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Submitted By Sandra Nassali

Public Relations & Communications Officer

Action For Development

Account for ACFODE’s General Meeting (GM)

On the 26th of March, ACFODE had a General Meeting. Participants included ACFODE members and staff.

While giving her opening remarks, ACFODE’s Chairperson, Ms. Jane Nakintu thanked ACFODE members and staff for always portraying commitment to the organization’s activities. She also applauded them for the dedication, team effort and loyalty that were revealed during the ACFODE’s Silver Jubilee Celebrations in 2010. Ms. Nakintu acknowledged that it was due to these factors that the celebrations turned out to be successful.

She however argued both ACFODE staffs and members to fully embrace the new organizational theme “Embracing the Youth and Looking Ahead’’ that was unleashed last year.

She also thanked participants for the enormous support that was accorded to the out going Board that she has chaired for the last 3 years and announced that elections for a new Board were due in May 2011. Members interested in standing for the different posts were reminded to pick forms from ACFODE House.

She reminded all present that it was the responsibility of every ACFODE staff and member to identify strategy places which ACFODE would occupy for visibility issues.

A presentation about ACFODE’s Consultancy policy was made by Ms. Kawasiima Christine, a Board Member. She took participates into a series of how to offer good consultancy services in various arenas – political, economical and social: that ACFODE tackles.

An update from the Secretariat was given by ACFODE’s Executive Director Ms. Regina Bafaki. Major highlights from the Secretariat included ACFODE’s networking activities, observing of Uganda’s 2011 elections among other program implementations.

A new membership policy that was drafted by the Board in consultation with ACFODE members and staff was also unleashed during the GM. Soon, it will be made available on our website.

In her concluding remarks, Ms. Nakintu argued participants to give colossal support for the members who were going to contest for different posts in up coming ACFODE elections.

Submitted By Sandra Nassali

Public Relations & Communications Officer

Action For Development

ACFODE’s Regional Inter - University debate competitions are on!

From the 22nd to the 26th of March, ACFODE staffs were i Soroti training students from various institutions of higher learning from Eastern Uganda for the upcoming inter- university debate competitions.

Participating Institutions included: Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), Kumi University, Uganda College of Commerce (UCC), East Africa Civil Aviation Academy (soroti Air Field/ Flying School) and Soroti Nursing School participated.

This is line with ACFODE‘s new theme ‘Embracing the Youth and Looking Ahead,’ which was introduced last year during Silver Jubilee Celebrations. These debates are one of such platforms through which ACFODE is trying to involve young people in the women’s movement.

The objectives of the training were:

• To enhance the participants’ speech, reading, researching skills, communication dialogue, and problem solving skills, confidence and self esteem.

• To create close working relation ships between ACFODE and the participating Institutions

• To actively involve the youth in fighting gender inequality and inequity

• Improve students’ eloquence, articulate and prompt philosophy, initiate, develop and establish debate in institutions of Higher learning of Uganda.

The students were also introduced to the British Parliamentary Debate format which is composed of two sides - Proposition side which is also known as the Government and the Opposition side also referred to as the Opposition. This kind of debate unlike other formats is composed of four teams. Each team is made up of two people implying eight people participate.

The debaters were urged to research widely on the main theme “involvement of the youth in promoting gender equality” so that when the spotlight for the competitions is on, they have all the gritty details required to win the competitions.

Submitted By Sandra Nassali

Public Relations & Communications Officer

Action For Development

Long Live ACFODE: By Joy Ongom

Hello!
My name is Joy Ongom. I recently won the sit for Woman Member of Parliament - Lira district as an Independent. Previously, I had lost on the UPC ticket. This fostered me to stand as an independent candidate. I won my opponent with a difference of 16,800 votes. 47,000 votes were however considered valid.

I credit my victory to ACFODE - a women’s empowerment organization in Uganda which I first encountered in 2006 when I was beginning my career life as a politician. I was at the time contemplating to contest for Counselor - Lira Sub-county, but then I had very low self esteem. To address this, I attended a training organized by ACFDOE in Lira town; whose goal was to increase women’s effective involvement in politics and decision-making through building the leadership capacity of potential female leaders at all levels.

I was trained along with other aspiring women leaders from Gulu and Kitgum districts about effective campaign strategies. Betty Otengo, who was contesting for the seat of MP- Lira district at the time, was among the participants. She eventually won the seat after this training.

After joining the council, I was trained on how to lobby for women issues – still by ACFODE. Now that I have won the seat of Woman MP, I plan on putting my acquired skills to use.

ACFODE’s exposure has been very encouraging for me. I remember it vividly, that just the other day, I was being challenged by trainers from ACFODE to stand for bigger and better position and here am I today – a Member of Parliament.

I applaud ACFODE for the good work and I pray that she continues with such activities, geared towards empowering grass-root women socially, politically and economically.

Submitted By Sandra Nassali

Public Relations & Communications Officer

Action For Development

In their own words

After the elections, ACFODE followed up some of the women the organization had trained prior to the elections. This was done through face to face interviews and through the use of telephony. The main objective of this exercise was to get the views of the interviewees about the whole electoral process (challenges faced, opportunities witnessed and recommendations to CSOs, NGOs and the government).

A number of points were raised. Below is an account;

Opportunities

Most of the women who were interviewed noted that they don’t face any form of violence. They actually applauded their families, friends and communities for giving them all the support they needed. This was not however the case in the past where women would be cast down while trying to participate in politics and other decision making processes right from family, community to national level.

The women also appreciated ACFODE’s training. Below are some of the skills they noted to have learnt which in the long run helped during the campaigns;
• Mingling with the voters, campaigning at every polling station in the area was one of the techniques acquired from the training.
• The knowledge of how to approach voters and how to present oneself to the voters was acquired from the training
• Visiting the voters in their home and work places and gardens created a one on one atmosphere that helped in canvassing votes
• Solidifying the agents supports and commitment helped a lot in canvassing votes
• Solidifying the support of loved ones such as the family members, relatives and friends was very helpful a technique that was acquired from the training
• How to relate to fellow contestants was one of the thing acquired from the training and it enabled attraction of favor from the voters

Challenges
• The demand for money and gifts from voters in exchange for votes made the campaigns very expensive
• Abusive language used by their opponents (fellow women) was hard to deal with for most of the contestants.
• People With Disabilities (PWD) contestants noted that they were disregarded and thought of as incapable in handling duties when they went to ask for votes from community members
• Others were discriminated basing on their religious background. Eunice Okullo from Lira said since she is a born again/ Christian, people thought that she was joking and did not believe her until the voting day when they found her name on the ballot paper.

Submitted By Sandra Nassali

Public Relations & Communications Officer

Action For Development