Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09KAMPALA526
2009-05-22 08:23:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Kampala
Cable title:  

USAID/OFDA MONITORING VISIT TO NORTHERN UGANDA

Tags:  EAID PHUM PREL UG 
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VZCZCXYZ0008
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKM #0526/01 1420823
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220823Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1435
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0111
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0598
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1043
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0282
UNCLAS KAMPALA 000526 

AIDAC

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

USAID/DCHA
DCHA/OFDA FOR ACONVERY, KCHANNELL, KDISSELKOEN
DCHA/FFP FOR JBORNS, JDWORKEN
AFR/EA FOR KDEGRANGES
STATE FOR AF/E
USUN FOR DMERCADO
BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
USMISSION UN ROME FOR HSPANOS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIDPHUMPRELUG
SUBJECT: USAID/OFDA MONITORING VISIT TO NORTHERN UGANDA

- - - -
SUMMARY
- - - -

UNCLAS KAMPALA 000526

AIDAC

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

USAID/DCHA
DCHA/OFDA FOR ACONVERY, KCHANNELL, KDISSELKOEN
DCHA/FFP FOR JBORNS, JDWORKEN
AFR/EA FOR KDEGRANGES
STATE FOR AF/E
USUN FOR DMERCADO
BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
USMISSION UN ROME FOR HSPANOS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIDPHUMPRELUG
SUBJECT: USAID/OFDA MONITORING VISIT TO NORTHERN UGANDA

- - - -
SUMMARY
- - - -


1. From March 30 to 31, 2009 a USAID team visited OFDA NGO
activities in northern Uganda. These activities focus on
improving returning IDP's access to water, sanitation,
hygiene and livelihoods through rehabilitation of water
points, hygiene education, and income generating
activities.


2. The program is having a generally positive impact;
however, the hygiene promotion programs continue to
struggle as NGOs work to bring about behavior change. This
is evidenced by the low priority returnees give to latrine
construction and the increase in Hepatitis E virus (HEV),
particularly in Kitgum District.


3. One issue noted throughout the visit was the dependency
on foreign assistance. It is understandable considering
that many people have relied on humanitarian assistance for
up to 20 years, but it does create a challenge for NGOs
transitioning from emergency to development assistance.
End summary.

- - - - - -
Background
- - - - - -


4. From March 30 to 31, USAID/OFDA Disaster Operations
Specialist Michelle Shirley and USAID/Kampala Program
Management Specialist (PMS) David Mutazindwa traveled to
Gulu, Pader and Kitgum Districts to monitor OFDA programs
implemented by the International Rescue Committee (IRC),
AVSI, Mercy Corps, and Medair.


5. Since 1986, protracted conflict between the LordQs
Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda (GOU)
has led to a complex emergency in northern Uganda marked by
violent attacks against civilians, extensive displacement,
and the abduction of children for forced conscription,
labor, and sexual servitude. In early 2005, the U.N. Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
reported that LRA attacks had displaced nearly 95 percent
of the ethnic Acholi population in Gulu, Kitgum, Pader, and
Lira districts. At the height of the conflict,
approximately 1.8 million people were internally displaced
by ongoing violence in Uganda. Since 2006, improved
security, increased freedom of movement, and significant
progress toward a negotiated settlement to the conflict
have facilitated internally displaced persons (IDPs) to
relocate closer or return to villages of origin. As of
September 2008, OCHA reported that more than two thirds of

IDPs residing in camps in northern Uganda had returned to
areas of origin. Furthermore, security throughout the
region is good and contributing to continued confidence in
return.

- - - - - - - - - - - -
Hepatitis E Virus (HEV)
- - - - - - - - - - - -


6. On March 30, the team visited soon to terminate
water/sanitation/hygiene (WASH) activities in Kitgum being
implemented by IRC and AVSI. The NGOs are constructing
and/or rehabilitating boreholes, hand-dug wells and
latrines, and undertaking hygiene education and promotion.


7. Both organizations cited poor sanitation practices as
the leading causes of diarrheal diseases, particularly
HEV. Because of the HEV outbreak in mid-2008, IRC has
invested significant effort in prevention and treatment of
the disease in Kitgum. The team visited Adyel village,
where IRC is working with a community health group, village
health teams, and water user committees to raise awareness
of HEV. The community health group performed a play that
outlined the causes of HEV, the importance of seeking
medical assistance, and measures that can be taken to
prevent the spread of HEV.


8. Following the IRC visit, the team met with AVSI and
reviewed its WASH activities in Otto Jamaica village where
roughly 55 IDP families have returned. AVSI installed a
borehole after learning that residents were using a
contaminated hand dug well. Following the installation of
the borehole, village residents were provided with
instructions, tools and prefabricated floor slabs to
construct household latrines.


9. AVSI highlighted increasing HEV cases as the biggest
issue it deals with at the moment. Given the continuous
return of IDPs, it is often hard to pinpoint where the
disease began thus making it difficult to determine where
to target interventions. There is also a growing concern
that the number of cases could rise significantly with the
onset of the rainy season. In addition to the challenge of
behavior change, AVSI said latrines are non existent or
poorly maintained in IDP transit sites and home villages.
Furthermore, as returns increased, NGOs turned their focus
from the original IDP camps to transit sites and home
villages. The maintenance of latrines in the original
camps was thereby reduced. Unfortunately, people continue
to move between the original camps to transit or home
villages, carrying HEV with them.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Returnee Support in Pader
- - - - - - - - - - - - -


10. The team visited Mercy Corps activities in Wol sub-
county in Pader District. Mercy Corps has activities to
support the economy and market systems, WASH, and
agriculture and food security. As part of the former,
Mercy Corps is implementing a labor based road project to
shorten travel times from Okwadoko village and surrounding
areas to Pader town. The road was identified as a priority
by district government officials and returnees. Each
worker is given an assignment and is paid based on the
completion of that assignment. This allows beneficiaries
the flexibility to work on the project and prepare their
fields.


11. From Okwadoko, the team moved to Otingo-wiye to see
WASH activities being implemented at a local primary school
and agriculture activities. Mercy Corps constructed school
latrines and is promoting child-to-child hygiene education
in the schools. Agriculture activities are focusing on
produce marketing. This was based on input from
beneficiaries, who stated that they didnQt need seeds and
tools, but required assistance in selling the produce.
Since all of these activities were designed based on input
by the local communities, there is a strong sense that they
will be sustainable especially since there appears to be a
sense of ownership of many of the activities.


12. The last site visit was with Medair. The team met with
the hygiene coordinator, field director, and health
coordinator. Medair is implementing WASH activities in
Pader District. The health coordinator was very
knowledgeable about the Medair program and was able to
confirm the positive impact of the OFDA-funded WASH
interventions on the general health status of the
population.


13. However, despite the program's initially evident
impact, this was the most disappointing visit of the two
days. While Medair's OFDA-funded activity ended on the day
of our visit, there was unfinished work in the sites
visited. The construction of the school latrines visited
was completed a month before, however, the latrines are not
being used because the holes in the floor have not been
cut. When asked, Medair blamed the contractor. When a
school teacher was asked about latrine use by the students,
he stated that boys use two rudimentary structures, while
girls used brush around the school. It was clear that
Medair had not visited this village in quite some time.
The Program Management Specialist will return to the
village in the coming months to ensure that the work has
been completed.

- - - - - -
Conclusions
- - - - - -


14. Overall, USAID/OFDA funding has made a significant
impact on the lives and livelihoods of the returning
population. As with any intervention, there are challenges
with program implementation. Therefore, it is suggested
that follow-up visits be made by the Program Management
Specialist over the next year to ensure that activities are
being carried out and completed per the grant agreements.


15. There was little or no branding and marking of
USAID/OFDA-funded activities, with the exception of t-
shirts and caps. When questioned, the NGOs stated that
signs will be posted at each site in the coming weeks.
This is another issue that should be followed up on during
subsequent monitoring visits, especially since each NGO
received funding for branding and marking activities.


16. Finally, with the approaching rainy season, USAID will
need to continue to monitor HEV. The increase during the
dry season is disturbing and if the trend continues, there
could be a spike during rains in the May-July timeframe.

HOOVER