NUSAF rebuilds northern Uganda
Mar 08, 2006
Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF) is a community-driven five-year development project funded by the World Bank (WB) at US $100m (sh180b). The government of Uganda funds US $13.5m and the community, US $20.0m.
Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF) is a community-driven five-year development project funded by the World Bank (WB) at US $100m (sh180b). The government of Uganda funds US $13.5m and the community, US $20.0m.
The project is to empower 18 districts in northern Uganda including Gulu, Kitgum, Pader, Lira, Apac, Moyo, Yumbe, Adjumani, Arua and Nebbi. Others are Kotido, Moroto, Nakapiripirit, Soroti, Kaberamaido, Katakwi, Kumi and Pallisa. These help by enhancing their capacity to systematically identify, prioritise and plan for their needs within their own value systems. This is through implementation of sustainable development initiatives that improve socio-economic services and opportunities, thereby contributing to improved livelihoods by allocating money to the beneficiaries in the community.
Since NUSAF started, we have received US $39m from the World Bank between April 2003 and December 2005 to fund various and approved community sub-projects. The money is received through NUSAF Monitoring Unit (NUMU) headquarters in Kampala. NUSAF aids small income generating projects that are formally applied for by the poverty stricken community. We have supported about 78% of the sub-projects that have been approved by the community.
Accessibility to funds
It is true there is public outcry that accessing NUSAF money is difficult. First of all, the overall approval of the sub-projects from the community is far below the required target, falling between 18% and 20%. This is because of poor accountability of the funds from the local beneficiaries. The major part of the problem is accountability of the disbursements. This has surprisingly affected bigger districts like Arua, Kitgum, Soroti and Gulu.
The problem has been that there was poor information, education and communication (IEC). Before I took over office in October 2005, the department of information was not functioning well. We need to strengthen it further so that our people, especially in the rural community, get to know all about NUSAF and how to benefit from the funds. This should be easy with strengthening of IEC.
In addition, there had been lack of involvement of officials at the district technical planning committee level to help supervise NUSAF activities and make criticism for corrections. In some NUSAF districts, the officials are too busy on other government programmes and pay too little or no attention to NUSAF. But we are trying to bring all other private players on board to help in the implementation of our activities. Over 12,000 applications for projects from the community are still lying unapproved at the district technical committee level, while 4,100 sub-projects have been approved for NUSAF and at least disbursements have been made following the foregoing problems within the NUSAF management. All the same, we are on target and we are going to exhaust all the US $100m.
We only appeal to all the district leaderships dealing with NUSAF and the general community, which is the direct beneficiary of the funds, to follow the required procedures while applying for their projects’ approval, and also submit timely accountability so that they can access their disbursements. If we make the donors satisfied and they are convinced that our work is benefiting the target groups, then we shall apply to have the second phase of the project.
Achievements
NUSAF has registered achievements especially under the Community Development Initiatives (CDI) in the sectors of water and sanitation, education, health and roads. The total cumulative expenditure as at December 31, 2005 was at sh69 billion. And the total disbursement to the community sub-projects amounts to sh56 billion. This is broken down as Community Development Initiatives (sh40.7b), Vulnerable Group Support (sh13.8b) and Community Reconciliation and Conflict Management (sh1.3b) respectively. By December 2005, NUSAF had funded 266 sub-projects with 20 sub-projects (sh132m) in Moroto, 25 (sh201m) in Kotido, 13 (sh80m) in Moyo, two projects in Yumbe (sh10m), 61 in Apac (sh292m) and in Gulu 29 (sh124m) sub-projects. In Pader 29 sub-projects were funded (sh140m), 26 projects (sh95m) in Kumi, eight sub-projects (sh28m)in Arua, Katakwi received sh19m for five sub-projects, Lira 30 (sh133m), Adjumani 14 (sh56m) and four sub-projects were funded in Kitgum at sh19.5m.
Water and sanitation sector
A total of 504 sub-projects have been funded comprising 473 boreholes sunk, two piped water line extensions connected, two spring water dug, 19 ventilated improved pit-latrines dug and four sanitation promotions made.
The water is expected to serve 141, 900 people (28, 380 households). According to the 2002 population census figures of 18 districts, NUSAF contributed 2.2%.
In the education sector, a total of 993 sub-projects have been funded. This includes construction of 486 classroom blocks (1,937 classrooms), 404 teachers’ blocks (808 houses), 30 school laboratories, 26 dormitories, four school libraries, two public libraries and 10 vocational training centres. Supply of furniture, fencing a school and 27 other sub-projects were also carried out.
In the health sector, a total of 88 sub-projects were funded. These include 78 health centre II and III blocks, nine health workers’ staff houses were constructed and a health centre was fenced.
In the road sector, NUSAF has so far funded work on 450km of 53 community roads projects. The roads are expected to increase accessibility to markets and also link communities or villages in the districts where there is relative peace.
NUSAF has planted 288 trees in line with MDG goal of increasing forest cover to ensure environment sustainability. This is through funding the agro-forest sub-projects by the community. NUSAF has extended its support and funded 2,083 sub-projects to a tune of sh13bn. These range from the Venerable Groups (VGs) to communities, local authorities, civil society and other institutions that work with the vulnerable groups to develop and sustain them. This component constitutes five areas like income generation, vocational skills training, family support structure, time and labour saving technologies, and counselling. Beneficiaries are 44,507 comprising people with disabilities (1,335), elderly (890), internally displaced persons (30,265), orphans (2,225), HIV/AIDS victims (445), households or widows (2,670) and 179 formerly abducted children. Others are ex-LRA combatants (134) and gun dropouts (133), foster parents or households supporting VGs (5,341) and youth (890).
Challenges
NUSAF is faced with overwhelming demand for support from the community, political interference, inadequate monitoring and supervision of sub-projects by district teams and insecurity. Other problems include poor targeting of beneficiaries, mismanagement of sub-projects by the implementing agencies and the community, poor involvement of NGOs Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in in running and monitoring the projects. Accountability of funds by the community is also a problem. I hope that by the end of his year, NUSAF will be on target and on track. We encourage the community to bring their problems so that we address them.
Ends
The project is to empower 18 districts in northern Uganda including Gulu, Kitgum, Pader, Lira, Apac, Moyo, Yumbe, Adjumani, Arua and Nebbi. Others are Kotido, Moroto, Nakapiripirit, Soroti, Kaberamaido, Katakwi, Kumi and Pallisa. These help by enhancing their capacity to systematically identify, prioritise and plan for their needs within their own value systems. This is through implementation of sustainable development initiatives that improve socio-economic services and opportunities, thereby contributing to improved livelihoods by allocating money to the beneficiaries in the community.
Since NUSAF started, we have received US $39m from the World Bank between April 2003 and December 2005 to fund various and approved community sub-projects. The money is received through NUSAF Monitoring Unit (NUMU) headquarters in Kampala. NUSAF aids small income generating projects that are formally applied for by the poverty stricken community. We have supported about 78% of the sub-projects that have been approved by the community.
Accessibility to funds
It is true there is public outcry that accessing NUSAF money is difficult. First of all, the overall approval of the sub-projects from the community is far below the required target, falling between 18% and 20%. This is because of poor accountability of the funds from the local beneficiaries. The major part of the problem is accountability of the disbursements. This has surprisingly affected bigger districts like Arua, Kitgum, Soroti and Gulu.
The problem has been that there was poor information, education and communication (IEC). Before I took over office in October 2005, the department of information was not functioning well. We need to strengthen it further so that our people, especially in the rural community, get to know all about NUSAF and how to benefit from the funds. This should be easy with strengthening of IEC.
In addition, there had been lack of involvement of officials at the district technical planning committee level to help supervise NUSAF activities and make criticism for corrections. In some NUSAF districts, the officials are too busy on other government programmes and pay too little or no attention to NUSAF. But we are trying to bring all other private players on board to help in the implementation of our activities. Over 12,000 applications for projects from the community are still lying unapproved at the district technical committee level, while 4,100 sub-projects have been approved for NUSAF and at least disbursements have been made following the foregoing problems within the NUSAF management. All the same, we are on target and we are going to exhaust all the US $100m.
We only appeal to all the district leaderships dealing with NUSAF and the general community, which is the direct beneficiary of the funds, to follow the required procedures while applying for their projects’ approval, and also submit timely accountability so that they can access their disbursements. If we make the donors satisfied and they are convinced that our work is benefiting the target groups, then we shall apply to have the second phase of the project.
Achievements
NUSAF has registered achievements especially under the Community Development Initiatives (CDI) in the sectors of water and sanitation, education, health and roads. The total cumulative expenditure as at December 31, 2005 was at sh69 billion. And the total disbursement to the community sub-projects amounts to sh56 billion. This is broken down as Community Development Initiatives (sh40.7b), Vulnerable Group Support (sh13.8b) and Community Reconciliation and Conflict Management (sh1.3b) respectively. By December 2005, NUSAF had funded 266 sub-projects with 20 sub-projects (sh132m) in Moroto, 25 (sh201m) in Kotido, 13 (sh80m) in Moyo, two projects in Yumbe (sh10m), 61 in Apac (sh292m) and in Gulu 29 (sh124m) sub-projects. In Pader 29 sub-projects were funded (sh140m), 26 projects (sh95m) in Kumi, eight sub-projects (sh28m)in Arua, Katakwi received sh19m for five sub-projects, Lira 30 (sh133m), Adjumani 14 (sh56m) and four sub-projects were funded in Kitgum at sh19.5m.
Water and sanitation sector
A total of 504 sub-projects have been funded comprising 473 boreholes sunk, two piped water line extensions connected, two spring water dug, 19 ventilated improved pit-latrines dug and four sanitation promotions made.
The water is expected to serve 141, 900 people (28, 380 households). According to the 2002 population census figures of 18 districts, NUSAF contributed 2.2%.
In the education sector, a total of 993 sub-projects have been funded. This includes construction of 486 classroom blocks (1,937 classrooms), 404 teachers’ blocks (808 houses), 30 school laboratories, 26 dormitories, four school libraries, two public libraries and 10 vocational training centres. Supply of furniture, fencing a school and 27 other sub-projects were also carried out.
In the health sector, a total of 88 sub-projects were funded. These include 78 health centre II and III blocks, nine health workers’ staff houses were constructed and a health centre was fenced.
In the road sector, NUSAF has so far funded work on 450km of 53 community roads projects. The roads are expected to increase accessibility to markets and also link communities or villages in the districts where there is relative peace.
NUSAF has planted 288 trees in line with MDG goal of increasing forest cover to ensure environment sustainability. This is through funding the agro-forest sub-projects by the community. NUSAF has extended its support and funded 2,083 sub-projects to a tune of sh13bn. These range from the Venerable Groups (VGs) to communities, local authorities, civil society and other institutions that work with the vulnerable groups to develop and sustain them. This component constitutes five areas like income generation, vocational skills training, family support structure, time and labour saving technologies, and counselling. Beneficiaries are 44,507 comprising people with disabilities (1,335), elderly (890), internally displaced persons (30,265), orphans (2,225), HIV/AIDS victims (445), households or widows (2,670) and 179 formerly abducted children. Others are ex-LRA combatants (134) and gun dropouts (133), foster parents or households supporting VGs (5,341) and youth (890).
Challenges
NUSAF is faced with overwhelming demand for support from the community, political interference, inadequate monitoring and supervision of sub-projects by district teams and insecurity. Other problems include poor targeting of beneficiaries, mismanagement of sub-projects by the implementing agencies and the community, poor involvement of NGOs Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in in running and monitoring the projects. Accountability of funds by the community is also a problem. I hope that by the end of his year, NUSAF will be on target and on track. We encourage the community to bring their problems so that we address them.
Ends