The Rakai Kooki community programme
The Rakai Kooki community development programme is located in
the Kooki county, Rakai district, southern Uganda. Lake Victoria
forms the eastern boundary of the area. The programme reaches 126
villages with a total population of 60,000 people. World Vision's
partnership with Rakai Kooki started in 1999 and is envisaged to
continue until 2013, when the community will be fully equipped with
the resources and skills to take ownership of its own development.
In the past year, significant improvements were made in the final
focus areas of health, HIV and AIDS, and food security.
Issues covered: Health; HIV and AIDS,
food security and water
Updates on World Vision's work
Health; HIV and AIDS
- The prevalence of malaria in ten districts was halved over the
past year, following an education programme on malaria prevention
conducted by World Vision primary healthcare workers in conjunction
with other non-governmental organisations, the local hospital,
local radio stations and district health counsellors.
- 700 orphans and vulnerable children (including households
headed by children whose parents died of AIDS) were supported with
food supplies and inputs, such as seed and livestock, to help them
improve their nutrition and household income.
Food security and water
- The training of 755 farmers in modern agricultural practices in
the past year has resulted in an increase in maize production, from
200kg to 500kg per household per half a hectare; beans from 150kg
to 450kg per household per half a hectare, and coffee from 700kg to
1500kg per half a hectare.
- 260 families were able to harvest more than 600 litres of
rainwater, after the construction and installation of
rainwater-harvesting tanks. The result has been a drop in
water-borne diseases and a decrease in the amount of time women and
children spend collecting water from sources far from home.
The Rakai Kooki community is in the fourteenth year of its
development journey with World Vision.
Life on
the ground in Rakai Kooki
Empowering the most vulnerable
Margret Nabukera, member of an HIV and
AIDS interpersonal therapy group that supports people living with
HIV and AIDs, and orphans and vulnerable children.
HIV and AIDS prevention, care and support is a priority in the
Rakai Kooki community. Through an interpersonal therapy group
project established with the support of World Vision, families and
children affected by HIV and AIDS are being empowered to become
self-reliant. Margret Nabukera, a member of one of these groups
explains: "Much as we had free primary education opportunities, the
lack of basic scholastic materials in form of text books, uniforms
and stationery, caused children to drop out of school." Through the
project, members were supported with tents, chairs and other
utensils to hire out and earn an income. Group members were also
supported with piglets to raise and sell. From the profit, members
could pay children's school fees, and afford medical care and
nutritious food. The group has been so successful that 1000 orphans
and vulnerable children were able to attend school in the past
year. Together with community care coalitions, the interpersonal
therapy group also supported another 700 orphans and vulnerable
children with food supplies. "Family life has changed for the
better. I wonder where we would be, had World Vision not
intervened. May God reward you on our behalf," said Margret.
Uganda at a glance
Winston Churchill referred to Uganda as the pearl of Africa.
Situated in the Great Lakes region of Africa, the country has
beautiful mountains, fertile soils, regular rainfall and sizeable
mineral deposits. It also has significant levels of poverty - 38
per cent of the people live below the poverty line.
Family life has changed for the better. I wonder where we
would be, had World Vision not intervened. May God reward you on
our behalf.
- Margret Nabukera, HIV and AIDS interpersonal
group therapy member, Buyamba