FCOH is a true joy of the community as the picture shows
One American psychologist Abraham Maslow once propounded a ‘hierarchy of needs’ which are common and innate to the survival of every human being. At the very bottom of his pyramid are the basic needs including air, food, drink, shelter, warmth and clothing. That if any of those needs lacked, then life makes no meaning.
Cognizant of this fact, the Friends of Community Health (FCOH) is one good community model where the human hierarchy of needs is well demonstrated. It is in this community initiative where you can find the true solidarity for the wellbeing of a common person. FCOH was started to empower the vulnerable and marginalized groups most specifically People living with HIV/AIDS, Orphans and vulnerable children and Women, to address incidences that cause low incomes, diseases, ignorance and inequality. And operating in a community which is considered as one of the districts with poor performance on the key development indicators with high levels of abject poverty, poor health, education, and hygiene; the initiative couldn’t have come at a better time.
Since 2004, FCOH has maintained a community based approach to the indigenous people of Mayuge district, with programs ranging from Home development activities, Agriculture, Funeral services, Art and Craft to Interfaith dialogue. Through the community based approach the initiative is able to mobilize the community at various levels to make use of available health opportunities and community potential to improve their quality life. The uniqueness with this approach is that people easily identify with what they are being mobilized to do. If it’s a sanitation and hygiene campaign that seeks to ensure that every home has a pit latrine, the people work together to see that it’s done. The founder David Mukisa has this to reckon with;
“I remember in some of our inception health campaigns, the community was faced with poor hygiene. Many homes lacked toilets and clean water. No wonder our district was among those which were severely hit by an outbreak jiggers recently. With support from URI we were able to launch a jigger control campaign which eventually saw the community sober up”. Our messages henceforth have been to sensitize people on hygiene and sanitation to avoid such disease outbreaks.
Knowing that low incomes for any community is a major driver to high poverty levels, disease, poor nutrition, low literacy levels and a slump to the general development, FCOH introduced the home development saving initiative where women “are compellingly” made to adopt a saving culture. The strategy is for every registered member to make a monthly saving which is collected on every 15th and 30th for Group A and B respectively. This department as it is commonly known by the founders, started with only 15 registered members and has grown about 60 members. The strategy of targeting women for the home development is bed rocked on the fact that women being mothers and wives in their homes, the general welfare and development is guaranteed. With a monthly saving, the household can afford a nutritious meal, a habitable shelter, educate children, and live healthily.
Thanks go to the URI Regional Coordinator Despina Namwebe who gave in her time and rewards to the grass root organization and joined a gift giving ceremony happily as shown in the photograph below.
The FCOH home development has become a centre of excitement to its members in which people forget about their individual differences either in religion or culture and join hands to fight poverty as happily seen in the photograph below.
The Home development association is also used as a platform to address various issues in the community. Many politicians have always used this association to speak to the electorate. Issues of domestic violence are always addressed during FCOH celebrations which happen every 15th and 30th of every month.
This goes without mention that this group is using a model that touches everyone in the community; a strategy of hitting two birds with one stone, bringing out the truth that all the successful people that we admire in life belong to a home somewhere. Therefore a healthy family is a key to a health nation; and FCOH can do much more towards this reality if you our reader supported their cause.
