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Context in Uganda

ACORD UGANDA 2009-2011

The Government of Uganda (GoU) embarked on a broad development agenda since the 1980s promoting economic stabilization and growth with a view to contributing to increase in household incomes and reducing poverty. The transformation to constitutional democracy, including the promulgation of a new constitution in 1995, the move towards women emancipation, decentralization and devolution of administrative, political and financial powers to local government and more recently the reinstitution of multiparty governance, have all set the stage for local ownership of issues and solutions .

Despite this, the country still faces many challenges; for instance, the benefits of growth did not extend to some regions and social groups in the country. The war in the north of the country has taken a major share of the country’s resources thereby reducing the government’s capacity for service delivery in the region. As such, there has been limited improvement in health related indicators, negatively affecting the household economy in northern Uganda resulting in 38% of the population falling below the poverty line. Further, conflict and internal displacement continue to retard the development and wellbeing of people in Northern Uganda. Although the final peace agreement has not yet been signed, processes for improving security, rehabilitation and reconstruction are underway in the war affected region. 

 

This transition from war to peace has motivated various actors to initiate development and rehabilitation interventions. Despite these positive developments towards peace, the challenge remaining is to ensure that the final
comprehensive peace agreement will be signed given the fact that the LRA’s persistent demands for dropping of the International Criminal Court (ICC) indictment have not been addressed.

 

Overall Objective


The current purpose of ACORD Uganda Area Programme is to enable the poor and marginalized communities living in non and conflict-affected areas to effectively engage with government and other institutions of development to secure their basic rights and assume responsibilities in fostering reconciliation and sustainable development.

The Uganda Area Program has formulated four strategic objectives to be achieved in the next three years based on the external evaluation findings, recommendations, and emerging issues from the last programming phase, and ACORD Uganda comparative advantages in view of the country’s context. The strategic objectives will reinforce one another to maximize synergy and create lasting and sustainable impact, and these are outlined below.
  • Strengthen the capacity of the IDPs returnees and other vulnerable communities in northern and south western Uganda to secure sustainable livelihoods and food security.
  • Facilitate an enabling environment for sustainable peace, security and citizen’s decision making at local and national level through increased civil society engagement with Government.
  • To strengthen the capacity of institutions to address Sexual and Gender based violence, and the effects of HIV and AIDS.
  • Strengthen ACORD’s capacity for self management, learning and advocacy, enabling staff to effectively engage with government and the private sectors and become part of a wider social movement.

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Thematic Focus

The Uganda Area Programme has identified conflict transformation and HIV and AIDS as two interrelated thematic areas of focus through a livelihood approach while addressing Gender and environment as cross cutting issues.  By Conflict Transformation, ACORD refers to the goal of reconfiguring the sources of conflict including individuals, groups, and the unjust social structures that contribute to ongoing discord and disharmony in society. By HIV/AIDS as a thematic focus, ACORD is referring to a continuum of processes for analysis of how HIV and AIDS impact on all sectors, at different times, both internally and externally, to deeming how each sector should respond based on its comparative advantages.

The Area Programme has identified the following supportive activities critical for greater and wider impact as listed below;
  • Rebuilding the livelihoods of the returning IDPs and host communities
  • Reconciliation and restoration of social relations
  • Improving civil society and local governance in conflict affected areas
  • Facilitating effective and efficient gender justice mechanism
  • Reducing the prevalence and impact of HIV and AIDS


Where we work


The programme is being implemented in areas prone to conflict and those in transition from war to peace in the following districts; Gulu, Amuru, Kitgum and Pader in Acholi sub region, Adjumani and Moyo districts in the Madi sub region, Abim and Kabong in Karamoja sub region and Mbarara and Isingiro, Kabale, Kisoro, Rukingiri, Ntungamo, Kanungu, Bushenyi, Ibanda and Kiruhura in south western Uganda. 

 

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Who We Work With

The key social actors
The primary beneficiaries of our different interventions include child mothers, youth out of school, women, elderly, people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHAs), child headed households, persons with disabilities, orphans and vulnerable children, child soldiers and ex combatants, IDPs returnees and host communities. These target groups directly benefit from the practical interventions that are being implemented, and their capacities to engage with key duty bearers is being strengthened so that they are able to hold duty bearers accountable for their rights.
Indirect beneficiaries
The indirect beneficiaries include; local government officials at sub-county and District level, CBOs and Local NGOs, networks of PLHAs and women groups among others. For these groups, ACORD is strengthening their capacities to deliver on their mandates and fulfil their social and statutory responsibilities of providing holistic and comprehensive services to their people.