UGANDA VOICE GRANTEES ORIENTED ON THE VOICE: LINKING AND LEARNING PROJECT
- 22 March 2022 -
- Written by Laspnet
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OXFAM and LASPNET in partnership with Strategic Link (SL) from 14th to 15th February 2022 convened a two days Inception and Kick off meeting with the overall objective of orienting the new Voice Influencing grantees on the Voice Linking and Learning project activities.
The kick-off meeting was part of the Linking and Learning activities under the new grant project ‘Voice(s) Connected & Amplified: Linking & Learning Facilitation’ project in Uganda. The meeting which took place at Kabira Country Club Hotel was attended by a total number of 43 participants including Grantees; rights holders; VOICE/OXFAM Ugandan team; Strategic Link and LASPNET teams.
A Group Photo of Participants during the Induction and kick off meeting.
The new grantees that were oriented included: Center for Constitutional Governance (CCG), Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF), Gulu Women Economic Development and Globalization (GWED-G), Joy Initiatives Uganda (JOYI), Action for Community Development (ACODEV), SORAK Development Agency, Hoima District Union of Persons with Disabilities (HUDIP), Community Volunteer Initiative for Development (COVOID) and Uganda National Action on Physical Disability (UNAPD).
While making her introductory remarks, Ms. Namatovu Christine, the Voice Project Manager underscored the fact that Voice believes in concessional rather than confrontational advocacy. She called upon grantees to work closely with the various stakeholders especially the duty bearers to ensure that no conflicts arise to impede smooth implementation of their project activities.
Mr. Edward Mwebaze, the Head of Programs - Oxfam giving his remarks during the meeting
In his opening remarks, Mr. Edward Mwebaze the Head Programs - OXFAM, reechoed OXFAM’S vision of fighting injustice and inequality thus imploring grantees that they work towards realization and attainment of this vision.
Additionally, he stated that since OXFAM promotes integration, engagement with grantees should not only be restricted to Voice project activities. “Oxfam will continue to work with the grantees to influence and amplify issues that affect the rightsholders,” he stated.
Ms. Liz Ekoju representing the Country Director urged the grantees to safe guard themselves and their rights holders against issues that affect them and their work, by clearly planning and budgeting prior to project implementation. Additionally, she encouraged the grantees to utilize an informed and skilled team in their activities in addition to paying attention to accurate documentation and avoid commingling activity results and funds.
Ms. Liz Ekoju, the Human Resource Manager giving remarks on behalf of the Oxfam Country Director (Mr. Francis Shanty Odokorach)
During the orientation, the grantees were inducted on various linking and learning activities planned for the year 2022 including kick off meetings, annual learning events, Global Indabas among others. The orientation meeting also featured presentations on use of stories to amplify voices of rights holders; linking and learning digital platform and adaptation of inclusive and non-discriminatory language by grantees during programmes.
In her closing remarks of the two days’ event, the Chief Executive Officer of LASPNET, Dr. Sylvia Namubiru Mukasa commended VOICE-OXFAM for funding LASPNET and SL to implement the Voice Linking and Learning project. She called upon the grantees to utilize and take forward the information and knowledge garnered during the orientation to effectively implement their respective projects. “This project is the heart and soul of Voice projects which includes the principles of not leaving no one behind (rights holders); nothing is about us without us and putting the furthest behind first and these are key words as we are leaving this point.” she emphasized.
She finally called upon the grantees to re-enforce each other in order to realize synergies but importantly advised grantees to dedicate a staff under the project who will be responsible for documenting and writing change and impact reports for easy accountability.
In conclusion, the kick off meeting was well attended by the voice grantees who had the opportunity to be oriented on the linking and learning project in addition to building their capacity in project planning and management.
It is hoped that the information received will be very useful to the grantees as take on their respective project mandates for the period April 2022 to March 2023.
Compiled by
Mawanda Hakim
Project Coordinator Voice Linking & Learning
07:05:35 2022-03-22
