Mayfair Adult Literacy for Economic Empowerment Initiative

Mayfair Adult Literacy for Economic Empowerment Initiative (MALFEE)

Postal Address	P.O. Box 23863, Kampala, Uganda.
Street Address	Ntinda-Kiwatule Road, Bukoto II Parish
Tel	256-75-982171
Fax	-
E-mail	mayfairorg@yahoo.com
Web Address	-
Year Established	2000
Contacts	Mr. Matovu Fred - Programme Coordinator Ms. Nairuba Aisha - Gender Officer
Mission	MALFEE's main mission is to develop healthy, self sustaining individuals/groups and effective communities, particularly women, youth and children through the provision of Adult Literacy Programs, promotion of reproductive health, nutrition, HIV/AIDS Campaigns, etc. The pillars supporting this is a two fold mission strategy: To provide the communities, particularly, children, youth and women with access to economic opportunity. The initiative has an adult literacy program in place geared at addressing the barriers of income and opportunity arising from lack of knowledge and basic skills among youth and women at community grassroots. To build the community capacity. In order to be economically sound and effective any community needs to have the ability to mobilise and use the available resources of its members along with external resources to foster individual economic growth and eventual community development. The knowledge to effectively use these resources for problem solving and poverty eradication is especially critical in communities where poverty, illiteracy and HIV/AIDS are concentrated.
Geographical area of operations	Kampala, Wakiso, Luwero, Jinja, and Iganga Districts. Field Offices: Nansana-Hoima Rd. 7.5 Miles near Shell Petro Station Wakiso District Plot 561, Kalinabiri Rd, Nakawa - Kampala District. Kiira Municipality, Namugongo Rd.
Issues area of operation	MALFEE's aims and objectives are: To mobilize and educate the youth and women in different relevant skills which can enable them to attain an economic self-reliance e.g. business skills, entrepreneurship skills, planning and management. Basic writing and reading to enable youth and women access and utilise useful information and use of IT. Sensitizing the youth and women and the community at large about Reproductive health, family planning and STDs particularly HIV/AIDS. To initiate income generating activities/projects for the youth to fight moral decadency, prostitution and abuse of the girl child. To train the youth in vocational skills, carpentry, bakery, tailoring, metal works, art and design, electronics etc.
Activities	Family tracing and registration MALFEE has been able to visit various families to access the impact of poverty. So far 525 homes have been visited, registered and their needs assessed that can enable them drive out of the problem. This will enable to cut down the level of school drop-outs, theft, moral decay and AIDS/HIV infection and other related activities. Data bank/Information Resource Unit So far a survey has been carried out to find the magnitude and the effectiveness of the government's programs of Universal Primary Education (UPE). It was found that, some children have not benefited from this program because of few government schools in our operating areas. Also in private schools the program does not exist. Secondly, the program only offers fees but other scholastic materials like books, uniforms, are not offered yet some children come from very poor families that cannot raise money to cover them. Fund Security Though new in the field, the organisation has been able to mobilise funds to cover staff allowances, rent, some of the activities, stationery and other running costs. This has been done through contributions by executive Board members, donation/grants from friends, workshops/seminars contracted to MALFEE by local organisations to capacity built their members, etc. Sensitisation and Community outreach MALFEE has played a wonderful role in the sensitisation of the communities under its areas of operation. So far 25 workshops/seminars have been made in various geographical areas of its operation. These have been attended by a total number of 3,426 participants. Areas of sensitisation include; AIDS/HIV, primary health care, six killer diseases, sexual transmitted diseases, children's, and youth rights adult literacy learning and economic empowerment (Entrepreneurship skills, Business Management Techniques etc.) Due to numerous awareness raising, In Nansana Parish Wakiso district the organisation managed to sensitise the residents and a group of 30 members MAAMA FOUNDATION HIV/AIDS Sub Project has already been set up, also in Naluvule Parish a group of youth and women formed an AIDS/HIV PROJECT this is in Wakiso district. Modern Agricultural Practices MALFEE is implementing integrated food security project geared towards prevention of HIV/AIDS. The targeted group is the HIV/AIDS affected/infected homes. High value crops like vanilla, horticulture, mulinga, hybrid bananas, beans and maize. While animals include hybrid cows, goats, and pigs. Poultry keeping is also available. Its intended to generate incomes to those selected vulnerable homes. Water and Sanitation MALFEE believes that water is life. In this way it focuses on helping the community to obtain clean water and better sanitation systems. This has been done through awareness raising and networking with Buso foundation in the construction improving shallow wells and drainage systems. In Nabweru Sub-county water and sanitation sensitisation seminar was conducted by MALFEE facilitated by BUSO Foundation and a 1.5km stretch of plumbed water in the peri-urban Sub-County has been completed.In the same Sub-County an environment management workshop was also conducted. Other Programmes in the pipeline include: Formal and Non Formal Education Sponsoring vulnerable children and youth in formal education is going to be among the programmes to be set if funds are secured. From the research, it was realised that many children and youth have not benefited from the government programme of Universal Primary Education (UPE), this is because many schools in Kampala district are private and such a programme does not exist. On the otherhand, those who graduate from the primary level usually drop out of school system because; they are not catered for in the secondary level.Meanwhile, the survey also brought out a large percentage of illiteracy hence need to establish a non-formal programme to train the community under our operation how to write and read. Vocational Skills Training Due to the increasing number of school dropouts especially after primary seven (P.7), the initiative is planning to establish vocational skills training center where such vulnerable groups will be taken. The program will be taking children and youth between the age of 13-18 years in skills like Tailoring and Fashion Designing, Art and Design, Secretarial and Computer Training. Credit Scheme Credit scheme will be extended to those who want to start or strengthen their businesses and also for those involved in Agriculture. Scientific methods will be taught to farmers to create sustainable system of farming.
Affiliation(s)	BUSO Foundation Women And Youth Services (WAYS) Rubaga Youth Development Association (RYDA) Kampala City Council Community Development Office Kisenyi Youth Development Link (KYDL) Volunteers for Economic Development Organisation (VEDCO) Uganda National Non-Governmental Organisation Forum (NGO Forum) UNASO UCBHCA Entebbe DENIVA WOUGNET
Dissemination	-
Target Audience	The target community comprises of peri-urban and rural poor especially the children, women and youth.
Additional Information	Mayfair is duly registered with NGO Board -S.514/3465 1990 Statute Company Ltd. by guarantee. Implementation, strategy and sustainability MALFEE boasts of proven experience in community through the use of participatory approaches, in spear heading the capacity building process to ensure that meaningful and capacity development is attained. The programs are implemented within the decentralised frame work using the "Community Capacity Building" (CBG) strategy, which seeks to establish and train structures at community level that are effectively linked to the Local Council systems. This has resulted in functional and sustainable programs that have effectively enhanced community involvement in development work. Participatory monitoring and evaluation MALFEE emphasises and acknowledges that monitoring and evaluation is an on going process, which involves all stakeholders at every level of the program/project implementation. We have facilitated the formation of monitoring and evaluation committees at parish and sub-county levels. These committees are empowered through training and other skills development initiatives to enable them carry out periodic planning, reporting, monitoring and evaluation. Networking By developing effective communities the initiative refers to the development of the webs of social and economic relationship within the community especially among the youth and women and the institutions that support individual growth and economic participation. The initiative strongly believes that the depth in determining the development of an individual within the community and consequently the entire community as a whole. Its upon this that MALFEE within its years of operation has been operating with member organizations that address the issues of community empowerment both socially and economically at the grassroots. The initiative has established working relationship at various levels of government departments, international agencies network organizations, community based Organisation (CBOs), the private sector agencies and opinion leaders. WOUGNET Activities Participated in MALFEE participated in workshops organised by WOUGNET; the Annual January Meeting 2005 and the OneWorld Africa Multistakeholder's workshop held in April 2005.The above workshops provided MALFEE Staff knowledge on ICT issues and how to incorporate ICT use in MALFEE's activities.

Last update: July-6, 2005