First International Conference

Volunteer Uganda & CHIFCOD Conference

Our first international conference was held in London on 26th September 2009. The conference achieved its two objectives: to celebrate CHIFCOD's growth and achievement with all who have contributed to its success, and to inform and communicate all participants about CHIFCOD's work to date and vision for the future.

We were delighted to have visitors from Uganda, Germany and USA as well as supporting groups from all round the UK.

Many thanks to everybody who made the effort to come along, to all the organisers for their hard work and particularly to Highgate School, whose generous hospitality contributed so much to the success of the event.

Programme

The day started with representatives of some partner groups introducing themselves, what need had drawn them into working with Uganda, what change they saw their involvement had made and their plans for the future. Speakers included:

• Nigel Little - Chair of Volunter Uganda
• Jonathan Trigg - St Michael's Church, Highgate
• Christopher Hobbs - Oakwood
• John Corbyn - Bearsted
• Armin Graff - Evangelische Kirchengemeinde Eppingen, Germany
• Ron Jackson - UCDM, Los Angeles

Keynote talk

Robin Burgess, Professor of Development Economics at the London School of Economics, gave a fascinating talk on aspects of economic development in rural Africa. Key topics included:

• The effectiveness of Micro-finance loans in enabling local people to create new enterprises
• The disproportionate effect of climate change on poorer people and the need to find economic alternatives to agriculture

Hamlet Mbabazi

Hamlet's inspirational address highlighted many successes over a decade that has seen the development of four primary schools, the new high school and the college. He explained some of the needs of the children and their families, and how the schools could only succeed with associated projects, including water, health, transport, dormitories and youth projects.

Major recent developments include building the High School and funding it into its second year, new classrooms at Kirima School, rebuilding Nyakabungo School after the floods & purchase of land to make it safer and accreditation of the College to issue diplomas.

Current needs include building three more classrooms at the High School to cater for next year's intake and providing science and IT facilities as the pupils reach the age to study for "A" levels. There are still many children in need of sponsorship, including 120 at the High School. Further development of the college will enable it to apply for University status, providing a major boost for the region as well as improved education opportunities for the students.

Looking to the future, Hamlet spoke of the need to progress from a high proportion of charitable funding towards a more self-sufficient and sustainable economy for the region. He described two choices facing every young adult finishing their education: find a job working for somebody else or having the skills and resources to start a new enterprise. There is an urgent need to create new economic opportunities and the CHIFCOD education, graduate enterprise scheme and micro-finance schemes will help provide enterprising young graduates the support they need.

Hamlet hoped the new Gap Year programme will provide local people with an example of what can be achieved and that it would be a key step in introducing other tourist developments to the area. He introduced Simon Graffy and Paul Huckstep who are developing the programme.

Gap Year programme

Paul and Simon gave details of the programme, which will bring its first group of Gappers out in February 2010.

The school- and university-leavers will spend up to 12 weeks in the area, helping at the schools and health projects. They will receive training before they leave home and their induction week in Uganda will give them an introduction to local culture and to skills such as lesson planning.

The volunteers will help in formal ways, such as assisting with English conversation lessons, helping to develop the IT infrastructure and homework sessions. Also, their presence will provide important but less obvious benefits in the informal exchange of knowledge and skills with local staff and parents.

The programme has been made possible by the College providing land for the gappers' camp and the organisers making a significant investment in building the infrastructure required to accommodate groups of up to 30 volunteers in safety and reasonable comfort.

Many volunteers will want to remain involved in the projects after their return home; we hope to see them at future conferences.

Book launch

Julia Challender and Hamlet Mbabazi launched their new book "Take my hand".

This fascinating publication traces the history of CHIFCOD from three families setting up the Kirima Parents Primary School in a two-roomed mud-and wattle hut to the interlinking projects that are making such a difference to the area today.

An extract of the book will soon be available on this site.

The book is available for a donation of at least £10. Please email editor for details.

Children

As well as the adult business of the day, there was information and entertainment for children. This included displays to help children understand what their sponsorship is for, African mask making and, of course, face painting.

The highlight was undoubtedly the fabulous African drumming. Children (aged 2 to 82) were taught the basics of the instruments and were led in noisy and exciting displays.

British visa rejection

Unfortunately only one of the 12 Ugandan delegates was able to attend, due the the British Government's ill-considered decision to reject visa applications of Ugandan charity trustees, headteachers, local government officials and even (until the rejection was overturned on appeal) a former MP.

CHIFCOD

The Community Transformation Programme is operated by the Child to Family Community Development Organisation, CHIFCOD, a non-governmental, not for profit, organisation incorporated and located in Uganda.

CHIFCOD works with grassroots communities to problems of bringing up healthy children, educating them in good schools at primary, secondary and college level and providing job creation opportunities through micro-finance programmes.

It has established six educational institutions in south-western Uganda, a community health programme and a micro finance cooperative for adults as well as a youth cooperative through which young school leavers who need money to establish themselves in the community or go further in their studies can access low interest loans.

Friends of Kirima

Three of the CHIFCOD projects - Kirima Primary School, the Great Lakes College and the new Great Lakes High School, are supported in the UK by Kirima Limited (Registered Charity no 1128290).

U.C.D.M.

The Uganda Christian Development Mission provided the funds to help build the Great Lakes Regional College and the Nyamirama Parents’ Primary School.

They are currently working to raise funds towards rebuilding the fallen buildings at Nyakabungo Parents’ Sschool.

Eppingen Church

The Protestant Church in Eppingen supports several projects including the school in Rutenga. More information will be provided soon.

Die Evangelische Kirchengemeinde Eppingen unterstützt mehrere Projekte einschließlich der Schule in Rutenga. Mehr Auskunft wird bald gegeben.

Epingen Church homepage

CURED

CURED is a new charity which has been set up to extend the work carried out by the other VolunteerUganda organisitions. Its aims are help build and support schools, following the model that has proved so successful with FKPPS.

CURED (Inland Revenue Accepted Charity ref XT8743) is based in London, UK.

Its first project will be to raise funds for the rebuilding and support of Nyakaungo School.

Links

• Carr Lane Primary School, Willerby
• St Michael's Church, Highgate, UK
• Holly Lodge Estate
• Epingen Church, Germany
• Highgate School, UK

Waterfall in Bwindi Forest

Projects

The table below gives details of some of the key projects and the number of people helped each year:

Project	Location in Uganda	Founded	No helped
Kirima Parents Primary School	Kirima Kanungu	1994	375
Nyamirama Parents' Primary School	Nyamirama Kanungu	2001	400
Nyakabungo Parents Primary School	Rugyeyo Kanungu	2005	200
Rutenga Kindergarten	Rutenga Kanungu	2005	100
Great Lakes Regional College	Bushura Kanungu	2003	180
Kinkiizi Development Finance Services	Kanungu District	2002	800
Kinkiizi Youth Education and Development Trust	Kanungu District	2003	300
CHIFCOD Child and Family Health Programme	Kanungu District Uganda	2004	2400
CHIFCOD Children's Clinic	Kirima Kanungu	2004	1000

Legal

CHIFCOD is a not for profit organisation incorporated and located in Uganda.

It is supported in the UK by Kirima Limited (Registered Charity no 1128290) and CURED (Inland Revenue Accepted Charity ref XT8743).

This site is Copyright © 2009 VolunteerUganda.org

Thanks for permission to use photographs to:

• Nigel Little
• Simon Graffy
• John Sullivan/Ribbit Photography