RE: Testimony from the maarifa centre users

Meet Maarifa Users

 I am a frequent Maarifa centre user. As a businessman I deal with agro inputs and I have benefited a lot from this centre. I use free internet to send emails, access business information from online sites ,I also get sports information and access daily monitor and other newspaper online.

I am actually enrolled in computer packages and hope to successful complete. Thanks to Metu Maarifa centre, says’ , Oduti Kerubin Metu trading centre

New Advisory Committee Board

The stakeholders for their very important exercise/meeting for the smooth running of the maarifa centre

New Advisory Committee Board Members around the Maarifa  Centre

Held at Metu Sub-county headquarters. 

Other Maarifa centres

Please view other Maarifa centres in Uganda koromaarifa.blogspot.com

METU MAARIFA CENTRE & PICTORIAL ON ICDL PROGRAMME

Metu Maarifa Centre is a one of the  ALIN's Community Resource Centre Located in Moyo District towards north of the country “Uganda” Metu Maarifa Centre offers free access of information to the Community members  with an aim of improving their livelihoods through giving a practical knowledge.
In addition to its community empowerment pillars the Maarifa Centre has introduced a free computer training program as from 16^th ,January 2012 till 16^th April,2012.

The trainer giving a brief theory on the basics.

The Arid Lands Information Network working closely with all the maarifa centres in East Africa piloted a very important exercise for the entire maarifa centres enhance free computer training. Metu Maarifa centre is one of the busy centre in terms of expanding the knowledge to others by giving out the basic information on the following packages including:-

v  Introduction to computer

v  Microsoft windows Xp

v  Proficiency word processing.

v  Microsoft Excel 2007

v  Office 2007 Microsoft power point and

v  Information and communication (Internet).

For the last 44 days. The training has attracted over 107 people including the farmers, youths, NGOs and local government officials in the sub-county and elders among others.

The connectivity of Metu people have embarrassed this programme with lots of enthusiasm and joy.

Trainees participating & listening to trainer's instructions.

Mr. Ogoro Peter the Local Council (LC) III expressed his gratitude to the organization (ALIN) for opening their eyes to face the challenges of the globalized world.

Mr Madrara Anjelo, who is now 60 years of age  said surely, it is a miracle that he is able to touch machine called computer at his age, it’s like a dram because he used to think that, computer was like a human person. Undeliverable he said that he can fit and sit with his children to know the new ways of doing things through learning the basic part of the computer.

The local council and Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) official have appreciated the effort of the Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) they said; it has easy their heavy paper work to information storage systems.

Participants accessing free practical computer knowledge   

However, the farmers said, through the internet services, they are able to acquire new skills, send their reports where it is needed, information and technology for improving their farming system. They further said, if all could be for farmer, by now, they could have lived a better and improved life in the society.

Lots of thanks to the organization ALIN (Arid Lands Information Network) for bringing salvation to open people’s mind in Uganda as a whole.         

Prepared by:

Jurugo Simon Drikota

Field Officer –Metu maarifa Centre

The Metu Maarifa Centre

Community members & focal group executive members gathered for their meeting on August 2011at  the maarifa centre 

MALNUTRITION

Article Title: Mal-nutrition in Moyo district

MALNUTRITION

Moyo Hospital is government hospital in Uganda, in northern part of the country and the research carried out in Moyo Hospital indicates the number of mannerists increases in the last three years.

Malnutrition.

This is a medical condition caused by lack of eating enough or right food in the body for better health and hygiene.

An old woman in Metu Sub County stayed without testing food for three days by the time the nutritionist visited her. No body to help her. She lives alone.

Reference points:

According to 2008/2009 Financial Year report from Moyo hospital Nutritionist Mr. Koma Mote, number of children admitted with acute severe Mal-Nutrition is 146 (M 92,F54).Out of this 16 died, 94 cured and discharged, 06 referred for further management, 04 defaulted (their mothers) and 26 were non respondent (take long to recover and needs constant follow up).

Summary report on Mini Nutrition survey carried 1^st  July 2009

The main target population was children aged 6-59 months living in Moyo District.  Out of eight sub counties namely, Moyo, Dufile, Metu, Lefori, Itula, Gimara, Aliba and Moyo Town Council, only Aliba and Metu have been sampled.

The main objectives were the following:

• Estimate the prevalence of acute malnutrition
• Understand the causes of malnutrition.

Findings

Prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM) was 19.1% while severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) was 5.2% in the sample population. Theses figure are both higher than the required standards of World Health Organization (WHO/GAM 15% and SAM 1%). Therefore, according to the survey, the prevalence of malnutrition for under the age of fives in Moyo District is alarming. According to the hospital nutritionist Mr. Koma Mote, stunting was 40% which is above the national average of 38%. Under weight is 32% above the national average of 16%-18%.  Severely acute malnutrition was found at 18% while the national average is 6%.

The above information shows that Moyo District has alarming situation which needs an urgent humanitarian action.

 Acute severe malnutrition from Metu sub county field photo: 14/September/2011

                      Acute severe malnutrition from Metu sub-county (Field visit 11/9/2011

Acute severe malnutrition from Dufile sub county field photo: 12/August/2011

Target Audience.

    

The target group is the households, local council one and women council 

members in the village, head teachers, leaders in religious institutions and all the blog user

The members of finance and planning committee of Moyo Catholic parish have been trained on the topic:  Harmonizing spiritual development with economic development: The church and resource mobilization, committed, self motivated and self driven staff very good at voluntary service.The community members very much appreciate the creative ideas (innovation) of AAP.

        

          CURRENT CHALLENGES          

         The organization lacks funds to acquire the following basic resources:

• Means of transport (motor vehicle, motor bikes) for out reach programmes and taking members produces to market places.
• Computers for keeping information are not there
• Farm implements such as ox-plough and tractor for commercial farming are lacking.
• AAP does not have a projector to easy sensitization
• AAP does not have a generator/solar as source of power.
• Lack adequate liquid cash to promote capacity building in Agro-Nutrition-Income

Current activities.

AAP is in partnership with Community for Rural Empowerment Development (CEFORD) moving in primary schools to advocate about the rights and responsibilities of teachers, pupils, School management committee, Parents and Teachers Association.

Conclusion.

Poor feeding is the main cause of mal-nutrition of all types and affects both under five, children and adults. It also contributes a lot to poor performs of pupils and students in schools.

Given positive attention to support the populaces, most of these set backs will be addressed and majority of the people will be raised out of the acquit poverty line.

 We shall be very grateful to organizations, groups of people and individuals who will be willing to support us in form of ideas and material resources in the struggle to fight and reduce the strength of the biting poverty said by Drati George.

Prepared by:

Field Officer

Jurugo Simon,Metu Maarifa Centre.