DFID in Africa: Visits to aid projects by the Secretary of State and Prince
of Wales
10 December 2007
Related pages:
Uganda country profile |
Tanzania country profile
|
Kenya country profile
Last month, the
 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)
took place in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. In the week around the event, which takes place every two years and is
attended by representatives from all Commonwealth nations, the Secretary of
State for International Development, Douglas Alexander, visited DFID projects in
Tanzania and
Kenya, as well as Uganda. His Royal Highness the Prince of
Wales, Prince Charles, also travelled to Uganda, where he saw some of the work
that DFID is doing in the country to beat poverty.
At CHOGM, DFID reaffirmed its commitment to Africa, and announced major
support for Uganda and the African Development Fund. For more information read
the recent press releases:
Secretary of State visits displaced Ugandans
 The Secretary of State visited the
North of Uganda, an area which has been
badly affected by conflict for over 21 years. At its height, fighting between
Government forces and rebels from the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) resulted in
nearly 2 million people being forced to leave their homes and live in camps,
where they faced overcrowding, poor sanitation and water shortages.
Since the start of peace talks last year, things have greatly improved. Over
400,000 people have returned to their homes and a further 526,000 have moved out
of the main camps to settlements nearer their land.
Mr Alexander first visited Pagak, one of the old camps for the displaced. Local leaders explained how,
previously, people were unable to move more than a few metres outside the camp because of LRA attacks and army security restrictions. Now people are
able to move freely, and some have left altogether and moved nearer to their
original homes. The local Parent Teacher Association described how two schools
that had been forced to move to the camp had now returned to their original
locations, greatly relieving the pressure on educational facilities. For those who remain in the camp, a
new DFID-financed water scheme is ensuring access to over 15 litres of water for
each person every day.
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Improving health and helping former soldiers
 Mr Alexander went on to visit a new health centre built with DFID support in
a location to which a lot of people are returning. The new centre has a
maternity wing and will act as a referral unit for other health facilities in
the area. The centre also boasts good quality staff accommodation, to attract
the skilled health staff who are hard to find in the North.
At Monroc, 4,000 people have moved out of the camps to be near their land. Here
the Secretary of State saw the benefits of resettlement, and listened to people speak
openly about their hopes and fears for the peace process.
In Coopee camp, the Secretary of State visited a group made up of ex-LRA
combatants, many of whom were abducted as children. This group is helping former
combatants reintegrate back into the community with the support of Empowering
Hands, an NGO established by local women. Empowering Hands has the support of
the Quakers and is receiving DFID funding. Mr Alexander was enthusiastically
received by a group of local dancers. He talked about the challenges of
reintegrating former LRA soldiers. Later, at a lunch with local political
leaders, he discussed the peace talks, the humanitarian situation and plans to
help the North recover from the years of conflict.
Speaking on MEGA FM, a local radio station developed with DFID support, the
Secretary of State said:
“The British Government will continue to support and work for the peaceful
resolution of this conflict. We will continue to give financial support to
facilitate the peace talks, as well as funding humanitarian and recovery
efforts."
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Prince of Wales sees water and sanitation improvements
 The
Prince of Wales paid a visit to Kawempe, to see the work of a number of
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that are
supported by DFID. With most of its 300,000-plus people living on under $1 a day
and HIV prevalence around 25%, Kawempe is one of Kampala’s worst slums.
Sanitation is poor, with only one toilet for every 400 people, and one water
kiosk to serve 200 households. In addition, overcrowding and the slum's location
on a swamp mean that diseases such as malaria and cholera are rife. Formal
employment is scarce and most residents make their living from informal trade
and casual labour.
A massive and enthusiastic crowd lined the streets to greet the Prince. He saw the work
of
WaterAid in improving access to safe water and sanitation, and talked about
its impact on people’s health. He then spoke to members of the community who are
maintaining the new water and sanitation systems, and to others who are benefiting.
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Providing skills and new livelihoods
 The
Prince went on to visit a woman’s group called Tusitukirewamu - Let's Rise up
Together - which is being supported by
ActionAid. Tusitukirewamu is helping
people living with, or affected by, HIV and AIDS. Members of the group, and those
who they are helping, spoke about their work in providing home-based care
services and improving access to health facilities. The Prince saw
the group’s livelihoods programme, which is training women and children in
tailoring, crocheting, knitting and handicrafts.
The final leg saw a visit to an
AMREF project which helps former
sex workers to access reproductive healthcare, and enables them to develop
careers in tailoring and hairdressing. The Prince met a number of graduates from the
centre who have now established their own successful businesses.
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DFID in Uganda
- The UK is one of the largest humanitarian donors in northern Uganda.
- Between 2004/2005 and 2006/2007 the UK has provided £49 million of
humanitarian assistance, largely through the UN and Red Cross. So far this year, £10.4 million
has been provided and, in addition, at least £3.5
million is intended to be given before the end of the year. Increasingly, these resources are being channelled
to early recovery.
- Since 2001 £3.8 million has been provided for a range of
conflict resolution activities. This has included support to peace talks, the
funding of civil society groups involved in reconciliation, work with the Uganda
Amnesty Commission on the reintegration of former combatants, and the development
of MEGA FM.
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