We have received several trainings such as leadership skills, and lobbying and advocating for the people in the communities we represent.

I started as a district councillor in 2017, but at the time I lacked a lot. I was afraid of making views and bringing motions to the council. It was quite challenging. 

The leadership training has capacitated me. I can now stand and advocate, even lobby for the women in our community, most especially for the girl child and I deliberate without fear in the council.

Being in the caucus has helped me get support from my colleagues, especially my fellow women councillors with whom we move to schools empowering the students. 

 

Accountability is very important. If we don’t account for what we do, you may finish your term having accomplished nothing. We encourage and teach each other to account for everything we do, be it advocating or lobbying for something in our community. We go back to the communities and tell them about what we have done, both the good and the bad.

Namugaya speaking during a career talk with students of Alwi Seed Secondary School

We talk to them as a caucus. We pick their views and then bring them back to the council for lobbying. We are role models to the girls and act as one voice so that the communities can learn from us.

We have lobbied for a lot, but I’ll mention just a few. We lobbied for maternity wards in Alwi Health Centre III and Wadelai Health Centre III and others. 

In Wadelai Health Centre III we also lobbied for the construction of an incinerator because the facility had no proper waste disposal facility.
Booro Health Centre II in Panyimur Subcounty was not doing well, so we got a midwife to help pregnant women deliver.

Pakwach District also has water issues. The government constructs four boreholes every financial year. In allocating these boreholes, we look at areas in dire need of water. Partners such as Africa Water Solution also came in and constructed a solar-powered water system that has helped our mothers. 

Before receiving UWONET and Oxfam training, it was a challenge to push for ordinances. We were equipped with skills on how to come up with bylaws and ordinances to help us govern and take care of our communities.

They gave us some really good books. As the Pakwach District Local Government Council, we came up with the Education Ordinance. 

Sections of this ordinance tackle teenage pregnancy, and the roles and duties of parents and children. UWONET and Oxfam helped us draft this ordinance and we sent it to the office of the Solicitor General for approval before being implemented. 

We have carried out various, dialogues with the communities, and the religious and cultural leaders to popularise it and accordingly, It is helping us keep girls in school and make education a priority.

“Accountability is very important. If we don’t account for what we do, you may finish your term having accomplished nothing. We encourage and teach each other to account for everything we do, be it advocating or lobbying for something in our community. We go back to the communities and tell them about what we have done, both the good and the bad.”

Namugaya Dinah, the Councillor Alwi Subcounty,
Secretary of Social Services, Pakwach District
Tagged with
Gender Justice and women's rights