International Development Tour Summer 2013 Compiled Documentation
Afrinspire Student Trip Team Ground Rules Team Ground Rules Group Discussions:
- We value openness and non-defensive discussion - We want to create a ‘safe space’ with one another in which we feel we can discuss feelings and ideas that emerge during the trip - No question is a stupid question - Be aware of and respectful of one another’s opinions - Everyone’s opinion is equally valid - Debriefing as a team is important; we commit to attending and engaging unless there is a strong reason not to - We will respect that some team members may feel tired or ill in the evenings so will attempt to keep the debrief short and focused - We will have a clear distinction between debrief time and relaxing time Working as a Team:
- Time-keeping: It’s a group schedule – there may be logistical issues that prevent us leaving on time but we as individuals will avoid regularly holding the group up - Avoid upsetting or frustrating other team members; be aware of their needs - Raise issues with other team members early and respectfully - Invest in each other; try to work as a team and not break into cliques - Follow Ian’s lead but try to pro-actively engage with the Ugandans - Remember to be humble; we are there to learn from the Ugandans and one another - If we are feeling ill or tired etc we will tell someone and Ian/Felicity as soon as possible so we can support one another We are happy to have photos of us shared on Facebook and the Afrinspire website.
Afrinspire Student Trip Data-Gathering & Communications Strategy Communications Planning During The Trip: We want to communicate what we are doing to Afrinspire’s supporters and funders, and our personal supporters and funders during the trip. We identified the following strategies to do this: Updating the Team Webpage: We hope to blog on the team page every two or three days. This amounts to 2 blogs per team member during the trip. We will promote these blogs via twitter and facebook. We will name a team member who will be responsible for reminding people to write blogs and that they are reasonably evenly distributed. It will be helpful if this individual had access to a laptop Photos: We hope to collect a selection of photos which will help us to remember and document the trip. Since everyone will have different interests and memories we will all take different photos, however Min (who has a lot of experience and a great camera) and Giulio offered to be named as leads in ensuring that lots of photos are taken. Each night we will download the photos onto a computer, and whenever there is internet access we will also store them in Dan’s large dropbox. This will help to ensure that we don’t lose all the photos if a camera gets stolen/broken etc. A Video-blog: We thought it would be useful to produce a video-blog of our journey as video can be a very engaging media. We need a named person to lead on this (Dan has offered if nobody else is keen.) We would like to talk to Envision to ask whether they have any flipcams we could borrow and whether it would be possible to give the group a short training session before we leave, as Edd Stonham has kindly offered this in the past. There was also discussion about whether a dictaphone would be useful to record the
After The Trip: After the trip we would like to evaluate the trip and its’ successes, to communicate our thanks to those who have supported Afrinspire and us, and to maximise the learning from the trip for future trips. We identified the following strategies to do this: Follow-through and Feedback: We acknowledge the importance of giving Ian as much feedback as possible about the trip to help him to plan trips in the future that are as maximally beneficial as possible for all who are involved. We also know it is important to Collective Report: We would like to form a group report, as a momento for the team and to help Ian to remember and extract useful information from our experience as a trip. The exact form of this report will be discussed in greater detail during and after the trip but it is likely to include a collection of personal memories/ diary entries and photos. Event: We would like to hold an event to inform our personal supporters and Afrinspire’s supporters of the value of the trip, what we have learned, and what projects need support going forward. This may also prove a good opportunity to get students interested in attending next year’s trip. The exact content of this event will be discussed in greater detail during and after the trip but it is likely to include a series of short talks, and hopefully some sharing of photos and video-footage.
Afrinspire Student Trip SWOT Analysis of Fundraising Potential
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Multi-disciplinary team Team with range of skills Some have fundraising experience Different colleges and groups of friends and supporters to engage We have a personal interest & engagement with Afrinspire so are passionate about what it is doing! Afrinspire as a unique charity to fundraise for: - works with local groups - wide range of projects (so can match to supporters’ interests) - wide range of countries (ditto) - built on personal, long-term relationships with communities - acts as a catalyst for bigger projects/ to move projects to a new level (therefore a little money goes a long way!) - Very low running costs therefore donation goes directly to Africa
Time-limits Team has work and other commitments Different team members may have different expectations (thus important to meet, communicate and clarify these where possible early on) Exams (& the fact that they are widely spread –can mitigate this by spreading workload between those whose exams are distant/over for each event) Some team members have limited access to grants e.g. if a post-grad (therefore may need to research external grants)
Opportunities:
Threats:
There are multiple sites/locations each team member can fundraise from: home friends and family, uni friends and contacts AND college v department-based fundraising Cambridge is an active university Cambridge has many cheap/free venues for students & charities Colleges offer range of grants and support for students Afrinspire’s link with the Uni and Cambridge’s name might encourage those from some countries to donate There are many different communication channels in Cambridge (e.g. using CuID, Student hubs, Careers mailing lists as well as posterboards, and Afrinspire’s mailing lists)
Many charities try to fundraise for Africa (therefore need to communicate well why Afrinspire is special & different – see the ‘Strengths’ of Afrinspire box) Students at Cambridge have very little time and money (therefore need to communicate well need for money and find creative events etc to attract them) There are many other events at Cambridge (therefore need to offer something new) Difficulties with follow-through on pledges (e.g. in Sponsorship – need to budget for this and plan follow-up carefully) Term-times are short (therefore need to communicate carefully over Easter etc) Next term is exam term (therefore need to plan as much this term as possible, and try to hold events at either end of the term before most exams start)
Afrinspire Student Trip Calendar of Plans & Fundraising Please update with more specific details of your exam commitments as and when you are aware of them. Each row = 1 week. Italicised = not confirmed.
Date
Exams
Fundraising
Meetings Formal Meeting 3: Fundraising Strategy & Training (22nd Feb – F)
NOW! Dan
Krispy Kreme Sale – 28th Feb
Informal fundraising planning Thurs 31st - 9pm Informal fundraising planning?
Chocolate Event?
Formal meeting 4: Full day Group Training? - ?16th March (F & I)
Ceilidh? Charity Formal? African Night?
Informal fundraising planning?
March
April
May
Min (From the 22nd) / Kelly (from the 22nd) Felicity/ Min / Kelly (till the 24th) Min (till the 3rd) / Dan Dan
Formal meeting 5: Fundraising & Logistics updates? (F & I)
Dan Marika / Kelly / Dan
June
Marika / Hannah / Dan leaves for Uganda Hannah / Felicity
Informal fundraising planning? Charity Garden Party?
Felicity Felicity
July
Felicity
We leave on July 11th!
Formal meeting 6: Final Plans? (I)
Afrinspire Student Trip Health Advice General Advice: Introduction: We need to ensure that we are as prepared as possible for all possible health issues that could arise on the trip. Please let us know now if you have any long-term health issues that we might need to take into consideration. Areas that need to be considered in preparing for the trip include ensuring all team members have appropriate vaccinations, anti-malarials, and personal medication with them. We recommend bringing personal first aid supplies such as plasters and analgesia and taking basic hygiene precautions such as washing your hands frequently, carrying anti-bacterial hand sanitizer and drinking or using only boiled or bottled water and avoid ice in drinks. Please check for up-to-date health and safety information on the FCO website: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/traveland-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/sub-saharan-africa/uganda
Vaccinations: Please ensure you attend a travel clinic or meet with your GP well in advance of the trip to gain appropriate medical advice and ensure you can get appropriate vaccination cover.
List of suggested vaccinations available here: http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/africa/uganda.aspx Essential Vaccinations: - those recommended in Britain e.g. mumps, measles, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria etc (please ensure these are up to date) - Yellow fever (you will not be able to enter the country without the certificate confirming you have received this! It usually costs around ÂŁ60). Strongly recommended: (and you are unlikely to have these unless you have travelled a lot already) -
Hepatitis A Typhoid
You can often receive these as a joint course for around ÂŁ85
Optional Vaccinations: - Cholera - Rabies - Hepatitis B
Anti-Malarials: It is essential to bring adequate anti-malarials for this trip, since as you will see from the map below, travelling throughout the vast majority of Uganda has a high risk of contracting malaria. Atovaquone/proguanil OR doxycycline OR mefloquine are recommended for Uganda. The costs of these vary from around ÂŁ40 to over ÂŁ100 for 3 weeks, but the side-effects associated with these vary too. Please ask your travel nurse/ GP for full details.
In addition we need to take sensible precautions such as wearing insect repellent, long sleeves and trousers at night, and using mosquito nets. Please ensure you attend a travel clinic or meet with your GP well in advance of the trip to ensure you can get appropriate anti-malarials for you.
Afrinspire Student Trip Recommended Kit List General Advice: Introduction: Please pack lightly. Unnecessarily large suitcases are hard to transport and will inconvenience everyone– equally if you stuff your bag full it will be challenging to unpack and re-pack on every occasion and this will inconvenience you. Therefore try to limit what you bring. It is not a fashion show and there will be long hot days of travelling, so it’s important to bring practical, comfortable and culturally-sensitive clothing. Please try not to bring jewellery or expensive or valuable personal accessories etc. There is no need to bring bedding, unless you want an inflatable pillow for the plane - all hotels/guesthouses we visit should provide a reasonable standard bed sheets and duvets.
Luggage: It is important to bring the right luggage. For the main bag, a large soft, holdall on wheels is the best option. You need something that isn't too rigid and liable to getting knocked around too much. Make sure it's quite easy to carry without the wheels too, as there will be a lot of times where the ground is too rough to use the wheels. However, there is no real need for a large traveller’s backpack or anything like that, as the luggage will only need to be loaded into and out of the back of the vehicles – you won’t need to carry it for any really large distances. For the day a large flat backpack with comfortable straps that don’t dig into your shoulders is useful to carry sun-cream, water, food, notes, sunglasses, a waterproof etc. Beware that this may get dirty so don’t bring anything you like too much. Those which have several pockets are most useful. Make sure you can also padlock the zip on the bag. When travelling and when out during the day padlock your main bag - if anything it will help act as a deterrent to casual pickpockets. Do the same with your day-bag if out and about in a busy town or city. For day trips to the rural sites where there are not so many people and it's easier to keep an eye on your bag, not real need to padlock your day-bag.
Clothing: Clothing should be largely loose-fitting, cool and casual. The vast majority of this should be casual, but you may wish to bring one or two smarter shirts/blouses and a smarter pair of trousers/skirt, primarily for attending church or on a conference day. Avoid lighter colours, especially white, and clothes which you like too much; everything is at risk of getting dusty and dirty. It is likely to be very hot so light fabrics are practical, take smaller space to pack, and will also dry quicker if there is the opportunity to wash it. The sun is very fierce so shoulders are better covered, and you may want to consider long-sleeved tops and hats in addition to sun protection if you burn easily. It’s unlikely to be very cold. Therefore please don’t bring more than three jumpers. In the past some students have brought thick gloves, scarf, and woolly hat –these are unnecessary. Both genders should avoid clothing that reveals much about the knee or thighs but cropped trousers or threequarter length trousers (particularly with pockets) are very practical to travel in. In order to be culturallysensitive skirts girls should avoid tight-fitting or revealing clothing, and should take special care to avoid low cut tops or skirts that do not cover the knee. In rural areas women even keep their shoulders covered, so
larger, looser clothing is more appropriate. Women in Uganda wear skirts so you may prefer to wear these, or bring a mixture of these and trousers. “I personally think it's nicer to wear a skirt (Ugandan women don't wear trousers so by doing so you just look even stranger to them!) as long as it still covers your knees when you sit down (and it's not so light-weight that it might blow up!). I can't imagine having worn trousers as it gets so hot, especially while travelling, but the other 4 girls on my trip did. Probably taking a mix is best.” – Rachel
Footwear: You should plan to keep feet covered for most of the travelling and to bring at least one solid pair of shoes; many students in previous years have brought hiking boots or a pair of solid old trainers. Make sure you have appropriate socks and blister-plasters to accompany these! You will be walking through long grass when going to visit conservation or water tank projects, and your feet will get very dusty when uncovered. Sturdy but lighter shoes which cover your feet may go better with a skirt, and pumps can be worn for church or in less rural locations. Many students have also brought a pair of flip flops, sandals or more comfortable light footwear to wear in the evenings. You need grippy soles because of walking on dust or mud.(virtually no tarmac in Uganda!) “I personally did not want to wear open shoes as Ian had warned us of something called jiggers (little bugs which can burrow into your toes). Very, very unlikely to happen, but I didn't want to risk it! You will also do a bit of trekking through long grass so some people wore trainers every day. I wore enclosed shoes with a thickish sole which looked a little bit more elegant with a skirt! Wearing plimsolls would be fine too. I also took a pair of pumps for smarter occasions. You could also take flip flops/ sandals for when you're in towns. One girl actually wore sandals the entire time because she had a condition where her feet swelled up in hot weather and she was fine, her feet were just incredibly dusty!” – Rachel “I thought hiking boots were essential, especially walking over uneven or steep ground in many places (wear these whilst travelling) and would suggest in addition a spare pair of old trainers or strong sandals. I found ankle socks really useful with these. They are small, lightweight, and very cheap (at Sports World/Sports Direct). I wore one pair of old ankle socks under a pair of thicker hiking socks (take three/four pairs of hiking socks for three weeks) for a couple of days each. I’d say flip-flops are unnecessary – I think every hotel/guesthouse we visited provided flip-flops for the shower (although if you have abnormally large feet might be best to bring you own) I’ve got size 10 feet and managed to squeeze into all the flip-flops provided – or just go without.” - Richard
Suggested Kit List Item Equipment
Number
Comments
Main bag
A large soft hold-all with wheels.
Small Rucksack Spare plastic bags
For carrying during the day with comfortable straps and several pockets to divide equipment To pack things in / compartments to keep clean
A Camera
Lots of memory and spare batteries.
An alarm clock
Or a phone with a charger
A torch
And spare batteries. A head torch instead of a hand held torch
may be useful for late night toilet visits A mobile phone(s)
Padlocks
Ideally internationally-enabled, with a charger Old one which is unlocked and can take a Ugandan pay as you go SIM card Large & small
Several wallets
Most travel insurance requires you to lock your case when flying.
Divide your money up between rucksack, main bag and possibly a money belt
Clothing Underwear Warm jumper/ cardigan/ sweater Light jumper/ cardigan/ sweater
10 days 1
T-shirts/shirts/ tops
6 - 10
Trousers/ ¾ lengths / knee length shorts (1) Shoes Hat Sunglasses
3
1-2
2- 3
Light waterproofs
Likely to be able to wash clothes once during trip. Fleeces are very light and warm. This is useful for the evening but more than one is unnecessary. Need in South Uganda. Ideally you should be able to wear these under the warmer version above as well as separately. If you feel the cold you may wish to consider two of these. Neutral, dark colours would allow them to be worn with any outfit. Boys may wish to consider shirts with collars (to fold up and provide extra protection for the back of your neck). Consider long sleeved, light fabrics to keep cool and protect about the sun. Likely to be able to wash clothes once during trip. Light-weight fabrics, washable and dark trousers are advised. Trainers/travelling shoes +/- flip-flops/sandals Suggest wide-brimmed to protect neck, or failing that a cap
Will be the dry season, so only likely to rain a few times; there is no need to pack really thick waterproofs. It may rain torrentially on some afternoons, but it’s so strong that you have to shelter and waterproofs just don’t work! A smart(er) pair of trousers and shirt for the church service or a dress for similar (i.e. smart casual – no need to take a suit and black shoes etc.)
Smarter Outfit
1
Night clothes
1
Please bring something sensible (modest!) and light to sleep in, as you may share with others/ need to be woken etc
No more than 100ml per week
Handy to have a small container for your rucksack. Simple hand hygiene is a must after using pit latrines and doing lots of hand-shaking.
Toiletries Alcohol gel
Wet wipes Toothbrush & toothpaste Shower gel & shampoo
As you prefer, but hand gel is sufficient
Small
Anti-perspirant Deodrant Moisturiser & Lip balm Facial wipes/cream
The dust and heat can dry out your lips and skin. ?Share/ ?Small
Sun cream & after
Suggest as higher factor as possible)– e.g. a small factor 50 roll-on sun
sun
cream
Spare loo rolls
Have small amount available when out and about. We buy loo rolls when we get there and keep in vehicle.
Insect repellent
First aid stuff
(≤2 bottles of 75ml) or solid stick
?Share/ ?Small
Mosiguard is a natural eucalyptus based mosiquito repellent which works for 8 hours and does not stain clothes and highly recommended. Most chemists sell Deet based repellent which stain clothes. Rehydration sachets + loperamid, antiseptic cream, bite and sting relief cream, Some assorted plasters, Ibuprofen or Paracetamol tablets ?Share
Anti-Malarials
Whichever one you decide to take
?Travel wash
?Share/ ?Small
?Ear plugs
Some students have found these useful in the past with cockerels/ dogs/mosques/weddings! Can also help for sleeping on the plane.
Paperwork Documentation Photocopies
Money Paper for writing Folders / plastic wallets Ugandan travel book
Map
Optional Extras Pack of cards/ light game Small binoculars Watch Sweets etc
Passport, travel insurance, flight details Driving license for some if you have them (emergency contingency only)
Your vaccination record, and Yellow Fever certificate just in case. Photocopies of your passport, spare passport-sized photos, booking confirmation forms, e-receipts, emergency telephone numbers and insurance documentation (one copy in your rucksack, one in your suitcase) Money to exchange into Ugandan shillings (Most students use less than ÂŁ300). You may also wish to bring a debit card. Large notebook/diary for recording or writing up at night Small notebook for recording during the day To keep notes/handouts in (and protect them from being damaged) e.g. Brandt guide to Uganda a few weeks before departure; this may be very useful beforehand (when packing) and during the trip (for info/maps on the areas we visited). Useful if just to see where you are going/have visited (Can be bought at the Equator for 5,000UGS (approx. ÂŁ1.50). Macmillan version can buy on the web is also a good map.
May also be useful to bring for children.
Afrinspire Partner Profile: Name NAME Location: Country: Uganda
Number of years running: Number of years with Afrinspire:
Key Individuals: Aims and Objectives:
Key words:
History and Background:
Activities:
Afrinspire’s Contribution:
Current Challenges and Plans:
Specific Needs:
Afrinspire Partner Profile: Mama Jane’s Child Centre N.B. Please note this is an example to help you to complete your partner profiles.
Mama Jane’s Child Care Centre Location: Jinja Country: Uganda
Number of years running: 10 Number of years with Afrinspire: 10
Key Individuals: Mama Jane, Sylvia, Amine
Key words: Orphans, Children, HIV/AIDS, Education, Skills, Health
Aims and Objectives: Mama Jane’s is a care centre for orphans and vulnerable children. It’s aims are: - To offer care and protection to vulnerable children - To ensure all children have a home and an education - To work together with the government and other NGOs to ensure this care is of a high quality - To provide love, care and compassion to all children History and Background: Named after its Founder, the Late Jane Babirye, the care centre is a charitable Non-Governmental organisation which aims to provide a home and a family for Ugandan orphans who do not have one of their own. As they have gained more funding and support from both within Uganda, and from other countries, the organisation has been able to grow in size and offer increased holistic support to the children it cares for. Mama Jane’s has cared for over 500 children since its inception and currently accommodates 75 children within the orphanage, and a further 31 children on a community-based system of supported foster families. Activities: Provision of the following to all children: - Shelter and a loving family: Mama Jane’s provides all the children it cares for with a place to live and someone to care for them, whether within its orphanage or a local foster family. - Food: Children receive breakfast and supper within the care home’s dining hall, and lunch at school. Older children are also taught to cook and have some basic facilities to cook for themselves. - An Education: Education is offered right from the orphanage’s own nursery school, through to primary and secondary education, and some of the brightest children have now gone to university. - Basic Health facilities: Mama Jane’s has a basic clinic and a nurse to care for the children within the home, as local hospitals are very expensive and often lack the necessary medicines. - Practical life-skills: In an economy where there are few large businesses advertising jobs, young people need skills to create their own jobs. Mama Jane’s aims to equip its children through computer lessons,
sewing and handicraft sessions, and a small farm where children learn agricultural skills. - Guest house: Mama Jane’s has a small guest house for external volunteers and visitors. Afrinspire’s Contribution: Afrinspire has been a long-term partner and supporter of Mama Jane’s, channelling some regular financial support to the orphanage from the UK, and offering small unrestricted donations in times of particular need. Additionally, Afrinspire has provided all of the orphanage’s 8 computers, along with training in usages and servicing in order to enable the children to learn this critical skill. Current Challenges and Plans: The orphanage has been badly affected by the global financial crisis, which has significantly reduced its overseas support, and is struggling to cope with the increased number of orphans in the local area, resulting from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. One of the orphanage’s main problems is the lack of a stable source of income, which makes it hard to predict how many children they can care for. Additionally, Mama Jane’s has a high staff turnover as, during difficult times, they are unable to pay salaries, and they would really like to resolve this and to hire more farmers, to increase the number of children who leave the programme with the skills to provide for themselves. Specific Needs: - Medicines for the clinic: Mama Jane’s clinic is unable to support the children without a regular income to keep it stocked. £5/month provides the clinic with enough basic medicines to support 20 children. - Individual child sponsorship: Just £10/month can provide one of Mama Jane’s orphans with food and an education. Mama Jane’s is able to send you six-monthly updates about the progress of your child. - New life starter-funding: Teenagers leaving Mama Jane’s to start a new life for themselves have no home of their own, and no money to cover the start-up costs of a small business. For approximately £500 the orphanage is able to purchase a plot of land and materials to build a home, along with an initial investment to begin a business, such as a sewing machine, fabric and threads.
Afrinspire Blog: The Jaguza Children N.B. Please note this is an example to help you to complete your blogs. Our first day in Uganda (and in Africa for some people in our group) turned out to be both inspiring and quite intense. Before we set out from our hotel in Entebbe we met Franco who would be our driver and friend for the rest of the trip. Our first visit in Uganda was to Margaret Kyeyune, who lives in a suburb just outside Kampala (the capital of Uganda). Margaret was a warm and energetic woman, who after the compulsory introductions treated us to our first Ugandan meal; a personal favourite of mine was the sweet potato, which tasted much nicer than anything I have come across in the UK. As a widow with four children Margaret had struggled to make enough money to send her children to school and have an education. As her own children grew older Margaret decided to help other children in need in her community, and she started the Jaguza Children Charity. The Jaguza Children is dedicated to help the children in the community, especially those whose parents have died in AIDS. It was one of Afrinspire’s partners, Rita, who introduced the Jaguza Children to Ian Sanderson, the founder of Afrinspire. Since then Afrinspire has sponsored around ten children, giving the children an opportunity to go to school and have one guaranteed meal per day. As Margaret’s son Bob showed us around in the community, we got a better understanding of how Jaguza works, and for many of us, it was our first encounter with real poverty and people living under $1/day. Bob also explained the important role that the grandmothers play in Uganda, because of the prevalence of HIV, which has rendered many children parentless, and it is therefore up to the grandmothers to look after the children. The Jaguza Children Charity therefore also supports the grandmothers so they can sustain themselves in order to look after the children properly. Bob also explained that because of the tradition of male inheritance in Uganda, a lot of children become homeless as soon as their grandmother dies, because property is inherited on the male side only. Because of the fact that a woman’s property belongs to her husband, it is therefore quite normal for the closest relatives on the male side of the family to move in and kick the children out (even if the grandmother is maternal) when the grandmother dies. After the eye-opening, but also a bit overwhelming tour of the community and visit to all the grandmothers we returned to Margaret’s house where we were offered some tea before we said goodbye to Margaret and her sons. We left the house with a greater understanding of development, but also some of its challenges.