Nakaseke Women's Development Association

Nakaseke Women's Development Association (NAWODA)

Postal Address	P.O. Box 1012, Nakaseke, Uganda
Street Address	Nakaseke, opposite Nakaseke Sub-county Headquarters. (40-Miles kampala-Gulu Road, Branch off the main road from Wobulenzi town to Kapeeka road
Tel	256-41-620501 / 255-77-858169 or 479495
Fax	-
E-mail	hmelanin@yahoo.com or nakaseke_ruralwomen@yahoo.com
Web Address	http://www.comminit.com/pdskdv72002/sld-5042.html
Year Established	2001
Contacts	Henry Serunkuma - Founder hmelanin@yahoo.com Grace Namutebi - Coordinator gracedaka@yahoo.com
Mission	Nakaseke Women's Development Association is targeting Women, Orphans, Youths and the Disabled, to provide them with information, training and integrating the use of ICTs in their political, social and economic aspects of life, all for development. This will reverse the current trend of unequal gender access to new technologies. This among others has addressed the shortage of Rural-African Women resources in new technologies and empower women and target groups with resources that can produce high-income employment and provide entreprenuerial opportunities. NAWODA focuses at the vision of a rural women information society, where all rural women, orphans, youths and the disabled, without distinction of any kind, exercise their right to freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, recieve and impart inforation and ideas through newe technologies and regardless of the frontiers. "When women are fully involved and empowered, the benefits can be seen immedialtely: families become healthier; they are better fed; their income increases, savings and reinstment go up. And what is true of families is true of communities and eventually of a whole country" Women digital technologies can enhance the role of enterprises in promoting entrepreneurship, the accumulation of knowledge, the upgrading of skills, and thereby increasing productivity, incomes and jobs and promoting qualitative improvement of rural women lives.
Geographical area of operations	Currently operating in two sub-counties in Luwero District: Nakaseke and Kasangombe.
Issues area of operations	Economic Empowerment, Health and Education
Activities	NAWODA's activities include: Training women and target groups in the use of ICTs (computer skills) Identifying and gathering information needs of Nakaseke/Kasangombe women and target groups Searching, repackaging and providing relevant information for target groups Boosting and monitoring the implementation of the disseminated information Coordinating activities and nurturing the development of income generating projects Searching for markests of women products Advocating for freedom of expression without distinction of any kind and combating the escalation of any forms of women and child violence HIV - Voluntary Counselling and encouraging test (Post test clubs) Linking Nakaseke and Kasangombe women to international amd national women organisations, and other donor organisations Reducing illiteracy levels of rural women, HIV/AIDS-related orphans, youths and the disabled, through adult literacy programmes Reducing the high mortality rates through training Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), and provision of health information and disease prevention measures Lobbying for support for HIV/AIDS-related orphans in education and other necessities Enabling the disabled through skills training
Affiliation(s)	Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET). Umbrella body www.wougnet.org International Women's Tribune Centre (IWTC)-USA CD-ROM program. www.iwtc.org Computers For Africa-USA Donated refurbished computers. www.computers4Africa.org anamed-action for natural medicine-Germany. www.anamed.net
Dissemination	Ideas for earning money, Information on markets and prices, Information on diseases and treament, Women and education, knowledge and skills, Women/youths rights and freedom, ICTs and women/youth development, Women and jobs, Women/youths/orphans, Disabled and fellowships, Women/youth HIV/AIDS-related orphans/disabled/donors, Natural medicine (even for the poor)
Target Audience	Rural Women Community, Youths, HIV/AIDS-related Orphans and the Disabled of Nakaseke and Kasangombe Sub-counties
Additional Information	We are searching for donor organizations that can donate computers to NAWODA, invest in new projects and boost fundraising for sustainability of NAWODA. Nakaseke women are grateful to International Women's Tribune Centre, for realistic and appropriate advice and practical help without which the foundation of NAWODA would not have been realized. We are especially grateful to Anne S. Walker (Information Specialist, IWTC) who has nobly tackled endless computer training and useful ICT skills to Nakaseke women in favour of their economic independence. In particular, Nakaseke women are grateful for the development of the CD-ROM entitled "Rural Women in Africa: Ideas for Earning Money". Once a graphic or text box is clicked, the women hear a voice speaking in their own language - Luganda. This has eased their learning and they are now following the text closely and beginning to read the words as they are spoken. Click here for photos of NAWODA members at the Nakaseke Telecenter. NAWODA also wishes to express its gratitude of being affiliated to WOUGNET- Women of Uganda Network, the umbrella, that is rendering its practical help, fostering NAWODA with information and above all exposing globally the activities of rural- women. (Hosting NAWODA profiles on WOUGNET website). October 2002: NAWODA responded to a call for presentations of community networking initiatives at Femmes sans fronti�res. The F�d�ration nationale des femmes canadiennes-fran�aises and Cybersolidaires invited presentations of feminist community initiatives during the third Congress on Community Networking in the Digital Era, Montr�al, Canada, October 8-12, 2002. Click here for details as well as a copy of NAWODA's presentation. December 2002: Anastasia Namisango has received a laptop computer from IWTC and a funds contribution as a honorarium for her grateful job of training Nakaseke women in the use of a CD-Rom program. These funds have helped in the construction of her house which is under construction. The laptop will help her reach isolated women in deep villages. March 2003: NAWODA receives a donation of refurbished computer systems from Computers for Africa, a USA non profit organisation. Urgent need 2004/2005 Sponsorship to connect our computer Lab on the Internet, to share the benefits of "Information as without boundary; "You can have Information without development, But you cannot attain development without Information and the ability to communicate". December 2004: First awards of certificates to computer trainees from the Celebrity Institute of Computer Technology (CICT). In addition to Nakaseke women, we have trained the following Institutions in the area: Nakaseke Hospital Staff (referral Hospital in the District); Nakaseke Core Primary Teachers' College -Students/Staff; Nakaseke S.D.A Secondary School Nakaseke; and the community. For more information contact: enrollCICT@yahoo.com OR call 256-77-858169. March 2005: NAWODA attended a community wireless workshop held in Mtoni, Zanzibar, organised by the Association for Progressive Communications and sponsored by IDRC and OSI. For more information, visit http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=32069.

Last update: August-15, 2005