Rape Hurts Foundation

Rape Hurts Foundation (RHF) Organizational Profile 2017 Hellen Tanyinga (Founder & Executive Director) Rape Hurts Foundation (RHF) Bukyerimba LC1 Zone, Namisabya Parish, Northern Division Kamuli. P.O.Box 19 Jinja Uganda Tel.: EMail: Facebook: www.facebook.com/RapeHurtsFoundation Website: www.rapehurts.org Twitter: @RHFuganda “At RHF, we are committed to making an effective contribution to righting social injustice in Uganda, which we see as arising from poverty, gender and other forms of inequality, poor governance, and the denial of rights” RHF is a non-profit, non-government organization working with marginalized people, especially rural girls & women in Eastern Uganda. RHF was established in 2008 as a community-based organization and registered as a non-profit Non-Government Organization in 2009, with functional governance structures that include a board of seven members, a senior management team and staff/volunteers. RHF was founded with a Vision of “A world in which women and children realize their full Human Rights, Health, Social-Economic and Civic Potential” and a Mission of “To empower Women to initiate and manage their Social-Economic Development processes through strengthening Human Rights Protection, awareness, Health & Care, Community Participation, Advocacy & Service Provision” RHF has the following goals; -  Empower women to eliminate any practices inhibiting their social and economic development.  Empower communities to access and utilize quality health services.  Ensure justice and free from violence to all women  Eradication of Child Human Sacrifice  Support inclusive education for vulnerable and marginalized children especially the girl child.  Enhance community capacity to mitigate and adapt to climate for sustainable development.  Strengthen organizational systems to enhance effective operation and management of its processes, structures and procedures RHF Mission & Vision are guided by the following Core Values;-  Peace and security for all Ugandans (physical, social, political and psychological)  Social justice: equity in resource distribution and equality before the law  Gender equity and equality  Integrity: adherence to agreed principles  Sustainable development: using resources in a manner that will benefit present and future generations adequately Initially, the organization started its operations in Jinja District, supporting and working with victims of rape & sexual violence, and also working with women to increase agricultural production for household food security and income generation. RHF Program focus  Sexual Reproduction Health & Rights and HIV/AIDS/TB  Socio-Economic Empowerment of Women & Children  Freedom from Violence and Human Rights  Access to Water & Sanitation (WASH) and Access to Solar Power  Land/Environment and Agric/farming Support The Rape Hurts Foundation works in an environment of constant change that inspires us to partner with others to achieve more. A key goal of RHF is to partner with organisations and individuals with complementary missions. We have created awareness, village support groups, 24/7 support for the victims of rape, legal aid, crisis center/shelter, provided seeds/farm tools to groups of women, created pressure advocacy/lobbying groups, and worked through music, dance and drama which have reached thousands. We empowered child-headed families, trained youth on sexual reproductive health, empowered families headed by grannies, documented/researched and exposed cases of rape, trained villages in WASH, planted trees and created demonstration farms. RHF Program Areas 1. Girls/Women Economic & Social Strengthening According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the right to food does not imply that governments have an obligation to hand out free food to everyone who wants it. This is a common misconception. "The right to food is not a right to a minimum ration of calories, proteins and other specific nutrients, or a right to be fed. It is about being guaranteed the right to feed oneself, which requires not only that food is available – that the ratio of production to the population is sufficient – but also that it is accessible– i.e., that each household either has the means to produce or buy its own food. However, if individuals are deprived of access to food for reasons beyond their control, for instance because of an armed conflict, natural disaster or because they are in detention, recognition of the right to life obliges States to provide them with sufficient food for their survival. RHF’s Intervention in relation to Food, Nutrition and incomes;- The aim of RHF’s Food, Nutrition and income program is to improve livelihoods through combined financial and technical assistance for rural women and youth with empowerment and training programs and engaging them in their development processes. Under economic empowerment, focus is put on food security and nutrition, agribusiness, livestock rearing and micro credit. Emphasis is put on capacity building in sustainable agriculture. RHF focuses on improving food production through improving farming practices, harvesting techniques, value addition, marketing and business management. Participants also receive intensive training in cooperative development and governance. The goal is to establish a core of functioning cooperatives capable of producing and marketing high quality, high value agricultural products. The long-term vision of commercial farming is a women-led agricultural value chain whereby women are participants in every facet of the agricultural production cycle: producers, processors, distributors, managers and owners. Commercial farming initiative functions not only as an income generation mechanism but as an agent of unification bringing together diverse groups of women and their families irrespective of cultural or ethnic backgrounds. RHF adopted a working model that further increased capacity of farming communities to carry out profitable agribusiness. This is done by offering free advisory services and extending small loans to the farmers and small business owners to enable them to invest in their agricultural activities and business. Furthermore, by re-branding our micro-credit arm as Community Fund, RHF has made Financing more accessible to the most vulnerable communities, many of whom are wary of banks or financial institutions. Community Fund’s accessibility and use of everyday language aims to offer an inclusive service that reaches those who need it most. In addition, beneficiaries are also able to invest in other income generating activities like trade, retail shops, and transportation and among others. RHF employs the group solidarity model where by women are encouraged to form groups which are trained. Through these groups, members have created strong bonds among themselves and instead of struggling alone, now these women work together to solve their problems. 2. Health & Care • WASH Under the WASH program, RHF aims at improving general health conditions of the focus communities through increased access to clean and safe water, good hygiene conditions, sanitation facilities and building community capacity not only to maintain the facilities through Water User communities but to also to lobby and advocate for qualitative and quantitative WASH services from other duty bearers. RHF has adopted both right based and service based approach to service Delivery. RHF works with partners to supplement Government services by constructing Boreholes, shallow wells, spring tanks, rain water harvesting facilities, School, household and community sanitation facilities. • HIV/AIDS and Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights The aim of this program is to promoting awareness and good governance in sexual reproductive, maternal child health, HIV/AIDS, Nutrition, and other health services. RHF builds community capacity to lobby and advocate for qualitative and quantitative SRH, MCH, and HIV/AIDS care services. RHF works with district and sub county health resource persons, nurses, HUMCs, PDCs, village health teams (VHTs), youth peer educators (YPEs), Private health workers, Traditional birth attendants (TBAs), and community based organizations, to create access, and availability of the reproductive health services. In partnership with other health organizations, RHF organizes mobile clinics for voluntary counseling and testing, provision of Health products like condoms, pills, and other protection and bath control products. Due to the increasing HIV rates, RHF works with Youth Peer Educators (YPEs) and school clubs to carry out community and school out reaches to promote awareness of HIV through music and drama. Not only does community positively respond to the campaigns but also gives the youth an opportunity to be part of a positive social change in their society. 3. Education, Vocational & Life Skills Training This program aims at supporting the access to quality Education by Vulnerable Children. RHF does this by both Advocacy activities and service provision in some cases. Areas of intervention include; Advocacy for improving access to quality Education for Vulnerable children, sponsorship Support for OVCs, construction of structures including classrooms, water and sanitation facilities, access to reading materials, science equipments and computers. RHF supports Children out of school with life skills. By this RHF supports establishment of skills training centers. Such skills include tailoring, computing skills, bakery, Music, art, etc RHF Supports training for teachers who in most cases have not completed their education certificates but would like to acquire them. 4. Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation This program is aimed at promoting environmental protection that is otherwise destroyed by Human activity. Environmental conservation is the act of conserving or saving our natural resources through careful management. This means we can use the resources but wisely and responsibly. Examples: reducing your waste, saving trees, recycling, using renewable resources that don’t deplete our natural resources. Therefore RHF trains communities in proper environmental practices that lead to environmental sustainability. RHF trains in proper land use management and Tree planting as a measure to restore the green. RHF supports communities to adopt to use of sustainable energy including solar energy, energy saving stoves solar driers and Biogas. This ensures that’s communities will not only reduce deforestation but also ensures good health. Agro forestry is also integrated in the agricultural program through boundary tree planting, fruit trees and coffee growing. RFH is helping rural communities to access solar lights, Solar Power & Solar Systems, since they don’t have access to National Grid Hydro-power. Donate a Bicycle is an activity whereby we help rural women get bicycles, this improves their mobility and in the long run attracts income 5. Justice, Free from Violence and Advocacy & Lobbying RHF holds government accountable for the promise of specialized sexual offences courts. We believe these courts are key to increasing reporting rates and conviction rates for rape, and decreasing the secondary victimisation of rape survivors. We will do this through our advocacy campaign, which will include community workshops, community actions and lobbying decision makers. RHF also provides legal aid, researches and documents all cases of Rape & Violence. RHF will re-open the Rape Help Crisis Center to offer help, support and shelter to victims of rape from hostile and violent environments Promotion of human rights and good governance forms is central to RHF’s work. Our capacity development interventions are geared at enhancing citizen participation in local government planning and accountability of service providers and public officials at local government level. We also play a pivotal role in strengthening the voice of ethnic minorities in Uganda. 6. Capacity Building for CBOs RHF provides high quality organizational development support to various forms of Community Based Organization (CBOs at different Eastern in Uganda. This programme stems from RHF’s long term capacity building experience of CBOs in Uganda. Under this programme we carry out training, follow up support visits and mentoring and coaching staff, board and members of various CBOs at community, district and national levels. Key contents of our organizational development support to CBOs include:- Organizational assessments; Strategic planning; Monitoring and evaluation; Formulation of internal policies, procedures and constitution; Leadership and governance; Financial management; People management; Resource mobilization; Gender mainstreaming; Documentation and communication; Advocacy and networking. Key Achievements since 2008  Creation of a Directors/Trustee Board, formulation of policies, systems and governing structures for RHF  Establishment of a Resource Center  Establishment of a Rape Crisis Settlement Center & Shelter  Give direct support, legal aid, counseling, referrals etc to 17,520 Victims of Rape & other forms of sexual violence  Research & Documentation of over 25,000 cases of Sexual violence  Provision of Solar power & lights to 100 households.  Construction of 1,200 Smokeless Eco-friendly cooking stoves for rural women in Kamuli  Construction of 2 latrines  Construction of a water supply system  Establishment of a sustain Agro/Farm project for learning, income generation and food production  A bee-farming project for rural women  Establishment of a field office in Kamuli and Jinja  Establishment of 20 Acre Tree Planting Project  Training of 1,500 rural women in Kamuli & Jinja on gender based domestic violence  Support 600 school drop outs to attain Vocational and Life Skills Training  Supporting 37 Orphans with Education – School Fees & Health  Advocating and lobbying for change of gender insensitive laws. We were at the forefront in the fight which lead to the abolishing of Bride Price, criminalization of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)  Resource of Rape in regard to poverty, light & water, Rape & phone  Distribution of Bio-Sand Filters  Establishment of RPH Welding Training Center  Capacity Building for 72 Community Based Organization  Creation of partnerships and networking with different organizations List of Board Members (Volunteers) 1. Michael Stephen Kafuko - Chairperson Board of Directors 2. Mrs. Katenderi Monica -Vice/Chairperson Board of Directors 3. Barbara Mutonyi - Treasurer Board of Directors 4. Hellen Waiswa Lunkuse Tanyinga - Secretary Board of Directors and Executive Director 5. Edith Nakafu - Education Technical Member 6. Topha Kadhumbula - Spokes Person & Human Rights Technical Member 7. Brian Nadiopye Kiirya - Agric/Farm Technical Member 8. Robert M. Mboozi - Research/Monitoring & Evaluation Technical Member 9. Lillian Nakanwajja - Women Empowerment Technical Member On a daily basis RHF, is run and managed by dedicated staff & volunteers. Board Members play an important role of putting in financial resources since each member is employed or working somewhere else but always make time for the foundation. The property (land and buildings) and some physical items are mainly donated by the people and community members who believe in our work. Over the years, we have received donations mainly from our friends and wellwishers from abroad and locally. We have a coordination point in Jinja and points in Buyende and Kamuli about 40mns from Jinja. Rape Hurts Foundation (RHF) Partners 1. LUSH CHARITY POT CANADA 2. Friendly Water for the World US 3. Wheels4Life US 4. Tools with a Mission 5. One Million Lights 6. IBOTA Foundation 7. URICT – Uganda 8. Kaba-Kidss Farming Project 9. Idealist Group 10. United Nations N Volunteers 11. United Nations Global Impact 12. Ammado 13. Prevent Gender Based Violence Africa 14. Netzkraft Movement 15. Ministry of Health – Uganda Government 16. Stop TB Partnership 17. Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme 18. King Baudouin Foundation United States (KBFUS) International Advisors  Rainer Rossler - Austria  Tammy Morrison – USA  Maureen Bird – Australia  David H. Albert – USA  Tanya Weaver - USA  Darryl & Eric - USA Volunteer with RHF • RHF relies on the valued support of skilled and motivated volunteers. By working in partnership with volunteers we combine our knowledge and skills to empower people and communities to fulfill their potential and contribute to socio-economic change. Since 2009, RHF has welcomed ten volunteers both from abroad and from within Uganda, who have supported our programme development, communications and monitoring and evaluation, as well as gaining valuable work experience and broadening their understanding of life in a developing country. Our volunteer programme invites suitably qualified individuals to work with us for anything from eight weeks to three years. We provide accommodation in Jinja and Kamuli, however all costs, including visas, are covered by the volunteer. There are many useful resources on line to help you fundraise at home to support your volunteering abroad. We would like to hear from people with knowledge and/or interest in: » Food security, including agriculture and farming practice » Health, including sanitation, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS » Child growth and development, including nutrition and education » Human rights, including rights awareness and advocacy » Micro finance, Solar, Sports & Games » Research, monitoring and evaluation » Fundraising, including proposal development and networking » Financial management, organizational growth and non-profit management. • You should also be: » Over 18 years of age » Able to live and work in a rural and resource-limited setting » Willing to learn and be challenged » Open-minded » Able to consider community needs over personal needs » Able to relate well with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds If you feel you can contribute to RHF’s work in any of the above areas and meet these criteria then please get in touch with our volunteer coordinator on Become a partner We are always keen to connect with new partners across the globe, who share our vision for a bright and sustainable future for the women of rural Uganda and their families. We have many years of experience working with partners from the USA, Canada, Europe and Uganda, and are committed to realizing tangible outcomes for our beneficiaries. If you would like to discuss funding or partnership opportunities, Please us.