ReNUH Initative Narrative

Restoring Northern Uganda’s Healthcare: Initiative Development

Restoring Northern Uganda’s Healthcare has been established to serve the mission:
To improve the livelihood of the Internally Displaced People in Northern Uganda and other victims of war by providing fundamental health, empowerment, and education through community development.

ReNUH plans on accomplishing this through increasing accessibility to healthcare, education, and livelihood resources for vulnerable groups.

ReNUH will support community health and development through capacity building and resource coordination by collaborating with Local and Central Government, Donors, NGOs, CBOs, and other sector partners.

The immediate and operational objectives of ReNUH are:

1. To research post conflict effects on the community and individual level.
2. To promote and advocate for the most vulnerable members of society such as child orphans, child mothers, the disabled and the sick.
3. To offer necessary resources for the vulnerable such as health treatment and school fees on individual basis.
4. To empower individuals and communities through income generating activities.
5. To increase health accessibility to the vulnerable by improving and supporting both facilities and human resources.
6. To educate and build on existing societal infrastructures in order to promote health viability, financial stability and sustainability.
7. To establish an emergency response system where shelter and healthcare will be provided.
8. To promote community viability with in the resettlement areas and places of IDP camps.
9. To establish a professional international volunteer community through providing training and support in the various sectors.

ReNUH will accomplish these goals by coordinating Community Health outreach with Community Education Outreach to achieve the goals of increased health, education, and access to resources through implementing three programs, The Vulnerable Peoples Empowerment Project; the Mobile Outreach Project; and the Construction and Restoration Project.

Priorities

ReNUH will be operating on a need base scale, serving the most vulnerable individuals and communities first; followed by sustainable capacity building through the construction and renovations of Health Centers and Resource Centers. Implementation of project goals will therefore begin being carried out in the following four phases.

Phase 1 November 2007- December 2007

Research and Development

A) Development of 2 year work plan for ReNUH

B) Registration as CBO or NGO

C) Building Support Network

Phase 2 January 2008 – January 2009
Implementation of People’s Empowerment Project


A) Emergency Health Cases January 2008- January 2009

B) Urgent Victim and Vulnerable Person Support


Phase 3 February 2008 – December 2008

Implementation of Mobile Outreach

A) Mobile Health Clinics February 2008 – December 2008

B) Community Development Teams March 2008 – March 2008


Phase 4 June 2008 – June 2009

Construction and Restoration Project

A) Construction of health centers June 2008- June 2009

B) Construction of resource centers August 2009- August 2009

Phase 1
Research and Development November 2007- December 2007

Phase 1 will serve the purpose of building the foundation to carry out phases 2-4. Phase 1 will consist of strategic field visits, meeting with district and local officials; interviewing the local people; carrying out evaluations of the sites and prioritizing the needs. These assessments will assist in the further development phases 2-4.

Activities

Meeting with district officials
Assessment of community needs
Identification of 3 communities
Recruitment and assignment of Human Resources
Development of Support Network: Sources of funding; Partnering Organizations; Professional Institutions
Further Development of Activities Plan

Outcomes

Phase 1 will have established the foundation for operational phase 2 – 4 to begin. ReNUH will have identified the communities of interest; collaborated with local and district leaders; and have established a rapport with local populations with in the communities to begin providing services.


Phase 2
Vulnerable People’s Empowerment Project (focus on formally abducted turned to child mothers)
December 2007- December 2008

Phase 2 will consist of implementation of People’s Empowerment Project including Emergency Health Cases, Urgent Victim and Vulnerable Person Support which focus on the formally abductees turned to child mothers. .

Vulnerable People’s Empowerment Project

People’s Empowerment Project will identify and focus on the most severely war affected population within the communities of interest the main focus is on the formally abducted turned to child mothers. The PEP aims to handle the problem of formally abducted turned to child mothers globally e.g. improving livelihood.

Individual Emergency Health Cases

Project is set up with the objective to seek out and sponsor individual cases in which child mothers or their pendants is suffering from treatable illness, but because of lack of money, and/ or unavailable resources is unable to receive proper treatment. The victim will have to meet certain criteria to be eligible for sponsorship. The criteria will stress the individual is in an urgent situation, a member of the most vulnerable part of society, a victim of the conflict , and, most importantly, without help will suffer either severe handicapping, or even death.

Activities

We will be compiling information on at approximately 3 candidates per month, and fully sponsoring 15 cases per year.
Develop criteria and assessment
Create partnerships with Hospitals and Universities
Develop campaign to advertise and project needs

Outcome

Sponsorship of individual emergency health cases will provide individual empowerment. Each case will be treated on an individual level providing guidance; medical attention; psycho- social support; and education enabling the individuals to be more competent in society. The individuals will have a better chance to maintain themselves and care for their families.

Vulnerable Person’s Support

Project has been developed to empower individual victims of war. This project will involve the identification of individuals most severely affected by the war whom have spent a critical amount of time in the bush after having been abducted by the LRA. The testimonies from these individuals are being compiled into a book. This book is going to reach the American and European markets to serve as a tool for fundraising as well advocacy and education. With the funds raised through book sales and other fundraising campaigns the project will establish support groups such as IG (Income Generating Activity Group) and SHG (Self Helped Group) for these individuals and their families. Through the formation of support groups, the participants will receive intervention; advocacy; as well as the psychosocial support, and life skill training. This project will also include sponsorship of primary school fees paid for children born in the bush.

Through the development of an income generating activity, establishment of IG (Income Generating Activity Group) ReNUH will provide the selected participants with income as well as training in a skill (e.g. handicraft, crochet huts). The objective is to create sustainability and self relines through income generating activities which will provide salary, skill training, as well as financial training.

ReNUH also aims to support the establishment of SHG (Self Helped Groups) in the IDP Camps. With this act the participants will be able to gain self support for their projects as well general training about saving and business management. ReNUH has already established excellent partnership cooperation with several banks which can provide these specific trainings about saving and account management.

Activities

1. Identify candidates
2. Collect Testimonies
3. Identify individual needs and set up individual profiles
4. Publish Book
5. Develop Campaign
6. Raise Money to Support Participants on National and International Level.
7. Set up IG Groups from the already identified child mothers
8. Find market for the products of the IG groups
9. Identify Camps for the implementation of the SHG Project


Outcome

Phase 2 – People’s Empowerment Project will provide selected individuals with attention to urgent health issues; advocacy and empowerment on an individual scale through sustainable income generation; micro finance and education on life skills training for child mothers and children born in the bush.

Phase 3
Mobile Outreach Project February 2008- February 2009

Phase 3 will consist of the implementation of the Mobile Outreach Project. This project will consist of both the Mobile Health Clinics as well as operation of the Mobile Community Outreach Teams. The two components will serve as mobile resources for the identified communities and work to support each other. ReNUH will begin with first implementation of the Mobile Health clinics, before introducing the Mobile Health Teams.

Mobile Health Clinics

The focus of the Mobile Health clinics is to provide community health outreach to 3 of the most vulnerable communities. This will include - providing basic first aid, curative care and preventive care for the general population within the IDP’s and Resettlement areas.

The Mobile Health Clinic will also serve as a base for conducting field research as well as assessing the communities overall health in order to shift the focus on the most immediate needs at all times.

The Mobile Health Clinic will provide a referral service to direct and refer patients to the existing health infrastructure.

The Mobile Health Clinics will also be partnered with a Mobile Community Development Team in conjunction to their operations. This team will carry out duties and function to compliment each other’s progress and offer support.

Activities

Identify 3 communities
Collaborate with the district and local officials to compliment existing infrastructure and practices.
Develop program objectives for outreach according to resource capacities.
Employ human resources through local and/or international volunteers to operate mobile clinic.
Procure a vehicle, equip and supply.
Set up schedule of visits and length of each stay.

Mobile Community Development Teams

Description

This project will be developed and operated through needs assessments. Community needs will be identified and prioritized according to urgency. This project will:

1. Provide mobile human resources which will go to field and assess community needs.
2. Develop community outreach program to meet each community’s specific needs.
3. Provide community with educational clinics in which they will receive training on sanitation, clean water, agriculture, as well as product and finance management.

The Community Clinics will also be partnered with a Mobile Health Team in conjunction to their operations. This team will carry their duties and functions as to compliment each other’s progress and offer support.

Activities

Identify 3 communities
Collaborate with the district and local officials to compliment existing infrastructure and practices.
Develop program objectives for outreach.
Employ human resources through either local or international volunteers to operate mobile clinic.
Procure a vehicle, equip and supply.
Set up schedule of visits and length of each stay.

Outcomes

Phase 3 will provide the identified communities with access to mobile resources, the Mobile Health Clinics and the Community Development Teams. These communities will benefit by an increase in overall health; better quality of life; and increased knowledge and training.

Phase 4
Construction and Restoration Project June 2007- June 2008

This project will include the restoration and /or construction of Health Centers and Resource centers to improve accessibility to health and education. Construction / restoration of health centers will also include equipping and staffing. Construction of resource centers will provide the communities with a public meeting center, a library and access to technological resources.

Construction/ Restoration of Health Centers

Description

This project will include the restoration and or construction of Health Centers that have been incapacitated because of the war. This will serve the general population of the area would otherwise have no access to basic health care. This project will include implementation of a sustainable program which will recruit and provide human resources to operate and practice with in the community.

The Health Center will also serve as a base for conducting field research as well as assessing the communities overall health in order to shift the focus on the most immediate needs at all times.

The Health Center will provide a referral service to direct and refer patients to the existing health infrastructure.

Activities

Identify areas in need of the Restoration and /or construction.
Collaborate with the district and local officials to compliment existing infrastructure and practices.
Assess and survey area for work plan
Employ contractors to carry out the work.
Equip and Supply Health Center.
Recruit and employ Human Resources to operate center and Support Network
Develop system of regular evaluations- checks and balances.

Outcomes

Increased community health, emergency response, increased accountability, and lowered mortality and morbidity rates.

Resource Centers

This project will consist of the construction and operation of a general Resource Center in which the identified communities will have access to educational and livelihood resources that would otherwise not be available.

The resource center is projected to provide the community with the following:

a. Community meeting house to hold workshops, support groups, and serve for other civic activities.
b. Library and technology center to provide community with access to books, educational and technological resources in which they will be able to use as tools for educational enhancement.
c. Health Unit to provide backup support for community health center, tending to basic health and first aid needs.
d. Social workers/ community counselors to serves as versatile counselor to community and encouraging individual growth.


Activities

1. Identify 3 communities
2. Collaborate with the district and local officials to compliment existing infrastructure and practices.
3. Develop program objectives.
4. Employ human resources through either local or international volunteers to operate resource center.
5. Assessment of building costs and locality.
6. Develop program of introduction into the community.
7. Work with mobile community clinics and local officials in development and implementation of programs.

Outcomes

The Construction and Restoration Project will increase the community’s access to health and educational facilities and resources, leading to increased Health and Community Education. This will help build community morale and build the foundation for future community development