Powering Health Centers in Uganda (PHCU)
Environmental Alert in Partnership with Südwind is implementing the project Powering Health Centers in Uganda (PHCU) with support from the Federal Ministry of the Republic of Austria. The project is expected to last for 18 months and aims at supporting health centers (HCs) in hard-to-reach areas and refugees’ settlements in Uganda – within the Albertine rift – that are faced with energy access limitation, that compromise effective delivery of health services to some of the hardest hit communities by COVID 19. By installing new capacity the Health Centers will dramatically increase their operations thereby servicing 75 % more patients. At the same time the project will engage with stakeholders like duty bearers and CSOs on local, national and international level, raise awareness and implement several different trainings.
About Environmental Alert
For more than 30 years Environmental Alert (EA) has been working to improve livelihoods in Uganda through several interventions in sustainable agriculture, environment and natural resources management. Currently EA’s operations are in 20 districts across the Uganda. EA undertakes structured service delivery mobilizing communities and facilitating development of their skills, approaches and furthermore, this interaction generates experiences, lessons and facts which inform EA’s issue-based advocacy agenda at the community, local, national and international levels.
In the field of renewable energy Environmental Alert successfully implemented The Clean Energy Project (2016-2020) in partnership with World Wide Fund for Nature – Uganda Country Office (WWF-UCO) and other civil society organizations (CSOs) under the Renewable Energy CSO Network (RECSO), a Network hosted at Environmental Alert and private sector to facilitate access to off-grid Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) to rural households in the Albertine Rift region. Under the project, linkages between RET companies and civil society organizations (CSOs) have been created to facilitate last mile delivery of RETs.
Project Goal and Outcomes
The projects’ overarching goal is to contribute to the achievement of the Ugandan Strategies on Energy and Health and therefore to the achievement of SDGs 7, 3, 10 and 13. This goal is in line with SE4Alls current initiative which aims to accelerate health facility electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The expected outcomes are:
|
Outcomes (Oc) |
Indicators |
|
Oc1 Improved access to reliable and sustainable energy and associated health service delivery by health centers in refugee settlements and hard to reach areas in the Albertine Rift |
75 % more patients have access to improved health services at the respective HCs |
|
Oc2 Vulnerable groups in refugee settlements and hard to reach areas in the Albertine Rift supported to recover from impacts of COVID-19 pandemic impacts through community-based health systems |
Number of people reached directly and supported (2000) and indirectly (1200000) |
|
Oc3 Increased capacities and networks of the Ugandan NGO to advocate for and promote issues of the energy/health nexus |
Number of new, direct links to international development and private sector partners established (50). |
Project consortium
Südwind: Overall project leader and coordinator responsible for reporting to the development partner. Furthermore, will lead conceptualization and implementation of engagements at the international levels and also provide required technical backstopping to Environmental Alert.
Environmental Alert: Project lead for activities implementation at the national level, but also create linkages and coordination with the local implementing partners. Furthermore, will provide technical support to the local implementing partners. Responsible for consolidation of reports from local implementing partners and subsequent submission to SW for final consolidation before submission to the development partners.
KCSON: EA will subcontract KCSON for the conceptualization and implementation of activities at the local level including mobilization and coordination at the local levels. Furthermore, KCSON will prepare and submit related technical and financial reports to EA for consolidation.
The Rio Conventions Project
1.0. Background
Environmental Alert (EA) in collaboration with National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) and Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF); and in partnership with Advocates Coalition on Environment and Development (ACODE), and Nature Uganda, is implementing a project called “Strengthening Institutional Capacity for effective Implementation of Rio Conventions in Uganda”. The project builds on the 2007 National capacity needs self-Assessment (NCSA) on implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) in Uganda. This is a 4 year pilot project implemented in the districts of Buikwe, Jinja, Kayunga, Mukono and Wakiso.
2.0. Objective
The objective is to strengthen institutional capacity for effective implementation and monitoring of Rio Conventions in Uganda. The three Rio conventions project covers the 3 MEAs namely the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD); and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The project will contribute to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss) and Goal 17 (Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development).
Content about the STEP- UP Project
1.0 Background
Environmental Alert in partnership with Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) from Germany, Wageningen University (WUR) from Netherlands, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Advisory board: Solidaridad-NL, IITA, Kenya Bureau of Standards and National Environment Trust Fund (NETFUND) from Kenya, National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) and Solidaridad Network from Uganda are implementing a project called “Sustainable Transition to Entrepreneurial Production in Agriculture through Upgrading” (STEP-UP). This project is implemented in Rwiimi sub county of Bunyangabu district and Birere and Ruaaga sub-counties of Isingiro district from 2019 to 2021 and it aims at identifying and implementing strategies to upgrade production, processing and marketing of cooking banana (matooke) in two districts of Uganda. It combines research- development- and outreach-oriented activities in five Work Packages (WPs), and implements sustainable intensification (SI) and market linkage (ML) strategies to enable small farm enterprises (SFEs) to step up towards food and nutrition security, sustainable development and income generation. STEP-UP employs a participatory multi-stakeholder approach where new technologies in cultivation, processing and packaging are implemented and assessed in mango and banana food value chains (FVC) in Kenya and Uganda respectively.
2.0 Project Objectives
The overall project objective is to contribute to food security and sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa through equitable commercial relationships between SFEs and markets within the frame of sustainable agricultural production. It focuses on the heterogeneous groups of Smallholder farmers with an entrepreneurial ambition. STEP-UP supports smallholder producers to access relevant technologies, innovations and management practices for the transition to commercialized production.
Inclusive Green Growth for Poverty Reduction (lGG4PR) project
1.0 Introduction
The ENR-CSO Network Secretariat (Environmental Alert) in partnership with the Ministry of water and Environment with financial support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is implementing a 5 year program (2017-2021) titled“Inclusive Green Growth for Poverty Reduction (lGG4PR)”.
2.0 Program outcome
The IGG4PR Programme Outcome is that Natural resources management and energy access are gender responsive, effective and efficient, reducing emissions, negating the impact of climate-induced disasters and environmental degradation on livelihoods and production systems, and strengthening community resilience.
The Environment and Natural Resources Civil Society Organization (ENR-CSO) Network is another civil society network that brings together local and international NGOs that work in the broader environment and natural resources sector. ENR-CSO Network has an elected leadership and a secretariat that coordinates its activities. The Network is active in mobilising its members’ engagements in subnational and national forest policy processes, including the national and district budget cycles.
Sustainable WASH (SusWASH) Project
1. Background
Environmental Alert (see Box 1 for further information) in partnership with Water Aid is implementing a 3-months project on Water Sanitation and Hygiene project titled Sustainable WASH (SusWASH) project. This project also supports KCCA directorates for Health, Education and Strategic Planning to include elements that strengthen the sustainability of WASH services within their current plans. It is expected that KCCA will provide technical support, with due consideration of KCCA’s mandate in providing Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Service (WASH) in the community.
This project aims at applying the learning and evidence generated from the SusWASH project to support Urban WASH policy processes as well as informing sector capacity development initiatives towards sustainability of water and sanitation services. The work will be delivered in 4 months starting December 2018 to March, 2020
2. Targeted project sites and beneficiaries.
The project shall be carried out in two selected communities of Kamwokya Parish in central division and Kansanga in Makindye division, Kampala and schools of Mirembe primary school, Kansanga seed secondary School, Railway primary school, Nateete Muslim High school in Rubaga Division and Ntinda School for the deaf in Nakawa division.
COMMON MATTERS 2: LAND RIGHT CAMPAIGN
Environmental Alert (EA), Trac Fm, and PELUM-Uganda are implementing the “Land Rights campaign” which is part of the Common Matters 2 program. The overall goal of the campaign is to, sensitize citizens to understand and respect their land rights when it comes to compulsory land acquisition and fair compensation. Help citizens to defend their land rights and be vigilant when they are challenged.’
The 6 months (Sept 2018-Feb 2019) project will use 10 local radio stations across the various sub-regions of Uganda (Central, North, Western, Eastern,…) to sensitive citizens and do surveys. The responses from these surveys will be processed and presented in an infographic format that can inform better planning of land service delivery, inform national level advocacy on budget allocation to the Ministry of Lands, and above all inform the various policy processes on land.
The specific objectives of the campaign are:
- To create public awareness about land rights and fair compensation;
- To advocate for a citizen centered approach towards land rights and policies in Uganda.
The Land rights campaign will provide an alternative and open-access platform for citizens to debate pro-poor, just and human rights based legal land acquisition and compensation. Interactive radio polls, hosted on 10 radio stations throughout the country will allow citizens to participate in a structured conversation regarding the proposed act, perceptions on land disputes, corporate interests, government interference and fair land compensation. The campaign will also cover the position of government in cases where individuals may obstruct development or infrastructural projects that could benefit the community.
STRENGTHENING RESILIENCE AND PROMOTING INCLUSIVE GOVERNANCE PROGRAM (STRENPO) FOR WOMEN AND YOUTH IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES 2018-2021
Care international in Uganda is implementing “Strengthening Resilience and promoting inclusive governance program (STRENPO) for women and youth in vulnerable communities 2018-2021” project. The project is being implemented in partnership with the following partners: Environmental Alert (EA), Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE), Rural Initiative for Community Empowerment (RICE West Nile), and Joint Effort to save the environment (JESE).
With a total budget of 1,106,818,232 Ugandan shillings ($305,984) for 4 years (2018-2021), EA will facilitate institutional and coordination of the Environment and Natural Resources-Civil Society Organizations, PROLINNOVA and UFWG Networks for building consensus for joint implementation of structured engagements that contributes to climate resilience at national and local level.
INCREASING ACCESS TO SUSTAINABLE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY ALTERNATIVES IN THE ALBERTINE GRABEN
Environmental Alert in partnership with the World Wide Fund for nature – Uganda Country Office is implementing a new project titled, ‘Increasing access to sustainable and renewable energy alternatives in the Albertine Graben.’ This is a 4 years project (2017-2020) with financial support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). Over the 4 year period, the project will have interventions implemented at national, sub-national and local levels to advance increased access to sustainable and renewable energy alternatives in the Albertine Graben. This will be through action research, targeted awareness and policy dialogues.
Project Goal
The goal of the project is, ‘Communities living in the Albertine Graben have adopted sustainable and renewable energy alternatives to reduce dependency on biomass for their energy needs.’
Project Outcomes
The project aims to achieve the goal by contributing to three outcomes. These are:
- Civil society in partnership with other agents of change is transforming government and private sector decisions and practices towards sustainable and renewable energy development to the benefit of women, men and youth.
- Government, private sector, civil society actors and local communities have adopted effective strategies and practices that support sustainable and renewable energy access in Albertine Graben.
- Government and private sector have put in place an enabling framework that supports increased financing/ investment for sustainable and renewable energy development.
Targeted beneficiary groups
The target is 20 Civil society organizations and networks at national level and 3 sub-regional hubs involved in the promotion of sustainable and renewable energy as well as addressing issues that interlinked with or rooted in poor access to sustainable, clean and affordable energy among communities.
Documents
Increasing Financing and Investments for Clean and Renewable Energy Access in Uganda; Policy and Practice Recommendations for Implementation at National and Local levels.
UNDP WETLAND RESTORATION PROJECT – “Building Resilient Communities, Wetland Ecosystems and Associated Catchments in Uganda.”
Environmental Alert (EA) is implementing a project on behalf of the Government of Uganda carrying out an assignment to “undertake a market, livelihoods, gender and GBV analysis in 3 districts of Bushenyi, Mitooma and Shema in the South Western Uganda to identify gaps, employment needs and income streams that are resilient to climate change and map on-going initiatives”. One of the output under the assignment to environmental Alert Is to support the No-Regret interventions carried out by the wetland adjacent community groups.
During the project stakeholders’ inception meeting that was held on 14th August, 2018 at Tuzza Hotel in Bushenyi district, stakeholders from the three project districts were consulted on which groups to consider and three groups were identified from each district that are contributing to the project goal of restoring degraded wetlands
Further consultations were conducted and two groups were chosen for support with each selected beneficiary wetland user group in each district surveys were conducted through focus group discussions, from which discussion key enterprises were selected for support.
In the stakeholder’s validation meeting that was held in Sheema on the 14th September, 2018, the stakeholders agreed these key actions that is to say, Apiary, Piggery, Aquaculture, Poultry, Goat rearing, Craft and art, and mushroom growing. as the most suitable enterprises for the support.
It’s against this background that EA seek technical support to deliver on these selected Actions on No regret interventions in the three districts of Mitooma, Sheema and Bushenyi.
EA is organizing to deliver a specialized training for the identified No-Regret enterprise training needs to the two (2) selected Wetland user associations from 19th November, 2018- 8th December, 2018in the project districts of Mitooma, Sheema and Bushenyi. These trainings are part of the assignment to EA under the UNDP project; “Building Resilient Communities, Wetland Ecosystems and Associated Catchments in Uganda.” Which project aims at restoring the previously degraded wetland resources in those districts(Mitooma, Sheema and Bushenyi).