Journalist in Rwenzori region have embarked on a campaign named ‘Name and Shame’, a program where Journalists make spot visits to key service delivery sectors say of health and education targeting government primary schools and health centers. When they visit the facility, they monitor the state of services offered and where there is a gap may be resulting from an individual’s/ employee attitude, they make thorough investigations then come on radio and talk about what exactly was found on ground.
On 10th August 2019, during ToroDev’s supported weekly program ‘Orukurato’ that is aired every Saturday 8:00-10:00Pm on Hits Fm, a local Fm radio station in the region, the moderator Mr. Kasigazi William Donanto engaged citizens/listeners on how they viewed Universal Primary Education (UPE), a government program that was started in 1996 with the main policy tools for achieving poverty reduction and human development. The objectives of UPE included; ensuring universal and equitable access to quality basic education for all children through: Early Childhood Care and Development for children up to 8 years, Universal Primary Education for children from 6 years to 12 years and Education for the disadvantaged groups from 6 years to 18 years. Also the program aimed at improving the Quality of Education in Primary Education by ensuring pass rates in literacy and numeracy (at the appropriate class grade) levels through the National Assessment of Progress of Education (NAPE), in Post-primary Education by ensuring achievements attainment targets rates in English, Mathematics, Science and Information Technology among others but the quality of education in most government primary schools is still desired.
About sixty (60) people participated through phone call and Sms platforms, twelve (12) women participated by calling in while nine (9) sent Sms. Here are some of their views; ‘’What they call free is not actually free because most government schools we pay fees and they demand other things including brooms on addition to scholastic materials, why can’t government declare the program officially that parents need to pay fees instead’’, Said Adolf Kisembo, a caller from Rwimi Sub County in Bunyangabu District, ‘’We plan to storm the offices of RDCs to stop the program because government schools are not different from private ones and the worst thing is that there is no quality education in government primary schools, the performance is really very poor’’, Said Margret Kateba, a caller from Karambi Sub County in Kabarole District, ‘’I personally would have no problem with paying fees for my children in government schools if they were teaching them, teachers are not supervised, teacher-pupil ratio a challenge, infrastructure, etc something should be done if we are to improve education standards in the country’’, Said Joseph Irumba, a caller from Kyegegwa District, ‘’Children these days are over studying but not passing, they live home very early in the morning and come back late with no time to do their home work, government is aware of these things especially in private schools but has kept a deaf ear and I believe this affects our children’’, Said Grace from Katebwa Sub County in Kabarole District through an Sms, ‘’Late coming and absenteeism of teachers is very common in government primary schools, we always see teachers in their private businesses during school time, Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs) are not doing their work and need regular induction and capacity building there is need for program overhaul’’, Said Mr. Mugisa a caller from Katooke Town Council in Kyenjojo District.
Many schools in Uganda are yet to be rehabilitated to look like the one on the right hand side
On the health sector, most callers concluded that media and civil society engagement work in advocacy for improved service delivery has changed reporting and departure of health workers on duty and ill handling of patients in many government health centers. There used to be instances where available drugs could not be given out to patients but today things have changed, now health workers have improved on their reporting and living time, improved patient-health worker relationship and improved management of drug stock outs. ‘’I always get health services from Kasunganyanja HC III in Bunyangabu District, these days the way health workers handle patients is different from those days when they could just bark at us, they report early and live on time. They always give out the drugs whenever available. We really appreciate their work now as community members and also the Non- governmental organizations who make a lot of noise to make things work in our communities’’, Said Margret Kisembo through a phone call from Kasunganyanja in Bunyangabu District.
Meanwhile Mr. Mukonyezi Wilfred, the moderator of ToroDev’s supported weekly radio program ‘Listener’s Forum’ that is aired every Sunday 8:00-10:00Pm, on 25th August 2019 engaged listeners on the state of safe and clean water from their communities after the Kabarole District water officer Mr. Basude Bruno failed to appear for the program even after confirming attendance to share the District plans on the water sector.
Over fifty (50) people called in to share the status-quo from their respective communities. ‘’We people of Ntoroko district have suffered for a long time with lack of safe and clean water, as human beings we cannot access safe and clean water even our animals during dry spells end up dying due to lack of water, we appeal to government through our leaders to team up and help we people in remote communities because water is life’’, Said Dan Muhumuza, District Councilor representing Butungama Sub County in Ntoroko District through a phone call, ‘’We get water from streams where we share with animals, the boreholes that existed are now faulty and the situation is worse, we are suffering from water borne diseases and our women and children are suffering most, something should be done to save us from diseases’’, Said Patrick Sanyu a caller from Kisomoro Sub County in Bunyangabu district.
Many communities in the Rwenzori region still lack safe and clean water and still suffer from water borne diseases
Lack of safe and clean water is a real challenge especially in the districts of Ntoroko, Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo and Bunyangabu. Based on the number of callers and their views, there is need to improve service delivery in the water sector.
We thank all our development partners for the support in improving services in communities and keeping citizens informed.
