Bright Doves joins the world to celebrate Laudato si Week

Laudato Si’ teaches us that “everything is connected.” During this extraordinary moment, Catholics everywhere are uniting to reflect, pray, and prepare for a better future together.

Francis comes to Kamwokya

St. Francis of Assisi

This play is about the life of St Francis of Assisi who was born in 1181 and lived till 1226. His life’s experiences are still relevant today and can be seen in the light in appreciation of life’s challenges as opportunities and turning disadvantages into advantages. A research focused on youth in Kamwokya sparked off the inspiration to produce this drama.

Much of the text as originally produced and played by students of St Maria Goretti Secondary School under the production of Srs. Wiro and Sir Edward Ann Both Teachers at school then. Very minor edits have been made owing to loss of the original text and relying on recorded material which generously provided by Dr. Hannington Byarugaba. We appreciate this contribution and that of Mr Fautsine Nyakaana who upon request secured it from Hannington.

 

 It is being reproduced by The Bright Dove of St Francis, Kamwokya, in collaboration with Igaaza Creations Ltd. The themes remain relevant and hence the objectives under the current production

1.      To enlighten the community on their mutual obligation towards addressing challenges faced by youth

2.      To sensitize the community to their potential to provide children and youth a foundation for a better future

3.      To highlight the tension between children/youth and parents/guardians and the role of parents in giving constructive space to youth/children to follow their dreams.

 4.      To motivate youth and parents with relational problems to undertake self-reflection and discovery

oohaah!!!! Relax and Enjoy

CALENDAR HD VITA MEDIA

Dance for the lord by the Bright Doves

Here is how the youth fund is distributed

Here is how the youth fund is distributed at district level

The Youth Livelihood Programme was approved by Cabinet on September 4, 2013, passed by Parliament on September 13, 2013 and officially launched by the President on the January 24, 2014. The programme is a product of wide consultation among the youth of Uganda through their leadership, civil society organisations, development partners, Members of Parliament and Cabinet, among others.

The objective of this programme is to empower the target youth in Uganda to harness their socio-economic potential and increase self-employment opportunities and income levels.

The Youth Livelihood Programme has an approved budget of Shs265 billion for the initial five years beginning FY 2013-14. For the current FY2013-14, the programme was allocated Shs19.25 billion, of which only Shs15.9 billion has so far been released by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

Ninety per cent of the fund under this programme is allocated to financing youth projects generated and approved by the district local governments. Ten per cent is for operation costs at the sub-county, district and national level.
Owing to the inadequate funds released by the Finance ministry for FY 2013-14, the ministry if Gender has adopted a phased approach of implementation beginning with 27 districts selected on the basis of youth unemployment rates, poverty count and land area. The rest of the districts will be covered in the FY 2014-2015.

Implementation of the programme has started with setting up systems – establishment of the secretariat and development of simplified guidelines –and preparation of the districts to undertake their roles and responsibilities, including mobilisation and creating awareness, beneficiary selection, project proposal preparation, project appraisal and approval, etc. This has already been done in the 27 districts under Phase I. 
The funds so far spent on the above activities are in accordance with the approved annual work-plan and budget for the operations funds for FY 2013-14. No single youth project has been funded as yet, as the first submission of approved youth projects by the districts to the ministry of Gender is expected in the fourth week of April, 2014.

The youth shall receive support through groups of 10-15 members, not individuals as alleged by opposition politicians. There is no way an individual can access the funds, except through duly selected groups. It is, therefore, wrong for the opposition leaders to allege that the Gender ministry has used the youth funds to finance individuals to the tune Shs40 billion through mere instructions from the IGP.

The selection of the beneficiaries, preparation, appraisal and approval of the youth projects is a responsibility of local governments; not any individual person or the ministry of Gender.

The 27 district under Phase I have already begun the process of issuing interest forms and selection of beneficiaries and are expected to make the first submissions by the end April 2014. These submissions will constitute the first youth projects that will receive funding by the second week of May 2014.

All the youth project funds under the Youth Livelihood Programme have been allocated to the districts and the Indicative Planning Figures have been communicated to the districts to be managed by them.

The Gender ministry does not have any funds set aside at the headquarters to dish out to individuals or groups. The youth funds will be channeled directly to Youth Interest Groups through their respective Youth Livelihood Programme project accounts.

This programme has well laid out implementation guidelines and fund access criteria to which the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development is committed to ensure they are meticulously, religiously and judiciously adhered to by all implementers at all levels, without exception.

The implementation of the programme has taken off and is on course. We, therefore, call upon the public, especially the youth, to be part of this process and avoid any diversionary propaganda intended to disrupt smooth implementation and realisation of the programme’s development objective.

Mr Mondo is the assistant commissioner for youth affairs/spokesperson Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development

By Kyateka F. Mondo 

Posted  Tuesday, April 22  2014 at  21:04
Daily Monitor

Mondo says this is in response to the false claims made by Opposition leaders – Democratic Party president Norbert Mao, Uganda Peoples Congress leader Olara Otunnu, Gen Mugisha Muntu who is the president of Forum for Democratic Change, and former FDC leader Dr Kizza Besigye – in the media recently.

The Opposition alleged, among other things, that Shs40 billion meant for youth projects under the Youth Livelihood Programme, had been diverted and used to bribe individuals to join NRM on the instructions of the Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura, to the Gender ministry Permanent Secretary Pius Bigirimana.

They also claimed the programme is a political slush fund that had not duly been approved by Parliament and that the set procedures of accessing funds under the programme had been flawed.

These allegations are misleading, inaccurate and unfortunate. These are national leaders who are supposed to epitomise judicious diligence in whatever they do or communicate. 

RE: THE RAMPANT SCHOOL STRIKES IN UGANDA 30th July, 2013

THE SECRETARY GENERAL

NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR CHILDREN

P.O BOX 21456

KAMPALA - UGANDA

Dear Sir,

Re: the rampant school strikes in Uganda

We have noted with great concern the exponential rise of school strikes in our country. We also recognise National Council for Children has the mandate of coordinating, monitoring and evaluating policies and programmes relating to the survival, development, protection and participation of children and related matters by act of parliament.

We appreciate that most senior secondary going students are below 18 years and therefore children as stipulated in the Children’s Act Cap 53. Hence within your docket as well.

Going by the article published on Thursday 25^th July 2013 by Nation Media’s Daily Monitor “What is fuelling school strikes in Uganda?” the writer tried to explore the situation, and the issue arising is misplacement of rights and responsibilities. The guns are directed to school administrators, government, students and parents whilst morals, politics and the economy are cited as the driving force behind.

Well as this might cause awareness, it also calls for joint effort with all stakeholders to do something about it. Education is a right, it should therefore be emphasised as it is a national asset and investment.

As we talk now Sheema and Bushenyi districts have closed all secondary schools. Students from these particular schools at the end of the year have to sit the same UNEB Exams with the rest of the students across the country.

We urge an initiation of some kind of sober dialogue with all stakeholders to arrest this situation as soon as possible.

Yours in service,

……………………………………….

KUGONZA K NICHOLAS

Programmes Coordinator