Projects

Coalition Against Poverty

UN Gold Star

Updates

Objectives

The objectives of this project are summarised below in the following points.

• To empower indigenous people overseas to help the poorest and neediest people in their communities. This may involve helping to develop a strategy to identify those most in need.

• PONT will act as an "introduction agency", helping to stimulate interest by setting up multiple partnerships between churches, schools, medics, community leaders, hospitals, etc. PONT may facilitate these partnerships in an advisory and training role, (and in so doing may build up a body of knowledge of best practise to be shared amongst our partnerships.

• All short term visits stimulated by this project should be with the express purpose of developing, enhancing and maintaining long term partnerships. Those going should see themselves as "ambassadors" before, during and after their visit.

• Funding, wherever possible, should flow directly from Pontypridd Donors to African Partners. PONT may help by advising on suitability, sensitivity and sustainability of each project, but will not centralise or pool funding. (this is mainly to promote a more direct sense of responsibility amongst donor groups). Where needed PONT may offer a channel for "gift aid" or covenanting to maximise tax benefits.

• Funding should always be specifically directed at pre-agreed pre-costed projects. This should make fund-raising easier, since donors can relate it to a cause and also ensure that it is wisely spent, without unnecessary surpluses. PONT will help by providing evaluation and accountability.

Aims

To date over 180 of us have visited Mbale, and have met with their local MP, District Education Officer, District Medical officer, local charity groups leaders (NGO's), headmasters of schools and church leaders of various denominations. We have met with enthusiasm for the partnership from across the board and they have set up a steering committee to organise things their end. On the first we visited several towns in Uganda and chose Mbale because of the indigenous work already going on there. On the second visit we identified the key movers and shakers to work through. On the third visit we identified and evaluated several projects we could begin supporting. The forth visit in June 2005 is when we began the process of project implementation. The aims of the projects are:-

1. Training and equipping village health workers to provide a basic primary health care service to every village, integrated with the Government service. We hope that this will be funded by Pontypridd GP's.

2. To twin 4 primary and 8 secondary schools in Pontypridd area with similar schools in Mbale. We hope in future that every child in Pontypridd will grow up with a clear awareness of the problems facing their friends and contemporaries in Uganda.

3. Supporting the multitude of Aid's orphans in Mbale so that they will receive a basic education, clothing and regular meals. We hope this will be supported through our churches.

4. Providing mosquito nets to each family with small children to attempt to decrease the dreadful infant mortality - currently about 20% of under 5's in some villages.

5. To link the Royal Glamorgan Hospital with Mbale District Hospital so that our consultants can take used equipment over and train their doctors in using it.

Future proposals include:-

1. Sponsoring animals for the poorest villages.

2. Improving sanitation and drinking water.

3. Encouraging Fair Trade developments in both countries.

The Project will be managed:

• An organising committee of volunteers in Pontypridd.

• Separately managed sub groupings which include Medics, Teachers, Orphans, Churches and Civic Engineering.

• An administrative team for accounting, auditing, communications and project development.