A: STRENGTHENING GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL MONITORING MECHANISMS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF UGANDA’S SOCIAL POLICIES IN KYOTERA DISTRICT

The project is being implemented in Kyotera District by Kitovu Mobile supported by the Grandmother Consortium, HelpAge International Uganda (HAIU) and HelpAge Deutschland.

Project objective: Older people and community leaders are strengthening accountability systems to improve accessibility to national social protection programmes and other social services in Kyotera District.

ACTIVITIES (Project Interventions):

1. Training of 10 members of the National Council for Older persons in social protection, protection, data collection, storage and analysis, and use of information and communication technology.
2. Electronic data collection on the SCG (Senior Citizen Grant) by National Council for Older persons members at community level.
3. Data analysis.
4. Feedback meetings with SCG district and national implementation teams to discuss analysis results.
5. Establish and manage a community-based complaint, follow-up, referral and feedback mechanism in each of the 6 target districts.
6. Referral and follow-up meetings with decision-makers and duty bearers at district level.
7. Advocacy, lobbying and dialogue meetings between older people and government officials.
8. Continuous monitoring of the NCOP Volunteers

B: GRANDMOTHERS MOVEMENT SUPPORT PROJECT IN MASAKA, KYOTERA AND LWENGO DISTRICTS.

The project is being implemented in Kyotera District by Kitovu Mobile supported by the Grandmother Consortium and Stephen Lewis Foundation.

Introduction:

In Uganda, social protection, rights and community development programs are designed and implemented at community level; increased participation of grandmothers in designing and monitoring benefit of all grandmothers is a strategy that ensures effective reach of these programs.

Approach;

• Work through Grandmother advocacy champions at national and district level to secure the rights of grandmothers.
• Work with the media to bring out voices of grandmothers for increased awareness and advocacy.
• Undertake campaigns relevant to bring identified issues to the attention of decision makers and the public.
• Build evidence on reach and impact of programs to grandmothers through continuous monitoring.

Main areas of work;

1. Secure incomes – Increase the number of grandmothers accessing secure incomes through self advocacy by the grandmothers and service delivery monitoring.
2. Health and HIV and AIDS: Through project initiatives, we will enable grandmothers and their grandchildren access quality health and HIV services.
3. Rights protection and access to redress mechanisms: The project will strengthen and enhance a local movement from grassroot led by grandmothers and their grassroots organizations to challenge age discrimination and claim their rights.

The project also seeks to increase visibility of grandmothers and their issues at all levels of local governance.

 PROJECT GOAL: Increasing the voice of grandmothers in Uganda for mainstreaming of their issues in Development Agenda.

Specific Objectives:

1. To Strengthen the capacity of grandmothers from grassroot towards a local movement to effectively engage Government and Civil Society actors.
2. To monitor service delivery and undertake social accountability audits for increased resource allocation.
3. To increase the visibility and awareness of grandmothers’ issues at national and district level for policy mainstreaming.

Project interventions:

1. Training of District Grandmothers Advocacy Groups in designing and implementing advocacy strategies
2. Grandmothers social Groups meetings for psychosocial support and advocacy Planning, reporting and mentoring
3. Exchange visits between districts for learning and mentorship
4. Support to grandmother’s advocacy champions to undertake social accountability audits
5. Participation in the International Grandmothers gathering with grandmothers’ advocacy champions and stakeholders.
6. Participation in Radio talk shows to raise awareness and discuss issues affecting older persons in communities.
7. Undertaking Awareness and visibility activities around Calendar Events for example on the International Day for Older Persons (IDOP).
8. Conduct community dialogue meetings as a platform for older persons to raise awareness and issues affecting them to local leaders.
9. Empowering Grandmothers Advocacy Champions to engage with community leaders, prioritizing older persons’ issues in regional agendas.