URF uses a participatory rural approach to empower its beneficiaries to fight poverty and move towards social change.

Robbinah

In URF the ideal of togetherness is vital as it helps people/communities help one another in times of crises other“-Robbinah

Two of our URF Kampala Chapter memvers share what inspired them to be part of URF and their experience working on various projects.

Robbinah’s Experience with URF

I am Robbinah Nabuloli a journalist by profession. My experience working with URF is the desire to assist the disadvantaged by showing them solidarity and encouraging them that there is life ahead. In URF the ideal of togetherness is vital as it helps people/communities help one another in times of crises other than waiting for donor funds.

Harriet’s Experience with URF

I am Harriet Kezaabu and a social worker by profession. My experience working with URF is that unlike several charity organizations, URF’S paradigm is quite different from the norm here in Uganda. It uses a participatory rural

Harriet Kezaabu

approach so as to empower its beneficiaries to fight poverty and move towards social change. As a social worker, this is an important concept because it keeps one close to the beneficiaries and helps build rapport. To me it is imperative that during service delivery to the ‘’hopeless’’, we should be their companion and build trust with each other so that they get to release feelings of disappointment, frustration and abandonment. Through my social work and interaction with rural communities I have learnt that ‘’Change is not achieved overnight, it is a gradual process that needs serenity.’’

 Like any other privileged being, the impoverished/hopeless people need our love to be able to live happily, have a sense of belonging and hope for a better future and a better Uganda.

About URF Kampala Chapter

Founded in 2005, URF’s initiative is to empower AIDS orphans, underprivileged youths and women in rural communities to fight the cycle of poverty through educational and sustainable development opportunities. The principal philosophy behind URF’s mission is the belief that a better life is possible. It is due to URF’s successes and empowerment of the youth to take up positions of responsibility through volunteerism that the Kampala chapter was born.

Harriet at Girls Camp

Kampala chapter is a group of young professionals from an assortment of several fields that was founded in 2009. As Kampala chapter, our foremost focus is geared towards improving the lives of the local communities through capacity building so as to develop social change in their day to day life. We are involved in organizing conferences, leadership seminars, researching, planning and promulgating professional skills to benefit the impoverished as we move towards sustainable ddevelopment.

URF is built on the principle that a better life is possible for all. To uphold this notion, the Kampala chapter has been involved in awareness creation of the mudslides to members about the catastrophe that befell the people of Bududa, mainly brought about by the ever increasing incidences of climatic changes. Campaigns were organized                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           and conducted targeting universities since they accommodate big populations of students so as to instill in them a sense of solidarity about the need to help those in need and those affected by the calamities. All this was done to acquire any form of aid not limited to clothes, beddings and shoes. ‘’Small is big because of the impact it creates in the life of the recipient‘‘.  Change and advocacy for a better tomorrow begins with us, we hold the pillar to sustainable development than always looking onto the government and bigger agencies. We thus advocate for positive social change at the grassroots level through promoting the wisdom of participatory rural community development.

What Kampala Chapter has Donea. Kampala chapter was established in the 2009 with about 15 members. However, membership has multiplied to over 50 today. We thus aim at increasing recruitment and retention of the members.

b. Organized and conducted a youth and young professionals’ conference in January 2010 that attracted over 250 participants including some government officials, journalists, local council members, volunteers from overseas among others. It was an inspiration for the kids to open up some of whom gave testimonies that infused confidence in them and their colleagues.

c. Some chapter members have taken on sponsorship of orphans.

d. On June 26, 2010, the chapter put on a fundraising dinner that was a success

Plans we tend to accomplish

a.  Solicit for funds to put up a vocational center, acquire vocational tools and restock the library at HIA through the URF Book bank project.

b. Planning and organizing upcoming events/conferences

d.  Continue in awareness creation in Kampala of URF activities

e.  Grant proposal writing which will also increase our partnerships locally and internationally

2009 campfire at URF