CARE FOR UGANDA – FRIENDS OF LOWERO (FLOW)

1. CARE FOR UGANDA – FRIENDS OF LOWERO (FLOW) UGANDA PROJECTS. PRESENTED BY: MULUMBA MATHIAS HEALTH PROJECTS CO – ORDINATOR CARE FOR UGANDA.

2. MOTOR BIKE AMBULANCE PROJECT

3. This project is aimed at strengthening the community referral system of mostly pregnant women and children under 5 years. • Currently we have 6 motorbike ambulances in the sub counties of Makulubita (3 ambulances), Nyimbwa sub county (2 ambulances) and kamira sub county(1 ambulance). • They are stationed at Bowa hc3, Kasozi hc3, Makulubita hc3 (Makulubita sub county), Nyimbwa hc4, Ssambwe hc2 (Nyimbwa sub county and Kamira hc3 ( Kamira sub county. • They were all donated by care for Uganda – FLOW medical team. • They are manned by drivers who were originally vhts but underwent a driving training all supported by care for Uganda.

4. JOURNEYS MADE The following journeys have been made from January to August 2019

5. Achievements • The project has contributed towards the reduction in maternal and child mortality due to the timely referrals made by the ambulances. An ambulance transporting a mother to the health facility for antenatal care

6. Sustainability plan Care for Uganda formed the Ambulance management committee which sits on a monthly basis. Here all challenges facing the project are discussed and a way forward reached. Ambulance management committee meeting in progress.

7. Sustainability plan – continued. • Care for Uganda – the FLOW Medical team have continued to support the project. They provide fuel to run the ambulances, they cater for repairs and also pay a monthly allowance to the drivers. • Health facility incharges in health facilities where the ambulances are attached have budgeted for some money to cater for the minor repairs

8. challenges • Increasing fuel and oil prices. • Continuous break down of the ambulances which rises the maintenance costs.

9. A lot needs to be done. • The current ambulances need to stay on the road so that they can continue to save lives. • We need more motorbike ambulances in luwero district so that maternal and child mortality can be completely be eliminated within luwero district.

10. Acknowledgements • We thank care for Uganda –FLOW for donating the ambulances. • We thank care for Uganda – FLOW for the continous support they are rendering towards the operations of the ambulances. care for Uganda – FLOW is paying for fuel used by the ambulances its paying for maintenance and the repair of the ambulances. it facilitates each driver with a monthly allowance.

11. THANK YOU SO MUCHQUESTIONS ARE WELCOME

12. GENERAL OVER VIEW • Care for Uganda – Friends of Lowero is currently implementing two projects in luwero district found in the central region of Uganda. • Its implementing the village health teams project and the strengthening of the community referral system through motor bike ambulances

13. VILLAGE HEALTH TEAMS PROJECT. VHT MEMBERS FROM MAKULUBITA, KALASA AND NSANVU PARISHES IN MAKULUBITA SUB COUNTY

14. This project is implemented in 3 sub counties of luwero district. MAKULUBITA SUB COUNTY – 90 vhts. NYIMBWA SUB COUNTY – 90 Vhts. KAMIRA SUB COUNTY – 40 Vhts. .

15. ON GOING ACTIVITIES DONE BY VHTS • With the utmost support from care for Uganda –FLOW , the vhts are carrying out home visiting on a monthly basis. In these visits numerous health promotions activities are carried out and these include: 1. Advising community members on the importance of having a latrine and other sanitary facilities like drying racks, bath shelters among others. .

16. Vhts extending health messages during home visiting

17. A vht checking on the status of a latrine in one of the house holds during the home visting.

18. 2. Helping community members in the construction of hand washing facilities (tippy taps) near latrines. Constructing tippy Taps

19. A WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION OFFICAL washing hands using a tippy tap constructed by VHTs during the world health day.

20. FLOW MEMBERS DURING THE REFRESHER TRAINING. 3. Care for Uganda – FLOW Medical team have supported the refresher training of vhts in all the sub counties where the vhts exist. They actively get involved in these trainings which occur on an annual basis.

21. SOME OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS ATTAINED. Some of the Differences seen in some of the house holds visited AFTER BEFORE A tarpaulin placed behind the latrine to act as a screen for the bath shelter. A screen placed beside the latrine to act as a bath shelter. A HWF in form of a tippy taps constructed at the home at this house hold after the vht visiting it A Hand washing Facility placed on a brick outside a latrine a practice not recommended

22. This house hold was using this bath shelter before our interventions This house hold managed to rehabilitate their bath shelter after our intervention

23. Achievements continued. • Through the home visiting activity, we have contributed to an increase in the number of house holds with latrines from 79% in 2013/14 financial year to 92% in the 2018/19 financial year in Makulubita sub county. Then from 75% in the 2014/15 financial year to 85% in the 2018/19 financial year in Nyimbwasubcounty. • There has been a reduction in the number of children suffering from diarrhoeal diseases in communities. This is evidenced by a high number of ORS sackets getting expired from health facilities because of the low consumption. • This intervention of the monthly visits has helped in the retention of vhts as we have 90% retention. • The vhts trained by care for Uganda have been taken up by other organizations like MILDMAY, PACE among others

24. Sustainability. • The monthly home visiting have helped to sustain the project. • Refresher trainings conducted by the FLOW medical team have so much helped in the project sustainability. • Vhts have gone ahead to form income generating activities which has helped them stay together. WAKAKA and KAKAMA groups have bought chairs and tents for hiring out, MAKANSA vht group has started up a book making project. • The vht groups have registered with the district community development office and can now benefit from government programs. One group has already benefited.( was given 5million ugx in 2018).

25. Sustainability continued 5. The Vhtshold quarterly review meetings which have greatly helped us to monitor and evaluate the work done. . Vhts during quarterly meetings

26. 6. The vhts hold annual gift sharing parties where they exchange gifts amongst themselves which still has helped them stay together.

27. Challenges • Drop out of some vhts due to competing interests that exist. • Negative attitude of some of the community members who have refused to change their behaviors and practices in as far as sanitation necessities are concerned. • Cultural beliefs which prevent some community members from changing.

28. Acknowledgments • We thank care for Uganda for first of all funding the training of the vhts. • We thank care for Uganda – FLOW for supporting the village health teams with the monthly transport refunds. • We specifically thank the members of FLOW medical team who have actively participated and supported refresher trainings of the village health teams over the years.

29. A lot still needs to be done. We still have many households with no latrines and some with poor latrines structures and other sanitary facilities which calls for continuous support towards the vhts so that they can continue doing the work currently being done.

30. We still have house holds with these kinds of latrines

31. We need to ensure that the vhts we trained are continuously motivated so that they do not drop out.

32. Thanks for supporting us

33. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. QUESTIONS ARE WELCOME Please like our page: www.facebook/WAKAKA VHT GROUP