Empower a Girl: For Self-Reliance

PROGRESSIVE REPORT FOR KOLE INTELLECTUAL FORUM FOR MAY 2019

Description of the report

Although Kole Intellectual Forum is a Community-Led organization that was registered with Kole Local Government, Northern Uganda in 2016; broadly, to contribute towards post conflict reconstruction of Northern Uganda, through action research, modern telecommunication system, and entrepreneurship skills; after need assessment conducted by the organization in Kole district in 2016, the organizationwas prompted to focus on promoting  quality education that is sustainable within the area but today again the education of children in this area is under climatic threats; pilot projects were conducted at Apedi primary school in 2016 and in Angic in 2017/18; through a program developed in the name of Community Integration program, whereby: Community are being integrated to the schools and schools also to the community, as well as integrating these schools to each other in a number of activities.

To support this program, with the fund received from GlobalGiving and membership contributions; Kole Intellectual Forum provided these children with examination, as well as support to their other extra curriculum activities among others; including, teachers and parents motivation.

At the same time, community were also introduced to livelihood project in 2016; especially, in ginger growing that requires a lot of water; and at the end of it all, pupils of Apedi primary school broke a record of passing in Uganda Primary leaving Examination in 2016; the school became the best performing public primary school in Aboke Sub-County, the 5^th public primary school in the district of Kole; as to compare to the position 58^th out of 62 primary schools in Kole District in 2015; it was also ranked  3470 out of 6000 best primary schools in Uganda; the same applies to Angic Primary school in 2017/18; although we have failed to get the actual statistics.

Provision of pipe water at Apedi to the community at present is the community demand; including actual support to the needy children under climatic threats iis among other things members of Board of Kole Intellectual Forum resolved to in their December 2018’s meeting for the financial year 2019.

Challenges

Despite the fact that, the aim o the organization is to create a positive social impact to the community members of Angic and Apedi primary schools (part of Post Conflict area of Northern Uganda); by enabling the children to pass in Uganda Primary leaving Examination to the greatest extent; the organization also is still faced with a number of challenges, that include: a) inadequate fund to support the programs; b) minimum support from the school administrations to the organizational programs; c) failure to get the market for the products introduced to the community, although, the farming was done through, contract agreements; moreover not forget the climatic threats within the area that has made it impossible for the farmers of this area to plant crops in the first season (their main occupation) that enable them to support the education system of their children.

Way forward

Following the meeting and resolution arrived at by the members of Board of Kole Intellectual Forum in December 2018; the members resolved that, in order for the organization to realized full capacity to implement or address its being developing programs in an upper hand; the system should therefore prove to the other institutions (including school administrations) that, they are worth doing so, by: developing basic organizational policies, building up a fully set academic center of Excellency, listening to the community feedback, providing financial transparency, act positively to the community needs, attend GlobalGiving academies, explore GlobalGiving website, maintain its award of 2019 (vetted, effective and highly ranked) and making a positive follow up in project life cycle.

Action taken

Academic Centre of Excellency is about 90% on completion; staff are in place; major policies developed are already established (Human resource policy, financial policy, child protection policy, risk management policy among others); answered the community feedback, for instance demand for pipe water at Apedi community (the organization has dug up a deep well pending materials  needed to tap and distribute water to the community); advocate for cultural values, and give actual support to the selected needy children at school and out of schools within these areas (minimum 12 children).

Conclusion

After realizing that, the aim of Kole Intellectual Forum as a Community-Led organization is to contribute towards post conflict reconstruction of Northern Uganda; by promoting quality Education that is sustainable according to this project report; the organization is ensuring that, it works towards realizing the needed budget, continue to advocate for altitudinal change of the school administrations, parents, pupils and the entire community; through, their partly established academic center of excellency at Apedi, Aboke Sub-County, Kole District, Northern Uganda.