About this project
Climate change potentially poses one of the greatest challenges in Uganda to realize its full development potential. Environment and natural resources are under threat from both natural and manmade drivers of change including; poverty, rapid population, growth, unplanned urbanization, expansion of informal settlements, industrialization and the impacts of climate change and variability among others. Pollution levels are also on the increase and the country is contending with new and emerging environmental issues arising from e –waste, unsound use of chemicals, oil and gas development and the impacts of climate change such as drought, floods, storms, heat waves and landslides that have had serious effects on agricultural production, food security, nutrition, incomes, health status, and the livelihoods. There are number of reasons for this urbanization trend including population dynamics, industrialization, rural urban migration and economic growth leading to labor shifts thus urgent need to re-engineer the urban governance system, infrastructure and social fabric to respond to inherent problems and emerging impacts of climate change (Uganda national urban policy June, 2017). Uganda will increase putting an estimated 7.7 million of the urban population at greater risk, causing destruction to urban infrastructure investments and destroying livelihoods (climate change assessment for Kampala – Uganda, 2009). Kawempe and Rubaga division that has one of the biggest slums having 290,500 and 383,216 people respectively (UBOS 2014; cities alliance, tackling climate change in Kampala 2020) in Kampala city have been hit hardest. The population hasn’t had intensive awareness, involvement and development of alternatives that helps especially the young people to reflect on the garbage disposal practices, nutrition and health issues and how this contributes to flooding and escalation of diseases that increase the cost and affect their livelihood.
Uganda Youth Development Link (UYDEL) since 1993, has been addressing issues of street children and slum youth, homeless, refugees and withdrawing children from child labour and sexual exploitation. We now operate and run 8 walk-in drop-in centres in Kampala slums, reaching over 8,000 young people annually. UYDEL has over time also acquired a big infrastructure that admits children whom majority are women(70%) withdrawn from child prostitution, forced labour, homelessness, slum poverty-stricken homes, refugees who are identified residence in the slums, screened and referral from police and other key stakeholders. Our vocational skills training is a core activity including psycho social support focusing on building their resilience, sexual reproductive health information and services using music, sports, drama at our Drop-in centres. However, UYDEL has not implemented any project about climate change rather has been mainly focusing on socio –economic empowerment of young people and during its interventions has implemented a few activities to curb the adverse effects of climate change which include; engaging youth to make briquettes, urban gardening, recycling of plastics into decoration bottles and collective social action like community clean ups to enhance community responsibility towards safe environment. An urban slum community solution is needed to engage slum youth to be part of the solution that will address their climate problems and improve their live livelihood. Mobilization, identification of vulnerable slum youth and their guardians’ home and give them vocational skills and psychosocial support is not enough, a strategy that help them see beyond and appreciate how climatic issues are central in their lives is important in order to improve then garbage disposal, hygiene and sanitation practices, nutritional health, housing and livelihood at large.
Goals and Objectives
3.0.1 General Goal/Objective
To enhance resilience to climate hazards and promote climate smart practices among urban slum communities in Kawempe and Rubaga division by end of 2025.
3.0.2 Specific objective:
1) To enhance awareness about climate change and climate smart practices among youth and urban households in urban slum communities.
2) To train forty slum youth in photo-voice methodology to collect data about urban climatic issues and use it for advocate for climate smart practices in Kawempe and Rubaga Division.
3) To support 400 homes that participate in sorting garbage to start back yard gardening and join a green home saving group.
4) To equip forty slum youth with vocational skills training and psychosocial support in order to deal with vulnerabilities related to hazards caused by climate change and variability to improve their livelihoods.
Expected result
• Improved sanitation practices and hygiene and management among community members
• Reduction in poor garbage disposal management
• Improved access to income generating activities and wellbeing
• Increased knowledge and access of climate change information and services
• Established resilient community coalitions towards climate change
• Policy reforms concerning climate change will be done including gender mainstreaming
• Secured social asset building among community members
• Increased community initiatives towards climate change and greening the environment
Partners
About me / organisation
Dr. KASIRYE ROGERS
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Provide the following information for the Senior/key personnel and other significant contributors in the order listed on Form Page 2.
Follow this format for each person. DO NOT EXCEED FOUR PAGES.
NAME
Kasirye, Rogers POSITION TITLE
U.S. Fulbright-Humphrey Fellow-VCU/.
Executive Director Uganda Youth Development Link
eRA COMMONS USER NAME (credential, e.g., agency login)
EDUCATION/TRAINING (Begin with baccalaureate or other initial professional education, such as nursing, include postdoctoral training and residency training if applicable.)
INSTITUTION AND LOCATION DEGREE
(if applicable) MM/YY FIELD OF STUDY
Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda B.A. 1991 • Social Work/Social Administration.
Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda M.A. 2004 • Human Rights.
• Diffusion and implementation of Substance abuse, policy, prevention, rehabilitation and research, children and youth.
Virginia Commonwealth University Pre Doctoral 2011
A. PERSONAL STATEMENT
As an experienced NGO leader and expert consultant on youth in sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Kasirye has worked extensively to research, implement programs, and inform policy on pervasive health risks that face the youth population targeted in this proposal. Based on Mr. Kasirye’s research on HIV/AIDS, alcohol, and street youth in Uganda and East Africa, this research project is a logical next step in his research pursuits and expertise. He has served in a technical consultant capacity to inform research for the WHO and various UN bodies. Mr. Kasirye has acted as lead NGO expert for UNODC on drug abuse and trafficking in sub-Saharan Africa; as a national trainer for a UNFPA project on reproductive health, drug abuse, and at-risk youth; and as a contributor to WHO’s publication on alcohol use among genders in Uganda. In his role as consultant, he was involved in the planning, implementation, advocacy, and evaluation of programs related to HIV/AIDS, alcohol and drug abuse, and child trafficking among street and slum children in Uganda and East Africa. Furthermore, Mr. Kasirye is a Scientific Advisor to the Mentor Foundation, an organization that facilitates the use of evidence-based programming among NGOs working on substance abuse prevention. As the Executive Director of UYDEL, Mr. Kasirye has local expertise about, and will facilitate access to, the population with whom the research project will apply. Mr. Kasirye also will also use his position as the chairperson of the East Africa Policy Alliance, an NGO network supported by the Mentor Foundation, to engage this research project’s aim to complete formative research on NGO leadership in countering alcohol marketing to youth in East Africa. Utilizing his past input in research projects, position as an NGO leader, and technical expertise in at-risk youth in sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Kasirye has the tools and skills to be an effective co-investigator on this project.
B. POSITIONS AND HONORS
Positions and Employment
2011 – Present Fellow, U.S. Fulbright-Humphrey, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
1994 – Present Executive Director, Uganda Youth Development Link, Kampala, Uganda
1991 – 1993 Head of Social Projects and Programmes, Friends of Children Association, Kampala, Uganda
1990 – 1991 Research Assistant, Save the Children Fund, Kampala, Uganda
Consultancy and other Experiences
2011 Local Investigator forced Child labor in the Fishing sector In Lake Victoria Basin for ICF Macro/USDOL/OCTF.
2010 Local Investigator forced Child labor in the Fishing sector In Lake Victoria Basin for ICF Macro/USDOL/OCTF.
2010-11: Study Report on Commercial sexual exploitation of children in Uganda funded by Acting for life.
2008 UNICEF/World Vision/Government of Uganda, Civil Society Resource Tracking Study for Orphans and Vulnerable Children
2007 Lead expert for UNODC on drug abuse and trafficking in Sub-Saharan Africa
2007 Member, drafts committee on Trafficking in Persons Bill in Uganda
2007 ILO/IPEC, Trafficking of children in the worst forms of child labor including child soldiers in Uganda
2007 Uganda Ministry of Gender/UN Population Fund, Gender dimensions of human trafficking in Uganda
2006 African Child Policy Forum, Retrospective survey on violence against girls in Uganda
2005 ILO/IPEC, Enhancing Social Protection Strategy Paper for HIV/AIDS induced child labor in Uganda
1997 WHO, Kenya Korogocho Rehabilitation project: Needs assessment and training for street children
1997 UNICEF, Psychological life skill manual for out of school children
1997 UNDP, AIDS/HIV and Substance abuse in Uganda
1997 Advisor, Presidential initiative to prevent HIV/AIDS among school going adolescents in Uganda
1997 Advisor, WHO, Substance Abuse Programme on Street Children Project
1996 Advisor, Policy formulation on Street Children and vulnerable children in South Africa.
1996 UNDP, Training module on HIV/AIDS, risk behaviour, life skills and resettlement for street children
1994 Technical Coordinator, WHO, Program on Substance abuse Uganda Street Children
Awards
2011/12 Fellow, U.S. Fulbright-Humphrey, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
2007 International Visitor Award on Trafficking and Child Labour, US State Department
1999 UN Civil Society Award, Outstanding Achievements in the Global Fight against Drug Abuse, UNODC
1999 Africa Region Youth Service Award, Commonwealth Youth Programme, African Centre
C. CONTRIBUTION TO SCIENCE (chronologic order)
1-Substance abuse in Uganda plans for practices and policy changes: It intended to contribute to Policy discourse currently reviewing the Narcotics Bill 2007by providing a National Assessment report for first time on the situation of drug abuse in Uganda. It helped to train and update NGO service providers on Motivational Interviewing, and other Brief interventions in prevention of substance abuse among young people. The project was delivered in a one year and tremendously helped improve discourse in national parliament, general public in Uganda. It increased access to evidence based sources and information in US to Uganda practitioners reaching Uganda youth and a reduction in substance abuse will be registered.
http://eaapalliance.org/sites/default/files/publications/State%20of%20Drug%20Abuse%20and%20Alcohol%20Abuse%20in%20Uganda.pdf
https://www.google.com/search?q=efficacy+of+peer+interactive+youth+led+drug+prevention+programme+rogers+kasirye&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
http://www.mentorfoundation.org/pdfs/prevention_perspectives/7.pdf
2-Diffusion of Evidence-Based Interventions in HIV and Substance User Programs: Flaws and Lessons From the Sub-Saharan African Region
The time has come that Sub-Saharan Africa benefit from implementation of Evidence-Based Interventions (EBIs) that have been developed over time in the United States, Europe, and by the United Nations (UN) agencies. This paper has been written partly because less information is coming out of Africa regarding diffusion and implementation of EBIs. There is a need to highlight and reflect on the delivery of interventions of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and substance use(r) programs in Sub-Saharan Africa. Both the evidence and practices may help enrich discussions as a way to improve the quality of program outcome in the region and at the same time retire inappropriate old interventions "Prevention can work, but not everything called prevention works" Belinda E. Sims (2011).
https://www.readbyqxmd.com/read/26361914/diffusion-of-evidence-based-interventions-in-hiv-and-substance-user-programs-flaws-and-lessons-from-the-sub-saharan-african-region
D. RESEARCH SUPPORT
1. Swahn, M.H., Palmier, J.B., Kasirye, R., Yao, H. (2012) Correlates of Suicide Ideation and Attempt among Youth Living in the Slums of Kampala. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 9, 596-609.
2. Swahn, M.H., Ali,B., Palmier, J., Nazarius, M.T., Sikazwe,G., Twa-Twa, J., Kasirye, R. (2011). Early alcohol use and problem drinking among students in Zambia and Uganda. Journal of Public Health in Africa, 2 (2), 83-86.
3. Rotheram-Borus MJ, Lightfoot M, Kasirye R, Desmond K. (2011). Vocational Training with HIV Prevention for Ugandan Youth. AIDS and Behavior. 2011 Jul 29. PMID: 21800180
4. Tumwesigye, N., Kasirye, R., & Nansubuga, E. (2009). Is social interaction associated with alcohol consumption in Uganda? Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 103(1-2), 9-15. PMID: 19406589
5. Marguerita, L., Kasirye, R., W., C., & Mary, R. (2007). Efficacy of a Culturally Adapted Intervention for Youth Living with HIV in Uganda. Prevention Science, 8(4), 271-273. PMID: 17846891
6. Nazarius, M.T., Kasirye, R. (2005). Alcohol and its association with sexual abstinence, condom use and risky behaviour among unmarried young people aged 18-24 years in Uganda. African Journal of Drug & Alcohol Studies, 4 (1-2), 17-34.
7. Children and Vulnerability in Uganda, 2012