AOET International Coordinating Office (ICO) is looking for a suitable person to fill the position of COUNTRY DIRECTOR for AOET Kenya.
AOET Kenya started in the early 2000s and has recently launched it's OVC (Orphans and Vulnerable Children) program which is AOET's main mandate.
Part of the AOET Kenya Offices
Here are the Details of the posting:
AOET- Kenya
1.0 JOB/POSITION IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION:
Position Title : County Director
Reports to : Chief Executive Officer
Supervises : Indirectly all AOET- Kenya programme staff
Directly supervises : - District Coordinators
- Programme Administrators
- Child care program managers
- Rural health program managers
- Future schools Principals.
2.0 MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB
To provide overall direction and leadership to employees of AOET- Kenya Programme, so as to enable attainment of the programme’s plans and objectives in an efficient and sustainable manner.
3.0 EXTENT OF AUTHORITY
The Country Director, under the overall guidance of the Chief Executive Officer and occasionally the Board of Directors, has the absolute and entire authority to act on all aspects of the Programme as laid down in guidelines and plans duly approved by the Chief executive Officer or, exceptionally, by instructions given to him/her by the Board.
4.0 RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
4.1 Strategic and business planning, development of policies and procedures
• Oversees, supervises, guides and co-ordinates heads of departments/ projects in drafting proposals and strategic, business development and other plans for their functional areas
• Oversees, supervises, guides and coordinates heads of departments/ projects in drafting policies and procedures for their functional areas.
• With the Leadership team, - refines the plans, policies and procedures, compiles where appropriate and presents them before the Board, for approval.
4.2 Setting and overseeing Implementation of plans, strategies and policies and procedures.
• Set and Oversee, supervise, guide and coordinate the implementation of approved plans, policies, objectives and strategies in the day-to-day running of the Programme.
4.3 Programme Development
• Effectively spearheads AOET-Kenya’s programme development.
o Setting up other AOET Branches in Kenya as needed
o Strengthening systems and structures through Training, …
4.4 Control over resources
• Ensures optimal utilisation of resources for the sustainable attainment of the
Programme’s objectives.
4.5 Public Relations
• Fosters good public image of the Programme at all times, especially with Donors and funding agencies.
4.6 Human Resource Management
• In consultation with the Leadership team Identifies the need for additional staff and, once approved, participates in the recruitment and deployment of key staff.
• Ensures harmonious and productive relationships among staff and between staff and the Programme and other stakeholders.
• Ensures discipline and adherence to approved/acceptable code of practice.
4.7 Reporting
• Regularly reports to the Executive Director, progress and generally keeps in consistent contact in order to obtain decisions, opinions and other pertinent advice.
• Organise regular Board meetings where this position (Country Director) automatically becomes the secretary to the Board of Directors.
4.8 FUNDRAISING
• Devise and implement Creative Means of Fundraising extensively - both locally and oversees to sustain and expand the operations of AOET -Kenya.
• 60% or more of the AOET national budget must be raised by the country/national office. The other 40% is raised by ICO and it’s related offices.
4.9 Other duties
• Performs any other duties within the mission and objectives of the Programme including, but not limited to, seeking for competent professional help for legal counsel, audits, - (internal / external) etc.
• Other duties shall be communicated as and when they arise and by virtue of signing this Job Description you also accept all other duties/responsibilities as shall be added /withdrawn by the Executive Director.
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Tabitha Noll
Hello, my name is Tabitha and I have had the amazing privilidge of visiting AOET for two weeks. While in Uganda, I became a sponge to soak in as much of their culture as possible in hopes that one day I may return. I believe there are a few things I observed that will help if you have never visited Uganda. I do not know everything about this culture and I am sure your visit will be a wonderful learning experience, but I do wish to pass on what I have learned in hope that your visit will go smoothly as I came to understand there are so many differences I was not aware. I sincerely hope this will help even one person in a small way when travelling to AOET. I trust that you will not only visit this place, but embrace and immerse yourself in the beautiful Ugandan culture as I have done. May God sincerely bless your journey as you help AOET save lives.
Health Tips:
*Bring Hand Sanitizer/ Baby wipes/ Toilet paper as bathrooms in Uganda do not supply these.
*Tuck mosquito nets completely around your mattress to keep them out of your sleeping area. Mosquitoes come at dawn/dusk mostly. Wear long sleeves at night if outside.
*Remember your DEET bug spray, but not higher than 50% DEET for skin and higher concentration is ok but only for your clothes to treat against mosquitoes.
*Remember sunscreen.
*Pharmacies in Uganda carry almost any prescription drug and you can purchase without an RX.
*Use bottled water for drinking or water that has been boiled for a while at rolling boil is ok.
*Use bottled water or boiled for brushing teeth also.
*Aspirin is a good idea to take on the plane journey to help prevent blood clots (81 mg. minimum dose)
*Do not eat vegetables/fruits without a skin or peel unless cooked.
*Make sure to get proper immunizations, but please research this to know which ones are necessary and which are not. (They did not even check our immunization cards even once throughout journey).
*Paper products like napkins are not always provided in restaruants
*Do not fear eating meat as long as it has been cooked it should be fine even though you will see it hanging.
*Do not hang wet clothes outside after dusk to dry. There is a bug that nests into clothes hung out after dusk that can only be killed by heat like by ironing with high heat. Make sure wet clothes are not drying after dusk in the open air outside.
*Do not touch a child's head with white spots present. This discoloration is a contagious skin fungus that can be spread by skin contact.
*If you get food poisining, charcoal tablets are a good idea and can be purchased at any health food store in U.S. very inexpensive. Use as directed on bottle.
Cultural Tips:
*Ugandans do not make direct eye contact and if they try to, it for a brief moment as their culture is different and searching for eye contact with them can sometimes be offensive to them. They are the most loving people, but do not communicate the same as Americans due to their culture being so deeply a part of them.
*When waving to children or people in Uganda, keep an open hand wave. To fold one hand and wave is actually a summon to come here and children may run to your vehicle if you wave like this.
*Hand wash your own undergarments even if someone offers to wash your clothes for you. It is offensive to Ugandans to wash another person's undergarments. (No explanation necessary).
*Little children will chase a white person and call you Mzungu. Do not let this bother you, it is even proper english to call a person with white skin Mzungu even among adults in Uganda.
*Do not give money to people on the street, even children. It is not helpful to missionaries who are permanently in Uganda and when children expect a Mzungu to give them money. They will come to expect it from everyone. It is better to give milk or bread to those who beg as it is much more useful.
*When visiting a restuarant, they will not always have food. Ask the restaurant before being seated, "Do you have any food? And what is ready?"
*Ugandans like a warm greeting and will hold your handshake for a long time to greet you.
They sincerely love visitors to come and will make you feel warmly welcomed!
*Do not promise anything. Make sure your yes is yes and no is no. Please be very direct with Ugandans.
*Many people will ask your phone number and email even strangers.
*Ugandans serve guests their food first and make sure you have eaten before them. Do not be offended by this. This is their cultural way of honoring a guest.
Safety Tips:
*Before leaving U.S., talk to your cell phone company and bank to let them know the countries you will be travelling so that they can maintain security of accounts and cell phone usage.
*Master Card/Visa can be used to make cash withdraw from Uganda at Stanbic Bank ATM's.
*It is best to bring cash with $100's with a date current nothing prior to 2001 series bills to exchange at exchange station in town.
*Bring electric converters in order to use any electrical equipment. Our plugs do not correspond without proper converters. (Can be purchased in U.S. at AAA travel store locations).
*Electricity/Hot water is not always available and can go out periodically throughout your stay.
*DO NOT TAKE PICTURES NEAR BRIDGES OR IN AFRICAN AIRPORTS OR AROUND ARMED GUARDS!!!!! You can be arrested and taken to jail for taking photos in certain areas. Always ask and be sure it is ok before snapping pictures! This is VERY SERIOUS!
*You are not free to speak or do anything you want in Uganda.
*BUT, you are free to share the gospel as the Lord leads. Freedom of speech is limited, but you will find that the gospel is a freedom you can speak about almost anytime or anywhere.
*Bring candles/matches if you go on a journey as some hotels will not have electricity. Candles can be purchased in Uganda.
*Liquids under 3oz. bottles need to be placed in quart size ziploc for airport security purposes. Only one ziploc allowed per traveller and all liquids for carry on must fit into this ziploc. If you want to pack liquid in larger bottles, they must go into checked luggage.
*Money belts are a good idea to keep under clothes to assure money is safely kept.
*You may not want to bring electrical equipment like Mp3, Ipod, laptop PC's for safety reasons.
*Driving is on opposite side of road in Uganda/driver is on opposite side of vehicle than US.
*If you hit someone while driving, DO NOT STOP. Village people may try to kill you. Go immediately to nearest police station to report.
*Gas stations may not always have gas. Please keep close eye on tank to be sure you will have gas for your journey as stations are not always easily accessed especially the further you go from the Main cities.
*Do not walk outside alone at night. Be safe and keep aware that you are a target as a Mzungu.
*If police stop you, it may help to show remorse and say "YOU forgive me."
*Security guards carry guns and may shoot if you steal something.
*Carry your passport on local journeys, but keep it safe and keep an extra copy of it in your checked luggage which will stay at your sleeping place in case lost or stolen.
*Speaking about Joseph Kony or LRA is not free like in America. We cannot exercise freedom to speak about things in Uganda like in U.S. openly on the street. Be careful in speaking openly about these things - especially as a foreigner.
Other helpful Tips:
*Young women and children will sometimes curtsy or bow when greeting a visitor or guest as a form of respect. (This is very humbling, but please graciously receive this form of their honor to a guest)
*Please be patient. Things move sometimes very slow in Ugandan culture. Allow time for everything as things are not fast paced in Uganda like in U.S.
*Make sure you know a price before a boda-boda ride or stay at internet cafe.
This is a Boda Boda. It is a Bicycle or Motor Bike Taxi.
You may be overcharged as an American if you are not careful to know the prices of things in Uganda.
*Ugandan meal times are a little different and around 8:30am for Breakfast, 1:00pm for Lunch, and 7:30 or 8:00pm for Dinner.
*Do not expect a restaurant to have everything on the menu. Be flexible and patient in all things.
*Remember the reason you are here is to serve and not to be served. This will help you in frustrating times.
*If going on an AOET mobile clinic, bring snacks and water as you will work through lunch on this day.
*Snacks are a good idea to bring with you. Ugandans will feed you and it is very offensive if you do not eat their meals, but snacks are a good idea to keep for travelling and between meals. (ie: protein bars, trail mix, dried fruits)
*Bringing candies is always a good idea to sweeten up police or little children you meet.
*E-mailing can be done at internet cafe's (slow connection sometimes)
*Many internet cafe's are closed on Sundays and some shops also close on Sunday.
God Bless your stay in Uganda, - and especially as you work with AOET;
and please remember to relax and enjoy everything and soak into the culture as much as you can.
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( 2.9 / 139 )As said in our earlier Blog entries, AOET is in 5 Different African Countries:
AOET Kenya
AOET Uganda
AOET Rwanda
AOET Zambia
AOET Botswana.
AOET ZAMBIA
Outside AOET Zambia Offices. Hundreds of Children are being Educated by AOET in Zambia
AOET Zambia’s prime mandate is to provide an education to orphans and vulnerable children by helping them access good quality education.
Orphans Placement.
AOET Zambia believes in solving the orphans’ problem with an African strategy. Basically, orphans in Africa have not been institutionalized as tradition believes that every child belongs – not only to the immediate family, but to the community as well. Orphanages and all other forms of institutionalization have come over the past few decades.
So as we pick children from the streets, we identify extended families to take care of them. where this is not possible, we place children with foster families providing a mother and father figure who care for them responsibly.
Orphans Education
We support children with direct school sponsorship and school supplies. To answer the cry of the need to promote the girl child, we deliberately have 65% as girl children on the sponsorship. This reduces early marriages and levels of prostitution among the girl child.
Jacob Phiri ; AOET Zambia Country Director
Feeding Program.
As a result of increased poverty in many households, children have been exposed to many vices including child labour, child neglect, child prostitution, defilement, child trafficking, early pregnancies and marriages and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS infections. No doubt poverty prevents children from enjoying their basic rights. They often do not have enough food available to them. Consequently they may suffer from malnutrition or other illness, which may hinder their full development.
Because of the above concerns, Action for Empowerment-Zambia runs a feeding program, which caters for our sponsored children.
When the children finish their community school lessons, the centre provides nutritious food for them.
Household supplementary food.
Action for Empowerment – Zambia having seen the poverty levels in the homes, has decided to provide basic food stuffs to several families. These homes have been attacked by adult malnutrion. Failure to supply these homes with supplementary food supplies will result in deaths.
A package normally includes;
• 1 bag X 25kg of maize meal
• 1 bag of Rice
• 1pkt X 2kg sugar
• 1 X 750ml of cooking oil
• And other products as they are availed.
Women Empowerment.
We provide life saving Vocational skills to widows. As a result we are seeing widows earning an income which enables them to look after their children and their families at large.
All this is possible ofcourse because we were able to purchase a large building that is our project center right now.
However, we are also looking at expansion.
Plans for 2008/2009.
AOET Zambia has just acquired a piece of land on which we plan to build a Health center and a School.
From time to time we provide mobile clinics to the most impoverished areas. In such places, government healthy facilities are not available or people have to walk about 15km to access a healthy facility.
Due to high levels of poverty, and many more children still not accessing quality education, AOET Zambia plans to open another center in place called Shimabala area. This will bring the total number of centers to 3.
Contacts have already been established and local leaders are willing to give us space in local council buildings to run a community school.
THANK YOU for supporting the Vision of AOET in the different African Countries!!
Jacob Phiri
Country Director
AOET ZAMBIA
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( 3 / 106 )Repairs for the first Vehicle are under way.
I just wanted to show you a few pictures on the progress but also to show you the devastation of what was a state of the art Land Cruiser!!!
We all are so sad, but thankful at the same time that no one died in that accident!!!
The Body of the car was taken off the Chassis and both are being repaired separately.
The Body was REALLY crushed!! Thank God for Mechanics that know what to do!!
I was amazed a few days ago when I finally went to see the progress and found the car at this stage:
Knowing the earlier extent of the damage, and looking at the car now in this picture, I have a lot of hope that they will bring it closer to what it used to be!!
The Chassis had a BIG problem too!
Chassis
It was Bent when the car over turned, and so we were given 2 options: Either, we were going to buy another Chassis, (Which was SEVERAL THOUSAND US DOLLARS, or we would try and repair the damaged one.
We took plan B.
The Engine was Damaged too!
Engine
They also had to remove it, repair it, and I was told that in about two weeks, they will have put it back, then test and see if it works well with the – then repaired body.
The Kind of insurance we pay here is “THIRD PARTY”. It takes care of the other person – not your car; unless it was comprehensively insured – which costs a fortune, and is optional, but also rarely taken except by Government Officials…!!!
We had the third party insurance, but no comprehensive cover!
We know that God was looking out for us. Thank you for praying!!
As for the second car (Van), We’ve decided that instead of repairing it, we just go ahead buy another used, but better one.
This one was badly damaged!
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( 2.7 / 90 )This comes to thank all of you that prayed for us and sent us Emails to encourage us when we got involved in motor accidents.
After medical check-ups and realizing that we had no injuries at all, the next worry set in.
This was - how we were going to repair the vehicles!!!
Am glad to give a praise report that, today (Jan. 7th 2008) we've received the rest of the funds to take care of the vehicles.
Cindy and the Second Saturday Coffee House responded by giving some money, and a family called us today confirming that they had also already wired funds to take care of the rest of the cost (they knew how much the Lady had pledged to give).
Thank you all so, so much for all your text messages - from here in Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Botswana, Rwanda, Canada, USA...and for your care.
Please do not send any more funds towards this need. It has all been covered.
However, if you would like to give a gift or donation to AOET towards any of our programs, Please contact us through: stushabe@aoet.org
We would be VERY grateful.
Reviewed by Ann.
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( 3 / 46 )AOET - Uganda has started Construction of it's next School - this time, A High School.
Assist International is sponsoring the whole construction!!!
Construction started the last week of December and has been progressing VERY well until the Uganda / Kenya Boarder was closed recently prompting a 150% increase in fuel prices as a result of ethnic clashes in Kenya started by Elections that didn't go well.
We are hoping that this will be a temporary situation and the Boarder (which actually serves a whole region) will be reopened soon and business will go back to Normal.
Here are a few pictures of the progress.
The School will have several Hundred Students, Class/Lecture rooms, Laboratories, A properly Stocked Library and reading room, Administration Section, art Laboratory,...
Map of the High School when finally completed!
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( 3 / 66 )During the final days of December 2007, AOET Kenya Officially Launched it's OVC program.
The function was a VERY colorful one!!!
The Guest of Honor was the District Commissioner, Bungoma East (Equivalent to a Governor).
Together with her were MANY Government officials, Chiefs, stake holders, A good representation of Big, International organizations, ...
Getting ready to cut the Ribbon. The local people put those traditional ornaments on Sam and the other Officials as a sign of gratitude. This practice has been going on for centuries
At about 3:00 pm, the District Commissioner cut the Ribbon, and the program was officially launched.
The District Commissioner (Governer) Cutting the Ribbon
Program Officially Launched Although not present at the function, "GRACE" was the Church behind this part of AOET Kenya's growth into another realm of operation!
Jon and Jen Long, Patti Hewatt, Angella, Nick and Becky Ramsing and many others coordinated ALL the initial Child sponsorships when a Team from AOET Uganda Visited "GRACE" in Baltimore, Maryland.
Jen carried Child profiles almost everywhere - talking about the program to every and anyone that cared to listen.
She matched willing donors with Kenyan Children that needed sponsorship, ... A lot of work was done during that time (Fall of 2007).
Jon Long helped a great deal doing the same thing, but mostly Driving the Ugandan Team. Other Drivers also got involved - it was Team work.
GRACE Hosted the Team with Individuals like Ms. Susan and others taking part - practically Housing and feeding the Ugandan Team.
Through Jen, Patti, Becky and many other volunteers' help, and support, 100 Children had been picked up by willing Donors for sponsorship by the time the Ugandan Team was ready to go home - the biggest number of sponsors being from GRACE!!!.
It is on this 100 that the AOET Kenya Program is Kick starting it's Child Sponsorship program in addition to the rest of the programs it is running.
AOET Kenya NEEDS more Child Sponsors.
They are hoping to have 250 Children sponsored by the end of 2008!
Christine's Story:
Mrs. Christine Wafula is a mother of 10.
Most of the 10 Children were in School, but have now dropped out!. Christine is a peasant and earns a living from selling small fish and growing some vegetables that she grows in a tiny plot behind her little house. She lives in a small temporary wattle tin roofed house with two grown up girls and eight younger children. Her elder son was imprisoned and left behind a wife and one child who by default Christine had to take on!. Her grown up daughter who is 13 years old has dropped out of school due to lack of school fees and other necessities.
The social worker that Visits Christine on this particular day remembers getting emotionally envolved with the family. “There was no way anyone could not feel compassionate after listening to Christine” she said!!!
This is what Christine had to say - , “The family does not have any support for the grown up children. My daughter dropped out of school after completing her primary School level; and feeding them is a problem”. Now in tears, she continued, “ We only have one meal in a day, and also not adequate… we let the small one’s eat first…I will be happy to see my daughter back to school like other little girls; it will comfort me a great deal”.
Will you help?
It costs $30 a month to sponsor any of Christine's Children or any other in a similar situation through AOET Kenya.
This $30 Helps as follows:
- Pays the Child's School fees
- Buys books for the Child
- Provides Healthcare for the Child
- Buys School Uniform for the Child (2 sets of Uniform a year).
- Provides Lunch for the Child at School.
University Students pay more.
Their programs are divided in two sections a year - first and Second Semesters - 6 months each.
Each Semester costs $800.
To sponsor a Child, Please contact Jen Long at: sniperjen@gmail.com
Thank you for visiting us again.
Please come back again soon.
Ann Alimuwa / Sam Tushabe
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( 3 / 67 )Since the start of November 2007, our Rural Health initiative team has been moving from Village to Village doing HIV/AIDS Education, Patient Visitation and Treatment.
Meeting smaller - 'same gender' groups has been a VERY successful way of getting the most contribution out of women especially. During this one month and a half, we've discovered that Rural Women are EXTREMELY resourceful, yet have not been given a PROPER platform to make their contribution in the fight against HIV/AIDS!!!. Our Team has visited hundreds of families, organized and spoken at different gatherings, treated several thousand people in many different villages and also done a lot of Home based care for our registered clients (patients).
If you would like to have a detailed report of what has been done over the past one month and a half, please get back to us right away requesting for the report and we will be happy to send it on to you either my Email or hard copy (by snail mail).
The Bicycle Ambulances have done wonders during this time!!!
Many patients were brought to our Mobile clinics on these Ambulances and others transferred to other Health centers!!!
Looking at the Magnitude of the work the Team has covered over the past one month and a half, I just can’t bring my small mind around the challenge of how these people would have survived during this time without the AOET Team there!!
God provides in VERY miraculous ways!!! - He did just that for the people the Team was able to reach in November and December!!!
During the planning stages for this outreach, the target was to help atleast 20,000 people!!!
The Team however superseded this target and reached a recorded number of those reached and helped at 27,421 people (in the one month and a half)!!! Incredible!!!!
We are VERY grateful to you all who were behind us in your prayers, those who supported the Team financially to buy Drugs, more Bicycles, to USAID and IRCU who donated Bicycles and supported our Rural Health initiative in general, and to the AOET RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE Team!!
This has been a very good description of the word “SUCCESS”.
However, we still have our registered patients to take care of, we have the AOET community based workers to keep engaged, and continued HIV/AIDS Education to the communities!!
The struggle continues, but as for this period, we feel fulfilled that we went beyond the set target!
The Staff have all gone for their Christmas Holidays and will be coming back on the 7th of January 2008.
As we begin the New Year, here are some of our needs for the Rural Health initiative and Bugembe Health center in Particular:
1. A constant supply of drugs for our Main Pharmacy (This is our biggest Challenge since we have over 1000 registered AIDS patients consistently depending on this Pharmacy and an added several thousand patients that we take care of on a monthly basis through Mobile Clinics!
2. We would like to expand our Bugembe Health center adding more counseling rooms, expanding the patient waiting area, adding Office space and adding room for 10 more Beds to stabilize patients on medication at the center.
3. We desperately need training materials.
We’ve received some from the Ministry of Health and made some ourselves, but need a lot more over the next 1 year.
4. We also need Medical equipment for the Health Center!
Medical Equipment from OGT arrive
We were so blessed in the middle of this (ending) year 2007 by OGT who sent us a big supply of Medical equipment Hospital Beds,... but as we expand the Health center, we are finding more and more need for ALL kinds of Medical equipment.!!
If you have leeds to how we can get more new or used Medical equipment, PLEASE let us know!
5. And Finally, a 4X4 off roader truck that would brave the mud and literally impossible / none existent roads in the rural communities - a HUGE Challenge.
PLEASE share these with your friends!
We need a lot of support to make a much bigger impact and difference!!
Would you like to help with any of the above or with something different?
PLEASE let us know.
You can contact us at: stushabe@aoet.org .
Thank you for being our friend, and for visiting again.
Please come more often and ask your friends to visit.
We will be posting more information consistently.
Ann Alimuwa
AOET Rural Health Initiative Manager
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( 2.9 / 53 )"HOPE never dies", ... they say.
If you've never been close to a people that are trapped in Absolute poverty, disease, and traditional customs, then seen someone work in that environment to change that situation and finally seen people take advantage of that opportunity to get out of their circumstances, it would be hard to comprehend what that Statement means!!
AOET's OVC (Orphans and Vulnerable Children) project is bringing hope to orphans and vulnerable children in northern Uganda.
Nothern Uganda has faced war for OVER 20 years, Children have been born in concentrated camps, and are now Adults,children as young as 8 are abducted and sold as slaves...
With funding from USAID given under the Inter Religious Council of Uganda, AOET begun supporting 500 ovc in Adekokwok sub county with formal education and vocational skills training
Please Meet Molly !
Molly is 17
She is one of the beneficiaries of this project.
Her mother died when she was six (6) years old due to the war!.
At 17, she already has two children.
Her father sent her away from home because she refused to get married to an army man who would provide bride wealth for her father!
She however did not do this out of disobedience to her father: Before you judge her, you probably need to know a few things:
1. Molly was only 15 at the time
2. You also need to know that her Mother had been killed by soldiers!! Because of this, even if she had decided to "close her eyes" and get married at 15, she could not handle the thought of getting married to a Soldier!!!
Molly in front of her house now.
She might not be in the best house ever, but she has big dreams!!
Sent away by her father with nothing, - not even a pair of shoes on her feet, Molly says, "... I knew I would end up dead somewhere"!!!
By the time AOET arrived in that region, Molly had found her way to her uncle in another camp far from the camp her father lived in still in the Northern Uganda.
Molly came to the AOET Office to ask if she could get help.
When she came, she had NEVER been educated - even with basic reading...since she had never been to school.
Vocational training was the best option suggested by the AOET Social worker, and Molly did not waste any time.
She got on a sewing Machine, and in just a few days Molly could make beautiful patterns on a sewing machine, then later begun working with cloth with so much ease that she surprised everyone!!
Right now she is on her way to becoming a WONDERFUL tailor (without formal Education!!!!.
According to one of AOET's Social workers working with Molly, "the girl is EXTREMELY intelligent... she could easily become an engeneer"!!
Such are Children that have been affected by the war in Northern Uganda and yearn for an opportunity to be empowered and especially through formal Schooling or vocational training!
In addition to Vocational Training, AOET has helped Molly understand her rights - which skills will prove of GREAT value for her in the near future!!!.
Molly talks about her changed life with a HUGE smile!!! Something she could not have dreamt 10 months ago!!!
The morning we visited her, she said with tears on her small cheeks "...thank you for bringing this project to Adekokwok! Now I am sure that after this training I will be able to send my two children to school".
(How she got the Two Children is another incredible story for next time)!!
Now I know that this is what whoever said " Hope never dies" meant!!
I had no clue!!!
We are Grateful to USAID and IRCU together with a host others for the support you give us that enables us to support Thousands of young people like Molly in the different countries AOET is operating in!!!
If you need to know more about Molly, Please let us know and we will give you all the information you need.
You can contact us concerning ALL other issues concerning the work we do at:
stushabe@aoet.org
= Submitted by =
Sam Tushabe
Director
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( 2.9 / 74 )
Some of AOET StaffThis week our rural Health initiative staff just kicked off a month of HIV/AIDS Education in rural areas.
The target is to give enough information about HIV/AIDS to a minimum of 20,000 people.
We kicked the project off with our Drama group.
(The Drama group is a group of Ladies that tested positive for HIV here at the AOET Clinic, have lost their husbands to AIDS and decided to form a Drama group in form of a SUPPORT group for themselves, but also to educate others about the REALITY of AIDS).
This group has grown from just a few to over 70 women, but because of transportation and other logistical challenges,... the ones that travel with the AOET staff and perform often are about 15, although the whole support group meets regularly.
Together with Education, the AOET HBC (Home based Care) group will be working with ALL our registered patients.
AOET has developed a host of Community based workers who work hand in hand with the mainstream AOET Rural Health Staff.
After 6 - 11 months of training, Community based workers are ready to go back to their communities and work.
They help AOET in transporting patients on Bicycle Ambulances to AOET Mobile clinics or closest Health centers if it is not an AOET Mobile Clinic day!
A bicycle Ambulance has become one of the biggest life saving tools that AOET has ever used!!!
The first few days have already gone VERY well!!!
Since 2005, we've registered OVER 2,000 AIDS patients, but we have just a little over 1,000 that come regularly to the AOET Clinic for medication.
The AOET HBC (Home based care) team will be visiting EVERYONE in our database during this month before Christmas since for about two weeks during the Christmas Holiday the Heath care team will be away.
The Team has already done several Schools, taught in Villages under trees, during the traditional village meetings... and still has 3 weeks to continue doing this.
Ann Alimuwa - the Manager of the AOET Rural Health Initiative said "the idea of doing this before the Christmas break is good because people are very "active" (I think she meant socially) during that time and so need this information just before".
The other part besides Education and Home based care, the Team is continuing to do Mobile Clinics in the Villages.
On mobile Clinics, Patients with all sorts of ailments come for treatment. On one Mobile clinic, it is not uncommon for the Team to see at least 100 patients !! (sometimes more, other times a bit less)!!! Many of these will be done over the next few weeks!
They still use the same transportation they've been using over the past outreaches, and it's still the same staff going on these outreaches to the Village and so it's not terribly more expensive than it's been, yet with almost twice as much work than before!
Do you know how we can get more "Off the counter" and "Prescription" Drugs for our Clinic?
Would you like to help purchase a Staff transportation van for $9,200?
Our Staff van that transports both volunteers and Staff has been on the road for many years, and is now turning into a liability.
Every week it has to be repaired twice or more times, and needless to say, is taking so much money!,
Or would you like to help buy Gasoline for a whole month for the rural Health initiative Team to go everywhere and anywhere for about $1000?
We would love to hear from you!!
Please contact us at:
stushabe@aoet.org
Thank you again so much for visiting.
Please come more often.
We will be posting what is happening here at AOET regularly!!!
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