CADIS International's intervention in Uganda began in 2021 with the post-Covid resilience project called "Support for livelihoods, skills training for youth, and health promotion in Musoli, Uganda."
The village of Musoli is located in the Mayuge district of Uganda, near Lake Victoria. Fishing is the main source of income for families settled along the lake. With the current government health safety protocols, especially for communities around the lake due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many families have lost their means of survival. In general, in Uganda, 36% of workers are female and 64% are male. Most of them are employed in primary industries such as fishing, sugarcane cultivation, quarries, restaurants/bars, and the sex exploitation industry, which involves a larger number of girls. Due to poverty, people often cannot even access health services. The most affected are young people who are facing violent and profound changes during Covid-19, with serious consequences for any attempt to reduce poverty in Uganda, especially in Musoli.
In this particular area, CADIS International is promoting an intervention that, for three years, will strengthen the socio-economic resilience of 90 young people and improve access to health services in the village of Musoli. The project aims to (1) increase job opportunities for 90 young people, (2) increase their monthly income, (3) activate youth participation in community development activities, (4) establish micro-enterprises by young people, and (5) improve the general health conditions of the people.
The current situation in the Mayuge district presents overlapping areas of the problem: the capacity of the health system to respond to the community's health problems and the underlying factors that influence their per capita income.
The people of Musoli are supplied directly by small pharmacies and private clinics, which are not easily accessible and affordable for the general population, not to mention the quality of care provided, as they are unable to handle many basic services. The clinics are constantly affected by a lack of medicines and other supplies due to inadequate funding and an imperfect logistics system. Here, the Camillian Delegation of Uganda has started the construction of a health facility.
The project is implemented by the Camillian Fathers and Brothers (CFB) in Uganda. The CFB has already provided for community involvement, presentation of the project to local public authorities, and selection of beneficiaries (60 young people for fishing and 30 girls for catering, hairdressing, and tailoring courses) who have already been enrolled in the orientation program and seminars.
The project foresees continuity by the end of the funding period following several phases:
- Development and creation of alternative skills for self-employment
- Involvement of beneficiaries at all levels with various activities throughout the duration of the project
- Training and creation of institutions in productive skills, leadership, and management
- Investment in microfinance activities to encourage the sustainability of their finances through the formation of small businesses
- Collection and analysis of information on community services to facilitate the connection of communities to essential service providers and sources of information at the end of the project.
Report information by
Boniface Walusibmi
For the Camillian Fathers and Brothers
