpite dalla crisi: la Commissione UE ha proposto una TTF europea che consentirebbe di raccogliere 57 miliardi di euro l’anno.
“E’ cruciale che l’Italia mostri chiaramente il proprio sostegno alla proposta della Commissione – ha detto ancora Elisa Bacciotti – e si adoperi perché questa venga adottata dai Paesi della zona Euro, creando un consenso più ampio possibile per una tassa che può contrastare la speculazione e raccogliere risorse da destinare anche alla lotta alla povertà globale e ai cambiamenti climatici“.
fonte www.repubblica.it

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CENTRAL AFRICA: KONY VIDEO AN ACT OF ‘DECEPTION AND MANIPULATION’ ACCORDING TO LRA
8 april 2012
The Lord’s Resistance Army has criticized the online premiere movie, Kony 2012, describing it as a “clear act of malevolent deception and manipulation of world mass consciousness“, nearly a month after the documentary went viral attracting lots of global reaction.
The 30-minute movie was released by ‘Invisible Children’, an organization which, according to its website, uses film, creativity and social action to end the use of child soldiers in Joseph Kony’s rebel war and restore calm within communities affected by the conflict.
Sudan Tribune has obtained a copy of the LRA’s 18-page statement titled ‘”Behind the Kony 2012 façade: the fear of the political triumph of native and indigenous African people and other hidden and real reasons for the United States’ led Rambo type military campaign in Central Africa’.
“Behind ‘KONY 2012′ lurks the USA which is not a ‘banana republic’ state, but a world hegemonic power that runs a vast global network of war, intelligence and security institutions, and a myriad of their humanitarian front and service organizations” party’s reads the LRA’s 04 April statement.
The LRA, in the statement, paint a negative image of the US-based Invincible Children, which it claims to be an ally of the US government purportedly “used to cover up on many occasions for the vile acts of the US supported military regime of Uganda.” The rebel group also accuses the Ugandan army of “dirty war” activities on the civilian population in various parts of Ugandan, an act to which it claims Invisible Children turned a blind eye.
“Its [Invisible Children] continued role is, to help sanitize the murderous regime of the army republic of Uganda – and maximally demonize the armed guerrillas in Uganda including the LRA – by working to pile all that is discreditable on the guerrillas, who are only one of the parties in the wars that the army regime has waged against the people of Uganda – while exculpating the murderous military machine of the regime of the army republic from any and all blame” adds the statement.
Formed in Uganda in the late 1980s, the notorious LRA rebels have, for over 15 years, mainly targeted civilians and the army. Following regional armies’ offensive the LRA moved to neighboring countries and massively killed, abducted and displaced thousands of the population.
The ‘Kony 2012′ video spells out the LRA’s alleged atrocities over more than two decades – killing and maiming villagers, recruiting boys to become soldiers and forcing girls into sexual slavery. More than 300,000 children, according to Invisible Children have been abducted and at least 2.1 million displaced by the LRA in various parts of Uganda, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic.
The United Nations and African Union have backed up efforts to help four African countries in a joint military operation to end the LRA rebellion and capture its elusive leader, who together with two senior commanders are wanted by International Criminal Courts (ICC).
However, the LRA have scoffed at the military strategy, saying the war against African guerillas has never been resolved through “decisive military campaigns” and “naked frontal confrontation“, in response to the use of 5,000 forces to put an end to the over two decade war.
fonte www.allafrica.com – Julius N. Uma

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MINISTER MUYINGO ADVISES YOUTH ON SKILLS TRAINING
11 april 2012
The state minister for higher education has urged youth to change their mindset of what he called ‘university degree syndrome’ and embrace employable skills to fight unemployment in the country.
Dr. John Muyingo made the remarks while on a fact-finding mission at the Uganda Technical College Elgon (UTC Elgon), Mbale district.
Muyingo’s visit followed reports that Mt. Elgon Labour Based Training Centre (MELTEC) was attempting to grab land and a building belonging to UTC Elgon. “Considering the amount of money parents and the Government spend on educating university students, the youth should be encouraged to go for vocational training courses to acquire employable skills” Muyingo said, adding that the booming construction industry, in the country needs skilled manpower.
He urged technical colleges in the country to aggressively market their institutions, saying Uganda’s economy will develop with the promotion of technical education. “Every year over 400,000 job seekers graduate from universities and colleges yet the formal sector can only employ about 130,000 of them leaving the rest to roam the streets” the minister added.
During his interaction with the college governing council and the members of staff, Muyingo was surprised to learn that the college has never received any textbooks from the Government since the early 1990s.
He told the meeting that in the next financial year, the Government will set aside sh504b for the construction of staff houses for lecturers and teachers across the country, adding that another sh250b will go towards the teachers’ take-home package.
Miyingo directed the UTC Elgon governing council led by Jane Magombe and MELTEC administration headed by Eng. John Kisira to start a dialogue over the buildings, stating that the building and the land on which it is located legally belong to UTC Elgon which is under the education and sports ministry.
fonte www.newvision.co.ug – Joseph Wanzusi

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2,000 CHILDREN DIE OF DIARRHOEA IN AFRICA DAILY
11 april 2012
Every day about 2,000 children in Africa die of diarrhoea caused by drinking dirty water, the WaterAid country representative, Alice Anukur has said. Anukur said these deaths are preventable through provision of safe drinking water and sanitation to the communities. She said 75% of the diseases in Uganda is as a result of lack of clean water and proper sanitation. “In order to improve health and have a productive work force, we must invest in water and sanitation” she said.
Anukur was recently speaking in Amuria, a district where only a few people can access safe drinking water. She explained that chances of children dropping out of school due to lack of access to safe water are also high because children need water all the time.
“To keep the children in schools, we need proper water and sanitation” said Anukur adding that WaterAid is to build 16 boreholes for Amuria district. She stressed need for the Government to invest more resources in the water sector so as to save thousands of lives. Recently, MTN company gave WaterAid Uganda sh230m to improve water situation in Amuria district.
Did you know? Diarrhoea is transmitted through taking contaminated food or drinks, by direct person-to-person contact or by touching food with contaminated hands. Proper hand washing and safe food handling are the most important ways of preventing the spread of germs that cause diarrhoea.
The World Health Organisation reports that washing hands with soap will reduce diarrhoea by between 30% and 53%. Children with diarrhoea need to keep drinking a lot of fluids to avoid dehydration. Diarrhoea is a water-borne disease. Water-borne diseases are caused by drinking water contaminated with disease causing germs.
The most common water-borne diseases in Uganda are dysentery, typhoid, and cholera. They are the leading cause of death in developing countries. The World Health Organisation reports that over 12 million people die of water-borne diseases worldwide every year.
fonte www.newvision.co.ug – Godfrey Ojore

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CHINA TO CONSTRUCT CHINESE TEACHING SCHOOL IN UGANDA
11 april 2012
The Chinese government is set to construct a modern multi million Chinese School in Uganda, the Chinese ambassador Zhao Ya Li disclosed on Tuesday. The facility will be constructed at Luyanzi College located in Bweyogerere in Wakiso district. “My government is going to fund the construction of modern Chinese teaching facility at Luyanzi College. So far the Chinese government has released $90,000 (Shs 230m) for this project school” said Zhao.
Zhao who officially launched the teaching of the Chinese language, at the school on, the first of its kind in a Ugandan private school said the learning of Chinese language would promote good people and trade relations. China that is currently a leading global business destination has made the learning of its language and culture paramount. Chinese is the latest foreign language to be introduced in Ugandan school syllabi.
Luyanzi College, formerly Progressive Senior Secondary School, one of the oldest private secondary schools, will be one of the first secondary school in the country to teach Chinese language and its culture. “Following the discovery of oil and many investment opportunities, many Chinese firms and companies are coming to Uganda. Learning of Chinese will definitely open new windows for Ugandans in terms of employment opportunities” he said. He pointed out that the many Chinese investors coming into the region will need Chinese language speakers.
So far there are over 200 Chinese firms in Uganda employing over 30,000 Ugandans. Zhao said as Uganda celebrates 50 years of Independence, China will be celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations with Uganda. “Trade investments and people to people relationships are expanding every year, but with education, the foundation for modernization and development will be boosted further” he said.
Kiira mayor Mamerito Mugerwa urged the ministry of Education to change the current curriculum to benefit Ugandans. “Chinese don’t speak English, but see how developed they are. They are a super power. It is a high time Ugandan curriculum is changed. The issue of learning about Napoleon Bonaparte is a waste of time” said Mamerito. He said it is very unfortunate for a child from study from nursery to University and come out with no skills at all.
The school’s headmaster, Jimmy Dhiyongera said the school will house a Chinese information and cultural center which will be open to the business community and public for information about one of the fastest growing economies in the world. “The teaching of Chinese language is open to all members of public interested either during evenings or weekends” he said.
The Chairman Uganda China friendship Association, Eng. Somma Ayub, said they had acquired 400 acres for construction of the facility that will include a Kindergarten, Primary, Secondary school, teaching hospital and polytechnic.
fonte www.newvision.co.ug – Patrick Jaramagi

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STAFF SHORTAGE CRIPPLING UNIVERSITIES
12 april 2012
A new report from the Auditor General’s office shows that there is need for close to 3,000 lecturers and others in more senior positions in the four of the five public universities. Universities with grave demand for more academic staff include Makerere, Gulu, Mbarara and Kyambogo.
In some public universities, the academic staffing is even below half of what is required by the National Council for Higher Education. To make it worse, the few dons in public universities are quitting for jobs in well-paying private and foreign universities and non-academic jobs.
At Makerere, it was noted that there were only 1,403 academic positions filled against the establishment of 2,654 positions. This left a total of 1,251 positions (about 47%) vacant. Particularly, the report, which was released last week, shows that all the departments in the schools of economics and business were less than 50% staffed.
The Attorney General says he informed management that failure to have all approved positions filled overstretches the existing staff and impacts negatively on their performance. But in response, management explained that the university is operating below 50% capacity in many units because they are underfunded by the Government.
It adds that a request had been put before Government to enable staffing levels to be increased to at least 50%. At Makerere’s University Business School (MUBS), it was revealed that out of the established 1,150 posts, only 719 (62.5%) were filled, living a staffing gap of 431 posts (37.5%), of which 240 (55.7%) were academic posts.
Management explained that this was because the Government contributes only 20% to the wage bill, leaving the rest to be financed by internal sources. It further explained that the financing that had been promised to increase the staffing to 50% during the 2011/2012 financial year had not been availed.
A review of the Gulu University staffing revealed that out of the established 896 posts, 412 (46%) are filled leaving a staffing gap of 484 (54%) out of which 346 (72%) are academic posts. It was further noted that out of the 346 vacant academic posts, 142 are for key positions of senior lecturer, associate professor and professor. The accounting officer explained that the recruitment plan he submitted to the responsible authorities was not fully honoured, reportedly due to budgetary constraints.
Mbarara University of Science and Technology provides for a total of 1,212 established posts. However, a review of the establishment master file revealed that only 459 posts had been filled, while 753 posts remained vacant. This, the report warns will also gravely impact on the quality of education being offered.
Mbarara university administration argued that its top governing unit, the council, has discussed this matter extensively on various occasions. The issue, they explained, had always featured in the university’s annual budgets as an unfunded priority. They explained further that the Government is aware and has promised to raise the staff structure (for all public universities) to 50%.
The education minister, Maj. Jessica Alupo, agrees that the public universities are seriously understaffed. However, she explains that the finance ministry has for years not been able to substantially increase the wage bill for public universities, in spite of her ministry raising a request to increase funding to recruit more staff every year. “The Auditor General’s report is a clear and true indication of what is happening in public universities’ staffing. We are doing our best to see this changed quickly” Alupo said.
However, this will not even be in the next financial year, since the finance ministry still did not provide for the increase of the wage bill. There is hope that the wage bill will be increased in the subsequent financial years to provide for the recruitment of the required staff. It is more worrying that as the universities grapple with the need for more staff, some lecturers are calling it quits.
There is a funding gap of sh25.7b for the four universities of Busitema, Gulu, Mbarara and Kyambogo to realise at least 50% of their staff establishment.
Public universities in Uganda are witnessing a mass exodus of lecturers and professors in the recent past, a trend that is believed to be fuelled by better pay offers abroad. In certain instances, public universities have been forced to suspend some of new courses due to lack of the necessary staff. The Government, however, says there should not be cause for worry since most of the senior lecturers have just crossed to private universities in Uganda and that it is gradually increasing their pay.
Makerere, Kyambogo, Busitema, Gulu and Mbarara universities are still having the highest attrition of their lecturers. Makerere, between 2010 and to date, has lost over 25 top dons, most of them professors. Gulu University loses over 10 senior top lecturers every academic year, according to its management. Mbarara University lost 20 dons in September last year and six more were expected to be on their way out in December. It was also revealed that researchers are massively leaving the university due to inadequate facilities and poor funding.
According to sources in Makerere University, “for every appointments board’s siting, two to four resignations letters of senior dons are submitted.” Unlike Mbarara, in Makerere, internal sources in top management have revealed that courses, which have research projects are the best at retaining staff because of the gradual increase of research funds. The McGregor report by the visitation committee shows that apart from academic qualifications, the provision of quality education is to a larger extent, limited by scarcity of experienced academic staff at the most senior levels of the academic ladder.
Of the 1,728 academic staff in the entire public university system, there are only 53 (3%) professors and 80 (4.6%) associate professors. Kyambogo University by that time had no full teaching professors. By then, Mbarara had seven professors, Gulu had seven and MUBS four. By that time, some of the departments at Gulu University were being headed by teaching assistants.
Apart from the poor staffing capacity, several universities are grappling with inadequate facilities. Makerere University Business School, for instance, could not collect all the revenues that they had planned. According to the report, of the planned sh40b, only sh31b was realised.
“Such shortfalls in funding constrain management in implementing all the planned activities. In addition, the shortfalls may imply that management may not have compiled a realistic budget” the Auditor General said. A number of the facilities at MUBS are so dilapidated that some were said to be not fit for human habitation.
The service period for all the fi re extinguishers had expired. The management, however, explained to the AG that at the time of the establishment of the school in 1998, the infrastructure was in a bad state and that since then; most buildings on the campus had been renovated.
They further explained that staff houses were converted into office space or lecture rooms, lecture rooms were expanded and a few buildings constructed.
As the number of students enrolling for higher education increases, especially due to free primary and secondary education, it is important that there must be an increment in the human resource in public universities and other institutions, on top of the other facilities.
fonte www.newvision.co.ug – Conan Businge and Mary Karugaba

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LRA: UNIONE AFRICANA E ONU RINNOVANO IMPEGNO CONGIUNTO
12 aprile 2012
Hanno rinnovato la propria “determinazione a neutralizzare l’Esercito di resistenza del Signore (Lra)” il rappresentante speciale del segretario generale dell’Onu, Abou Moussa, e l’inviato dell’Unione Africana (UA) per l’Lra, Francisco Madeira, durata una visita in Repubblica democratica del Congo.
Alla base della strategia congiunta c’è la ‘Forza d’intervento regionale’, costituita da quattro paesi – Uganda, Sud Sudan, Repubblica democratica del Congo e Centrafrica – operativa dal 24 marzo nella base sud-sudanese di Yambio. L’inviato speciale dell’UA, il mozambicano Madeira, ha ottenuto dal governo di Kinshasa un ulteriore impegno delle Forze armate congolesi (Fardc) che, in base a quanto anticipato dal primo ministro Louis Alphonse Kayagialo, potrebbe mettere a disposizione nuove unità.
Per funzionare a pieno regime, la forza mista necessita di 5000 uomini e farà riferimento ad altri tre quartieri generali stabiliti a Nzara (Uganda), Dungu (Rdc) e Obo (Centrafrica). “Siamo molto preoccupati per i ripetuti attacchi dell’Lra nella regione di Dungu e altrove. La caccia continuerà fin quando Joseph Kony (fondatore della ribellione nord-ugandese, ndr) e le sue truppe continueranno a resistere” ha dichiarato Moussa, che è anche capo dell’ufficio regionale dell’Onu in Africa centrale (Uneca).
Dall’inizio del 2012, l’Alto commissariato Onu per i rifugiati (Unhcr) ha registrato più di 4200 sfollati nella Provincia orientale, tra cui 1200 nella sola area di Dungu, come conseguenza degli attacchi della ribellione. Moussa e Madeira arriveranno oggi a Dungu, accompagnati dal colonnello Dick Prit Olum, comandante della forza mista. Domani partiranno per Obo, nel sud-est del Centrafrica, dove “la situazione è leggermente migliorata, ma dobbiamo rimanere vigili visto che altre città della zona continuano a subire assalti dell’Lra” ha sottolineato Moussa.
Secondo l’Unhcr, almeno quattro persone sono rimaste uccise e 41 sarebbero state rapite in 11 attacchi distinti commessi dal gruppo armato tra gennaio e marzo. La visita di lavoro congiunta Onu-UA si concluderà a Bangui domenica.
La forza è stata autorizzata dalle due organizzazioni che lo scorso novembre hanno inserito il gruppo – costituito negli anni ’80 dall’ugandese Kony – nella lista delle organizzazioni terroristiche.
Unione europea e Stati Uniti, che hanno già inviato cento militari, sono i principali partner esteri della ‘Forza d’intervento regionale’.
fonte www.misna.org

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HAVE THE COUNTRY’S GREAT SCHOOLS GONE TO SLEEP?
16 april 2012
Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki admits he was fortunate to have gone to Kings College Budo, where he spent six “glorious” years from humble beginnings in present day Bukedea. This historic school predates Makerere University as one of the first centres of higher learning in Uganda. But while he expressed a nostalgia for his college days, the head of the Judiciary admitted that “there was no accident” about his admission to a school that marked its 106th anniversary last month. “I was bright” he said. “It wasn’t because I was rich or anything but I passed highly at Senior One. You had to be among the best brains to get to Budo. Imagine I came from Bukedea“.
Sheer brightness alone may not have been enough to take you to the finest of schools. The little known Odoki required a bursary to find his way to the “school of kings” as he put it, and embarked on a journey of learning at a place he says “molded you into something different”. Budo was built on Christian values, Justice Odoki told this newspaper, and paid a lot of attention to discipline, aspiration for excellence, exposure to the world, leadership training, interpersonal skills and sport. Several decades later, Kings College Budo maintains the same reputation of offering an all-round education just as it did back then. That, however, is not a story shared by several secondary schools premised upon the same foundations and built shortly before or after Uganda attained independence.
Losing the shine – For a while now, it has been known that a number of secondary schools, especially those in the countryside built previously by missionaries or Uganda’s first post-colonial government led by Milton Obote have since lost their shine. Each of these schools has got a unique story that is reflective of this country’s checkered history and offers insight into what sort of future awaits this nation. After all, it is at the level of secondary school that the minds of a country’s future leaders are shaped but the minds can only be tutored and nurtured if schools function well and offer an all-round education.
From Kigezi College Butore in Kabale to St Joseph’s College Layibi in Gulu, to Nyakasura School in Kabarole to Teso College and Tororo Girls School, the storyline is the same: their best years are clearly behind them. A similar predicament has befallen many of the hospitals around the country, built about the same time. A stroll through the gates of many of these schools will leave you feeling pitiful and tormented while those that have maintained or improved the quality of their teaching will draw feelings of pride and contentment.
These government-aided schools are not only structurally decayed, they have been producing poor or average results in national examinations for many years now, while a hive of private schools, which have since sprung up to accommodate children of the rich, are not churning out any spectacular products either despite posting thousands of candidates above pass mark grade.
Education specialist, Fagil Mandy, who went to the Buganda Kingdom-founded Lubiri Secondary School during its inspiring times, is certain Uganda has a “big, big” problem with regards to the caliber of human resource schools are producing today. Institutional incompetence by both government and school administrators, he said, inform the inefficiency that continues to downgrade the quality of education in the country. “Maybe partly that is why we are third world” he said. “The first world has concentrated on developing its human resource; we haven’t“.
Mr Mandy said matters are compounded because “a lot” of the teachers today are not authorities in their subjects, are narrow minded, not well travelled and are continuously “mourning” over welfare. “During my school time, I never ever heard teachers mourning” he said.
Education Minister Jesica Alupo, a product of Kamuli Girls Secondary in the far-flung Moroto District, said government “is trying to address all these challenges” but admitted: “It isn’t something you can do overnight”. It is more than five years, however, since government attempted to revamp ailing traditional schools by placing a $70m (Shs168billion) loan facility from the African Development Bank. These schools, unfortunately, may have to wait much longer, Ms Alupo said, and cited government red-tape, including “procurement procedures” for the apparent inaction.
UPE intervention - The contradiction today, however, may be more illuminated in the numbers with access to education higher than it has ever been. Even though several thousands have been able to go to school, in part a result of the government universal primary and secondary education programs unlike the past where it appeared privilege to go to secondary school, it isn’t in doubt that a big percentage of the current products do not seem relevant to the current job market. “I have no reason to feel that the generation after us is daft” said Serere Woman MP Alice Alaso, who went to the unknown Kamode Secondary School in Serere. “We are condemning hundreds of thousands to half-baked education and in the years to come, this country is going to suffer dearly.”
fonte www.monitor.co.ug – Emmanuel Gyezaho

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PRIME MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA AMAMA MBABAZI RELEASES ‘VISIBLE UGANDA’ ADDRESSES KONY 2012 AND URGES VIEWERS TO SHARE THEIR ‘MY UGANDA’
17 april 2012
On Saturday the 14th of April 2012, The Prime Minister of Uganda Rt. Hon. Amama Mbabazi posted a video on YouTube entitled ‘Visible Uganda’ aimed at correcting the inaccurate portrayal of Uganda resulting from the ‘Kony 2012′ video by the Invisible Children Organisation.
The video recognises that in the past Uganda did suffer atrocities as a result of LRA activity. Similar atrocities are very much a reality in neighboring countries. The Prime Minister said “The government is determined, having suffered the ravages of Kony in Uganda not to let any other country or communities suffer the same”.
The video posted by the Prime Minister points out that Uganda is now a thriving peaceful country and the Peace, Recovery and Development Programme implemented by the Government has greatly assisted in the last 6 years of lasting peace, rejuvenation and rebirth of the Northern Region.
Prime Minister Mbabazi today told the nation and the world what Uganda means to him “My Uganda is a country endowed with great resources and captivating natural beauty. My Uganda is a country that is poised to take off. We have registered success after success in the last 25 years, and we are determined to build on this success to bring about in the next few years a new and prosperous nation”.
The Prime Minister invited people not only in Uganda but across the world to reach out and share their Ugandan experiences through social media on Twitter and Facebook telling viewers “That is My Uganda. Please tell us about your Uganda”.
fonte www.youtube.com

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SHOULD UGANDA AIRLINES BE REVIVED?
22 april 2012
Political stability and enabling business conditions have triggered an increase in the growth of Uganda’s aviation industry. This has attracted numerous airlines of international repute to venture into the under exploited market. It has also made the Government realize that reviving a national airline, 12 years since it was liquidated on grounds of making losses, is important.
“Originally, it was believed that Uganda Airlines was exerting too heavy a burden on the taxpayer. Now, however, new thinking is emerging that airlines generally do not make money. Instead, they greatly support other vital sectors of the economy, such as tourism. For this reason, the Government is thinking of reviving the national carrier” said the works and transport minister, Abraham Byandala. He made the remarks during a series of meetings held to draw up mechanisms to coordinate security in air transport in the Africa-Indian Ocean region in Kampala recently.
The board chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Zephania Baliddawa, also hailed the plan to re-establish the national airline arguing that it will give trainee pilots an opportunity to complete their education since they are required to do some time in bigger commercial aircraft.
The minister added that the Government purchased four small aircraft to boost Soroti Flying School so that it could serve the Anglo speaking part of Africa. “Besides the aircraft, the Government has embarked on renovating classrooms, hostels and hiring trainers with the view of trans-forming the school into a centre of excellence for training pilots on the entire African continent.”
The efforts the Government is making were lauded by Raymond Benjamin, the secretary general of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), – the global body responsible for setting minimum standards for the civilian aviation industry. “The restoration of the flying school will go a long way in solving the problem of lack of skilled manpower – which is one of the leading causes of air transport accidents in Africa” said Benjamin. “There is an urgent need to train more pilots and aircraft engineers because a great number of pilots working today are nearing their retirement age”.
Soroti Flying School acting director Bernard Wandera is postive about the future of aviation. “As incomes improve, aviation is a means of transport of convenience and time saving” says Wandera. “Time concious travellers have no option but to fly”. The school’s engineering instructor Ronald Lodyong says: “The market for pilots, aviation engineers and traffic controllers has never been this vibrant. The peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo, budding South Sudan and the discovery of oil in Uganda and Kenya mean a lot to the industry. We have to brace for the forthcoming needs”.
The two-day regional symposium on aviation security brought together delegates from across Africa and the Indian ocean with the view to enhance cooperation to ensure safety and security of passengers. Looking at the aviation industry, last year, Uganda recorded the highest number of airlines operating since aviation was first introduced. “In a period of two years, we have witnessed several carriers including Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Gulf Airline launch-ing flights into and out of Uganda” says Vianne Lugya, the CAA spokesperson. “They come in addition to numerous feeder airlines comprising Rwanda Air, Kenya Airways, Air Uganda and Precision Air that have been involved in fleet and route upgrading”.
The number fell to 20 this year after Gulf Air suspended its flights to Uganda after only two months of being re-launched. “However, Uganda recorded a 7.5% increase in its air passenger traffic. The international passenger traffic grew from 1,041,000 to 1,119,000 passengers by end of February 2012, thus registering a 7.5% increase” Lugya notes.
This is comparably a challenge to other African countries, who have recorded an average growth of 3.2% for the same period as reported by International Air Transport Association (IATA). However, this increase in number of airlines operating in Uganda has raised a reasonable amount of fear within the industry, since the increase in number of airlines is by far not proportional to the increase in number of travellers, hence affecting the market share of different airlines.
In response to the thriving industry, CAA has a five-year strategic plan to expand Entebbe Airport by remodelling the car parking lot to a multi-levelled one, and also double the aeroplane hangars from the current 11 to 22. It is also planning for a second runway to accommodate bigger planes like those owned by Qatar and Emirates Airways. Uganda remains optimistic that this thriving airline industry is a stimulant to marketing it as a preferred tourist/investment destination worldwide.
Domestic flight service providers had their business levels plummet after peace returned to northern Uganda. “The Gulu destination was thriving with NGOs, media personnel and other partie” recounts a staff of Eagles Airways. “These days Gulu is accessible by road in four hours. Buses now ply the route even at night. The competition is stiff and we are losers when it comes to the price war”.
fonte www.newvision.co.ug – Titus Kakembo

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UPDF INTENSIFY SEARCH FOR JOSEPH KONY
23 april 2012
The UPDF has so far not located the Lord’s Resistence Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony’s hideout. Kony has changed tactics. He has stopped killing and abducting people in Central Africa Republic (CAR). It has therefore become difficult for the UPDF squads hunting for him to track him, according to the Commander of Operation Lightening Thunder, Colonel Joseph Balikuddembe has said.
Kony and his LRA rebels fled the onslaught against their bases in Garamba Forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Central African in 2008 when the UPDF launched Operation Lightening thunder. Some scattered deeper into the DRC where they are still abducting people since the UPDF pulled out of the country last year.
Operation Lightening Thunder is still vigorously pursuing Kony in the sprawling jungles of CAR but has been confronted with unexpected twists. “The problem with locating and fighting Kony in the CAR is that he has changed tactics. He no longer fights. He no longer abducts people. The rebels have stopped wearing dreadlocks and they no longer have gardens“.
Balikuddembe said at a media briefing at Djema which is the last logistical base and the heart of the operation against the LRA in CAR. Journalists were later dropped in various locations in wild where they joined the relentless hunt for the elusive rebel leader. “Kony decided not to raid civilians because he was losing his fighters. Kony and his people now survive on wild yams while others have taken to fishing for survival. We got that intelligence from those we captured” the soft spoken Balikuddembe explained and gave other factors that have made the operation drag on for long.
According to Balikuddembe and other commanders on the ground whom the New Vision interacted with, the presence of other nomadic groups in the operation area has also complicated the operation. The vast jungles of CAR are home to nomadic tribes like the Ambororo , the Janjaweed from the Sudan and other cattle keeping nomads from Cameroon and Nigeria. “Sometimes we pick a trail and follow knowing they could be rebels only to land on the herdsmen”.
The Nomadic tribes, apart from the Janjaweed who are of Arab origin (they once attacked the UPDF) are not allied to any party and sometimes give false intelligence to keep the UPDF a distance from their grazing area. They do the same to Kony rebels. According to Captain Stephen Kiiza who commands two hunting squads and with whom this writer moved for two days, the Ambororo once gave them false information that led them to a wild goose chase for two days. “The Ambororo told us they had seen the rebels about 30 km away. We moved for two days and found nothing. They wanted us away from their area. They also do it to the rebels. They don’t want a fight near them’’ says Kiiza.
The UPDF operates in a very sparsely populated vast area stretching from the CAR DRC border to near Darfur in Sudan. According to military intelligence, the locals are also mere spectators who have not taken an interest in the operation apart from knowing that the Uganda army is chasing a dangerous enemy. The CAR government has less control about what is happening. The Operation’s main logistical base is at Nzara in Southern Sudan.
Djema is about 365km North West of Nzara with Obo another logistical base in roughly in between the two. Helicopters and fixed winged planes are used to transport troops and deliver supplies to battle hardened hunting squads scattered all over the jungles of CAR.
Not less than 26 hunting squads are hunting for Kony day and night. Because the area is dry, the hunt for rebels is concentrated along all major rivers like Vovodo and crocodile infested Chinko. As Colonel Balikudembe was briefing journalists, a crocodile killed one UPDF solder as they crossed River Chinko.
fonte www.newvision.co.ug – Matthias Mugisha

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EAST AFRICA: OBAMA EXTENDS U.S. SEARCH FOR LRA’S KONY
25 april 2012
U.S. President Barack Obama has announced that American advisers helping with the mission to capture Joseph Kony will remain in East Africa to “bring this madman to justice“.
USA Today reports that Obama made the remarks at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum during a speech on efforts to prevent human atrocities. Videos on Kony and his crimes, including child kidnapping, rape and mutilation, have gone viral, putting more pressure on Obama and other governments to capture him, the report says.
Obama deployed about 100 U.S. special forces to help Uganda and other regional governments eliminate the threats of Kony and the LRA, whose crimes include child kidnapping and rape. “It is part of our regional strategy to end the scourge that is the LRA, and help realize a future where no African child is stolen from their family and no girl is raped and no boy is turned into a child soldier” Obama said in his speech.
AFP reports that none of the US troops have been out in the bush with soldiers searching for the LRA leader. But, the AFP reporter was told “they communicate regularly with surveillance planes they say are flown – sometimes at night – by Americans and have seen their supplies and morale boosted in recent months“.
fonte www.allafrica.com

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Cambio valuta: in data 27/04/2012 1 dollaro USA è pari a 2505 scellini ugandesi, 1 Euro è pari a 3301,1781 scellini ugandesi

Padre John e il gruppo di viaggiatori il giorno del suo 50esimo di sacerdozio

Ciao a tutti! Proprio pochi giorni fa si è concluso il viaggio organizzato da Italia Uganda per portare a Kampala, nel giorno del 50esimo di sacerdozio di padre John, un nutrito gruppo di volontari e sostenitori. E oggi con grande gioia lascio la parola a Stefania, la super-volontaria che, insieme a Marco, Cinzia e Fabio ha accompagnato il gruppo partito il 12 aprile dall’Italia.

Le foto che vedete sono state scattate da Patrick, il nostro fotografo ugandese, alle celebrazioni per Padre John … guardate che belle!!

Ma non voglio rubare altro spazio a Stefania. Ecco la sua testimonianza:

Prendo in prestito le pagine del blog per raccontare una di quelle giornate che, insieme all’esperienza in missione, faranno modo che nulla sia più come prima.

Il grande evento di oggi, la celebrazione del 50esimo di sacerdozio di Padre John, l’ho vissuto insieme ai miei compagni di viaggio proprio qui, nella parrocchia di Bbiina; ma ora, che il sole cala e le ultime note entrano dalla finestra aperta della mia stanza, penso che un po’ la mia casa è questa.

La "famiglia" ugandese di Padre John riunita per festeggiarlo

In effetti ritornare qui è stato come ritrovare una po’ di quella me che ha un legame sottile ma profondo con l’Africa. E nel sentirmi a casa, oggi ho condiviso attimi intensi di emozione profonda.  Una celebrazione vera seguita da danze e rappresentazioni gioiose e colorate, momenti di una vita che ritrova un senso e che ora più che mai vale la pena di essere vissuta.

Nulla sarà più come prima, la mia famiglia si è allargata, in me prepotente è il desiderio di essere parte di tutto questo.

Tra poco rivedrò il “festeggiato”, in missione dove ci ritroveremo per la cena e la chiusura della giornata. Domani partiamo per Gulu, un altro pezzo di strada insieme, un altro pezzo di strada che mi farà diventare più grande.

Stefania

Grazie Stefania per questa tua testimonianza che arriva dritta al cuore.

Sono sicura che chiunque di voi che sia stato in Uganda sa bene cosa intende Stefania quando parla di sentirsi come a casa, di sentirsi in famiglia, di un partire che però è soprattutto un “ritornare”: ritornare a casa, ritornare in famiglia, ma anche ritornare a una parte più vera di noi.

La prossima settimana potrete leggere le pagine di diario che Stefania ha scritto a Gulu, un’altra tappa fondamentale di questo viaggio della memoria, ma soprattutto del cuore.

Qualche settimana fa vi ho raccontato del viaggio in Uganda che stiamo organizzando per il 50esimo di sacerdozio di Padre John, invitandovi tutti a partecipare. Devo dire che hanno aderito in tantissimi, ormai sono quasi una sessantina, provenienti da tutte le regioni d’Italia…davvero oltre ogni aspettativa!

Il sorriso dei bimbi vi conquisterà durante il viaggio in Uganda...

In fondo l’Uganda è lontana, 10 giorni sono tanti, i biglietti aerei non sono proprio low cost… insomma, le obiezioni potevano essere tante! E invece devo ringraziare di cuore (in attesa che lo faccia personalmente Padre John!) tutti coloro che hanno accolto il nostro invito, perchè non si sono fatti fermare pensando alle possibili difficoltà, ma sono riusciti ad andati oltre.

Chiacchierando con loro nelle lunghe telefonate in cui raccontavo di questa esperienza, mi sono resa conto che hanno colto perfettamente il significato e l’importanza del viaggio, la dimensione di condivisione e di affetto che colmeranno le loro giornate in Uganda, accettando di mettersi in gioco per dieci giorni, di scoprire un nuovo “mondo”, pronti a sconvolgersi e farsi sconvolgere, nel bene e nel male.

... e niente paura dei coccodrilli: li vedrete solo da lontano!

Perchè, come sto dicendo a tutti coloro che si apprestano a partire, volenti o nolenti questa esperienza li cambierà. Non so come, questo dovranno scoprirlo (e dirmelo) loro … anzi se lo desiderano li invito a scrivere sul blog cosa si aspettano da questo viaggio, a meno di dieci giorni dalla partenza … e poi una volta che saranno tornati com’è andata, cosa li ha colpiti di più, cosa gli è rimasto e rimarrà indelebile dentro di loro.

Sono sicura che tutti porteranno nel cuore l’emozione per le celebrazioni dei 50anni di sacerdozio di Padre John e riempiranno le schede delle macchine fotografiche con centinaia di visi, occhi e sorrisi di bimbi bellissimi, molti di loro stringeranno nuove amicizie, altri scopriranno quanto è bella l’Uganda e magari inizieranno a consigliarla agli amici come meta turistica … e spero che non troppi ricordino gli insetti o lo spavento per la vista dei coccodrilli!

Ma tante altre cose potranno dircele solo loro. Allora cosa aspettate? Passo la parola a voi … spolverate la tastiera del vostro computer e poi … raccontateci! Chissà mai che non riusciate a convincere a venire, la prossima volta, anche chi è ancora un po’ titubante??

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GOVERNMENT TO FINANCE INCUBATION CENTRES FOR TRADITIONAL MEDICINE
26 march 2012

IL RAPPORTO UNICEF 2012: QUALE FUTURO DEI BAMBINI NELLE CITTÀ INIQUE E VIOLENTE
28 febbraio 2012
Milioni di bambini vivono nelle aree urbane senza avere accesso ai servizi di base. La denuncia è al centro del rapporto Unicef ‘La condizione dell’infanzia nel mondo 2012: Figli delle città’, presentato in contemporanea in tutto il mondo e dedicato ai bambini ed ai ragazzi che vivono negli ambienti urbani. Sono più di un miliardo e il loro numero continua ad aumentare.
“Entro il 2020 – dichiara il Presidente UNICEF Italia, Giacomo Guerrera – quasi 1,4 miliardi di persone vivranno in insediamenti non ufficiali e negli slum. Già oggi, nel mondo, una persona su 3 che abita in città vive in una baraccopoli. In Africa 6 su 10“.
Lo scenario delle città – Dal rapporto si comprende come oggi le città rappresentino lo scenario prevalente di iniquità e disparità sociali, tra le cui vittime, i bambini sono i soggetti più vulnerabili.
Esclusione e marginalità sociale sono gli effetti di una condizione dicotomica globale, di cui i contesti urbani sono l’espressione più evidente: le disparità nell’accesso ai servizi igienico-sanitari, all’istruzione, al diritto alla proprietà, alla protezione e a un ambiente sano rappresentano gli ostacoli maggiori all’inclusione e all’equità.
1) Registrazioni alla nascita – Un terzo di tutti i bambini delle aree urbane non esiste: non sono stati registrati. Numeri che, in Africa sub-sahariana e in Asia meridionale, arrivano a toccare il 50% del totale dei nati.
2) Traffico di bambini - Nel mondo 2 milioni e mezzo di persone sono coinvolte nel lavoro forzato: tantissimi – dal 22 al 50% – sono bambini.
3) Lavoro minorile – Secondo il rapporto Unicef, sono 215 milioni i lavoratori di età compresa tra i 5 e i 17 anni. Tra questi, 115 milioni si occupano di mansioni pericolose (dati del 2008).
La violenza – Le aree maggiormente degradate nei contesti urbani spesso catalizzano fenomeni di crescente violenza in cui bambini e ragazzini ne sono tanto le vittime quanto gli autori. In alcune aree del mondo, entrare a far parte di una banda è un’esperienza comune per molti giovani (l’età media dell’iniziazione è di 13 anni), che crescono così nell’abitudine alla violenza.
L’istruzione – Nelle aree urbane periferiche e degradate le famiglie non sono in grado di sostenere i costi per l’istruzione dei propri figli e scelgono così di impiegarli nel lavoro. A Delhi, in India, per esempio, poco più del 54% dei bambini degli slum frequentava la scuola primaria nel 2004-2005, rispetto al 90% dei bambini della città. Una recente ricerca condotta a San Paolo in Brasile, Casablanca in Marocco e Lagos in Nigeria, ha riscontrato che il 20% delle famiglie più povere spende più del 25% del reddito familiare per la scuola, testimonianza concreta del fatto che l’istruzione pubblica è praticamente inesistente.
La sopravvivenza – Nel 2010, quasi 8 milioni di bambini sono morti prima di aver raggiunto i cinque anni di età. I più esposti al rischio vivono in insediamenti non ufficiali. Il più alto tasso si registra in Somalia (180 decessi ogni 1.000 nati vivi). Nelle bidonville del Bangladesh, il tasso dei bimbi morti prima del loro quinto compleanno supera del 79% i decessi registrati nelle altre aree urbane, e del 44% quelli delle aree rurali. A Nairobi – dove i due terzi della popolazione vive in insediamenti non ufficiali sovraffollati – si contano 151 bambini morti su 1000 nati vivi.
Bambini Migranti – In Cina, nel 2008, 27,3 milioni di bambini (circa il 10% dei bambini cinesi) sono migrati all’interno del paese con i propri genitori. Un recente studio su 12 Paesi ha riscontrato che un bambino migrante su cinque tra i 12 e i 14 anni e uno su due tra i 15 e i 17 anni si sono spostati senza un genitore. Si ritiene che, nella sola India, almeno quattro milioni di bambini emigrino stagionalmente, da soli o con le famiglie.
Gli incidenti stradali – Ogni anno, nelle aree urbane, 1,3 milioni di persone perdono la vita in incidenti stradali: sono la principale causa di morte nel mondo tra i 15 e i 29 anni. Nel caso dei bambini tra i 5 e i 14 anni, gli incidenti rappresentano la seconda causa di morte (dopo le malattie respiratorie).
HIV e AIDS - Una buona notizia: i dati dimostrano che nel 2010 si sono ammalati meno bambini rispetto agli anni precedenti (un quarto in meno che nel 2005), grazie al miglioramento nell’accesso ai servizi di prevenzione durante la gravidanza e l’allattamento. Ma, nonostante questi progressi, nel 2010 circa 1.000 bambini al giorno hanno contratto il virus HIV dalla propria madre, attraverso la trasmissione verticale.
I servizi e le cure mediche per le donne in gravidanza sono ancora spesso inaccessibili, per i costi o per la lontananza territoriale. In tutto il mondo, 2,2 milioni di adolescenti tra i 10 e i 19 anni, convivono con l’HIV, per la maggior parte inconsapevoli della loro sieropositività. La diffusione del virus dell’HIV rimane maggiore nelle aree urbane.
I servizi essenziali – Nei distretti urbani più poveri, un litro di acqua costa 50 volte di più che nei quartieri più ricchi. L’accesso inadeguato all’acqua potabile e l’insufficienza della quantità di acqua necessaria ai fabbisogni igienici quotidiani, minaccia la salute dei bambini che abitano gli slum e favorisce il diffondersi di epidemie.
Le cose da fare – L’UNICEF chiede con forza ai governi di mettere i bambini al centro dei piani urbanistici e di ampliare e aumentare i servizi per tutti, cominciando con l’avere a disposizione dati più accurati e più specifici per identificare e colmare le disparità nelle aree urbane.
La parola d’ordine su cui concentrarsi è ‘equità’, per raggiungere i bimbi più poveri dovunque essi vivano. “Dobbiamo investire di più nelle città, focalizzando maggiormente l’attenzione nel fornire servizi ai bambini che più hanno bisogno“, chiede Anthony Lake, Direttore generale dell’UNICEF.
Le buone pratiche – Molte città hanno portato avanti iniziative volte a migliorare le condizioni di benessere dei bambini. Esistono una serie di buone pratiche che vanno dalla fornitura di servizi alla protezione sociale e ad ambienti urbani sicuri e inclusivi.
Un gran numero di casi mostrano anche la miriade di possibilità e di benefici derivanti dall’inclusione dei bambini e dei loro interessi nella progettazione e nella gestione delle aree urbane.
Le città amiche dei bambini… e degli adolescenti – Lanciata dall’UNICEF e da UN-Habitat, rappresenta la prima partnership che mette i bambini al centro dell’agenda urbana. E’ il quadro di riferimento dell’UNICEF Internazionale per tutte le amministrazioni comunali del mondo, per l’attuazione dei diritti dell’infanzia sanciti dalla Convenzione sui Diritti dell’Infanzia del 1989.
“Oggi - ha ricordato il Presidente Giacomo Guerrera – sono più di 300 Sindaci italiani nominati ‘Difensori dell’Infanzia dai Comitati Provinciali per l’UNICEF, con l’impegno di realizzare i nove passi per costruire una città amica dei bambini”.
Le cinque azioni urgenti – Sono quelle da intraprendere per promuovere lo sviluppo e i diritti di quella metà di bambini che vivono in insediamenti urbani: comprendere la natura della povertà e dell’esclusione nelle aree urbane; individuare ed eliminare gli ostacoli all’inclusione; mettere i bambini al primo posto nel quadro di una ricerca più ampia dell’equità nella pianificazione urbana, nello sviluppo delle infrastrutture, nella governance e nella fornitura di servizi; promuovere la collaborazione tra i poveri delle aree urbane e i loro governi; lavorare tutti insieme per ottenere dei risultati indispensabili per l’infanzia.
Aiutare i bambini per aiutare tutti – Il Direttore generale dell’UNICEF Anthony Lake: “Quando pensiamo alla povertà, le immagini che tradizionalmente ci vengono in mente sono quelle dei bambini nei villaggi rurali. Oggi, sempre più bambini vivono nelle baraccopoli e sono tra i più svantaggiati e vulnerabili al mondo, privati della maggior parte dei servizi di base e del diritto di crescere bene.
Escludendo questi bambini che vivono negli slum non solo li priviamo della possibilità di sviluppare il proprio potenziale, ma priviamo anche le loro società di benefici economici che derivano da una popolazione urbana in buona salute e ben istruita“.
fonte www.repubblica.it – Anna Maria De Luca

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AIDS, AFRICANI ESORTATI A PRODURRE FARMACI IN LOCO
28 febbraio 2012
Il direttore esecutivo del Programma delle Nazioni Unite sull’Aids (Unaids), Michel Sidib, ha lanciato un appello ai Paesi africani affinché “si affranchino dalla dipendenza dall’estero” nel condurre la lotta alla sindrome.
Nel corso di un soggiorno a Lomé, capitale del Togo, Sidibè ha lamentato la “fortissima” dipendenza degli Stati del continente dai finanziamenti poiché, ha aggiunto, “i due terzi delle spese dedicate all’Aids in Africa proviene da donatori esterni al continente“.
Per il capo di Unaids, inoltre, “non si possono garantire cure trentennali per un malato di Aids potendo contare solo su fondi provenienti dall’estero“. Quindi ha esortato gli Stati del continente ad attrezzarsi in fretta per produrre localmente i farmaci necessari alle terapie anti-Aids.
fonte www.agi.it

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UGANDA, VERSO ESENZIONE DOGANALE PER MERCI IN CINA
2 marzo 2012
La Cina ha allo studio la possibilità di concedere, a partire dal primo luglio prossimo, l’esenzione fiscale e doganale alle merci provenienti dall’Uganda.
Lo ha annunciato a Kampala l’ambasciatore cinese in Uganda, Zhao Yali, a un gruppo di giornalisti ugandesi nel corso di un ricevimento nella sede dell’ambasciata.
Il capo della missione di Pechino ha anche detto che tra il 1993 e il 2011 la Cina ha investito nel Paese dell’Africa orientale per oltre 596 milioni di dollari e, nello stesso tempo, 265 società cinesi hanno avviato attività in Uganda creando 280.000 posti di lavoro.
fonte www.agi.it

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OVER 50% TO MISS UNIVERSITY ADMISSION
5 march 2012
A total of 51,296 candidates who sat for the Senior Six examinations last year will not be admitted to any university in the country come mid this year. Of all the 102,296 candidates who sat for examinations, only 65,417 got the required two principle passes for one to be admitted to a university in Uganda. However, the 30 universities in the country will accommodate not more than 50,000 students in the forthcoming academic year.
Last year, universities accommodated 47,000 students. This means, about 52,296 candidates will miss out on university intake this year. It should be noted that the number of candidates who attained the required points to join universities this year also increased compared to the previous year when there were only 61,820 candidates with two principle passes.
As a result, this year, the university cut-off points for various courses are likely to rise. There are only six government-owned universities in the country. In the course of last year, the Government registered four new private universities and one more state-owned Muni University. The new private universities are Victoria University, International University of East Africa, African Rural University and Islamic Call University in Kampala.
The Government, for over five years, has been prioritising sponsorship in public universities for science and technology-related disciplines, maintaining the ratio of sciences at 53% and 47% for arts. For the sixth year running, the Government will not sponsor students for certain arts courses, such as urban planning, adult and community education, mass communication and tourism.
fonte www.newvision.co.ug – Conan Businge

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GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO ACT FAST ON NODDING DISEASE
5 march 2012
The ‘Nodding Disease Syndrome’ (NDS) is devastating to the affected people, their families and the communities where it exists. So far it kills all who get it and these happen to be mostly children and adolescents aged between 10 and 19 years. The failure to find a cause to the syndrome or to its mode of transmission is a big challenge to the Health ministry, the government and to all scientists and experts, including local and international epidemiologists and anthropologists.
We are informed that a joint team of experts from the US Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organisation, Mulago National Referral Hospital and Makerere University comprehensively studied NDS in 2009, six years after a similar syndrome had been reported in Lui, South Sudan.
The first big question is whether the two similar diseases occurred separately or whether the one in South Sudan crossed the border into Uganda and how this happened. We are informed that the current outbreaks of the disease are concentrated in Kitgum, Pader and Lamwo districts, with more than 1,000 cases having been diagnosed in Kitgum alone between August and mid-December 2011.
Total cases now number around 3,000 with about 200 deaths. There are also reports that the disease has reached Yumbe District, indicating that it is spreading.
First things first - The important questions scientists and other experts need to answer urgently are: What causes NDS? How is it transmitted? Can it be controlled so that it does not affect more people and spread to other areas? At the moment, the available information is speculative, presumptive and based on suspicion without any proven scientific evidence.
The clinical medicine specialists have done an excellent job telling us in some detail the signs and symptoms of the NDS. We are told how the patient gets gripped by a series of seizures which force the patient’s neck to arch forward, then down and then up again, which looks as if someone is forcing the chin down onto the chest. And it is this movement that has caused the disease to be labelled the ‘Nodding Disease’.
It has been intriguingly observed that seizures normally occur when the affected person starts to eat or when the surroundings are cold. The seizures also seem to be triggered by the patient looking at and eating familiar food such as sorghum or millet, but not by looking at or eating unfamiliar food, like a bar of chocolate.
The nodding starts almost immediately the food is supplied and stops when one finishes eating. There is also drooling of saliva during the attack. What makes this disease to be considered a syndrome are the other signs which include mental retardation, stunted physical growth, malnutrition in many cases, and dehydration.
Some homes have more than one affected person raising the question of whether there is a transmittable agent causing the syndrome, and increasing the urgency of the need to find out the exact cause and mode of its transmission.
Possible causes – There are several hypotheses that have been advanced as to the causes of the NDS, but so far, there is again no conclusive scientific evidence to support any of them. They include the following: the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus, which is responsible for causing river llindness. But the big question is how this worm, which affects about 18 million people worldwide, mostly in Africa, and is common in many places does not cause the NDS in these other places.
Secondly, although the worm is also known to infest all the three affected districts in Uganda, what must be triggering the worm to cause the NDS in these districts and not anywhere else where it occurs, if it really contributes to the causation of the disease.
All the children with NDS are said to live near permanent rivers. Could there be another agent within these rivers causing the NDS, other than the worm? Other people tend to blame the war against the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels but we are told that toxicology reports have ruled out anything connected with this as a cause.
The 2009 Experts’ Survey found out that over 83 per cent of the cases found were suspected to have eaten Bush Meat and there is suspicion that this could have contributed to causing the NDS. Although cross-species transmission of disease-causing agents like Prion, seem to be limited by an apparent Species Barrier, the epidemic of the Mad Cow Disease, also known as the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in the United Kingdom and its transmission to humans tends to eliminate this limitation and shows how these agents can also pose a significant public risk. So, this is not a far-fetched suspicion to warrant being investigated.
The connection could also be due to some other disease-causing agent, other than the Prion, from these Bush animals. There has been suspicion of the disease coming from infected monkey flesh.
Of recent, there has been suspicion of this being due to an epileptic epidemic. But as we know, epilepsy is not contagious, being transmitted from person to person, as the case seems to be with the NDS. We, therefore, need to find what could be triggering this epileptic-type of seizures in the affected districts, if we are to continue with the epilepsy hypothesis.
Low Vitamin B6 in the blood has also been mentioned as a possible cause. There is so far no known cure for the NDS. Treatment being given is therefore supportive, palliative and is treating the signs and symptoms presented by the patient. This is most welcome, in the sense that much as it is not a cure and the end result is known to be death, this inevitable death should come with dignity and with little suffering to the patient. There is what is known as a “slow virus infection of the brain”.
These slow viral nervous system infections are divided into those due to conventional viruses, like measles and rubella, and are detectable in the patient and also cause immunological changes in blood and brain fluids. The virus can also be isolated from the central nervous system fluid of the patients. It is very unlikely that the NDS we are experiencing is caused by any of these slow virus diseases.
Then there is another group of infections due to what are known as unconventional agents, whose viral nature has not yet been fully established, and they do not cause any immunological changes in the patient’s blood or other body fluids.
Among the unconventional agents that cause the slow virus infection of the brain are kuru, creutzfeldt-Jakob-disease, Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker, all causing diseases in man. These infections are caused by unconventional agents called prion protein. The prion is a small protein-like infectious particle which is resistant to inactivation by most procedures, including heat, that normally modify other living cells and viruses. They do not show any abnormalities in the blood or the fluids in the brain.
The disease changes by these agents that are limited only to the brain. They can, however, be transferred to chimpanzees and monkeys. Once the brain disease is established, it progresses slowly over months or years and the person finally dies. These unconventional infectious agents do not give any detectable immune response in the infected person at all.
It is being reported that the numerous tests that were carried out in the USA did not reveal much about the disease, according to Dr Scott Dowell, the specialist from CDC. One good example of the slow virus disease is kuru, a name derived from a term in the fore language of the eastern highlanders of Papua, New Guinea, which means “to shake from fear.” Kuru was spread in Papua New Guinea through cannibalism, where the then native custom, dictated that bone marrow, the intestines and brain be cooked and eaten following deaths of family members – with the female relatives usually consuming the brain, which was the most infected organ.
The disease mostly affected women and children of both sexes and rarely affected men. After discovering the cause and the mode of transmission of the fatal disease kuru, the prohibition of cannibalism in the 50s led to the decline in the epidemic, although the disease has persisted in very small numbers of people because of an incubation period that sometimes exceeded 50 years.
Doubling efforts – It is all well and good to continue providing good supportive palliative and symptomatic care and treatment to patients with the NDS – has been reported that a number of ‘Treatment Centres’ have been set up and health workers are being trained on how to best treat and handle the signs and symptoms of these patients.
It is, however, very important to remind ourselves that this is not a cure to NDS. More new cases are likely to continue emerging, more people will continue dying and, may be, the disease may spread to other areas so far not yet affected, until we are able to establish the cause of the NDS, its mode of transmission and the possible control of the disease, like it happened with kuru.
This is why it is absolutely important that, as we continue providing the palliative and symptomatic treatment to the sick, we do not lose sight of doing everything possible to deal with the NDS.
This is the time when we may need to “move out of the box” and start looking at different causes of this new rare disease, outside the known and now suspected causes. It is, therefore, high time that we sounded an international alarm to our development partners and the international scientific and health financing community to help find some answers.
We need to build a strong national and international team of experts and scientists to thoroughly study this new disease. This team should include neuro-pathologists, general pathologists, immunologists, microbiologists, zoologists, epidemiologists and others.
The Ministry of Health needs to establish very strong and carefully selected collaborative scientific centres anywhere in the world, where work of all types on this research can be carried out without much hindrance.
This study needs a special budget of its own, not that from the Ministry of Health, which after all, is insufficient to run even the usual health services. This needs to be taken as a national emergency project.
Recommendations - Lastly, it is very possible that NDS is one of the conditions caused by a slow brain infective-type of agent, not necessarily a virus or virus-like agent but one that behaves in a similar manner. It is known that currently, there is no diagnostic test on blood or other body tissue-fluids for such brain-disease-causing agents.
The only way to get to a diagnosis of such diseases is through either a brain biopsy, which is restrictive, or carrying out a post-mortem and carefully studying the brain parts by various experts. Apparently, it is the general culture among the people in the districts affected by NDS not to accept the dead to be subjected to post-mortem examination.
In case there has been any post-mortem carried out so far, it will be necessary to make sure that special expert post-mortem examinations are carried out on as many patients who die from NDS as possible, if we are to get to the root-cause of this disease.
Once the causative agent is identified other experts will find it easy to build the full picture, including control, of this syndrome. Those who have lost their loved ones need to be encouraged and supported to be willing to allow post-mortems to try and save those still alive.
It took close to 25 years for researchers in Papua, New Guinea to solve the kuru riddle, and discover the cause and how the disease is transmitted, through carrying out careful, collaborative post-mortem and epidemiological studies, among other studies, which eventually led to the disease’s control.
It does not have to take us that long but we have to start somewhere – and start quickly.
fonte www.monitor.co.ug – George B. Klrya

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A-LEVELS: ARE THIRD WORLD SCHOOLS REVOLUTIONISING UGANDAN EDUCATION?
5 march 2012
Once upon a time, there existed two different types or classes of schools in Uganda. There were the religious founded-ones with high academic standard that could not easily be marched and of course the sub-standard ones which lacked most essential facilities and whose premises left a lot to be desired.
The latter used to be referred to as ‘Third World’ schools and enrolled students that had failed to score admission marks to the cream schools. On the other hand, schools with high academic standards were known as ‘First World’ schools or simply traditional schools. In this category were the likes of King’s College Budo, Mt. St. Mary’s Namagunga, Namilyango College, St. Mary’s College Kisubi, Gayaza High School, Nabisunsa Girls school, Trinity College Nabbingo and Ntare School, just to mention a few.
Not any Tom, Dick or Harry could easily access such schools and due to much competition at times even some good performing students could end up being rejected and sold to other less known schools.
But how things change! Today the gap between the so-called ‘dwarf’ and ‘first world’ schools is fast closing. As if this was not good enough for Ugandan education, some schools that 20 years ago belonged to the ‘third world’ group have since staged an academic coup and taken over from the giant ones of the past.
Two private schools in particular deserve mention and saluting for spear-heading this academic revolution that hitherto had failed to check on the great powers of the Kisubi and Budo’s of this world. In Uganda Martyrs Namugongo and St Mary’s Kitende we now have the new kings on the throne.
In the just released A-level exams, Uganda Martrys Namugongo at twelve had most students scoring quadruple “A”s followed by St. Mary’s Kitende with nine students. Last year it was the otherway round. On the other hand, 37 students of Namugongo registered triple “A”s while Kitende produced 59 of these.
According to UNEB statistics, these numbers are well above those of hitherto so called tradition schools in Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono and Mbarara districts. Well if this is not a real academic coup, what else can we term it? And most interesting of all, the main characteristic of third world schools in Uganda has always been their inability to perform well in sciences.
Mastering art and sciences - Most of such schools have not only lacked good science teachers but most facilities as well. For instance in Uganda, today we still have schools whose students do science practicals for the first time in final examinations!
Little wonder that when schools like Namugongo and Kitende first came aboard and joined the ‘first world’ academic club, they mainly excelled in Arts subjects and not in sciences. Then one could hear critics say “Afterall they are good in arts but can’t march us in sciences.”
For the time being this remained the only consolation of the then undisputed ‘first world’ schools, their administrators and students. However having come, saw and later conquered in arts, the new upcoming schools still had something up their sleeves. To the surprise of everyone, they in a short time mastered science subjects and later appeared to be in the driving seat as well.
To prove the point, for the past two consecutive years Namugongo and Kitende topped the public university intake in science courses like Human Medicine and Pharmacy.
In 2009 alone Uganda Martyrs Namugongo topped government admission to public universities on both Human Medicine and Pharmacy. The story of schools like Namugongo is indeed so amazing.
A few years ago former headmaster and now the State minister for Higher education, John C. Muyingo told me of the school’s sorry state in 1992 at the time he joined it from St. Joseph Naggalama where he had been teaching Chemistry and Mathematics. Dr Muyingo came at the time UNEB had just released that year’s O-Levels results with Namugongo registering just five first grades to the much excitement of both teachers and students. Dr Muyingo saw nothing worthy celebrating and even refused to join in the party.
Improved performances – True, the gap between the first world and Cinderella schools is fast closing. About 10 years ago it would for instance be unheard of for ‘village’ schools to have candidates scoring atleast a principle “A” at A-level. This year, little known schools like Namagabi Secondary School alone produced six students with triple “A”s.
According to UNEB statistics, other “village” schools with triple “A” students this year include, Kisiki College Namutamba, Kanjuki Secondary, Bulo Parents, Mulusa Academy, Bishop Cyprian Kyabakadde, Lower Girls School Nsimbe and St Charles Lwanga Kibiri.
Only heaven knows how such students would have performed if had attended the better known giant academic schools. Surely, such low profile schools now appear to have hammered the final nail in the coffin of the once academically much feared first world schools which have since vanished in thin air.
It’s indeed a big surprise that schools like Busoga College Mwiri, St Peters Tororo, St Joseph Layibi, Kigezi College Butobere, Wanyange Girls school and Christ The King Kalisizo this year couldn’t produce even a single candidate with a triple “A” score! A Luganda saying “Atakulaba akunyooma” which literally translates that “a stranger may minimize your once glittering past” indeed applies to the above schools.
About the new trend of such once mighty schools going into oblivion and slowly being replaced by emerging powerful private ones, John Bosco Mujjumba, the Uganda National Private Education Institutes Association (UNPEIA) chairman, cannot help smiling. He says private schools are no longer the Cinderellas of Ugandan education, revealing that their administrators and owners took time to study the situation and have now almost succeeded in taming the once mighty government-aided schools and institutions. “We are finally there. Our new performance figures don’t lie and are as a result of a well planned move. In terms of infrastructure we also now on top. Just look at private schools along Masaka, Entebbe, Jinja, Bombo and Hoima roads and will prove my point.”
According to Mr Mujjumba, this new turn of events has not only benefited parents and children but teachers and the Education and Sports ministry. He says private schools have helped reduce congestion in some schools, provide quality education besides paying teachers better than some government aided ones. “Surely private schools are now contributing a lot to the national economy since they admit the majority of foreign students studying in Uganda who pay billions every year in tuition fees.”
According to Mr Mujjumba, private schools have now reached a point of no return and will continue their dominance for a long time to come. He attributes their success to a number of factors especially accountability. “To define accountability in the context of school management we must remember that a school is a public entity which goes beyond the proprietor or the foundation body. Children are not private, neither are the funds collected private, good schools are therefore accountable to the public and all stakeholders” he says.
A good school, he says, should have a good internal control system with characteristics like a good procedure of collecting funds, who pays on behalf of the school? Who authorises payment ? Who is accountable for school funds and to whom? A good banking system is too a must and should indicate who banks and when? Who draws money from the bank, when and how often? Mr Mujjumba holds the view that successful schools should be those that undertake self-evaluation to check how well they are doing rather than waiting for inspectors.
Schools are advised to review their progress doing among other things, use of suggestion boxes, analysing data, checking financial accounts, reviewing the school routine and observing day to day teaching and learning experiences. About the curriculum, Mujjumba notes that there is a need for schools to question whether their whole breadth is being covered or whether the time allocated is appropriate for different subjects.
Other important factors that have enabled private schools succeed, according to the UNPEIA boss, include comparing pupils performance with those of other schools or those of previous years with a need to regularly collect and analyse information on pupils’ achievements. In addition, schools should have programmes for observing the way teachers teach. “Everything should be done to check on teachers schemes of work and lesson plans. Whether they receive constructive feedback from such assessments, how they manage pupils’ discipline and above all a check be made on their absenteeism and time management.”
Another secret that has been responsible for transforming some private schools and education institutes is the style of communication between all stakeholders. Communication in context of school management refers to keeping all stakeholders informed about all school activities. UNPEIA believes if communication is made effective, a spirit of collective responsibility is cultivated in addition to opening the school to advice and thus support plus raising morale of everyone involved.
fonte www.monitor.co.ug – Robert Mugaga

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UGANDA, GLI SFOLLATI AVRANNO UN TETTO
5 marzo 2012
Giappone e Uganda hanno firmato un protocollo di intesa per un accordo in base al quale Tokyo concede al Paese dell’Africa orientale un finanziamento a fondo perduto di 14,5 milioni di dollari, che saranno utilizzati per la sistemazione dei senza tetto presenti nell’Uganda settentrionale.
Il documento è stato sottoscritto dal ministro delle Finanze ugandese, Maria Kiwanuka e dall’ambasciatore nipponico a Kampala, Kazuo Minagawa.
Al termine della cerimonia per la firma del protocollo, l’esponente dell’esecutivo ugandese ha rilevato che il sostegno di Tokyo “contribuirà a portare a soluzione il gigantesco problema costituito dalle migliaia di sfollati, che attualmente si trovano nelle province di Gulu, Kitgum, Pader, Lamwo e Agago”.
fonte www.agi.it

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CORRUZIONE E TANGENTI, IMMUNITÀ AL GOVERNATORE BANCA CENTRALE
6 marzo 2012
Il Movimento di Resistenza Nazionale (Mrn) maggioritario in parlamento ha approvato l’immunità per il governatore della Banca centrale ugandese Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile, accusato di corruzione, e rigettato la richiesta per le sue dimissioni formulata da una commissione parlamentare.
Lo riferiscono i quotidiani ugandesi ricordando che il governatore, che sta servendo il terzo mandato quinquennale alla testa dell’istituto ugandese, è accusato di aver pagato una tangente multimilionaria ad un ricco uomo d’affari. Da più parti, la stampa nazionale riferisce di un “interessamento” personale del presidente Yoweri Museveni nella gestione della vicenda.
Sembra solo l’ultimo capitolo di una tormentata stagione di scandali per corruzione che ha colpito l’intero establishment ugandese e il governo in modo particolare, con le dimissioni di tre ministri da dicembre scorso. Le incertezze sulla sorte del governatore hanno alimentato negli ultimi giorni una caduta libera dello scellino, la moneta nazionale, che ha perso più di otto punti percentuali nei confronti del dollaro.
“A pagare maggiormente questa situazione, come al solito, è la povera gente che ha visto i prezzi di manioca, zucchero e sorgo aumentare esponenzialmente e addirittura raddoppiare in un anno” confidano fonti missionarie sentite dalla MISNA a Kampala, per cui “anche i commercianti ci speculano e quando la moneta riprende valore, mantengono alti i prezzi in una spirale che opprime le famiglie”.
Lo scorso anno, per far fronte a un’inflazione crescente e alla relativa svalutazione dello scellino, la Bcu ha alzato i tassi costringendo le banche ad aumentare a loro volta gli interessi sui prestiti, con la conseguenza di accrescere i costi delle attività commerciali.
Negli ultimi mesi, il paese è stato teatro di manifestazioni e sit-in di protesta contro l’aumento esponenziale del costo della vita e dei generi di prima necessità.
fonte www.misna.org

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UGANDA, 100 MLN PER ISTRUZIONE, SANITA’ E TRASPORTI
6 marzo 2012
Il governo ugandese, con il sostegno di istituzioni finanziarie internazionali, ha stanziato 100 milioni di dollari per portare avanti, nelle zone più svantaggiate del Paese, una serie di programmi nel settore della salute, dell’istruzione e dei trasporti.
I piani precedenti, affermano i tecnici di Kampala, la capitale dell’Uganda, “hanno registrato notevoli successi e per questo è stato deciso di rifinanziarli“.
In particolare, negli ultimi anni la quota di bambini vaccinati contro alcune delle più gravi malattie diffuse nel Paese è stata portata dall’82 al 90 per cento; il livello di strade asfaltate è passato dal 65 all’80 per cento del totale della rete nazionale; il numero delle allieve che ha superato gli esami di licenza elementare è salito dal 45 al 46 per cento.
fonte www.agi.it

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VOCATIONAL STUDENTS PASS HIGHLY
7 march 2012
About 85 per cent of the over 14,000 students who were assessed by the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) passed the exams, officials at the body have said.
Speaking at the release of the results at Nakawa Vocational Training Institute yesterday, Acting Director of DIT Sam Jasper Masolo said the directorate also received an overwhelming increase in the number of students in the second tenure of the examinations. “This is a great response, especially from people who have recognised the value of vocational and technical studies which could be seen as a solution to the looming levels of unemployment” Mr Masolo said.
The assessment was carried out in the four major sectors of agriculture, construction, hospitality and tourism and manufacturing. However, Mr Masolo expressed concern over the continued failure rate of students in the field of leisure and hospitality which he says is irking employers in the Ugandan market.
Education minister Jessica Alupo said the body should also include irrigation as part of the exercise because the country is moving to modernised farming which will need sophisticated technology to improve productivity.
Last week, Parliament approved a 10-year Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training strategic plan to guide the use of resources especially by making the youth acquire needed skills to drive the economy to higher levels.
fonte www.monitor.co.ug – Abdu Kiyaga

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GIORNATA DONNA, CRUCIALE IN AGRICOLTURA MA CIBO NEGATO
8 marzo 2012
In Africa il 70% della manodopera agricola è femminile ma spesso le artefici della sicurezza alimentare del continente sono le prime a patire la fame oltre a vedere i propri diritti socio-economici negati. Un paradosso che si verifica in altre realtà del Sud del mondo e che ha spinto le Nazioni Unite a scegliere come tema della Giornata internazionale della donna quello della “autonomia delle donne rurali e il loro ruolo nello sradicamento di povertà e fame”.
Nel suo messaggio, il segretario generale dell’Onu Ban Ki-moon sottolinea che “servono maggiori investimenti a vantaggio delle donne impegnate nel settore”, politiche di lotta alle discriminazioni “di cui sono vittime” per “garantire lo stesso accesso a risorse e mezzi di quello riservato agli uomini”.
Secondo l’Organizzazione Onu per l’Alimentazione e l’Agricoltura (Fao), se alle contadine del Sud del mondo fossero dati gli stessi strumenti di quelli di cui usufruiscono i colleghi, potrebbero aumentare dal 20 al 30% il rendimento produttivo e sfamare così tra 100 e 150 milioni di persone sul pianeta. Per strumenti si intendono finanziamenti, ma anche tecnologie e materiale agricolo.
Altro handicap è il ridotto accesso, soprattutto in zone rurali, all’istruzione e la mancata conoscenza dei propri diritti con legislazioni sulla proprietà delle terre spesso discriminatorie nei loro confronti. In occasione della ricorrenza odierna l’organizzazione internazionale ‘Fian’, per il diritto al cibo, chiede ai governanti di tutto il mondo di intensificare i propri sforzi a tutela del diritto delle donne ad aver accesso a risorse alimentari adeguate.
“Il diritto delle donne all’alimentazione è uno dei diritti più violati al mondo. Non è altro che il risultato di una violenza strutturale nei loro confronti e di una mancanza di responsabilità di chi sta al potere” ha dichiarato Flavio Valente, segretario della ‘Fian’.
In Nepal, evidenziano i difensori dei diritti umani, nel distretto di Surkhet (ovest) le donne vengono sfruttate nel settore della costruzione, con uno stipendio inferiore alla media di solo 1,42 dollaro al giorno, quindi impossibilitate ad alimentarsi correttamente. Nel paese asiatico un quarto delle donne dai 12 a 49 anni soffrono di malnutrizione cronica.
Per l’Onu il 60% dei 925 milioni di persone che patiscono la fame nel mondo sono di sesso femminile.
fonte www.misna.org

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DON’T TEACH SEX IN SCHOOLS SAYS MUSEVENI
9 march 2012
President Museveni has warned civil society organisations against promoting sex education in schools and asked the community to declare a zero tolerance for gender based violence.
Speaking at the national celebrations to mark the International Women’s Day in Nebbi, West Nile yesterday, the President warned that while the motive of “foreign NGO messages on sex education” may be good, they must not encourage promiscuity and turn classrooms into bedrooms.
Mr Museveni says, instead of promoting the use of condoms under the guise that it will prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies and unnecessary abortions, the NGOs and teachers should focus on abstinence.
“Be careful with some of these messages from foreign NGOs. For them they are saying a child can become a wife as long as she uses a condom. This is not the way to counsel our children” Mr Museveni said. “Our message is put padlocks on your private parts until the time comes to open them when you have a husband. You are not there just to taste and taste (jaribu, jaribu). I can’t tell my daughter or granddaughter to do that. If you start with the right message from the beginning, they will take it.”
Mr Museveni also warned that if the practice is promoted in schools, the country will plunge into immorality. Although there have been efforts to fight gender-based violence, the President noted that it still occurrs in homes, schools and workplaces. He further proposed that those who engage in incest and defilement be hanged to stop the crime completely.
“I don’t support the idea of mutilation for men who commit incest or defilement. I think hanging them is much better. Girls are not only threatened by harmful cultural practices such as female genital mutilation, and defilement, it goes on with impunity leading to many negative consequences” he said.
Although the government has been promoting the ABC (Abstinence, be faithful and the use of condom) in the fight against HIV/Aids, the Ministry of Education, according to Mr Aggrey Kibenge, the undersecretary, advocates only abstinence in schools. He urges that their biggest population in schools are minors (below 18 years) and should not be introduced to behaviour that will provoke their instinct. “The children in our schools are very young and active. I can’t imagine my child in P2 being taught sex education. What does she know?” Mr Kibenge asked in an earlier interview with ‘Daily Monitor’.
The women, through their National Women Council chairperson, Ms Rose Najjemba, want the government to reinforce the socio-economic and political programmes for women with more funds. She said yesterday that human rights for girls have been compromised.
“The women in Uganda are still not benefiting from the economic empowerment. I propose that any man who commits incest, should be castrated and we shall push for the law on this” Ms Najjembe added.
The Regional Representative of UN Women for East and Horn of Africa, Ms Simone Elis, also asked government to enforce the relevant laws that protect and promote girls education and women’s rights. “The gender-based violence has frustrated efforts to promote rights of girls and women and even economic empowerment should be geared towards poverty alleviation” she said.
fonte www.monitor.co.ug

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NEW FILM ON LRA COURTS CONTROVERSY
9 march 2012
A sensational video released by ‘Invisible Children’, a US charity, chronicling LRA anarchy in northern Uganda, has raised suspicion after its maker exhorts immediate American military action at a time the rebel force poses no threat to the country.
The 30-minute documentary titled, Kony 2012, has at its heart a tear-jerking narration by LRA survivor Jacob, a teenager from Acholi sub-region, the former epicentre for the rebellion. The rebels first escaped to South Sudan and onward to DRC’s dense Garamba Forest, before spreading to Central African Republic. Latest UN alerts indicate they have resumed plunder of villages, abduction and or killing of civilians after a four-month respite.
In the movie uploaded on YouTube on Monday, which had been viewed 32.6 million times by 6pm yesterday, Jacob tells of how LRA rebels beheaded his brother. “It’s better to kill us” he tells the movie-maker Jason Russell, a co-founder of ‘Invisible Children’. The teenager says immediate death would relieve him of an uncertain future, and enable him spiritually re-unite with his slain brother. The image of toddler Garvin, Mr Russell’s son, is flashed and he can be heard concluding that Kony is a “bad guy” who must be “stopped”.
UPDF spokesman Felix Kulayigye said he had not watched the video but welcomed any help to capture or kill the elusive rebel chief. “Whether Kony is in Uganda or not, the bottom line is he must be eliminated. The crime he is committing elsewhere is still against humanity” Col. Kulayigye said.
Critics – Government officials contacted by this newspaper were unaware of the video that has elicited social media comments from world celebrities; singer Robyn Rihanna and TV personality Oprah Winfrey. “Everybody who’s tweeting me about #LRA I’ve helped. Gave major dollars had ‘Invisible Children’ on my show 2x” Oprah tweeted.
In Kampala, former Gulu District chairman and Democratic Party president Norbert Mao, who features in the video urging a halt to massacres by LRA rebels, however, faulted the documentary for lack of balance. “It needs to be told clearly to the world that northern Uganda does not have LRA activities. Invisible Children seems scared to take on Uganda government, and if they are not showing atrocities committed by UPDF, we are not happy” Mr Mao said.
The NGO also came under strong criticism after it emerged that it spent only 30 per cent of the $8.9m (Shs 20b) it mobilised for the children in their names from well-wishers. The bulk of the cash was expended on salaries, office rentals, travel as well as filming, according to Invisible Children’s audited accounts. ‘Invisible Children’, Enough Project and Resolve jointly wrote to US president Barack Obama on Wednesday, urging him to keep the Special Forces in the Great Lakes and pressure regional governments to cooperate to apprehend Kony before the end of this year.
fonte www.monitor.co.ug - Tabu Butagira

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CRITICHE A ‘STOP KONY’: INVISIBLE CHILDREN REPLICA: «REALTÀ MANIPOLATA? L’IMPORTANTE È FERMARE L’ORRORE»
13 marzo 2012
Lo hanno visto in oltre 75 milioni. E in 75 milioni si sono commossi ascoltando la storia dei bambini soldato e delle baby prostitute sfruttate dal signore della guerra Joseph Kony. Il documentario e la campagna virale ‘Stop Kony’ realizzati dalla Ong americana ‘Invisbile Children’ hanno dunque colpito nel segno facendo letteralmente il giro della rete e conquistando il primato di link più cliccato di tutti i tempi.
Il tutto è avvenuto però non senza suscitare critiche: “Hanno semplificato la realtà ugandese” hanno scritto alcuni. “Hanno usato una valanga di soldi per realizzare il filmato invece di impiegargli davvero a favore dei bambini africani. Dietro alla campagna ‘Stop Kony’ lobby americane che vogliono influenzare la politica estera di Obama in Africa” hanno insinuato altri. Ora ‘Invisble Children’ ha deciso di rispondere alle critiche. E per farlo ha scelto di nuovo la strada del video da diffondere in rete.
La tesi del ‘NY Times’ – Nel filmato compare il Ceo della organizzazione, il giovanissimo Ben Keesey. Che innanzitutto fa notare come l’associazione non nasca col video, ma abbia alle spalle un lavoro di molti anni. Poi Keesey ribadisce le proporzioni tra i vari settori di spesa, facendo notare come le spese sul campo equivalgono sempre almeno all’80 per cento dei soldi dell’associazione, spiegando che alcune donazioni ricevute sono vincolate per essere utilizzate nella gestione organizzativa e che questa è una cosa buona, “se si vogliono fare le cose da professionisti“.
Alle critiche di manipolazione politica Keesey risponde dicendo di essere perfettamente a conoscenza di tutti gli aspetti problematici della questione ugandese, avendola studiata sul campo in anni di lavoro, ma si dice convinto che se c’è una cosa su cui tutti sono d’accordo è la necessità di fermare prima possibile Joseph Kony. Concetto del tutto simile a quello sostenuto da Nicholas Kristof, editorialista del ‘New York Times’ esperto di affari africani. Che sostanzialmente dice: “E’ vero che il video è superficiale ma ha il merito di portare all’attenzione del mondo una vicenda terribile che altrimenti sarebbe ignorata dalla maggior parte del mondo“.
Il contenuto emozionale – Da spiegare però è ancora come un video su un argomento così pesante (e della durata di 30 minuti) abbia potuto circolare così tanto. “Il successo di ‘Stop Kony’ si spiega in pochi punti” sottolineano Andrea Febbraio e Dario Caiazzo di Ebuzzing Italia. “Primo, il contenuto emozionale come quello scelto (e cioè i bambini soldato) è fondamentale, ma la vera forza sta nella distribuzione”.
E la svolta, in questo caso, starebbe nell’essere riusciti a far ritwittare il link a star come Rhianna e Bieber. Ma fin qui niente di strano: se qualcuno di famoso fa qualcosa il potere imitatorio nei fan è grande. E non colpisce nemmeno che la maggior parte dei click sia arrivata dai social network.
Ciò che stupisce è il meccanismo psicologico che questo video è riuscito a far scattare negli utenti “Fortissima e ben definita è la ‘call to action’, la chiamata all’azione“ spiegano ancora Febbraio e Caiazzo. E il meccanismo è: “Se condividi il video, cambi le cose“. Sono le emozioni, dunque, la chiave di tutto. Suscitate anche in chi non aveva la più pallida idea di chi fosse Kony o di dove fosse l’Uganda.
fonte www.corriere.it - Marta Serafini

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UGANDA WELCOMES LUBANGA CONVICTION
15 march 2012
Government yesterday welcomed the guilty verdict handed down by the International Criminal Court against former Congolese warlord, Thomas Lubanga, for recruiting and using children as soldiers between 2002 and 2003.
Foreign Affairs State Minister Henry Oryem-Okello said Uganda was happy with the judgement but cautioned that the ICC “has to work hard” not to be seen as a coercive tool against Africans. “Whereas, we welcome the process, the ICC must try to correct the impression that it’s targeting only African leaders” Mr Okello-Oryem said.
At the height of the brutal Lendu-Hema ethnic conflict in eastern DR Congo’s Ituri region, Lubanga’s Union of Congolese Patriots political group and its armed wing, the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo, was linked to elements within Ugandan forces based there before switching sides to become a reported proxy of the Rwandan army.
His conviction is the court’s first verdict since it was set up 10 years ago. Lubanga was arrested in 2005. It is not immediately clear what precedent this conviction sets for officers of the armies of Rwanda and Uganda who at various times backed different fighting groups in DR Congo, some of whom have been accused in UN reports of committing gross human rights abuses including rape, torture and wanton mass killings.
In 2003, Lubanga’s forces surrounded current Inspector General of Police Lt. Gen Kale Kayihura, then a brigadier commanding UPDF troops in Bunia. Before his death, former army commander, the late Maj. Gen. James Kazini, had told a military court which was trying him for causing financial loss to the army, that he spent Shs66m of military resources to deploy forces to rescue Gen. Kayihura during the Lubanga attack.
Justice earned - Yesterday, Anneka Van Woudenberg from US-based Human Rights Watch said steps should be taken to bring Lubanga’s co-accused before court – and others responsible for similar crimes in DR Congo. “If those investigations are properly done that will of course take us to Uganda, Rwanda and also to Kinshasa” she said.
When asked whether some UPDF officers would suffer the same fate for supporting groups like Movement for the Liberation of Congo under Jean Pierre Bemba, Army Spokesperson Felix Kulayigye said UPDF never asked these armed groups to commit crimes against humanity. “Yes, we supported Bemba. But we didn’t tell him to go and commit the crimes. UPDF has never committed any crime against humanity. They were not doing us a favour not to mention us. Don’t think that every person who puts on a dress is a woman. We are of different calibre” he said.
Col. Kulayigye said the UPDF’s intervention actually helped the Lendu, who largely supported Lubanga and the Hema to stop fighting that left scores dead.
Other rights activists, meanwhile, criticised prosecutors for not charging Lubanga with sexual violence crimes, despite allegations that women and girls were raped and abused by his forces. “The Prosecutor’s office must review its strategy adopted in the Lubanga case” said Michael Bochenek of Amnesty International.
fonte www.monitor.co.ug – Risdel Kasasira

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UGANDA, LIBIA RIPRENDE CONTROLLO DI TROPICAL BANK
21 marzo 2012
La Banca centrale dell’Uganda ha provveduto a far tornare la gestione di Tropical Bank nelle mani di Libyan Foreign Bank, in seguito alla decisione delle Nazioni Unite di togliere le sanzioni contro il governo libico e le sue partecipate.
Dallo scorso marzo, nel quadro delle azioni intraprese dalla comunità internazionale per estromettere dal potere il leader di Tripoli, Muammar Gheddafi, la banca controllata dai libici era retta da un consiglio di amministrazione ad interim nominato dall’Istituto di emissione ugandese.
Alla presidenza del consiglio di amministrazione di Tropical Bank, è tuttavia rimasto, per volere del governo di transizione libico, Gerald Sendaula, ex ministro delle Finanze ugandese e al posto di amministratore delegato è stato richiamato Osama Serrag.
fonte www.agi.it

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UGANDA, BUSINESS THAT ARE IMPROVING WOMEN’S LIVES
23 march 2012
Three Ugandan initiatives have been recognised among the 50 most innovative and inspiring ideas and solutions that are transforming women and girls’ lives worldwide. ‘AfriPads’ and ‘Solar Sister’ emerged among the best 50 of over 500 nominations from 103 countries in a contest spearheaded by Women Deliver, an international organisation that advocates for the wellbeing of women and girls. Women’s Refugee Commission, the third Ugandan initiative, is a global advocacy agency.
The announcement was made ahead of the International Women’s Day early this month. 6,000 individuals from around the world voted for the winners on the Women Deliver Facebook page. “They are heroes – from Nepal to Uganda – and this list is a celebration of their work” said Janna Oberdorf, Women Deliver’s director of communications and outreach.
‘AFRIpads’ makes washable cloth sanitary towels for school girls who cannot afford the disposable brands. The Afri Pads Menstrual Kit contains 10 washable pads with a leak proof panty fastener. “An average girl would spend sh30,000 annually on disposable pads but with Afri Pads, they will spend only sh10,000 for a pack of five washables and two holders” said Sophia Klump, one of the project’s directors. “We chose a fabric most suited for this environment. It is easy to wash and dry” she says.
Paul Grinvalds, the co-director, said they have a challenge of marketing the product to the rural population. “We work with NGOs like UNICEF, World Vision to reach out to schoolgirls in rural areas” he says. Menstrual-related absenteeism and high school drop-out rate among rural schoolgirls is a common problem. The pads are working to reduce these rates. Afripads also employs 45 young women at their Masaka factory to make the pads, creating an employment opportunity.
‘Solar Sister’, the other Ugandan initiative recognised, trains and supports women to set up solar micro-businesses debt free. Apart from income generation, the solar lamps reduce household expenditure on kerosene lamps and improve lighting safety in the homes. The organisation has 143 Solar Sister entrepreneurs and plans to reach 500 by the end of year.
“Our model is based on a micro-consignment model” explains Mary Nankinga, the programme’s regional coordinator for central Uganda and Jinja. “We provide our Solar Sisters with a business in a bag which is a debt-free start-up kit. They pay back in a month after selling products. Since they start out with no debt, they are able to get a profit from the first product they sell, which empowers them to do things that they would have not afforded, like school fees for their children, better nutrition and buying household items. We hope that the organisations featured on the Women Deliver 50 list have a renewed energy to push for even more progress for girls and women. And, we hope that other organisations and individuals, who read the list see that with ingenuity, drive and dedication, we can build a better world for girls and women” Oberdorf said.
There were over 500 nominations of such initiatives from 103 different countries submitted to the contest. 125 were selected and presented to the online public to vote. Of the winning 50 ideas and solutions, 25 are in sub-Saharan Africa, nine in Asia, five in the Middle East and North Africa, four in Latin America, and two in Europe and North America, while the others are global in reach.
Oberdorf said the nomination was in recognition of the organisations’ hard work and perseverance in the face of some of the most difficult challenges. She added that on International Women’s Day, it was Women Deliver’s goal to call attention to the organisations making a difference for girls and women, but whose efforts too often go unnoticed.
fonte www.allafrica.com - Catherine Mwesigwa and Joyce Nyakato

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GOVERNMENT UNVEILS 78 VOCATIONAL TRAINING TOOLS
26 march 2012
In a bid to strengthen efforts of extending survival skills to the country’s growing young generation, government has unveiled about 78 assessment and training packages (AIPs).
The ATPs which will help learners acquire the coveted employable skills in approximately 68 occupations were developed by the Qualifications Standards department operating under the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT). Ms Ethel Kyobe, the DIT Deputy Director says the ATPs or tools are designed to guide trainers to introduce and adopt Competence-Based Education and Training (CBET) in their institutions/firms while instructing learners.
“After realising that graduates from training institutions do not have the right skills and competence required in the competitive world of employment, government decided to introduce CBET in the Business Technical Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) system” says Ms Kyobe. She notes that CBET emphasises the development of skills and abilities that are actually required in the world of work. Ms Kyobe explains that developing ATPs includes; Occupational Profile development, Training Modules development, and Assessment instrument development.
The BTVET policy provides a framework for developing technical skills as an alternative to the early years of secondary education. The programme comprises 145 public institutions, about 600 private training service providers and an unknown number of apprenticeship and enterprise-based training programmes. The system includes: Uganda technical institutes, vocational training institutes and centres, technical schools and farm schools. Other alternatives are teacher training colleges, computer training firms, technical institutes and community polytechnics.
Last November, DIT in partnership with National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) also finalised the process of developing ATPs for the water sector. The process, facilitated by GIZ, a German Development Partner, focused on Water Quality Control Technician, Electro Mechanic Technician and Customer Service Adviser.
Qualifications lacking – The DIT is further conducting Occupational Profile development for the road works occupations like Road Works Supervisor (Foreman), Road Works Plant Mechanics and Road Works Operator.
This is in partnership with Cross Roads, a programme creating opportunities for sustainable spending on roads, funded by DFID and EU. Mr Chris Folwell, a Training expert with CrossRoads, says after carrying out an analysis on the poor state of the roads in the country, it was established that qualifications in road works was lacking, thus the need to develop training tools and modules to meet the road standards. “The world of work is calling for practical based qualifications and not just academic excellence” Mr Folwell noted.
The development of Occupational Profiles is always focused on participation and experiences drawn from practitioners especially from the relevant private sector. According to Ministry of Education statistics, 695,747 students are currently benefiting from Universal Secondary Education in both government and private schools and BTVET institutions up from 609,341 last year. This implies that 86,406 more students have joined the scheme this year.
Despite all these efforts by government, budgetary allocation to vocational institutions has remained low, forcing vocational trainers out of the profession and compromising the quality of vocational training in Uganda. Training quality is also still a major obstacle to attaining basic vocational skills, partly because many vocational training centres don’t have the much needed equipment to train students on practical applications.
Uganda has over the years nurtured an education system which emphasizes just academic and theoretical learning rather than practical technical and vocational education.
The country’s education system, as is the case in many former colonies, is premised on the model of the colonial master, Britain. Uganda has a 7:4:2 system – seven years of basic (primary) education; fours of ordinary secondary education and two years of advanced level education before one joins a tertiary institution or university.
fonte www.monitor.co.ug – Al-Mahdi Asenkabirwa

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GOVERNMENT TO FINANCE INCUBATION CENTRES FOR TRADITIONAL MEDICINE
26 march 2012
The government has said it will finance creation of incubation centres that transform scientific researches in traditional medicine into commercial products to transform the economy.
Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, the Information and Communications Technology minister while opening a two-day International conference on ICT for Africa in Kampala said the National Drug Authority has developed guidelines for regulation of herbal medicine products and encouraged stakeholders to utilize ICT to build the capacity in enhancing industrialization of herbal medicine.
“There is a lot of potential of ICT in industrialisation and commercialisation of herbal medicine. Uganda is rich in medicinal plants. Government will finance incubation centres that transform research in traditional medicine into commercial products” he told participants.
However, he didn’t say how much money is to be allocated for this cause. Dr Ruhakana added that the government through the Uganda National Council of Science and Technology will formulate a policy on indigenous knowledge to protect the intellectual property of scientists and traditional health practitioners, who are custodians of indigenous knowledge.
The World Health Organisation estimates that 80 per cent of the population in developing countries continue to use traditional medicine to meet their healthcare need especially in rural areas because it is not only available but affordable.
The symposium was organized by Makerere University Business School under a theme ‘Africa’s E-inclusion: Defying the odds and leading the way in Global ICT Innovation.’ The school’s Principal, Prof Wasswa Balunywa said if government popularizes the use of ICT, it will reduce on the country’s challenges in accessing health services.
“Our country has challenges. Many people don’t have money to buy drugs and many areas are not accessible. But we have traditional medicine which we know works but these official doctors from our institutions won’t give them to you for use because of the system of education. Through ICT, we shall know what has worked elsewhere and apply it here” Prof Balunywa said.
In his speech, read to the participants by Dr Ruhakana, President Museveni said the Ministry of Education will consider developing courses in traditional medicine as a way of supporting institutions like Mbarara of Science and Technology and Makerere University.
fonte www.monitor.co.ug – Patience Ahimbisibwe

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Cambio valuta: in data 30/03/2012 1 dollaro USA è pari a 2517,5 scellini ugandesi, 1 Euro è pari a 3364,8905 scellini ugandesi

Una catena umana per dire "No!" a tutti i razzismi

Mercoledì 21 marzo è la Giornata Internazionale contro tutti i razzismi. Forse potrebbe sembrare obsoleto parlare ancora di razzismo nel 2012: sono lontani, almeno temporalmente, i giorni delle lotte per i diritti civili negli Usa guidate da Martin Luther King, o delle proteste anti-apartheid di Nelson Mandela in Sudafrica, giusto per citare due degli esempi più noti.

Eppure, se si guarda alle statistiche recenti, sembra proprio che quei tempi non siano affatto così lontani, o che addirittura non ne siamo mai usciti davvero. E purtroppo il nostro Paese non fa eccezione: un’inchiesta del 2010 ci dice che oltre il 45% dei giovani dai 18 ai 29 anni si dichiara chiuso agli stranieri o addirittura xenofobo e, per contro, da un’indagine dell’Unione Europea sugli immigrati in Italia risulta che il 94% di loro si sente discriminato. Di questi, il 12% è stato vittima, nell’ultimo anno, di almeno un episodio di razzismo. E’ la percentuale più alta di tutta l’Unione.

Una giornata mondiale contro l’intolleranza razziale è quindi ancora importantissima, se non necessaria. Per questo il 21 marzo dalle 10.30, in Piazza della Vittoria a Pavia, ci troveremo con gli studenti delle scuole della nostra provincia, i genitori, gli insegnanti, le Associazioni del territorio e la società civile (scarica qui la locandina) per dire “No!” a tutte le discriminazioni. L’iniziativa, che si inserisce all’interno degli eventi della ottava edizione della “Settimana d’azione contro il razzismo”, è promossa dalla Provincia di Pavia e sostenuta da più di 40 scuole e associazioni locali, tra cui Italia Uganda.

Ci prenderemo tutti per mano per formare una lunga, speriamo lunghissima catena umana contro tutti i razzismi, le intolleranze, le discriminazioni, che arrivi ad abbracciare idealmente tutto il mondo, perchè, come disse benissimo Albert Einstein, “l’unica razza che conosco è quella umana”.

Protagonisti di questo girotondo saranno soprattutto i bambini e i ragazzi di tante classi della nostra provincia, ovvero il nostro futuro. Un futuro inevitabilmente multietnico, un futuro dove l’ “altro” (che sia “altro” per il colore della pelle, per sua la religone o per la lingua che parla) non è un pericolo ma un’opportunità di arricchimento, oltre che un’occasione per mettere in pratica, nei fatti la solidarietà.

Quella solidarietà che giustamente attuiamo verso chi vive situazioni estreme di disagio, magari a migliaia e migliaia di chilometri da noi (pensiamo ad esempio ai “nostri” bimbi dell’Uganda), ma che è importante realizzare anche nella quotidianità, verso l’ “altro” che incontriamo al supermercato, in autobus, sul nostro stesso pianerottolo e al quale possono bastare un sorriso, un gesto di aiuto se lo vediamo in difficoltà, o una parola di comprensione per sentirsi finalmente accolto.

LRA: UNA STRUTTURA PIÙ SOFISTICATA DI QUELLO CHE SEMBRA, ALLA LUCE DI UN NUOVO RAPPORTO DELL’ONU
26 gennaio 2012

UGANDA: RURAL WOMEN’S BANKS EASE TOUGH TIMES
1 february 2012

INFLATION EASES TO 25.7 PER CENT
1 february 2012

SHILLING EXPECTED TO CONTINUE STRONG
2 february 2012

MALARIA, RICERCA “SMENTISCE” L’OMS “LE VITTIME SONO IL DOPPIO”
3 febbraio 2012

IN UGANDA ARRIVANO 300 MW DI ENERGIA ELETTRICA
3 febbraio 2012

MINISTER URGES UGANDANS TO PRODUCE 3 CHILDREN
7 february 2012

UGANDA MAKES NEW AIDS DRUG
8 february 2012

GLOBAL YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT ON THE RISE
8 february 2012

STUDENTS PERFORM POORLY IN SCIENCE SUBJECTS AGAIN
9 february 2012

UGANDA, NO SFRUTTAMENTO ILLEGALE FORESTE
9 febbraio 2012

RIBELLI UGANDESI, MENO ATTACCHI MA LA MINACCIA PERSISTE
9 febbraio 2012

20% CITY STUDENTS IN SEX TRADE
12 february 2012

FAILED TO JOIN A’LEVEL? VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IS A BETTER OPTION
13 february 2012

UGANDA, IN COSTRUZIONE NUOVO BIRRIFICIO DA 80 MLN
16 febbraio 2012

CORRUZIONE, DUE MINISTRI RASSEGNANO DIMISSIONI
17 febbraio 2012

UGANDA, FORTE CRESCITA PER PRODUZIONE ZUCCHERO 2012
17 febbraio 2012

DISORDINI AD AMURU, NEL NORD È CORSA ALLA TERRA
21 febbraio 2012

LRA: UNA STRUTTURA PIÙ SOFISTICATA DI QUELLO CHE SEMBRA, ALLA LUCE DI UN NUOVO RAPPORTO DELL’ONU
26 gennaio 2012
L’est della Repubblica Democratica del Congo (RDC) rimane una polveriera per la presenza di diversi gruppi armati. Lo afferma l’ultimo rapporto degli esperti dell’ONU sulla regione dei Grandi Laghi, citato dal quotidiano congolese ‘Le Potentiel’.
Nell’est della RDC operano da diverso tempo numerosi gruppi armati, alcuni stranieri, altri congolesi. Tra i primi vi sono le Forze Democratiche di Liberazione del Rwanda (FDLR), l’Esercito di Resistenza del Signore (LRA, di origine ugandese), le Forze Nazionali di Liberazione del Burundi (FNL). Tra i secondi figurano i Mai-Mai Yakutumba, il PARECO La Fontaine, le Forze Repubblicane Federaliste (FRF).
L’elemento nuovo svelato dal rapporto è il formarsi di ‘alleanze militari’ tra i diversi gruppi irregolari e tra questi e alcuni eserciti regolari, al fine di perpetuare il saccheggio delle risorse della regione (dal coltan all’oro, dallo stagno al legname), che sono il vero oggetto del contendere al di là delle rivendicazioni politiche proclamate dai vari movimenti di guerriglia per giustificare le loro azioni.
Gli esperti dell’ONU rivelano inoltre alcuni aspetti interessanti sull’LRA. Questo gruppo che opera in un’area che va dal nord della RDC al sud Sudan fino al Centrafrica, è ufficialmente messo al bando dalla comunità internazionale per i crimini commessi contro i civili (soprattutto per reclutare a forza i bambini).
Gli Stati Uniti hanno inviato nella regione 100 ‘Berretti Verdi’ per aiutare gli eserciti locali a dare la caccia alla leadership dell’LRA. Secondo il rapporto ONU però l’LRA ha preso possesso di alcune miniere congolesi che erano occupate dalle forze armate ugandesi. “Attraverso un incantesimo?” si chiede ironicamente il giornale congolese.
L’LRA inoltre continua a riscuotere profitti dalla vendita di oro e di legno pregiato ed è in grado di movimentare denaro. Un fatto che dovrebbe suscitare qualche dubbio sull’isolamento di questo gruppo. Non solo, secondo il rapporto dell’ONU, l’LRA recluta combattenti in Uganda, nella RDC, in Burundi, in Tanzania e persino tra i rifugiati somali in Kenya.
Insomma l’LRA sembra avere una struttura più sofisticata di quella che può apparire ad un’analisi superficiale. Per mettere fine a questo stato di cose, occorre rafforzare i controlli per impedire la vendita sul mercato delle materie prime illecitamente sottratte alla RDC, sullo schema di quanto fatto per controllare il mercato dei diamanti.
fonte www.fides.org

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UGANDA: RURAL WOMEN’S BANKS EASE TOUGH TIMES
1 february 2012

For most Ugandan women, obtaining a commercial loan to start a business has been very difficult. Many do not have the required collateral of land title deeds and many cannot afford the interest rates charged by commercial banks. But six women-led rural banks have begun changing the lives of women in rural Uganda, easing their access to credit and enabling them to start small businesses and improve their food security.
About 20 kilometres from the Ugandan capital, Kampala, is Wakiso. Here the African Women Food Farmer Initiative, a cooperative savings and credit society, is one of the six rural banks run by women. It has over 1,600 savers and borrowers and is supported by the Hunger Project, an international organisation promoting sustainable end to hunger. “It is a unique bank because it is run by women and it supports women, especially those engaged in agriculture. We mobilise women and encourage them to fight hunger and poverty by saving as well as accessing small loans” said Rose Nanyonga, the bank manager.
Nanyoga explained that unlike commercial banks, this village bank is owned by women who have a stake in its growth. “Our members buy shares in the bank. So they own it. And they get dividends at the end of every year” said Nanyonga. All seven of the bank’s board members are also women. The bank does not merely provide clients with access to credit. Outside the banking hall agricultural input, lanterns and even solar panels are available for sale to the bank’s clients.
Joel Komakec, a project officer from the Hunger Project, told IPS that they want to ensure that the bank’s borrowers buy the right seed and equipment with the money loaned to them. “With the current energy crisis in the country everyone is rushing to buy solar panels. But the chances are that a borrower will access a loan only to buy a substandard one. So we make sure they get the right one” said Komakec.
Daisy Owomugasho, the Hunger Project Director in Uganda, told IPS that the village bank microfinance programme is part of a strategy being promoted in Uganda and eight other African countries. “So the credit they get in the form of microfinance is supposed to help communities either grow food, or access inputs, or improved seed or any other thing that they might need. We look at it as a holistic approach to ending people’s hunger and poverty” said Owomugasho.
Owomugasho said men were also free borrow from the bank. She said communities are trained how to effectively manage and use credit in order to escape poverty. “But we realised that to empower women they also have to be in charge of credit. They are taught book- keeping skills, banking skills and they are able to manage the rural banks themselves” said Owomugasho. She said all the six banks are not only making a profit, but have had a high rate of loan repayments because their members feel that they own the banks.
Fourteen kilometres away from Wakiso is a blue metal kiosk that provides banking services to the rural areas around Kikandwa Parish and beyond. It is run by Aisha Nansuna, who collects the daily deposits and facilitates withdrawals from clients who cannot travel to the main branch.
Nansuna told IPS that the location of the kiosk has helped instil a culture of savings among rural women in Wakiso. “You see women bringing even the smallest amount of money for saving because the bank is near” she said. Nansuna is also a beneficiary of the rural bank. Behind the kiosk is her well-stocked medicine shop. “I have benefited a lot from our bank” she said “I started with a loan for poultry, then I later applied for 1,500 dollars, which I used to establish this drug shop.” With the money she makes from her business she has been able to send one of her children to university.
Dorothy Kabajungu, 50, is another beneficiary. She told IPS rural banks have lower interest rates compared to commercial banks. “We are now paying 20 percent interest and they give us a period of 10 months to repay that amount. But I’m told the other banks are charging over 30 percent for loans” she said. “This bank is very good because it is our own bank. We, the villagers, we like it very much because we are not put under too much pressure to repay loans” she said.
Kabajubgu began with a 125-dollar loan, which she invested in poultry. Once it was repaid, she was given access to a larger loan of 500 dollars, which she has invested in poultry, but it also using to start a firewood business. “I have just taken on the firewood business because charcoal is very expensive and there is demand for firewood” she said explaining that through the skills training she was taught to identify and follow a need. Kabajungu told IPS that through the training she has learnt how to survive even amid hard economic times.
fonte www.afronline.org – Michael Wambi

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INFLATION EASES TO 25.7 PER CENT
1 february 2012
Even as the fall in fuel and food prices have continued to drive inflation on a downward trend for the third consecutive month, economists say what Uganda needs to stabilise her economy is single digit inflation. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), the official measurement of inflation released yesterday, indicates that headline inflation eased by 1.3 percentage points to 25.7 per cent in January, from 27 per cent in December 2011.
Dr Lawrence Bategeka, a research fellow at the Economic Policy Research Centre, said: “The fall in inflation is good news but our hope is to have single digit inflation.” The Uganda Bureau of Statistics director for macroeconomic statistics, Dr Chris Ndatira Mukiza attributed the marginal fall in the headline inflation to a fall in prices of some food items, charcoal, fuel and transport fares in most centres.
Pump prices have for instance eased from Shs3,900 in December 2011 to Shs3,650 per litre of petrol. Diesel prices have fallen from Shs3,600 per litre to Shs3,330. Petrol has a 1.03 per cent weight on the overall index that measures inflation and a 20.99 per cent weight within the energy, fuel and utilities group. Diesel on the other hand has a 0.01 per cent on the overall index and 0.14 per cent within the group while paraffin constitutes a 0.66 per cent weight in the overall basket and 13.37 per cent within the group.
The fall in pump prices is attributed to the appreciation of the shilling against the dollar and the effects of reduced oil prices. The local unit has been appreciating since November 2011. By close of business yesterday, it was quoted at Shs2,299 per dollar, down from Shs2,900 in September 2011.
Expected decline “This decline in inflation was expected because of the appreciation of the shilling that resulted into a fall in pump prices and a decline in food prices” Dr Eria Hisali an economist from Makerere University said. He, however, added the dip would have been faster if interest rates were not as high as they are today. “The business community will have a justification to keep prices high because the cost of borrowing is still high” he said.
The fall in headline inflation, however, does not mean that commodity prices are practically coming down but that the rate of increase in a particular month slowed down.
Prices can only begin coming down if inflation reduces to negative digits. “Despite the change in fuel prices, public transport operators especially in Kampala are reluctant to reduce fares because they are not sure whether the prices will continue downwards or not” Mr Vincent Musoke Nsubuga, Ubos Principal Statistician in charge of price said.
fonte www.monitor.co.ug – Faridah Kulabako

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SHILLING EXPECTED TO CONTINUE STRONG
2 february 2012
The shilling will for the better part of this year maintain its strength against the dollar supported by the highly billed demand for government treasury instruments, the central bank has said.
Mr Stephen Kaboyo, the Bank of Uganda director for financial markets told Daily Monitor yesterday the high interest on Treasury Bills and Bonds, had excited off-shore investors leading to increased forex inflows. “Our interest rates on treasury bills are very attractive and this has increased dollar inflows in the economy, thus the appreciation of the shilling. If the attractive rates remain, the shilling is expected to stay strong” Mr Kaboyo said.
BoU gives a rate of 23.1 per cent on T Bills and 21.1 per cent on T Bonds. In a bid to strengthen the local unit and stabilise the foreign exchange market, the central bank last year issued a number of treasury instruments, leading to a surge in dollar inflows from offshore investors. For instance in December last year, the central bank issued two T Bills of Shs100 billion (91-days) and Shs110 billion (one- year) respectively. Last month, the bank issued a three-year T Bond of Shs95 billion.
The move to issue highly billed government papers has assisted to cushion the shilling from further collapse lifting the unit by about Shs600 since November last year. By close of business yesterday, forex traders quoted the shilling at Shs2,309 buying and 2,319 selling against the dollar.
The gain according to analysts has been lauded indicating positive prospects for the unit that had dropped to sell at about Shs2,900 in August.
fonte www.monitor.co.ug – Faridah Kulabako

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MALARIA, RICERCA “SMENTISCE” L’OMS “LE VITTIME SONO IL DOPPIO”
3 febbraio 2012

Contrordine: ogni anno la malaria uccide il doppio di quanto si pensava. La mortalità globale causata del parassita che viaggia nel sangue, veicolato dalle zanzare, sarebbe doppia rispetto a quanto finora stimato da tutte le agenzie internazionali. Nel 2010, invece dei 655mila morti segnalati dall’Organizzazione mondiale della Sanità (Oms), se ne sarebbero registrati intorno al milione e duecentoventimila, il doppio.
Si tratta delle nuove stime pubblicate da ‘Lancet’ nell’edizione del 4 febbraio, anticipata oggi, e condotte dall’Institute for Health Metrics anda Evaluation (IHME) della Washington Università di Seattle (Christopher Murray ed altri) rielaborando dati dal 1980 al 2010. La revisione dei dati (sempre basata su modelli predittivi) è dipesa da una verifica e correzione di classificazioni imprecise.
Il Millenium goal si allontana – La nuova prospettiva, oltre che preoccupante, pone diversi interrogativi su come arrivare al traguardo del Millennium Goal del 2015 sulla malaria (obiettivo 6, riduzione e dimezzamento della mortalità e del contagio). Le nuove stime, definite nell’editoriale del ‘Lancet’ “un fatto sorprendente e che in un certo senso turba“, segnalano come picco dell’epidemia malarica quello del 2004 (1,8 milioni di morti; erano un milione nel 1980) e, contrariamente a quanto si pensava, quasi la metà (42%) dei decessi riguarda età sopra i 5 anni, adolescenti e adulti.
Nel 2010, il 20 per cento delle morti riguarda gli over 15, il 9% gli over 50 e il 6% gli over 70. L’Africa, soprattutto quella sub-Sahariana, è al centro dell’epidemia.
Le differenze di dati trovate nello studio si discostano molto da quelle ufficiali soprattutto nella fascia di età superiore ai 5 anni (8,1 volte più mortalità in Africa; per i bimbi under 5 una differenza di 1,3 volte). La ricerca conferma comunque una discesa della mortalità dal 2004, effetto degli interventi soprattutto del Fondo globale contro Aids, malaria e tubercolosi, dalle reti trattate anti-zanzara alle nuove terapie combinate a base di artemisina.
Il Fondo globale – “Il Fondo Globale contribuisce per i due terzi dell’intero programma mondiale contro la malaria“, sottolinea l’editoriale del ‘Lancet’, aggiungendo un “benvenuto” allo sforzo ulteriore della Fondazione Gates (la scorsa settimana ha annunciato un ennesimo contributo al Fondo di 750 milioni di dollari). La preoccupazione nasce dall’emergenza dovuta alla crisi finanziaria del Fondo Globale (e, in parte, anche dirigenziale, con le dimissioni anticipate del direttore esecutivo Michel Kazatchkine).
Gli autori dello studio definiscono “irrealistica” la previsione di riduzione delle morti entro il 2015: “Noi stimiamo che se il decremento dal picco del 2004 continuerà, la mortalità a causa della malaria analogamente diminuirà a meno di 100mila morti solo dopo il 2020“.
Non c’è tempo da perdere, osserva il ‘Lancet’ che incalza il nuovo organismo indipendente dell’Oms, il Malaria Policy Advisory Committee (MPAC) che la prossima settimana avrà il primo meeting: “Ha solo 15 membri. Crediamo che l’Oms debba avviare un’urgente analisi politica e tecnica, includendo un maggior numero di esperti (compresi quelli dello studio) per rivedere questi dati e le loro implicazioni per i programmi sul controllo della malaria“.
fonte www.repubblica.it – Maurizio Paganelli

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IN UGANDA ARRIVANO 300 MW DI ENERGIA ELETTRICA
3 febbraio 2012
Più energia per i cittadini ugandesi. Il governo di Kampala, la capitale del Paese, ha completato il potenziamento della centrale elettrica di Bujagali che ora dispone di altri 50 megawatt da immettere nella rete nazionale di trasmissione.
La nuova capacità, ammettono i tecnici ugandesi, non è affatto sufficiente a soddisfare il fabbisogno nazionale e una mano potrà arrivare dalle altre iniziative già programmate. A luglio, sempre alla centrale di Bujagali, sarà installata un’altra turbina che garantirà al sistema-Paese altri 250 megawatt di energia.
La svolta, comunque, dovrebbe arrivare dalla costruzione, di cui si discute da tempo, di un’altra centrale idroelettrica sul fiume Nilo per un costo stimato di 2,2 miliardi di dollari e 700 megawatt di potenza.
fonte www.agi.it

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MINISTER URGES UGANDANS TO PRODUCE 3 CHILDREN
7 february 2012
The second Deputy Prime minister has proposed that parents who are still productive should produce a maximum of three to four children that they can ably care for to cope with the toughening economic times. Henry Muganwa Kajura, who is also the public service minister, wonders how parents who have produced more than four children will look after them. “Where will they educate them and how will they provide for their necessities especially education and health?” Kajura asked.
The minister made the remarks while receiving a draft report of the inter-ministerial task force of the public service pension reform. Kajura lamented that many Ugandans lack work ethics. He urged the media to spread the gospel of productivity among the populace instead of keep the notion that government will provide for them. “Please media teach our people to creating jobs and wealth by being productive in the private sector using the environment that government has created for them” Kajura added. “What can government provide for the people; all these graduates that universities are producing, will they be productive and useful to the economy if they cannot create their own jobs?” he asked. He said that government was making great efforts to solve problems of lower electricity supply and build other infrastructure to propel development.
According to the task force chairperson Stephen Kiwanuka, the Public Service Pension Scheme(PSPS) was a proposal developed by the public service and they started work in September last year.
The task force comprised of stakeholders from various government ministries and consulted workers unions and other stakeholders.
Kiwanuka said task force recommendation was that the government establishes a Public Service Pension scheme as a separate entity with a clear reporting structure and well defined responsibilities. He also said government should introduce a contributory pension scheme with a 15% contribution; 10% by the employer and 5%by the employee with effect from 1st July 2013 starting with parametric reforms of the scheme.
The task force also recommended that the health insurance will be an integral part of the PSPS. The government should also meet the startup cost of the fund for at least 3years until the PSPS attains stability.
fonte http://www.newvision.co.ug

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UGANDA MAKES NEW AIDS DRUG
8 february 2012
Quality Chemicals, a Ugandanbased pharmaceutical company, will next month start producing a new anti-retroviral(ARV) drug, Tenofovir. A monthly dose of the drug will cost $20 (about sh44,000) compared to $600 (about sh1.4m) for the same drug in Europe. One pill a day is recommended as opposed to two pills used in the first line treatment, according to Samuel Opio, Quality Chemical’s pharmacist.
Tenofovir belongs to a class of drugs that help slow the spread of HIV. While most advanced countries have switched to Tenofovir as first line treatment for HIV, many poor countries have not embraced it because it is very expensive.
Government health units are expected to start receiving Tenofovir next year, in a move that will partly improve compliance to ARVs. Quality Chemicals also produces anti-malarial drugs.
According to National Medical Stores general manager, Moses Kamabare, the local procurement of antimalarials and ARVs locally has significantly reduced on cases of stock-outs. He explained that most of the drugs are imported from India and China, which require not less than two months to arrive in the country. Kamabare said over the last six months, about 50,000 more people have been started on ARVs due to the consistency in drug supply by Quality Chemicals.
The cost of buying ARVs from the plant has also slightly reduced from $2.4 per dose when it started production to $1.9. Besides improvements in procurement and supply, the availability of a local supplier has reduced the burden on storage at NMS.
fonte http://www.newvision.co.ug- Taddeo Bwambale and Vivian Agaba

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GLOBAL YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT ON THE RISE
8 february 2012

The world has recorded the highest unprecedented increase in youth unemployment in the past three years, the latest UN report has disclosed. Although youth unemployment rate has always exceeded that of other age groups, the report says it climaxed in 2009 when 75.8 million young people remained unemployed.
Released on Tuesday, the report shows that the global youth unemployment rate was 12.6% in 2010, dramatically overshadowing that of adults which stood at 4.8%. It attributes the problem mainly to the economic downturn that hit the developed world in 2009 and to the poor education systems in most developing countries like Uganda which do not offer students practical skills. “With less experience and fewer skills than many adults, young people often encounter particular difficulty accessing work” states the UN world youth report 2012. “During economic downturns, young people are often the ‘last in’ and the ‘first out’ — last to be hired, first to be dismissed.”
The report is a product of an e-discussion with the youth and representatives of youth-led organisations on the transition from schools and training institutions into the world of work. The online consultation took place from October 11, to November 7, 2011and over 300 youth participated in the discussions conducted by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA).
In Africa, Uganda inclusive, respondents mentioned that corruption and preferential family and political connections pose a disadvantage to most youth, as only those people who are well placed in society appear to have access to decent jobs. The findings are in line with the local statistics where an estimated 83% of the youth are unemployed, as per the African Development Indicators 2008/2009.
The World Bank in its 2008 report said Uganda had the highest youth unemployment rate and the youngest population in the world. It warned that unless Uganda scales up her efforts to create jobs, the youth would be more involved in crime and armed conflicts.
According to the UN report, young people who are able to find a job must accept “an extremely low salary. Some employers are using this as an opportunity to exploit youth.” No wonder, the report estimates about 152 million young workers live in households that are below the poverty line (US$1.25per day) comprising 24% of the total working poor.
There are also gender disparities. Globally, in 2010, 56.3% of young males participated in the labour force, against 40.8 per cent of young females. The global unemployment rate for young females was 12.9%, compared with 12.5% for young males.
According to the report, high rates of unemployment “discourage youth from getting married because they won’t have enough means to build a family.” The majority of respondents agreed there is a need to improve the quality of education by tailoring curricula more effectively to the labour market, including through the development of practical skills. They also called for more funding towards enhancing vocational training.
fonte http://www.newvision.co.ug- Francis Kagolo

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STUDENTS PERFORM POORLY IN SCIENCE SUBJECTS AGAIN
9 february 2012
Science subjects remain the Achilles’ heel of Uganda’s education even as more efforts are put into promotion of the academic field. Results for the 2011 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examination released yesterday indicate that sciences continued to be poorly performed compared to the arts although overall an improvement in performance was registered.
In the UCE results released yesterday by Education Minister Jessica Alupo, poor performance was registered in Geography, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology and Accounts. Uneb Executive Secretary Mathew Bukenya said performance improved by 2.3 per cent while overall failure rate dropped from 6.4 to 4.2 per cent. “Nearly three quarters of the candidates didn’t pass Chemistry and Biology” Mr Bukenya said. He observed that while marking the exams, evidence pointed to candidates failure to finish subject syllabus and lack of practical knowledge for scientific experiments.
While many private schools have no laboratories at all, some have laboratories without the necessary equipment. Government schools that have both laboratories and equipment were found not to have utilised them. As a result, many students met the scientific experiments for the first time in the examination. “Poor performance of the science subjects reflect that candidates have not been exposed to practical teaching because they (candidates) exhibited lack of skills in handling apparatus and recording data in tabular forms” Mr Bukenya said. However, Mr Bukenya said a large number of students will still be able to take home a Uneb certificate, an indication of their completion and success. “It is important to note that failure rate has remained quite low despite the increase in candidature” he said.
A total of 254,220 students will receive certificates, an increase from the 241,456 students who made it in 2010. There were 273,363 candidates registered last year, an increase by 8,435 candidates compared to the year 2010. Absenteeism. But even with the free education some 6,339 registered candidates did not turn up for the examinations and were registered as absent, a significant increase from 4,848 in 2010.
Ms Alupo said her ministry would carry out extensive investigations into reasons for candidates’ disappearance at the time of exams. “I don’t see why we have such a huge number of absenteeism. I need an explanation because I don’t expect all students to fall sick at the same time” she said. Education ministry officials said some of the reasons for absenteeism were: early marriages and illiterate parents who do not value education.
In the 2011 exams, female students registered in large numbers at 46.5 per cent of the total number of candidates. They also floored their male counterparts in English and Literature subjects according to the Uneb statistics. Ms Alupo did not hide her joy over the performance of girls and their attendance. “This is in tandem with the Millennium Development Goal of attaining gender equality” she said.
In Luzira Prison where Uneb set a centre for inmates, out of the 27 candidates, six passed in Division Two, another two in Division Three while 17 scored Division Four. Two of the prisoner students were not graded because they failed completely. The blind, deaf and other handicapped students who fall under the special needs education programmes also passed according to Mr Bukenya. The blind were 40, the deaf were 49 and those with impaired ability to read were 11. All these special needs candidates made it in division two. Of the total who sat the examinations, 8.5 per cent passed in Grade One, 18.3 per cent in Grade Two and 25.5 per cent in Grade Three.
In 2010, the bulk of special needs students (43.5 per cent) got Grade Four while 4.2 per cent of the candidates failed completely. The UCE results given, however, do not include those of 1,631 students still withheld for alleged malpractices.
Ms Alupo, however, tasked Uneb to forward to her office names of all head teachers whose schools are affected for appropriate action which ranges from interdiction to demotions of those found guilty of abetting malpractice.“The vice of cheating is disappointing and it is shameful that teachers assist candidates in exams. This is unprofessional and goes against the code of conduct of teaching” she said. “I should like to see harsh punishments meted on district inspector of schools, invigilators and head teachers.”
fonte www.monitor.co.ug – Sheila Naturinda

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UGANDA, NO SFRUTTAMENTO ILLEGALE FORESTE
9 febbraio 2012
Il governo ugandese ha dichiarato la tolleranza zero nei confronti di coloro che costruiscono edifici abusivi e coltivano i terreni situati nelle aree forestali.
A guidare quest’azione a salvaguardia dell’ambiente sarà l’Autorità nazionale per il patrimonio boschivo, che in una dichiarazione inviata ai media locali ha fatto sapere che punta al “recupero di oltre 7.700 ettari di terreni nelle province di Mpigi, Butambala e Gomba“.
L’iniziativa si prefigge di espellere da terreni di proprietà pubblica circa 1.500 intrusi, che hanno svolto attività agricola dopo aver tagliato illegalmente gli alberi di alcune delle più suggestive foreste di questo Paese.
fonte www.agi.it

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RIBELLI UGANDESI, MENO ATTACCHI MA LA MINACCIA PERSISTE
9 febbraio 2012
Sono stati in tutto 284, una media di cinque a settimana, gli attacchi che l’Esercito di Resistenza del Signore (LRA) ha sferrato contro villaggi e case nel corso del 2011: in queste azioni, i ribelli di origini ugandesi hanno ucciso 144 persone e ne hanno rapite 595: sono alcuni dei dati raccolti nel primo rapporto annuale ‘LRA Crisis traker’ messo a punto dalle organizzazione ‘Resolve’ e ‘Invisible children’.
Pubblicato oggi, il dossier prende in considerazione gli eventi verificativi dal 1 gennaio al 31 dicembre 2011 in Repubblica democratica del Congo, Sud Sudan e Repubblica Centrafricana. Tra gli elementi evidenziati, la netta (32%) diminuzione degli attacchi armati e un’ancor più sorprendente diminuzione degli omicidi (78%) rispetto all’anno precedente.
Inoltre, i dati raccolti sul sito ‘LRA Crisis Traker’ evidenziano come oltre il 73% degli attacchi siano avvenuti in Congo, nuovo territorio operativo del gruppo originario delle regioni del nord Uganda.
“Anche se il numero degli attacchi è diminuito, l’LRA rimane una pericolosa minaccia per i civili di queste regioni” sottolineano gli autori del rapporto, secondo cui “non si può stabilire con certezza che il gruppo guidato da Joseph Kony si stia indebolendo o stia perdendo la sua capacità di commettere atrocità, poiché ridurre la violenza potrebbe essere una mossa dettata dalla volontà di eludere l’attenzione internazionale, una strategia impiegata già diversi anni fa”.
fonte www.misna.org

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20% CITY STUDENTS IN SEX TRADE
12 february 2012
Twenty-one per cent of secondary school students in Kampala between the ages of 14 and 17 have indulged in transactional sex with at least one in every 20 having it with a relative in exchange for something. According to a 2010 Crane survey report, by Makerere University School of Public Health, out of a total of 3,434 students randomly interviewed, majority had their first sex encounter at the ages of 10-14.
The Senior 3-5 students, formed the baseline of the sample. It revealed that 15 per cent of the students said they had their first-time sex in return for money and other gifts in return. But 12.3 per cent said they were raped.
The survey funded by the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) found that over 29 per cent were sexually active. It found that 8.3 per cent of the students reported having practiced oral sex and 1.3 per cent of the boys and 0.9 per cent of the girls said they had ever practiced anal sex. Aborted confessions The report further revealed that one in every five female students had ever conceived, of which 15 per cent confessed they have ever aborted. The study which focused on the health behaviour of 3,336 students from Rubaga, Makindye, Kawempe, Nakawa and Central Divisions in Kampala, also found that day students were more likely to engage in commercial sexual behaviour than the boarding students putting girls at a bigger disadvantage than their male counterparts.
According to Ms Yudaya Mukulembeze, the deputy head teacher Kitebi Secondary School, some parents and teachers are ignoring their roles to educate and provide their children with the necessary needs so that they are not easily compromised. “Some children are raped from their homes and intimidated into silence for fear of the parent’s refusal to pay fees” she told Sunday Monitor.
The study findings also show that one in four students said they had consumed alcohol, while 5.4 per cent used illicit drugs such as cocaine. However, the study left out senior one and two students on assumption that they were young and had not engaged in any sexual behaviours but previous researches indicate that these particular classes are vulnerable and are easily compromised with gifts and money from the adults of the opposite sex.
“Some children become sexually active as early as nine years, with little knowledge about sex rendering them easy prey” said Mr Henry Semakula, of the guidance and counselling department in the Ministry of Health. Mr Semakula also said the ministry is finalising a school health policy that will guide students, teachers and parents in matters of health, sex and counselling.
Other researches show that this trend has been on the rise since 2004 with more young children engaging in transactional sex which has since infiltrated schools. By late last year, the number of young girls getting into the habit had increased from 12,000 in 2004 to 18,000, with more girls affected than boys. Last year, a report titled Commercial Sex Exploitation of Children in Uganda, revealed that more than 500 children below the age of 18, had indulged in commercial sex both in school and outside school in Kawempe Division.
The same report also found that the age of entry into commercial sex work is increasingly lower to include children of eight-13 years, with clients of commercial sex workers demanding to have young girls as opposed to middle-age women because among other things; charge lower prices and are presumed to carry less risk of HIV/Aids and STIs.
fonte www.monitor.co.ug – Agatha Ayebazibw

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FAILED TO JOIN A’LEVEL? VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IS A BETTER OPTION
13 february 2012

When Juliet Baluku scored 58 aggregates in her Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations seven years ago, her hopes of joining Senior Five faded. She pondered repeating the class but her aunt advised her otherwise, saying repeating wasn’t a better option for her. She later opted to join vocational training majoring in food & beverage production. Ms Baluku accomplished her course later and started her own restaurant in the city suburb of Kabalagala from where she earns Shs6million monthly and employs 10 staff. “In fact all what I knew was that one has to join Advanced Level and later university to be able to succeed in life. But here I am! I earn handsomely and enjoy what I do” a visibly contented Baluku says.
Under this course, students are given skills in food production service where by they are able to prepare traditional dishes Ugandan dishes. Many Senior Four leavers could be having a bad perception about vocational education like Baluku did.
However, educationists say failing to join A’ level or failing to get better aggregates does not mean the end of the child’s education fortunes. Just like in previous years, some students whose exams were released last Wednesday are likely to miss out on joining A’ level. All the 254,220 students who passed UCE exams cannot be absorbed in the Ugandan school system.
To some students, it would be a school fees factor while others would be limited by grades. While releasing the exams, the Education Minister Jessica Alupo, said those who will miss out joining A’ level should consider proceeding with education in Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (BTVET), to acquire vocational and technical skills for production.
Practical programmes “The focus is to address the challenges of lack of productive skills and unemployment in our country especially among the youth” Ms Alupo said. Mr Ilahi Mansoor , the Assistant Commissioner for BTVET, says parents whose children would miss chances of joining A’level have no reason to worry. “Students who will fail to make it to A’ level because of either qualifications or lack of fees have higher chances to pursue their dream career through another path” Mr Mansoor says. “Any student who passed sciences (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English) is free to enroll for certificate courses under BTVET and after acquiring certificates they can pursue diploma courses.” BTVET policy provides a framework for developing technical skills as an alternative to the early years of secondary education.
The programme comprises of over 145 public institutions, about 600 private training service providers and an unknown number of apprenticeship and enterprise-based training programmes. The system includes Uganda technical institutes, vocational training institutes and centres, technical schools and farm schools. Other alternatives are teacher training colleges, computer training firms, technical institutes and community polytechnics.
These institutions offer practical, enterprise-based and on-the-job training programmes. According to the assistant commissioner, a person who joins technical colleges can opt to do electronics, mechanics, carpentry, construction, tailoring and hotel business among others.
Mr Mansoor says a person who completes O’ level qualifies as a professional in two years. “Besides attaching him/herself to the professional in a field of his/her interest, a person is employed at the age of 17 or 18 years. He also moves out of school as a job creator other than a job seeker” the assistant commissioner explains. “People should not see a person who joins a technical school as a failure because the requirements are similar. Because a person becomes a professional at a young age, some people prefer this option as first choice” he said.
Ms Alupo also says there is no need for alarm when a child is not accommodated in O’ level or A’ level because there are enough vocational schools that can cater for them. “It’s not right to think that all students can follow the usual trail of sitting for PLE, UCE and then UACE to university. Those who never obtained impressive scores and would not be admitted at both secondary levels will be absorbed by the technical schools” she says. A total of 9,881 students are expected to be enrolled in BTVET institutions this year.
Ms Alupo blames the demeaning of technical education to our education system whose emphasis lies on academic and theoretical learning rather than practical technical and vocational education. Uganda’s education system, as is the case in many former colonies, is premised on the model of the colonial master, Britain.
Uganda has a 7:4:2 system – seven years of basic (primary) education; fours of ordinary secondary education and two years of advanced level education before one joins a tertiary institution or university.
fonte www.monitor.co.ug – Al-mahdi Ssenkabirwa

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UGANDA, IN COSTRUZIONE NUOVO BIRRIFICIO DA 80 MLN
16 febbraio 2012
Il gruppo sudafricano SABMiller, uno dei maggiori produttori di birra al mondo, costruirà un secondo birrificio in Uganda. L’impianto comporterà un investimento di 80 milioni di dollari, sarà poi affidato alla propria filiale locale, Nile Breweries, e quando nel 2013 entrerà in produzione permetterà di raddoppiare l’attuale produzione di SABMiller in Uganda raggiungendo a regime i 360 milioni di litri all’anno.
Il birrificio, dicono i manager del gruppo sudafricano, sorgerà nella città di Mbarara, nella parte occidentale dell’Uganda, e andrà a integrarsi con gli altri impianti di SABMiller in costruzione o già attivi nell’Africa orientale, in Sudan del Sud, Kenya e Tanzania.
fonte www.agi.it

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CORRUZIONE, DUE MINISTRI RASSEGNANO DIMISSIONI
17 febbraio 2012
Coinvolti in un ampio giro di corruzione, hanno rassegnato le dimissioni il ministro per le Pari Opportunità, Syda Bbumba, e quello incaricato degli Affari Generali presso il gabinetto del primo ministro, Khiddu Makubuya. A dicembre, accusato di appropriazione indebita di risorse pubbliche per la sua radio privata, anche il ministro dell’Informazione, Kabakumba Matsiko, aveva dovuto lasciare l’incarico.
Le dimissioni di Bbumba, già ministro delle Finanze, e di Makubuya, in passato titolare della Giustizia, sono state presentate dai media locali come l’effetto di pressioni esercitate dal presidente Yoweri Museveni il cui esecutivo è coinvolto nel caso noto come ‘Basajjabalaba compensation scandal’. Lo scandalo verte sul pagamento di tangenti per circa 45 milioni di euro alla società di proprietà dell’uomo d’affari Basajjabalaba per l’acquisto di immobili pubblici.
Sulla vicenda sta indagando il ‘Comitato per i conti pubblici’ del Parlamento di Kampala. A gennaio oltre 80 firme sono state raccolte dai parlamentari ugandesi per chiedere le dimissioni di Bumba e Makubuya sospettati di corruzione e abuso di pubblici uffici. All’indomani delle dimissioni, fonti governative citate dal quotidiano locale ‘Monitor’ sottolineano che “la posizione dei due ministri era diventata insostenibile (…) non potevamo più continuare a difenderli senza provocare ulteriori danni all’intero esecutivo”.
Bbumba e Makubuya sono entrambi intervenuti in Parlamento per annunciare la decisione di ritirarsi in segno di “responsabilità politica” ribadendo, però, “la propria estraneità” ai fatti contestatigli.
Nel paese dei Grandi Laghi casi di corruzione finiscono con una certa frequenza sulle prime pagine dei giornali e alimentano critiche da parte dei massimi responsabili religiosi.
Nel suo messaggio per il 2012 la guida tradizionale del regno buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, ha augurato al paese di “liberarsi della corruzione e di chi la pratica”, un appello non privo di critiche nei confronti dell’establishment e del governo del presidente Museveni.
fonte www.misna.org

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UGANDA, FORTE CRESCITA PER PRODUZIONE ZUCCHERO
17 febbraio 2012
Il 2012 sarà un anno in forte recupero per la produzione di zucchero dell’Uganda, storicamente uno dei punti di forza, in termini di esportazioni e ricavi, del comparto agricolo nazionale.
I tecnici del governo di Kampala prevedono che per l’anno in corso si raggiungerà una produzione di oltre 330mila tonnellate di zucchero, in crescita del 26 per cento rispetto alle 259mila del 2011.
Lo scorso anno il settore ha scontato una serie di problematiche che ne hanno compromesso il raccolto, tra cui le difficili condizioni ambientali e l’incendio che ha distrutto 3mila ettari di terreno del secondo produttore ugandese (Kinyara Sufi’gar Works).
Il recupero atteso nel 2012 permetterà di ritornare quasi ai livelli produttivi precedenti, di soddisfare il fabbisogno nazionale, pari a circa 315mila tonnellate annue, e di ritornare quindi a esportare. La difficile congiuntura del 2011 ha obbligato il governo locale a importare dall’estero quasi 40mila tonnellate di zucchero, un aggravio in più per le casse statali.
fonte www.agi.it

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DISORDINI AD AMURU, NEL NORD È CORSA ALLA TERRA
21 febbraio 2012
Disordini e veri e propri scontri sono in corso da alcuni giorni tra la polizia e circa 200 giovani che, armati di bastoni e machete, rivendicano la proprietà di terreni agricoli nel distretto di Amuru, a nord di Gulu. Secondo il quotidiano ‘Daily Monitor’ almeno una persona è rimasta uccisa e diverse risultano ferite in seguito a un intervento della polizia con gas lacrimogeni, manganelli e proiettili di caucciù.
“Quello della corsa alla terra del Nord Uganda, alimentato da una mancata riforma agraria, è un problema che coinvolge migliaia di ettari di terre fertili su cui, con il progressivo svuotamento dei campi profughi, si concentrano le attenzioni e gli interessi di piccoli latifondisti e agricoltori” riferiscono alla MISNA fonti missionarie da Gulu, sottolineando che i terreni in questione erano stati abbandonati durante i lunghi anni in cui la guerriglia dell’Esercito di Resistenza del Signore (LRA) ha seminato il terrore tra la popolazione e ora “risultano incolti da anni”.
I terreni in zone rurali degli Acholi sono proprietà comune. Prima della guerra, ogni clan aveva la propria porzione di terra per gli animali al pascolo, la caccia e l’agricoltura, mentre altre parti venivano lasciate a maggese.
“Negli anni passati nei campi profughi “molti ‘anziani’ delle comunità tradizionali sono morti e oggi c’è chi cerca di approfittare della situazione” spiega un missionario per cui la situazione non è di facile lettura come si potrebbe credere a prima vista. “Per anni il governo di Kampala è stato accusato di non aver favorito investimenti e iniziative in Nord Uganda, che rilanciassero lo sviluppo in una zona piagata dal conflitto e dalla povertà – spiegano le fonti – ma oggi che quelle terre acquistano valore e che una società ha deciso di impiantare nel distretto uno zuccherificio da cui potrebbero venir fuori non meno di 7000 posti di lavoro sorgono innumerevoli problemi”.
Secondo le stesse fonti, ad allontanare le parti coinvolte da una pacifica soluzione al problema “sono certamente il sospetto e la mancanza di fiducia nei confronti del governo, ma anche la prepotenza e le modalità con cui i terreni in questione sono stati acquisiti, facendo ricorso all’esercito e alle forze dell’ordine”.
fonte www.misna.org

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Cambio valuta: in data 28/02/2012 1 dollaro USA è pari a 2372 scellini ugandesi, 1 Euro è pari a 3185,4062 scellini ugandesi

La locandina di "24 ore senza di noi"

“24 ore senza di noi“: questo è lo slogan con cui ogni anno, dal 2010, il primo marzo centinaia di migliaia di immigrati, affiancati e supportati da tantissimi italiani, scendono in piazza nelle nostre città per far sentire la loro voce.

Troppo spesso di immigrati e immigrazione si parla solo nelle pagine della cronaca nera: la rapina, la sparatoria … salvo poi scoprire che in diverse occasioni additare lo straniero è soltanto una scusa per coprire una realtà ben diversa, per trovare un capro espiatorio debole che difficilmente potrà difendersi.

Dei milioni di immigrati che lavorano onestamente nel nostro Paese, che creano ricchezza pari a circa l’11% del nostro Pil (avete capito bene, 11%!), che mettono la loro forza e la loro intelligenza al servizio della nostra società, dei nostri bambini, dei nostri anziani, non si parla invece quasi mai. Ci sono immigrati di successo nello sport, nello spettacolo, manager, professionisti … ma ci sono anche milioni di persone straniere che svolgono silenziosamente lavori più umili e per questo sono ai nostri occhi ancora più invisibili. Eppure provate a pensare cosa succederebbe se un giorno, di punto in bianco, tutti gli immigrati che lavorano nel nostro Paese scomparissero: niente più badanti ad accudire i nostri anziani, niente più infermiere a curarci quando siamo in ospedale, niente più operai stranieri nelle nostre fabbriche, niente più baby sitter per i nostri bambini, solo per fare qualche esempio.

Proprio questa è l’idea alla base di “24 ore senza di noi”: per un giorno, metaforicamente ma anche fisicamente, gli immigrati in Italia incrociano le braccia. E’ un modo per far prendere coscienza alla società civile che esistono anche loro e che sono fondamentali per noi e per la nostra economia. Ma è anche un’occasione per far parlare di loro uscendo dagli stereotipi, mostrando gli immigrati una volta tanto non come i “colpevoli” (di qualsiasi cosa … anche solo di rubare il lavoro agli italiani!), ma come i “protagonisti”: dipingerli come un gruppo di persone che giustamente rivendicano diritti dopo i tanti doveri imposti dalla nostra burocrazia, che vorrebbero riprendersi il proprio futuro qui in Italia e dare una mano per costruire un’Italia migliore. Perchè è soltanto così che il nostro Paese potrà essere davvero migliore.

Il Primo Marzo si scende in piazza anche a Pavia: per gli immigrati, ma soprattutto insieme agli immigrati, ci saranno anche tantissime associazioni del nostro territorio che a vario titolo si occupano di assistenza ai migranti, ma anche di cooperazione. Citarle tutte qui mi è impossibile, ma le trovate sulla Locandina dell’iniziativa. La nostra Associazione è una di queste. Perchè cooperazione internazionale significa anche integrazione e accoglienza sul nostro territorio.

L’appuntamento è per giovedì 1 marzo in Piazza della Vittoria e poi verso la Prefettura per presentare una piattaforma di richieste concrete: dalla concessione della cittadinanza ai figli degli immigrati nati e cresciuti sul territorio italiano al diritto di voto per gli immigrati regolari, a tante altre proposte per superare i razzismi, le divisioni, le contrapposizioni tra “noi” e “loro”. Perchè oltre a “noi” e “loro”, c’è l’ “insieme”. E  insieme si può fare di più e meglio, per tutti.

Primo marzo 2012, Pavia, Piazza della Vittoria: noi di Italia Uganda ci saremo.