CEEWA- UGANDA ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Table of Contents List of acronyms... i Foreword... ii Executive Summary... iii 1 INTRODUCTION... 1 1.1 About CEEWA-U... 1 1.2 Structure of the report... 2 2 PROGRAMS... 2 2.1 Global Fund for Women Project... 2 2.1.1 Activities... 2 2.1.2 Success stories... 4 2.1.3 Lessons learned... 4 2.2 African Women Development Fund Project... 4 2.2.1 Activities... 5 2.2.2 Success stories... 9 2.2.3 Lessons learned... 11 3 PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKING... 12 4 LOOKING AHEAD.. 13
List of acronyms ACODE AWDF CEEWA-U CEWIGO COACT FOWODE GFW ICT ILO MAWDA MEACA UNNGOF UWONET WOUGNET Advocates Coalition for Development African Women Development Fund Council for Economic Empowerment for Women of Africa- Uganda Chapter Centre for Women in Governance Coalition for Action Forum for Women in Democracy Global Fund for Women Information, Communication Technology International Labor Organization Mayuge Women Development Association Ministry of East African Community Affairs Uganda National NGO Forum Uganda Women s Network Women of Uganda Network i
Foreword The Council for Economic Empowerment for Women of Africa, Uganda Chapter (CEEWA- Uganda) believes in information sharing and dissemination. It is for this reason, among others that we are once again sharing our Annual Report. The year 2015 presented opportunities for partnership building, providing services to our clients as well as strengthening networks. We acknowledge the support given by the Global Fund for Women, the African Women Development Fund, the Central and Local Governments we have been privileged to work with and all our other partners and collaborators. Through this support and partnership, it was possible to reach and touch the lives of over 1,000 people in the Districts of Buikwe, Kayunga and Mayuge. The highlights of what we were able to do are provided in this report. Margaret Kakande Chairperson/CEEWA-Uganda ii
Executive Summary The 2015 CEEWA-U Annual Report covers the activities carried out under the Global Fund for Women (GFW) Project, the African Women Development Fund (AWDF) Project and networking with partners. The GFW funded Project activities were residual since the Project had ended in 2014 and they included an impact survey that was requested by GFW itself. Under the Project on Scaling up Women s Entrepreneurship Development and Leadership Skills it was possible to reach over 600 beneficiaries, both directly and indirectly. The beneficiaries received skills training, business/agricultural inputs and support supervision. There were also networking activities involving various partners and agencies iii
1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 About CEEWA-U The Council for Economic Empowerment for Women of Africa-Uganda Chapter (CEEWA- Uganda) is a registered non-governmental, non-partisan and not-for-profit organization working to promote the economic empowerment of women in Uganda. It was started in 1995 by professional women and it was legally registered in 1997 (Registration No. S. 5914/1947). Its aim is to increase the level of women s access to and control over economic resources for development. Vision Our vision is a Uganda in which women s economic aspirations, rights and productive potentials are fully recognized and mainstreamed in the framework of equitable and sustainable human development. Mission The Mission of CEEWA-Uganda is to promote the economic empowerment of women in the development process through advocacy, training, research, information dissemination and documentation. Strategic objectives CEEWA-Uganda has the following strategic objectives: Enhance the capacity of decision makers to integrate gender concerns in laws, policies and programmes relevant to economic empowerment of women. Promote the growth of competitive women owned enterprises. Provide a platform for women to interact and share experiences for their social, political and economic development. Strengthen CEEWA-U s capacity for self-management, learning and advocacy. 1
Areas of focus In order to achieve the above objectives, CEEWA-U decided to focus on the following aspects in the short to medium term: Women and Agro-enterprise development Women and Sustainable Enterprises Women, Governance and Decision Making Strengthening CEEWA-U institutional Capacity 1.2 Structure of the report This report covers the period January to December 2015 and contains the background to the organization; the activities that were carried out under the different programs as well as networking activities that cut across programs. 2 PROGRAMS 2.1 Global Fund for Women Project 2.1.1 Activities The Project had been scheduled to end by December 2014 but there were some residual activities that were implemented at the beginning of the year 2015. These included the Beneficiary Impact Survey requested by the Global Fund for Women, a convening of Ugandan grantee organizations, a visit to a model farm and compilation of a final summary report of the intervention. The Beneficiary Impact Survey revealed that a total of 53 adult women and 7 adult men benefitted directly from the project through the trainings in business skills, post-harvest management, value addition and sensitization on land rights. In addition, approximately 480 people benefitted indirectly through family members, neighbours or friends. 2
Conducting the Beneficiary Impact Survey From the convening, CEEWA-Uganda learnt of good practices from other grantees and was also able to share its work on post-harvest management and value addition. Some of the beneficiaries representing their respective Groups visited a model farmer, a woman who was using limited space to keep cows and pigs. She also had vegetable and fruit tree seedlings. From the visit, the women farmers learned modern methods of feeding cows-by making hay, feed blocks, etc. They were also exposed to mixed farming where vegetables and fruits can be grown in addition to rearing animals. A beneficiary in her sugarcane garden Beneficiaries visit to a mixed farm 3
2.1.2 Success stories Overall, stronger networks were built, women s attitude towards acquiring and owning land became more positive and more women were economically and socially empowered. 2.1.3 Lessons learned The conducting of an impact survey revealed that there is information that may not easily come out during a routine monitoring and support supervision visit. Beneficiaries keep better records when they know that someone might come looking for information from them. 2.2 African Women Development Fund Project The Project title was Scaling up Women s Entrepreneurship Development and Leadership Skills and was a follow up of the first phase that focused on Enhancing Women s Entrepreneurship Development and Leadership Skills and had ran from 2013 until 2014. The second phase was on scaling up Women s entrepreneurship Development and Leadership Skills and ran in 2015. The purpose was to train selected women farmer groups and women entrepreneurs through their associations in entrepreneurship development and value chain management, and also to establish networks among trained women with organizations that address the needs of grassroots women in agriculture and access to land. The project objectives were to: increase women s participation in income generating activities/commercial enterprises; enhance productivity, ensure food security and product quality for famer groups and their communities; promote the start up or improvement of women led businesses and their long-term survival; promote the participation of women in decision making and governance structures. The project target was women farmer groups in Buikwe and Mayuge Districts in Uganda. CEEWA-Uganda has been promoting agriculture as a business and it integrates entrepreneurship development in its interventions to enable women farmer groups and individuals become entrepreneurs and improve on the performance of their businesses. It was established that all the farmer groups CEEWA-Uganda had worked with were involved in some kind of business and were faced with challenges including; inadequate land, high cost of animal feeds, cost of labor, lack of business management skills, inadequate capital to start and expand their businesses, lack of knowledge to add value and to improve on the standards of their products. In addition, some individuals within the groups had businesses or were willing to start businesses in various 4
sectors. Thus the women groups required support and were provided with business knowledge and skills to enable them fully engage in the various enterprises. Thus CEEWA-Uganda s project on scaling up Women s Entrepreneurship Development and Leadership Skills focused on capacity building to enhance skills and knowledge. The project was implemented in two Districts of Buikwe and Mayuge in Uganda targeting six women farmer groups. In Buikwe, CEEWA-Uganda worked with Bugoya Women s Group, Gwosussa Women s Group and Tusuubira Development Group. In Mayuge, we worked with Tweyimbe Group (Mayuge Women and Youth Goat Project) Mayuge Women Integrated Development Association (MAWIDA), and Ibanga Bakusekamajja Group. The total number of group members was over 150 people, mostly women. 2.2.1 Activities The main activities under this program included the following: Provision of agricultural inputs to women farmers: The overall objective was to provide agricultural inputs to the respective women farmer groups and ensure that they all benefit from the project initiatives. The specific objectives were to contribute to the expansion of women agricultural enterprises as a means for increasing their entrepreneurial potential; to enable women farmer groups have access to agricultural inputs; and to increase women s participation in income generating activities through utilizing the agricultural inputs. The women farmer groups received animals and chicken. MAWIDA, Ibanga Bakusekamajja and Gwossusa Women group received 84 chicks each; Mayuge Women and Youth Goat Project received 2 goats while Tusuubira Development Group and Bugoya Women Group got 2 pigs and one pig, respectively. Later Bugoya sold the sow and replaced it with a cow which they thought would be easier to manage. 5
A Group leader receiving chicks on behalf of her Group Training of women farmers in livestock and poultry rearing: The overall objective was to increase productivity, ensure food security and product quality for women famer groups and their communities. The specific objectives were to enable women farmer groups to make responsible managerial and financial decisions to ensure that livestock and poultry farm business is a profitable one; to contribute to the expansion of women agricultural/animal enterprises as a means of increasing their entrepreneurial potential; to increase women s knowledge on good management practices for livestock and poultry keeping to boost their incomes/profits; to expose the women farmers to good practices in animal husbandry; to enhance food security and contribute to the development of the livestock sector in Uganda. Beneficiaries during the training 6
Training women farmer groups in entrepreneurship development skills: The overall objective was to enhance entrepreneurship/business development skills among women farmer groups in the targeted Districts. The specific objectives were to equip beneficiaries with knowledge and skills to successfully run a business venture; to increase on the knowledge and understanding of entrepreneurship and business management among women farmer groups; to enable individual women start their own businesses; to build the capacity of women farmer groups to improve on the performance of their businesses; and to contribute to the expansion of women farming enterprises as a means for increasing their entrepreneurial potential. Sensitization workshop on women s rights to land: The overall objective was to increase access to and control over resources like land by the marginalized groups especially women. The specific objectives were to sensitize women on their land rights; advocate for women s access to and control over land through involving all stakeholders; to advocate for collective household decisions on land use and promoting women hiring and purchasing of land; to promote land rights of women and the poor people through networking with stakeholders and authorities; to analyze and discuss the current land ownership situation in the target communities/localities and to identify factors hindering women from owning land; to suggest recommendations to improve women s access to and control over land as well as promoting their land rights. Providing technical assistance/training women farmer groups on best farming methods, value chain and post harvest management: The overall objective was to empower women groups to improve on their farming methods and post harvest handling, storage and processing of agricultural produce while the specific objectives were to enable women farmers to understand good practices in crop and animal husbandry, and processing of their products (post harvest management) to assist women farmer groups learn and appreciate the importance of adding value to their products; to explore the different ways of adding value to what women produce; to contribute to food security through promoting good post harvest management practices; and to assist women to obtain information on marketing and market access. 7
Beneficiaries drying maize on a tarpaulin as a good practice in post harvest management Monitoring and support supervision visits to the beneficiaries: The overall objective was to assess progress of agribusiness activities done by the women farmer groups. The specific objectives were to identify what individuals or groups have been doing; what has changed after CEEWA-Uganda s intervention; to find out challenges being faced by women farmer groups while promoting agro-enterprise Development; to interact with the women farmers to enable them identify problems affecting their agriculture activities as well as opportunities to improve their performance; to suggest solutions to the challenges faced by the women farmers; make recommendations and to record any success stories. Kayiira s individual heifer and poultry projects 8
Documentation of success stories (on video and in writing) The main purpose was to capture any success stories from the beneficiaries to help us identify what worked well and what might not have worked well and why. This information would be useful for deciding to scale up the interventions and for future planning. All groups indicated they had benefited a lot from the trainings they had received which covered leadership, group governance, record keeping, business planning, saving and credit mechanisms, entrepreneurship development, livestock and poultry keeping, and value chain management. The interventions had enhanced individual members confidence, saving culture, income generation, standards of living, need to promote value addition and good quality products as highlighted in the following statements: 2.2.2 Success stories CEEWA-Uganda has been engaging women farmer groups in entrepreneurship development trainings with emphasis on agriculture development and agribusinesses. This was aimed at empowering women economically, support their economic independence, expand their levels of income and ultimately standards of living especially for rural women. From the testimonies during monitoring visits, the majority of beneficiaries have improved on their business performance while others have started new businesses. The new businesses include catering services, retail shops, produce buying and selling, money lending businesses etc. After CEEWA-Uganda trainings some beneficiaries started new businesses for example, Sarah from Mayuge started money lending business but continued with her goat rearing project. She gained business skills from CEEWA-Uganda trainings and she gave a testimony on this stating: 9
since we started working with CEEWA-Uganda I ensured that my children were in school and some have graduated. I started a money lending business and I am building a house for me and my children because of CEEWA s encouragement and trainings. Sarah with her goats Another beneficiary Robina noted, after trainings with CEEWA-Uganda, I thought of growing sweet potatoes as a business. After harvesting them, I sold them and with the money I got, I bought pigs which also gave birth. I am planning to buy a cow after selling the piglets. I also grow vegetables and sell them. My children go to school even my husband sometimes borrows money from me. I take care of my personal needs and I no longer wait for him to give me money for clothes, shoes, or visit to the hair salon. Agnes, another beneficiary stated: I started a retail shop after I learnt how to use the available opportunities and my business is growing. Tusuubira Development Group started a catering service after receiving business trainings from CEEWA-Uganda and the business is profitable. 10
2.2.3 Lessons learned The lessons learned in the course of implementing this Project reinforced some of our earlier convictions such as: Working in groups promotes a sense of belonging among individuals. Groups act as security for their members in various aspects including social, economic and political spheres. For instance, women defend, guide and advise fellow women; incidents of domestic violence reduced and pooling savings empowers women economically. Women can campaign for and support/vote fellow women when it comes to local council elections. Communities (and men) accept that women can make a difference. Economic independence of women enables them to become decision makers at various levels as well as deserving respect in their communities resulting from their contribution in the household, community and economy as a whole. The presence of women organizations within communities encourages women to join the groups and work hard. Men and women need to work together and support one another not only in the home but also in their respective groups/communities. Men should be engaged as change agents/champions of gender equity. There are still gaps in resources mobilization to empower women and youth. It is important to integrate skills trainings in interventions that target women in order to enhance the benefits to women. Women still lack access to production resources including information, land, labour, technology, finance and agricultural extension services. 11
3 PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKING CEEWA-Uganda maintained her old networks and partnerships as well as creating new ones. The relationship with the Uganda National NGO Forum (UNNGOF) continued. Meetings and participation in field activities with COACT 1325 coordinated by CEWIGO also took place. COACT 1325 is a forum that was created to monitor the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and the Goma Declaration on women, peace and security. CEEWA-U participated in the survey to monitor the implementation of the Uganda Action Plan and the validation meetings. Meetings attended include those organized by FOWODE (on women and girls empowerment-amplifying women s voices by providing a platform for women and girls to take stock of the gains made and how to advance the empowerment agenda); the Living Wage Foundation; UWONET (for various issues including natural resources governance, violence against women and girls and women s land rights, domestication and implementation of the Land Policy, launch of the Women s Manifesto 2016-2020 and the debate on the role of gender equality in the Uganda Vision 2040). There were other meetings with Advocates Coalition for Development (ACODE) on contemporary public policy and governance issues such as land conflicts; the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development and ILO country office on the efficacy of the Youth to Youth Fund and development of youth entrepreneurship programs; ACTIONAID International Uganda on the Inspirators and Advisors Program; the Ministry of East African Community Affairs (MEACA) to validate the EAC Women in Business Strategy, a conference on unlocking business opportunities for women within the EAC Common Market and advocacy for affordable financing for women owned businesses; OXFAM (Novib) on mapping actors in the area of women s economic empowerment and sharing experiences and good practices; WOUGNET on monitoring good governance and service delivery through use of ICTs and participating in the Uganda Women s caucus on ICT; the School of Women and Gender Studies at Makerere University on communication for social norms change around girls in Uganda; Uganda Land Alliance awareness activities. 12
4 LOOKING AHEAD In the coming year, CEEWA-Uganda will concentrate her energies on fundraising and completion of the strategic planning process that it has been engaged in for some time. Gwosussa Women s Group with their crafts Aisha Musulo outside her commercial structure Clare Nanzigu s passion fruit garden 13