This report covers our activities for the period January to December 2015 in which the organization is actively seeking to fulfill its vision and mission. It highlights the organization’s achievements and also reflects on areas that need improvement.

The year 2015 has seen increased economic hardships in Uganda due to sky rocketing commodity prices including fuel and food. This has made it practically difficult for already poor and vulnerable families to survive during these economic times. The high inflation led to high costs especially in our daily operations and in capital procurements.

Increased vulnerability means more young people are likely to drop-out of school and resort to risky sexual activities to survive. Throughout 2015, ML-Uganda has remained faithful to reaching the most vulnerable, including women and most at risk children and youth with information to make informed choices, skills to maintain healthy lifestyles through empowerment and education. We have continued to empower the vulnerable and to provide youth friendly information, services and skills training to adolescents and youth that engage in risky sexual behaviors and reproductive health problems including HIV/AIDS.

From the stories of people that have benefited from ML-Uganda services and programs that we have heard throughout 2015, we are re-energized to continue to pursue the cause for empowerment of people and to liberate them from bondage of human rights abuse and poverty.

We acknowledge the need to support the creation of a supportive environment at national and community levels, to empower parents to take on their parenting role, communities to support families and government to enact and enforce laws and policies that protect and promote the welfare of women, children and youth.

I would like to extend sincere and warm gratitude to our Board and all stakeholders that contributed so much to our mission.

I would like to also acknowledge the tireless efforts of the staff, without whom these great achievements would not be attained.

Special thanks go to our Development Partners for funding our activities. In particular we are grateful to UNDP, Taiwan Fund for Democracy (TFD), Front Line Defenders (FLD), World Day of Prayers, USA, Hilden Charitable Trust, XminY Solidarity Fund and Friends of Ml-Uganda for the financial support that enabled us fulfill our mandate.

Siraje Bazibu

PROGRAM MANAGER

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This 2015 annual report summarizes the progress of work in Missing Link Uganda 2015 financial year. During this period, ML-Uganda remained focused on its mission of working with and through the community to improve the social economic well-being of the most vulnerable groups through empowering them so as they become capable of responding to their challenges and working with Human Rights Defenders (HRDs)

The Strategic objectives of ML-Uganda strategic plans are summarized as follows:

1. Defending Rights of Human Rights Defenders and Community

2. Livelihoods

3. Rights and Social and Accountability

4. Health

A number of project activities were implemented in line with the above strategic objectives recording numerous achievements during this reporting period as outlined below;

ü 200 both in and out of school youth reached with HIV prevention, care and support messages in the district of Bugiri

ü 200,000pieces of both female and male condoms were distributed throughout the year, attaining over 100% increase over the performance attained in 2015.

ü 1 Sub-county AIDS Coordination structures rejuvenated.

ü 100 persons (70 females and 30 males) general population were counselled and tested

ü 5 capacity building workshops held for Human Rights Defenders

ü 50 Human Rights Defenders trained on the concept of Human Rights and management of personal security

ü 10 consultative meetings held with various stakeholders to discuss issues concerning HRDs

ü 5 joint advocacy activities held with likeminded partners

ü 8 interactive Radio talk shows and 50 Spot messages on human rights abuses and Right Based Approaches

ü 100 human rights abuse cases seeking legal advice and assistance referred to other partners for legal assistance, including Police

ü 8 Trainings organised to build the capacity of ML-Uganda staff in Training on social media and human rights; Proposal writing; Reporting and success story documentation; STI and HIV/AIDS management; Records keeping and management; Customer and Care and Service; Advocacy, lobbying and negotiation skills training and Monitoring and evaluation.

ü 20 Albinos sensitized on their rights and responsibilities, through Right Based Approaches.

ü 150 stakeholders, Community Members and Peer Educators were trained in prevention of Sexualised Violence at Parish, Sub County and district levels

ü 15 Sexualised Violence Prevention Committees (SVPC) in Communities and 10 School clubs Schools in 10 schools formed to handle issues of sexualised violence among women and girls and human rights awareness in Namukonge and Bulesa Parishes in Bugiri District.

ü 128 follow up and monitoring visits conducted in the project areas

ü 12,000grafted fruit tree seedlings (oranges, mangoes, paw-paws) procured and distributed to 100 community famers in both Kitodha and Buluwe parishes to engage in fruit tree growing and increase vegetable crop production for improved food security and income generation for improved livelihoods

ü 100 farmers trained on sustainable farming practices and techniques that can help increase crop yields, records keeping and management, including getting technical advice and information on "Integrated Nutrient Management" and "Integrated Pest Management”

ü 100 farmers gained access to agricultural inputs (including fertilizers and pesticides) necessary to enhance crop production and appropriately use them;

ü Over 150 people are demonstrating sustainable land and forest management practices through re-forestation.

ü 1,000 brochures and a Banner with messages on sustainable agronomic practices were distributed to all the stakeholders and potential beneficiaries.

ü More than 500 famers have access relevant information for increased production and access to better markets at Missing Link Uganda through our Volunteers who are regularly in the field.

ü 70 rural women mobilised to form and register self help groups (VSLA) of 10 to 30 members and to come up with an action plans and a resource mobilisation strategy.

ü 70 rural women trained in poultry management, entrepreneurship, agribusiness, financial management, and adaptation to climate change, value chain and addition and other cross cutting issues.

ü 70 women to conduct asset mapping, needs assessment and to come up with an action plans and finally assisted them to come up with a resource mobilisation strategy.

ü 70 indigenous hens distributed to women and youths to improve their incomes

ü 1women Savings & Credit Cooperative Society (SACCO) formed

ü 1 Business Plan Competition held for promising youth social ideas

ü 20 youth participated in social business competition business ideas

ü 30 women living with Obstetric Fistula supported with food and nutrition services, protection and psychosocial support.

ü 520 clients received family planning messages across all

ü 30 women living with Obstetric Fistula supported with food and nutrition services, protection and psychosocial support.

ü 14 interface meetings were held between the service providers and community members.

ü 4 community sensitisation workshops held on Obstetric Fistula to over 160 attendees

ABOUT MISSING LINK UGANDA

Missing Link Uganda (ML-Uganda) is a registered not for profit Civil Society Organization founded in 2007 by a group of visionary Human Rights Defenders with a holistic vision to empower, protect and save humanity. ML-Uganda has a rolling staff of 5 Human Rights Defenders and over 5 regular Community Based Volunteers.

To improve the environment in which HRDs operate in Uganda, Missing Link Uganda (ML-Uganda) campaigns for the removal or improvement of the legal, policy, and institutional regime identified as victimizing or inhibiting the work of HRDs. Our mission is to improve the environment in which human rights defenders operate in Uganda and to empower the masses to understand and demand their rights from duty bearers. We direct each of our efforts in engaging stakeholders and duty bearers to hosting consultative meetings; managing relationships with other organizations and government officials; and educating human rights defenders and communities of their rights and responsibilities through trainings and workshops as well as public dialogues with them. We also promote the implementation of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders by strengthening political support; ensuring communications elicit speedier responses from state parties and increasing public awareness of rights of HRDs.

Our Vision:

A society where the less privileged are able to realize their full social, economic and civic potential.

Our Mission:

To advocate and support the daily needs and rights of the deprived, excluded and vulnerable to enable them initiate and manage their own socio, economic and development process in a holistic approach.

Core Values:

• Compassionate;

• Integrity;

• Accountability;

• Responsibility

Objectives:

a) Increase government support for HRDs and HRD work in Uganda

b) Strengthen capacity of HRD organizations in Uganda at regional and national level

c) Promote public awareness and support for HRDs and their work in Uganda

d) Strengthen the Missing Link Uganda’s organizational capacity

e) To promote national and international networking for exchange programmes;

f) To create awareness on environmental issues and increasing community awareness on the need to keep the environment clean.

g) To provide any form of support as strategy to contribute to a heath community, reduction in domestic violence and environmental degradation.

h) To identify community needs and priority action to formulate primary intervention methods to curtail HIV/AIDS in the community and generally sensitize the people and community

i) To provide health support services to the community, including promotion of safe motherhood in Uganda

j) To promote health campaign among the youth and other vulnerable groups including women and children.

k) To promote National and International Networking for exchange programmes;

l) To create awareness on environmental issues and increasing community awareness on the need to keep the environment clean.

PROGRAM AREAS

1.0 HUMAN RIGHTS PROMOTION AND PROTECTION

a) Capacity Building

Since its establishment, ML-Uganda was actively involved in building the capacity of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) in Eastern Region of the country. Missing Link Uganda acknowledges that some HRDs in Uganda are not empowered enough to carry out their work and therefore needed knowledge, information

and skills. ML-Uganda conducted 5 Capacity building workshops for 50 HRDs following a needs assessment. These workshops were organised using our own resources in the following areas:

· The Concept of Human Rights;

· How to manage personal security

b) Networking and Advocacy

One of the major objectives of ML-Uganda is to promote networking and synergies among HRDs. ML-Uganda participated in a number of advocacy and networking activities together with other HRDs on matters affecting them with a view to improving the human rights situation in the country. In addition, advocacy activities aimed at improving the environment in which HRDs operate and help to protect and promote their rights.

ML-Uganda organized and held 10 consultative meetings with various stakeholders to discuss important issues concerning HRDs and map out strategies for improving the environment in which they operate. In the consultative meetings, ML-Uganda explained to the HRDs its mandate, role and activities; also got information on the stakeholders’ scope of work and experiences. Together ML-Uganda and the stakeholders designed steps for networking and positive alliances to improve the environment for the defense, promotion and protection of human rights and the rights of HRDs.

c) Joint Advocacy Activities

The advocacy activities that ML-Uganda jointly implemented with partners such as Community Self Driven Projects (CSDP), Platform for Human Rights Advocacy, Multi–Community Based Development Initiatives (MUCOBADI) and Bugiri District NGO Forum and many others had outcomes such as Awareness creation about the right to freedom from torture and other inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, health and economic and social empowerment of women and youth.

d) Media Campaigns

At Missing Link Uganda, we appreciate media campaigns to reach out to the general public and HRDs about different human rights issues for purposes of sharing information and raising their awareness about their rights and responsibilities. The media campaigns included:

· Interactive Radio talk shows

ML-Uganda used interactive radio talk shows to campaign for the protection and promotion of human rights and the rights of HRDs. The discussions were on general public and HRDs; their rights and responsibilities, human rights abuse of people and right based approaches. Through these talk shows, listeners got to know more about the mandate and work of ML-Uganda. By calling in and asking questions listeners got information, immediate clarification thus increasing their awareness and understanding of defending human rights. ML-Uganda was also able to get immediate feedback on the listeners’ understanding and perspectives on the issues discussed.

· Radio spot messages

ML-Uganda used radio spot messages to disseminate information about rights of the general public and HRDs on the promotion and protection of their rights to audiences at the national and local levels. The spot messages enabled ML-Uganda to have a wider reach to provide critical information primarily to the HRDs but also to the rest of the listening audiences.

e) Legal Aid and Referrals

As an organization that promotes and protects the rights of human rights defenders ML-Uganda received 100 people approaching it for legal advice on a number of issues. The issues ranged from those specific to HRDs such as seeking to know how best they could defend their constituents in accordance with the law, to general human rights violations for which they needed assistance/advice. It therefore means that ML-Uganda serves not only HRDs but also all other people who approached it. Some people physically came to ML-Uganda while others made phone calls. ML-Uganda was able to conclude some cases whereby people got the necessary advice while those that require further legal steps and assistance were referred to partner organizations and institutions like Police, Uganda Human Rights Foundation, Office of the Community Development at district level, among others.

f) Institutional Development

ML-Uganda believes that staff capacity as one of the key steps for institutional development. ML-Uganda continued to empower its staff through acquiring additional knowledge and skills in the different areas of their work. As a result of the 8 trainings held in 2015, there has been improvement both at individual and institutional level and this in turn led to increased output at ML-Uganda. This was made possible through sending staff members for trainings where they were equipped with more knowledge and techniques in their field of work.

Below are some of the local trainings our staff attended in 2015.

· Training on social media and human rights

· Proposal writing

· Reporting and success story documentation.

STI and HIV/AIDS management
Records keeping and management
Customer and Care and Service

· Advocacy, lobbying and negotiation skills training

· Monitoring and evaluation

2.0      PROTECTION OF MISSING LINK UGANDA HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS (HRDs)

Rights of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) have consistently been violated in Uganda. As we approach 2016 Presidential Elections, the tension is building and we expect more violations of the rights of HRDs, including activists, Civil Society organisations (CSOs), journalists, members of Parliament, and development workers.

The activity:

Following several threats of Missing Link Uganda HRDs and office break-ins at our offices in 2014 and 2015, Front Line Defenders (FLD) provided funding to secure Security systems for Missing Link Uganda offices, following a lot of threats to our Human Rights Defenders. The grant was used to procure CCTV security systems for Missing Link Uganda head office in July 2015.

Results:

Our office premises are now secure, including all our program files, equipment and furniture. We are able to see who is walking in and who is leaving, including those passing closer to our offices.

Secondly, in case of intrusion, we will now have the recordings and this will ease Police work during investigations.

The security systems created confidence among all our Human Rights Defenders especially while executing their work at the offices. The staff are able to work even long hours without fear and the staff output has improved since we received the grant.

3.0 PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF RIGHTS OF ALBINOS

Albinism is a ‘curse’ according to many Ugandans. As a result of this misunderstanding, the albinos are discriminated at all levels, hunted down like animals and sacrificed as greed for money and influence drives families to turn on their own loved ones.

Albinos are discriminated at schools, workplaces, homes and in public places. Children are forced to sit in the back of the classroom which further hampers their learning due to limited eyesight. Their mothers may refuse to breast feed them or they may keep them for years inside to avoid embarrassment to the family. When they want to enter a taxi and the conductor asks them to wait, because they will scare away their passengers. People spit at them at times. This is ignorance. Because of ignorance people say that they are a curse. They are called all sorts of names: the ‘tribe of ghosts’, ‘the invisibles’, name it. Some say albinos never die, that they just disappear, that they are a product of adultery and that their body parts can induce blessings and wealth, which is not true.

In July 2015, XminY Solidarity Fund funded a Social Action project for protection of Albinos Rights in Uganda from Human Rights Abuse through awareness creation. The project trained 20 Albinos in Bugiri District on their rights and responsibilities, through Right Based Approaches.

Activities under the Social Action Project:

· We organized a day protest march to the District Local Government with placards with messages like “We need Government Protection’’, “We are also Human Beings’’, “Stop discriminating us”, “Stop killings us”, “We need to have a share in the national jobs”, etc.

· The project trained 20 Albinos in Bugiri District on their rights and responsibilities, through Right Based Approaches.

· We used the media to create attention of our plight and to raise awareness about Albnism in local communities whilst providing networks to support to people affected by the condition.

· We had a radio talk show on FM Radio station

Aim of the Social Action project:

· This day aimed at creating awareness about the condition, touched not only the discrimination challenge but also ways persons with the condition can cope and empower themselves and to demand laws and policies to include albinos in the decision-making processes of the Uganda.

Results:

· We opened the eyes (and hearts) of public to the cruel inhuman injustices persons with the albinism condition are subjected to, just because of a deficiency in the color of their skin and to change the attitude of the public.

· 20 Albinos were able to know their rights and responsibilities and can now fight for them

· Stake holders promised to integrate Albinos in the planning meetings, starting from next financial year

4.0 PREVENTION OF SEXUALISED VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

Between August to December 2015, Taiwan Foundation for Democracy supported a “Prevention of Sexualized Violence Against Women and Girls Bugiri District, Eastern Uganda” project.

Goal of the Project:

The overall project goal was to enhance the quality of life of women and girls in Bugiri District, Uganda by enjoying a free sexualized violence environment. The project sought to enable women and girls realize their potential by living a life free from sexualized violence (rape, defilement and sexual harassment). It was premised on the fact that sexualized violence which is a violation of rights is on increase in most parts of Uganda including Bugiri District

Women and girls would be enabled to recognize sexualized violence against them as a violation of their rights and its effects to their social, economic wellbeing as human beings. The community members and other stakeholders would be enabled to understand sexualized violence, the available legal and policy framework for addressing it and their role in preventing and reducing cases of sexualized violence.

Activities of the Project:

50 stakeholders were trained in Sexualised Violence at Parish, Sub County and district levels.

The training was meant to increase awareness by all stakeholders of sexualized violence against women and girls in schools and girls within the project districts and at national level.

The training and advocacy workshops rejuvenated the role of the different stakeholder (parents, boys, girls, schools, communities, duty bearers –Police, LCs, Judiciary,) in preventing sexualized violence. It also promoted participation of different stakeholders in defending and protecting the rights of women and girls thus promoting gender justice. In addition the project empowered women and girls in fighting for their rights and making demands from duty bearers to address issues of sexualised violence.

50 Community members, Community Facilitators and Peer Educators were trained in Sexualised Violence

The training equipped the community members, Facilitators and Peer Educators with information on specific laws on sexual violence and forms of sexual violence, including:-defilement, rape, incest, sexual harassment, marital rape, unwanted sexual touch, words and putting mirrors between girl’s legs, etc. It was noted that although there are no specific laws on sexual violence, there are some provisions that could be applied to address the injustices arising out of sexual violence. Some are the provisions in the Penal code on assault or grievous bodily harm, indecent assault, defilement, rape and attempted rape.

Established Sexualised Violence Prevention Committees (SVPC) in Communities and Schools.

Sexualized Violence Prevention Committees (SVPC) and school clubs were formed among the beneficiaries and established in each Parish and schools. Each parish has 5 SVPC. 10 Schools (5 primary schools and 5 Secondary schools) were targeted and each school has SVPC/Clubs comprising of 10 students. Awareness creation of the sexualized violence against women and girls at community and school levels is now the responsibility of those committees. This will also ensure sustainability of the project. SVPC will also monitor reporting and handling of Sexualized Violence related cases and hold the duty bearers accountable for inability to protect and prevent such crimes against women and girls.

Expected outcomes:

The women and girls (both in and out of school) including community members were empowered to deal with sexualized violence and to demand from the duty bearers (government) protection from sexualized violence and ensure that the perpetrators are dealt with according to the laws governing Uganda.

The communities were empowered to say no to the cases of sexualized violence against women and girls, lobby for the inclusion of strategies to address sexualized violence in District/Sub-county plans, programmes and budgets.

The community is now responsive to cases of sexualized violence against women and girls in schools and communities.

There has been reduction in cases of sexualized violence against women and girls in Bugiri District by 50%.

The district and local authorities are aware of sexualised violence and are willing to integrate strategies to address sexualised violence in their plans and budgets.

In the long term, the project would contribute to enhanced quality of life of women and girls in the project implementation area

5.0 COMMUNITY BASED ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

With funding from United Nations Development Program (UNDP)- GEF/Small Grants Programme (SGP), Missing Link Uganda implemented an environmental and livelihood project called Community Based

Adaptation and Mitigation to Climate Change in Bulesa Sub County, Bugiri District, Eastern Uganda from October 2014 to December 2015.

Project Goal:

To contribute to the eradication of poverty, food insecurity and fostering a lasting high quality of life for the people of Bulesa Sub County, Bugiri District while safeguarding long-term environmental sustainability by growing fruits (including fruit and multi-purpose trees) and promoting agro forestry systems to halt environmental degradation in Bugiri District.

The project aimed at assisting 100 community members to address community’s livelihood needs for income generation, firewood, timber, fruit, fodder and other non-timber forest products while halting and reversing the trend of the forest loss and related environmental degradation in Bugiri district through promoting vegetable and fruit tree growing and agro-forestry systems.

Project Mission:

Planting fruit trees for healthier populations and better environment to address Community’s livelihood needs for income generation, firewood, timber, fruit, fodder and other non-timber forest products, while halting and reversing the trend of the forest loss and related environmental degradation in Bugiri District through promoting vegetable and fruit tree growing and agro forestry systems”.

Project Objective and Results:

a) To enhance capacity of farming households in Bulesa and surrounding areas to apply appropriate technologies and sustainable farming practices (including: composting, soil and water conservation, integrated pest management, environmentally sustainable application of agrochemicals, etc) through awareness and training workshops, information dissemination and extension services.

b) To assist farmers to acquire the necessary tools and equipment (e.g. spray pumps, watering cans) and establish proper farm infrastructure, including post-harvest and storage facilities and transportation means.

c) To mobilize and assist the project beneficiaries to organize themselves into Farmers’ groups and a Community Association to manage and sustain the activities initiated under the project and take advantage of the economies of scale in purchase of farm inputs; processing, transportation and marketing of agricultural produce; increase their market share and facilitate better access to credit and other financial services.

Practical Training and demonstrations during distribution of grafted fruit trees and seedlings to farmers at Nangalama Primary School, Bulesa Sub County-Bugiri District

Results:

Ø We procured 12,000 fruit tree seedlings (oranges, mangoes, paw-paws) and distributed them among 100 beneficiary famers in both Kitodha and Buluwe parishes, particularly from poor and disadvantaged families, to engage in fruit tree growing and increase vegetable crop production for improved food security and income generation for improved livelihoods

Ø We also trained 100 farmers on sustainable farming practices and techniques that can help increase crop yields (e.g. green manuring and composting, soil erosion control, mulching, intercropping with nitrogen-fixing crops, crop rotation, etc) including providing technical advice and information (including criteria and guidelines) on "Integrated Nutrient Management" and "Integrated Pest Management” .

Ø 100 farmers were able to access improved (high-yielding, quick maturing or pest-resistant) seeds of crop vegetable varieties and fruits that are adapted to local conditions and ecological sustainability, including seasonal vegetables and fruits

Ø 100 farmers gained access to agricultural inputs (including fertilizers and pesticides) necessary to enhance crop production and appropriately use them;

Ø 0ver 100 farmers are adopting appropriate agricultural technologies and farming practices (including techniques for sustainable soil and water management, integrated pest management, weed control etc).

Ø Over 100 people are demonstrating sustainable land and forest management practices through re-forestation.

Ø We developed and produced 1,000 brochures and a Banner with messages on the project. The brochures were distributed to all the stakeholders and potential beneficiaries.

Ø 100 farmers received training in sustainable agricultural practices, records keeping and management and small scale agri-business (including produce marketing skills).

Ø More than 500 famers have access relevant information for increased production and access to better markets at Missing Link Uganda through our Volunteers who are regularly in the field.

Ø We promoted awareness among the community members on the value and importance of planting trees (including fruit tree and tree lots) for different purposes; how to raise and tend tree seedlings and ways of integrating trees into farming systems through the production and dissemination of public awareness materials.

Ø We enhanced the capacity of 100 farming households in Buluwe and Kitodha Parishes and surrounding areas to apply appropriate technologies and sustainable farming practices (including: composting, soil and water conservation, integrated pest management, environmentally sustainable application of agrochemicals, etc) through awareness and training workshops, information dissemination and extension services.

Ø We mobilized and assisted the project beneficiaries to organize themselves into Farmers’ Groups to manage and sustain the activities initiated under the project and take advantage of the economies of scale in purchase of farm inputs; processing, transportation and marketing of agricultural produce; increase their market share and facilitate better access to credit and other financial services.

Ø 4 new technologies were developed to improve output, including Irrigation systems to counter intermittent rains; use of Mobile Phone to access information on markets, weather updates, and other concerns through Short Messages (SMS).

Livelihoods & Sustainable Development:

· Number of participating community members (Gender disaggregated)

By end of 2015, we had supported 100 community members (farmers) of these 60 were women and 40 men. These farmers are engaging in the project and receiving tangible benefits from project supported activities. Specifically, they

a) They have accessed improved (high-yielding, quick maturing) seeds of crop vegetable varieties and grafted fruits seedlings that are adapted to local conditions and ecological sustainability

b) Gained access to agricultural inputs (including fertilizers and pesticides) necessary to enhance crop production and appropriately use them;

c) Adopted appropriate agricultural technologies and farming practices (including techniques for sustainable soil and water management, integrated pest management, weed control

Over 150 community members were inspired by the project and are slowly replicating the project in their areas.

· Number of days of food shortage reduced

100 farmers (100 women and 40 men) have started producing vegetables for home consumption and surpluses sold to the local markets.

· Number of increased student days participating in schools

Over 80% of children were able to attend school regularly without missing

· Increase in purchasing power by reduced spending, increased income, and/or other means

50% (50 people) of the 100 farmers supported to-date are receiving incomes from surplus of vegetables sold and 50% (30 people) of those already earning from sale of surpluses, have reduced spending on food items.

Empowerment:

· Number of NGOs/CBOs formed or registered

Missing Link Uganda is currently working on modalities of forming 2 beneficiary Self Help Associations/CBOs, one Parish to help them increase their economies of scale, bargaining power, collective marketing, access credit, among other benefits.

· Number of indigenous peoples directly supported

We supported 100 indigenous people (farmers) directly. They are fully involved and are benefiting from the project activities

· Number of women-led projects supported

We have supported 30 women-led projects to-date

· Number of quality standards/labels achieved or innovative financial mechanisms put in place

100 farmers have been trained in records keeping and moderate financial management

Number of CBA“lessons learned” from the project

• In order to address adaptation to climate variability, and proper land use, proper land management practices like, intercropping enables beneficiaries to sustainably manage the project tasks, including growing vegetables and fruit trees especially in such areas where land is scarce.

• Targeting all community members but especially the youth and women whose activities are directly affecting the environment and are greatly experiencing the negative effects of climate change enables full participation in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of project activities and outputs.

• Gender mainstreaming is very vital in such projects and will yield tremendous results.

• In order to promote innovation and best practice, sharing data, information, and knowledge gathered with a wide range of stakeholders plays a significant role in creating an organizational culture that can evolve and respond well to change and challenges. It also fosters a knowledge sharing culture allowing untapped knowledge and experience to be captured and made available to others.

• Networking is crucial. We are working closely with key stakeholders in the district, including the Office of Community Development, Local Council Leaders, prominent farmers and NAADS officials and other CSOs.

• A participatory monitoring and reporting system was used to assess the progress and impact of the project. The project beneficiaries are providing feedback to the project management team regarding positive aspects and any shortcomings in the project implementation. The project beneficiaries are sharing information about their experience in fruit growing and agro forestry practices and overall perceived benefits. This will be very helpful in compiling reports and end of project evaluation.

Within 2 years of the project, the project is expected to improve the livelihoods of 100 beneficiary households in the project area through enhanced domestic food self-sufficiency, improved nutrition and increased household incomes from the sale of the agricultural products. These will in turn result in better health and increased economic productive capacity of the beneficiaries. The project will also serve as a catalyst for the local people to engage in other off-farm economic activities and community development initiatives. It will also improve their social networks, self-esteem and overall well-being. It is hoped that the project will serve as a model in Bugiri district and that a follow-up project will be developed, building on the experience, best practices and lessons learned from this project.

ML-Uganda staff receive grafted fruit tree seedlings for distribution to framers

6.0 SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD PROGRAM

One Hen-One Cage Project:

Hilden Charitable Fund is funding a one year Economic Empowerment Project for women in Bugiri District, Eastern Uganda. The project titled One Hen and One Cage Project- a Solution for Job Creation, aims at empowering the girls and women through a platform of a micro loan in form of one indigenous hen and a cage.

The aims/goals of the project

The main objective of this project was to create an innovative, comprehensive and replicable business model that would sustainably benefit bottom of the pyramid, rural poor women in Bugiri District, Eastern Uganda by creating social businesses that address poverty among the women while at the same time creating employment and income opportunities for women.

We are empowering the women through a platform of a micro loan in form of one indigenous hen and a cage. After 6 months one surrenders 2 pullets for onward lending and sustainability of the project.

The trainings would increase the capacity of women to manage profitable businesses, create awareness of women of the social discrimination and exclusion problems they face, and solutions to address poverty, unemployment and domestic violence. Training will also educate women on entrepreneurship, business and finance allowing them to better manage their own finances and start income generating activities.

Activities

· We mobilized 70 women at the lowest administrative unit, the village, to form and register self-help groups of 10 to 30 members.

· We trained 70 women for 3 months on poultry management, entrepreneurship, agribusiness, financial management, and adaptation to climate change, value chain and addition and other cross cutting issues.

· We assisted 70 women to conduct asset mapping, needs assessment and to come up with an action plans and finally assisted them to come up with a resource mobilisation strategy.

· We will create awareness, form and form Savings, Cooperatives and Credit society.

· 70 women and youth were given one hen and a cage in September 2015, after 6 months, they are expected to surrender 2 chicks to the programme for onward lending.

· Beneficiaries of the One Hen Campaign Project have formed a Savings & Credit Cooperative Society (SACCO) and are managing it themselves in which the members commit to a minimum micro-savings model of one egg per week.

Rationale

The impetus of the project was high levels of poverty among women, unemployment levels; escalating levels of hunger; high dependents ratios in families’ especially on father-figures and the employed; diminishing sizes of land as a factor of production; general lack of basic business skills i.e. book-keeping and lastly need to train young people to embrace agriculture as it is the backbone of our economy. Many women are unable to take children to school. There is a lot of incidences of domestic violence in homes as a result of poverty.

Results

The rearing of indigenous chicken is common in many rural households in Uganda. It takes little capital to start. It requires small space for rearing and is not very expensive to feed as they can scavenge around. They are mostly disease resistant and hardy. The market for these hens is available. From one hen, one will graduate to a goat, pig or sheep, then to a cow, then owning major businesses after a year and this in turn will create employment for members who will also employ many other women and youth. The beneficiaries will be able to take their children to school, open other small businesses like beauty parlors, and employ so many people. Other achievements are: Empowered communities able to demand for their rights and other services from other development actors; Ability to utilize extra time in do other things, e.g. Ault literacy, participate in monitoring of programmes; Increased amount of food in the beneficiaries’ households hence reducing food shortage situation; Increased incomes, food production, with excess/surplus quantity to sell to raise income; Education situation of beneficiaries' children improved through the project proceed/income earned and time saved; Nutritional situation of the house hold, children will improve as they gain access to balanced diet; Beneficiary capacity built, the training will enhance the capacity of the women, youths, and PWDs groups to own, manage, and sustain the project to gain more benefits and Increased culture of savings

Summary of One Hen Project

YOUTH ACCELERATOR PROJECT

TURNING YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT INTO ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Missing Link Uganda started the Social Business Accelerator focusing in particular on helping young men and women entrepreneurs to develop innovative business initiatives which will have meaningful social impact and provide employment opportunities. The main objective of this project was to create a comprehensive and replicable Accelerator Model that will sustainably benefit youth and women in Uganda by providing the resources and guidance they need to create Social Businesses targeting specific social problems focused on pro-poor sectors and regions in Uganda while at the same time creating employment.

Accelerators are becoming major tools in development aid to foster SME growth which is a core component of economic growth. Accelerators are intensive, structured approaches to select, coach, and develop entrepreneurs and business ideas. In the Accelerator, the youth entrepreneurs develop their business plans, share experiences, develop networks and investment linkages while benefiting from the assistance, mentorship and coaching from experts. In 2015, because of limited resources, we were able to carry out a business plan competition for 20 business ideas and 5 of these ideas were ripe for investment. Unfortunately, ML-Uganda did not have investment finance for the successful Social Businesses

Missing Link Uganda is scaling up the Social Business Accelerator, to include more youth into the program and to lobby for support to invest in these social businesses. Our target is to support between 20-50 social businesses each year.

7.0 HIV/AIDS AWARENESS AND PREVENTION

The World Day of Prayer gave Missing Link Uganda a grant for a Youth Focused HIV/AIDS Sensitisation and Prevention Project in Lorwe Island, Bugiri District in Uganda. The one year project started in October 2015 and will end in September 2016

The Problem

Lorwe Island is a 14-village-island located on Lake Victoria in Bugiri District in Uganda with a population of more than 40,000 people. It only has two Health Centre IIs which are ideally not mandated to deal with HIV/AIDS treatment. They have also never had trained Health Workers; as they refuse to come and work on the island due to lack of infrastructural and social development.

Many children and youth have dropped out of school and have ventured into fishing which is lucrative. These fishermen majority of whom are children and youth have been identified as one of the demographic groups most at risk for an HIV/AIDS infection, and the biggest obstacle is accurate surveillance of the island’s occupants due to lack of vibrant healthcare systems there, lack of education, sensitization, and awareness on the scourge.

It is an epidemic, fuelled by the difficult social and economic conditions as young girls and women continue to use sex as a means of developing relationships with fishermen to secure a steady supply of fish and earn a living with the young fishermen in turn investing in drinking and prostitution.

There are three main factors driving the spread of the virus on the island and will keep the disease plaguing the island further into the future.

A culture of widespread multi-partner sex between these men and women, majority of whom are youth,
Unsafe sex practices particularly due to the non-use of condoms, migrant nature of fishermen.
And due to their failure to test, peri-natal HIV transmission is also suspected to be taking its toll on the island due to the high infection rate of early teenage women of child-bearing age.

Youth and women on this island have never had access to condoms and have never used them and as such do not know how to use them. A condom on this island costs Uganda Shillings 2,500 (about 1 USD). This is very expensive for them. Worse of all, people are hesitant to have HIV tests because they have never been sensitized.

Activities:

Missing Link Uganda initiated a risk reduction program to equip people at landing sites and on island with more information on HIV/AIDS to make informed and responsible choices on their lives through HIV/AIDS education and awareness.

This program is designed to educate out of school youth about the dangers of contracting HIV and how to avoid it. We are targeting peer educators, elders, the youth, teachers and local leaders who are living with HIV/AIDS and those that are not yet infected but are at a risk of getting the disease to equip them with knowledge and skills on HIV/AIDS spread, prevention, management and available support services. The project is also targeting the pupils of the 3 schools on the island by equipping them with accurate information about the epidemic on the island. The Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Health provided us with condoms for distribution to the adults to the island.

World Aids day Celebrations- We participated in the World Aids Day activities in Bugiri District on December 1^st, 2015. The theme for this year was: “Getting to zero; My Responsibility” calling on everyone to play apart to realizing zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS Related Deaths. On this day we had free counseling to People Living with HIV/AIDs, provided condoms to adults and showed a video on HIV/AIDS, including prevention

Sustainability of the project

The community has elected a Committee that will oversee the sensitization and training after the project. We have sourced and trained10 peer educators in every village and schools to continue with the sensitization and training of youth on the island. These will keep the fire burning even after the project.

We have created one AIDS clubs in every school which will meet at least once a week to educate young people on HIV/AIDS through drama, music and dance. These clubs have been registered with the school administration and will breed very responsible youths in schools and even after school who are HIV/AIDS free. We requesting the schools to facilitate the HIV/AIDS activities of these clubs from the incomes that they get like they do to other youth clubs in schools.

Finally we will continue lobbying and working with NGOs and Churches in Uganda that are interested in this program to ensure they continue with the gospel.

Maternal Health and Safe Motherhood Campaigns

Fistula is essentially a hole between the bladder and vagina or rectum and vagina that causes constant uncontrollable leaking of urine or feces. The main cause of fistula in Uganda is prolonged and obstructed labor. Women who give birth at home or in small village clinics may have complications during birth that require a C-section. However, traveling from home, to small clinic, to a clinic that can perform the surgery can take hours or even days. By the time the surgery is completed, many times the baby has died and the pressure of the baby against the other internal organs for that extended time causes the fistula to form. The only treatment for fistula is a surgery to close the hole. Most health centers are not staffed by surgeons who can perform the surgery. Many women are thus sent home with fistulas thinking they are untreatable. There are many misconceptions and a great deal of stigma surrounding fistula. Women who suffer from fistula are often sent back to their parent’s home. Many women are isolated from their communities because of the smell and unfortunately, some women commit suicide when faced with a life

with fistula.

In a bid to improve maternal health in Uganda and to fight Obstetric Fistula, ML-Uganda held 4 sensitization workshops in Bugiri to encourage women go for antennal services during pregnancy and to deliver in hospitals. As result we were able to see an increase in the number of mothers delivering in hospitals. The figure rose from 20% to 100%.

THE TEN CRITICAL HUMAN RIGHTS CHALLENGES IN UGANDA

Missing Link Uganda and its partners have identified 10 critical Human Rights challenges that should be addressed by the 10th Parliament in order to enhance human rights protection in Uganda.

1. Lack of Respect for the Rule of Law

2. Insufficient Attention to Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR)

3. Violations of Fundamental Freedoms of Opinion, Expression, Assembly and Association

4. Rampant Corruption

5. Rising Unemployment Rate

6. Torture, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment

7. Wide spread Sexual and Gender Based Violence

8. Inadequate Civic Education

9. Rampant Human Trafficking

10. The Narrowing Space for Civil Society Work

MISSING LINK UGANDA MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL CONTROLS:

Missing Link Uganda continued to exercise sound and robust management and financial controls

Missing Link Uganda Board oversees the overall implementation of the project. They monitor the project through regular feedback from the Program Manager and quarterly field visits to project activities. The Board holds quarterly planning and review meetings to review project progress. The Program Manager oversees the day to day running of the project activities, and monitors and supports a team of Project Officers in implementation. The Accounts Department manages the financial system and reports directly to the Program Manager who has overall responsibility for the management of project funds. We have in place a finance policy which helps in implementing and maintaining appropriate systems of internal control to ensure that we use the resources effectively, efficiently and for the exclusive purposes of pursuing its aims, mission and objectives.

Missing Link Uganda has internal financial controls namely segregation of duties. In this the financial approval function, accounting function and asset custody function are separated among employees. Missing Link Uganda also reviews its operations performance during management meetings and close supervision is done to all those involved in financial function. Audits both internal and external are done. The internal is done by select committee of the Board and external by External Auditor. The Board also monitors the financial performance of the organization on regular basis. Above all Missing Link Uganda has a qualified and experienced Accountant to execute the finance functions of the organization. The Manager ensures that budgets are prepared in time with the assistance from the project accountant. The management team allocates the funds to priority areas as agreed by donors and project guidelines. The annual budgets are passed by the executive and submitted to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) for ratification. Based the on the annual budgets, the management team prepares quarterly budgets that are reviewed and approved by the executive board. All capital expenditures are approved by the executive board.

Board handles issues of policy, strategic decision making, and overseeing operations of the organization. The Board regularly meets every after 3 months and it is at these meetings that strategic decisions are made, review of both programme and financial performance. The Secretariat has management team which includes the Manager, a Project Accountant and Project Officers and a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Administrative Assistant. Decisions on the day to day operations are made by the management team in the monthly management meetings. The management and operation of the organization is guided by constitution of the Organization, financial, human Resource and other operational manuals.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

Monitoring:

Management of the day to day activities of the projects were the responsibility of the Program Manager who reported on project activities on a monthly basis. He was responsible for ensuring the quality of the information reported and ensuring that there are means of verification for all information collected. The Project Officers were involved in the direct implementation of project activities and compiled monthly reports highlighting planned activities, achievements, constraints, and suggested recommendations will serve as monitoring tools by the Program Manager. The Program Manager compiled and submitted comprehensive progress reports to Donors/Development Partners. Monthly monitoring were the primary responsibility of the Program Manager. The periodical reports reflected the outcomes/learning experiences as a result of the interventions undertaken. The collected data backed up the evaluation at the end of the year. To ensure effectiveness, on monthly basis regular project meetings were held with the staff and management to review the progress of the project towards achieving indicators related to each output. Periodical financial reports on the implemented activities were compiled and submitted to Donors/Development Partners.

Evaluation:

A midterm evaluation half way the project was undertaken to assess the progress so far made. The purpose here was to determine what needs to be strengthened or reinforced to consolidate the gains so far made. At the end of the project, an external evaluation led by an external consultant was done. The findings of the evaluation were shared through meetings with the community; the reports are disseminated to Donors/Development Partners.

OTHER PROGRAMME ACTIVITIES

Financial Audit

ML-Uganda hired auditors to audit the financial year January to December 2015. The exercise was done and completed in January 2016 and a report produced. The report was good and has been discussed with ML-Uganda Board of Governors.

Monitoring and Evaluation

ML-Uganda was able to monitor all its interventions. Monitoring tools were developed with indicators that show that a particular goal has been achieved. Monitoring visits were made and reports written and shared with key stakeholders. Monitoring was done on quarterly basis and a midterm evaluation carried out after every six months. At the end of the projects, an external evaluator was hired to evaluate the projects.

Capacity Building

All that ML-Uganda has achieved would not have been possible without the unwavering dedication and hard work of staff and volunteers at all levels. Throughout the year ML-Uganda prioritized building skills base of staff to design, implement, monitor and evaluate interventions to ensure evidence based approaches are integrated when dealing with community’s concerns.

Board meetings

Four meetings with the Board of Directors were held to discuss the strategic direction of ML-Uganda and to guide the senior management team on general organization management.

Staff capacity Trainings

Eight major training workshops were conducted for mid-level and field staff. They include:

· Training on social media and human rights

· Proposal writing

· Reporting and success story documentation.

STI and HIV/AIDS management
Records keeping and management
Customer and Care and Service

· Advocacy, lobbying and negotiation skills training

· Monitoring and evaluation

We have kept together a solid team that has contributed to the achievements earlier alluded to. We have had tremendous support from local Volunteers and 5 local interns.

LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE

As we move forward into 2016, we look forward to:

1) Strengthening direct support service provision at all service points to provide quality and friendly services to vulnerable people in communities, including children and women

2) Further participation in international, national and local level networking and advocacy for further investment into the critical issues that affect children and youth, in particular labour and sexual abuse and exploitation, human trafficking, alcohol drugs and substance abuse and reproductive health problems including HIV/AIDS, Sexually transmitted infections, early and unwanted pregnancies and limited power to make informed choices.

3) Increasing awareness at community, district and national level on the increasing problem of human rights abuses for Human Rights Defenders and the community

4) Continuous capacity building for our human resources to design, implement and document evidence based and good practices that can be scaled up to improve the services we offer to the community, including women, children and youth.

5) Raise funds to support improvement of facilities and to scale up psycho-social support services to reach more communities and children/youth living outside the family and those abused and exploited within their families and communities.

6) Strengthening public-private partnerships with supportive development partners so as to improve our interventions and for sustainability of ML-Uganda and its interventions.

7) Scaling up integrated HIV/AIDS community based interventions that target households, youth and women.

PARTNERSHIPS:

We are grateful to the following Development Partners who supported us to fulfill our mandate in 2015.

a) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) GEF Small Grants Programme

b) Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD)

c) Hilden Charitable Fund

d) XminY Solidarity Fund

e) Front Line Defenders

f) World Day of Prayers, USA

g) District Local Government of Bugiri

h) Friends of ML Uganda

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR FINANCIAL YEAR 2015

INCOMES

ML-Uganda received funding during the year amounting to UGX 150,419,500. Table1 below shows the funding received to date from each Development Partner (DP).

Table 1

Name of Development Partner	Amount Received in 2015 Financial year	Amount Received in UGX	Area of Support
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) GEF Small Grants Programme	US$ 30,120	87,348,000	Adaptation and Mitigation to Climate Change in Bulesa Sub County, Bugiri District
Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD)	US$ 2,500	8,580,000	Social Action project for Protection of Albinos from Human Rights Abuse in Uganda
Hilden Charitable Fund	Pound Sterling 4,850	24,250,000	One Hen Economic Empowerment Project for women in Bugiri
XminY Solidarity Fund	Euros 1,000	3,500,000	Prevention of Sexualised Violence Against Women and Girls, Bugiri District
Front Line Defenders (FLD)	Euros 2,089	7,311,500	CCTV Security Systems for ML-Uganda offices
World Day of Prayers, USA (WDP)	US$ 3,100	10,230,000	Youth Focused HIV/AIDS Sensitisation and Prevention Project in Bugiri District
Other Incomes		9,200,000	Contribution towards salaries of Staff
TOTAL Funds Received		150,419,500

BUDGET FOR 2015 FINANCIAL YEAR

Category		Qty	Rate	Amount (UGX)
A. Personnel
A.1	Programme coordinator	12 months	300,000	3,600,000
A.2	Project officer	12 months	150,000	1,800,000
A.3	Finance officer	12 months	200,000	2,400,000
A.4	Secretary	12 months	100,000	1,200,000
A.5	Cleaner	12 months	50,000	600,000
Sub total				9,600,000
B. Office Facilitation
B.1	Rent	12 months	200,000	2,400,000
B.2	Utilities	12 months	80,000	960,000
B.3	Office Maintenance (Petty cash)	12 months	200,000	2,400,000
B.4	Stationary	12 months	120,000	1,440,000
Sub-total				7,200,000
C. Administrative Support
C.1	Comm./ Telephone Expenses	12 months	100,000	1,200,000
C.2	Internet costs	12 months	130,000	1,560,000
C.3	Vehicle/ Fuel expenses	12 months	400,000	4,800,000
C.4	Equipment maintenance	12 months	80,000	960,000
C.5	Newspapers	12 months	70,000	840,000
C.6	Bank charges	12 months	45,000	540,000
C.7	Postage Expenses	12 months	20,000	240,000
C.8	Recruiting Expenses		500,000	500,000
Sub-total				10,640,000
D. Program Activities
D.1	Adaptation & mitigation to Climate Change	12 months	40,000,000	40,000,000
D.2	Human Rights Promotion & Protection	12 months	10,000,000	10,000,000
D.3	Youth Accelerator Program	50	500,000	500,000
D.4	HIV/AIDS Program		10,000,000	10,000,000
D.5	Women Economic Empowerment		20,000,000	20,000,000
D.6	Health – Maternal Health & Obstetric Fistula		500,000	500,000
D.7	Exchange visits		300,000	2,000,000
D.8	Networking and Referrals		450,000	450,000
D.9	Monitoring & Evaluation		8,250,000	8,250,000
D.10	Radio programme		10,000,000	10,000,000
Sub total				101,700,000
Board Expenses
E.1	Board meetings	4	400,000	1,600,000
Sub total				1,600,000
E. Capital Expenses
F.1	Furniture	4	3,500,000	3,500,000
F.2	Computer set	1	3,000,000	3,000,000
Sub total				6,500,000
F. Others
G.1	Auditing	1	1,800,000	1,800,000
Sub total				1,800,000
TOTAL				139,040,000

EXPENDITURE

Expenses	Amount in UGX
Internet Costs	900,000
Rent and utilities	2,400,000
Labour	3,973,000
Mobilisation	2,300,000
Trainings & sensitization workshops	20,879,300
Contracts	1,600,000
Procurement of Grafted fruit and Vegetable seedlings	27,642,000
Procurement of Insecticides, Fertilizers, & Watering cans	6,000,000
Monitoring & Evaluation	8,243,730
Purchase of 100 Indigenous Hens	5,016,700
Purchase of Cages	1,000,000
CCTV-Security Systems	6,338,500
Social Action Project for Albinos- Human Rights Awareness creation	1,959,500
Media	4,030,500
Business Plan Competition for Youth Accelerator Program	500,000
Obstetric Fistula	500,000
Support to One Hen SACCO	600,000
Support to One Hen Farmers	590,000
Community mobilization	500,000
Administrative Costs (materials and office supplies)	9,044,210
Volunteer Expenses	5,000,000
National Days celebrations (World Aids Day)	990,000
Information, Education & Communication (IEC) materials	3,983,200
Project Review Meetings	1,500,000
Salaries & Allowances/Wages	8,200,000
Bank charges	58,000
Advocacy meetings	8,390,860
Management meetings	1,500,000
Networking and Referrals	1,450,000
Asset Procurements	8,500,000
Audit (Professional, technical and other fees)	1,000,000
TOTAL	144,589,500