How does that translate for these people?

Many of the people of Namatala are refugees from fighting in the north.

The population of Namatala increased rapidly last year because of extensive flooding just 20 kilometers away. 

Food price rises do not mean trading down to “value brands.” People here are getting hungrier.

 To make a difference in this community there needs to be a coalition of the willing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Children of Namatala playing in front of camera

The children of Namatala!

Most children in most places just love to have a photograph taken. The children pictured are no exception.

The raw energy, the happiness and hope are reflected in the faces of the children.  But the lives of these children are very different from the lives of Pontypridd children.  For these are the Children of Namatala.

Namatala is a slum district of Mbale city in Uganda.  In fact, Namatala is

Growing up in Namatala

To be a child in Namatala is to experience life in its extreme. 

Having survived childbirth and high infant mortality rates, a child of school age is likely to

·         Have only one meal per day

·         Drink unfit water

·         Develop malaria, diarrhea or HIV

·         Live in a house with only one or two rooms

 

 

 

Some facts about Namatala

·         Have only one parent or be raised by an older sibling

·         Depending on family size, attend school irregularly or not at all

·         Die before the age of 50

 

 

 

“…the biggest slum in one of the poorer regions in one of the poorest countries on earth.”

 

 

 

Teenage girl dancing

 

the biggest slum in one of the poorer regions in one of the poorest countries on earth.  [Uganda is rated 154th out of 177 countries in the poverty stakes.]

·         Have only one parent or be raised by an older sibling

·         Depending on family size, attend school irregularly or not at all

·         Die before the age of 50

And yet develop a joy for life, an awareness, aspirations and ambitions as lively as any western counterpart.

 

 

Building on that hope

PONT and its partners here and in Mbale, Uganda are committed to tackling poverty.  And that includes the urban poor in the Mbale slums.

The single greatest asset in this fight is the resourcefulness of the people themselves.  

The young man pictured is not atypical.  27% of people in Namatala are involved in their own businesses.

But let us not underestimate the scale of this fight.  Not only are these among the poorest communities on earth but also the economic fragility of slums is well documented. These poor are among the most vulnerable to climate change, natural disaster armed conflict and economic change.

Slum Report

 

Join the coalition

How can PONT and its coalition partners impact United Nations targets to improve the lives of slum dwellers in Namatala? 

The mutual respect and the collaborative working that have become the hallmark of PONT projects to date need to be extended.

Initial challenges for our work will be

·         to build up a fuller picture of Namatala ~ neither the United Nations nor the government of Uganda has any data

·         to engage with the community to ascertain their needs and priorities

Why not sink some of your time or resources into the coalition?

Glamorgan University is a part of the PONT coalition.

We have produced an initial report on Namatala available from the address below. 

We are organizing a workshop on sustainable community development in Mbale in 2009 that will have Namatala very much in mind.

PONT Autumn Conference 2008   For  a copy of the report on Namatala contact David Jenkins on 01443 482336 or email dhjenkin@glam.ac.uk