Summary of project status and achievements:
With Byamungu , the Health Centre Coordinator, on leave for most of the month, Kyapi took over the Traveling Workshop and demonstrated a tremendous amount of effort initiative throughout August. After requesting paper and pencils to incorporate health-related drawing in his classes, Kyapi's Youth Group class saw an increase in numbers as children drew different parts of the body and scenes of sanitary environments they learned about. On August 5th, Health and Body instructor Fazili met with Sara and Nick regarding a proposed traditional health curriculum he wanted to incorporate into the Health and Body classes. Upon hearing the content of the material, Fazili was told that because FORGE was not a health organization, it could not provide students with medical advice or pharmacological information. Because Fazili teaches a class on traditional medicine on his own time, Sara also clarified that he could not promote that course in the FORGE classes that he taught, and that any referrals to medical treatment had to be directed towards AAH/the Kala Health Clinic.
As August also saw the first revised Health and Body 2 class come through, Sara noticed that the intake was finishing with only five students. With a new intake set to begin the third week of August, she encouraged Fazili to recruit at least two dozen students. Imploring Kyapi to advertise the class in the Traveling Workshop, she was stunned to learn that 135 students had signed up for health classes in less than one week. However, rather than just wanting to learn the Health and Body 2 material, those recruited were interested in an accelerated course including topics from both Health and Body 1 and 2 classes, and instruction on professional letter writing. To accommodate the high level of interest, the group was split in two and a five week class was designed to include four weeks of health instruction taught by Fazili, and one week of professional letter writing to be taught by Douglas. Ultimately, the course ended up meeting five times per week rather than the three that was planned, and at the end of the month Fazili anticipated it would end in time for those leaving on the September 12th convoy to complete the course.
Sara spoke with Mr. Matende, the Education and HIV/AIDS Coordinator for World Vision about borrowing videos on HIV/AIDS, per Byamungu's request. He said FORGE was free to use any videos we wanted, and he was supposed to leave her a note granting her permission, but the note was never written. She followed up with him at the end of the month and was promised the videos the next time they met in Kala.
Indicators and Statistics:
See August spreadsheet.
Future goals:
To increase recruitment and have nurses from AAH guest lecture on family planning and be available to answer questions FORGE health staff are not equipped to answer.
Substantial problems or issues:
None.
Wishes or requests:
The Health Centre would still like to begin showing videos on STIs to attract more students. They would also like to incorporate activities with balls for Youth Group as a way to promote exercise and attract more youth. Sara is working on both and hoping to get the requested items to the Health Centre in September.
