With financial support from SIDA ToroDev held a one day District local government-CSOs Forum meeting to discuss reports derived from the MML e-participation System focusing on status of service delivery in health, education and economic sustainability programs in the district.  Further discussions were on  guidelines of CSOs in monitoring processes, district development plan for 2018, NGO monitoring tool, the roles of the district NGO committees, challenges affecting CSOs and way forward to address the challenges,etc

The meeting was held on 27^th / Feb/2018 and it was attended by 95 participants including the Chief Administrative Officer, LC V chairperson, vice district chairperson, heads of departments, district speaker,  district planner  15  community development officers, 40  CSOs representatives  and the media.

“As An organisation we designed an online platform called “Me and My Leader” (MML) e-Participation platform where citizens use internet, Sms and radio to participate in discussions. The purpose of the platform is to facilitate an open dialog between citizens and duty bearers and make citizens more involved in the government decision making processes. By using the MML-platform, citizens will also be kept informed about ongoing government matters. The platform is implemented in Uganda and Kenya. Participants in Uganda can send a pre-paid Sms to 6115”, Said David Kugonza while giving opening remarks  before sharing the report generated through the system.

while sharing the MML platform report, David said many issues have been reported in the month of January 2018 including; absenteeism of teachers, health workers and pupils, increased drop out, early marriage, lack of safe and clean work in Harugongo, Kicwamba and other sub counties, insecurity especially on women at Harugongo police post, etc. He said the issues need joint efforts to address them at that is the reason we are here today.

“As CSOs we need to work together to deliver services to people.We need to join efforts and advocate for better services and address key challenges faced in major sectors of  education and health this can be done by planning together and joint fundraising”.  Said Mr. Mugisha David the DCDO Kabarole district.

He further requested CSOs to share their quarterly reports to be captured in the district reports so that they can be aligned and harmonized with the one for the district for proper planning and budgeting. 

“Today we are here to coordinate, share experience, challenges and find way forward.  It’s always good to come together as district officials and CSOs to share ideas on how to improve services jointly, we are always ranked the best district in education due to joint efforts of CSOs and district”. Said Hon Richard Rwabuhinga the LCV Kabarole District during his opening remarks.

Hon Richard added as a district we invite CSOs to share information, join effort to share budgets and mobilize for funds. We request CSOs to spread to other places which are  under served other than  having 10 CSOs concentrating in the same area.

“As education sector  we need to ensure good collaboration with all development partners in the district to positively address challenges affecting the education sector. Some of the challenges are: early marriages  in  the 3 sub counties of  Karangura, Kabende and Kasenda, late coming of learners, high school dropouts, absenteeism of learner among others. We need joint efforts to get solutions to these challenges.”.  Said Miss Harriet Nyakahuma District Education Officer (DEO) Kabarole District.

Outputs     

• Ninety five (95) participants attended including: Chief Administrative Officer, District chairperson, DEO, DCDO, District Planner, other heads of departments, secretaries for health, education, production, natural resources, media and  50  representatives of NGO’s/ CBO’s operating in Kabarole district
• MML e-participation system promoted.
• Report for the month of December 2017 and January 2018 specifically focusing on the key issues raised by citizens from Kabarole district shared for duty bearers to pay attention and provide way forward

• NGO’s/CBOs shared ideas on how to improve the work and how to advocate for better services in the district. had joint planning with district local government on how to address key issues raised through the system
• Action points set

 Outcomes/Responses to issues from MML report

• I request ToroDev to share the issues raised through the system on a weekly basis so that we can plan together and find a way forward to address urgent issues immediately.  “I thank ToroDev for initiating the MML system, this system will help us get to know deeper views shared by community members where individual can’t reach but the system can reach there. I also request you to link the system to the Health Management Information System to get issues and respond to them on time”. Said Hon Richard Rwabuhinga while addressing key issues raised through MML system.
• To address the issues of early marriage especially in Karangura, Kabende and Kasenda,I call upon  CSO’s and district Education department to do joint monitoring and sensitize parents to support their girls.
• The district chairperson pledged to  hold regular  meetings with the health workers who absent themselves from duty, this issue was raised through MML e-participation system where health workers absent themselves from work and this was hindering proper service delivery and patients could not be fully served.
• Furthermore the LCV committed himself to work with local leaders and CSOs to fully follow up the issue of police officers who were reported to have harassed women in Harugungo sub county, Kabarole District. This issue was reported through the system in the month of January 2018. “I pledge to follow up this issue with local leaders in that sub county until I find out the real truth and if the culprits are discovered we shall arrest them immediately”.

Action plan.