Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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New Vision - December 7, 2004
Simon Mugenyi
The flimsy structures are arranged in a semi circular pattern. Other than the family, in the yard there are ducks feasting on the remains of the day's meal.
Ochala looks tired and exhausted. She has not done much this particular day, it's just that she has many concerns. She is a widow and one of the beneficiaries of World Vision HIV/AIDS intervention in northern Uganda.
World Vision, a Christian based NGO, focusing mainly on children, the oppressed and needy operates in six sub-counties under six projects.
One of the projects, Health, Emergency, deals with helping people living with HIV/AIDS. It's with the help of this project that Ochala, who lost her husband in 1998, has been able to sustain her family of 15 people.
She receives 12kg of beans, 42kg of soya flour and 5.25 litres of vegetable oil monthly.
On top of this, Ochola is among the beneficiaries of an hIV/AIDS World Vision grant programme. The grant helps people living with HIV/AIDS to sustain themselves.
The grant, ranging between sh500,000 and sh300,000, is given to an organised group. Ochala's group, which started with about 60 members, now has over 300 people.
A member gets a loan of sh20,000, which they pass on to another group member after a month with an interest of sh2,000. The interest goes to the group bank account. fifteen such groups in 15 different zones have received grants.
This particular group was given a grant of sh500,000 after it had opened a bank account with sh200,000 in 2001. From the interest each member pays, the group has saved over sh1.4m. This excludes the amount in circulation.
When Ochala got the money she started a business of selling milk. She buys a 10 litre jerrycan of milk at sh6,000 and sells each litre at sh650, getting a profit of sh500.
This money helps her to supplement on the food aid she gets. But this is not enough. Ochala stays with seven of her children, seven grandchildren and her mother.
Florence Achayo got an individual grant of sh100,000. She sells second hand clothes, to support her 10-member family.
Charles Wamon one of the facilitators at World Vision Gulu office, says that 95 people have received such individual grants, of sh100,000 each.
Several women have generated some income through their petty businesses. Though the money is inadequate to cover all their needs it has helped them to sustain their families.
The over 2,000 beneficiaries from the programme lead a better life compared to their counterparts who have not.
Most of the people that have registered with World Vision are women. However, this does not necessarily mean that they are the most hit. It's noted that men tend to shy away from such assistance.
Gulu District has the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates.
Therefore, a lot needs to be done, especially the fact that it is a place that has been affected by conflict for almost the last two decades.
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