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A word from Prof. William Bazeyo, Dean Makerere University School of Public Health and RAN Chief of Party/Lab Director
Dear Reader,
I welcome you to the April-May 2015 RAN e-Bulletin. Makerere University School of Public Health ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) is already registering the benefits associated with actively involving the community at all levels of the Innovation Pipeline. It is not only exciting but also fulfilling to identify with and register impact in the target African communities. This impact will be translated in other areas too facing the same or similar challenges. RAN is building on the existing and thus continuously acknowledges the work of other development partners in strengthening resilience through addressing communities’ most pressing challenges that present as disasters in form of shocks and stresses. In this issue, we bring you more about the already functional Community Radio-RootIO in Oyam District of Northern Uganda, an update on the Resilience Innovation Challenge 4 Food Insecurity and Income Generation (RIC4FIG), 2015 Partner’s Forum, Girl Rising BarCamp, the Community as the core for RAN’s operations, the launch of the first annual State of African Resilience Report in Makerere University, Uganda and highlights about the open online learning and information sharing platform with M-KITs. All these build on the previously executed work in an effort to further engage students, faculty and the entire community in developing solutions through innovation to positively impact the target communities. I urge all of you our dear partners in development, students, faculty and the community not to remain silent with those innovative solutions; engage with us both physically and on the RAN Social Media Platforms ( Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and the Website for the benefit of the vulnerable.
Thank you.
Enjoy Reading!
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First Community Radio Station-RootIO Launched in Aber Sub-County, Oyam District Uganda
A community radio technology with the potential to revolutionalize last-mile communication in hard-to-reach and war ravaged areas, using a mobile phone for broad-casting (103.8FM)
Saturday May 23, 2015 witnessed the launch of an inexpensive but highly networked radio station, designed to be affordable by a rural community in Aber sub-county in Oyam district, Northern Uganda.
The station uses a smart phone to replace a studio, and affordable solar power to replace expensive national grid electricity or a generator that all total up to Ugx. 8 million only. It broadcasts for 20 to 30 kms radius, a much smaller range than commercial stations, but this allows it to provide hyperlocal content, advertising by village based traders, and host local community dialogues and discussions. Read the full story here. |
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Collaboration between HESN Labs : Makererere University & AidData
AidData – HESN Lab engages Makerere University students from the Department of Geomatics and Land Management at College of Engineering Design Art and Technology through the RAN HESN Lab.
12 Third year students from Makerere University – College of Engineering pursuing Land Survey and Geomatics worked on a Spatial Vulnerability assessment project in partnership with the AidData HESN lab. The students started working on the project at the beginning of the semester in February 2015 and completed in May 2015. The students did the final pitch of their project on Wednesday 27th May 2015 at the Department of Geomatics and Land survey. Read the full story here.
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The Resilience Innovation Challenge 4 Food Security and improved Income Generation (RIC4FIG) Pitching Event
The Southern Africa Resilience Innovation Lab (SA RILab) held a successful pitching event on May 12, 2015 at the University of Pretoria Graduate Centre. Twenty shortlisted innovators selected from 175 applicants who responded to the Resilience Innovation Challenge for Food Security and Improved Income Generation (RIC4FIG) participated in the live and Skype pitching exercise. The event brought together a panel of experts in the fields of Agriculture, Food Science, Public Health, Economics and Business. In all these efforts to strength resilience to target African communities’ most pressing challenges, important to note is the continuous generous support from USAID. Read the full story here. |
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The RAN’s First “State of African Resilience” Report Launched in Makerere University, Uganda
"Can we do things differently to improve people’s lives?”
The midafternoon of Friday May 8, 2015 saw the big event of the launch of the first annual “State of African Resilience” Report in Makerere University, Kampala Uganda. The event brought together about 500 participants including; multi-disciplinary faculty, students, innovators, the community, policy makers, development partners, Government officials, USAID officials, researchers, Ambassadors, Members of Parliament, Honorable Ministers, Chancellors, faculty and students from other institutions of higher learning, other developmental partners, the media, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Duke University (both based in the United States of America) among others. Read the full story here. |
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ResilientAfica Network (RAN) awards the RIC4ACE Grantees
Seven projects were finally selected for the Resilience Innovation Challenge (RIC) Round 1 Resilience Innovation Challenge 4 Adverse Climate Effects (RIC4ACE) support in the Eastern Africa RILab. These were awarded their grants during the launch of the State of African Resilience Report in Makerere University. Get the full details here. |
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The 2015 Partners’ Forum May 6-7, 2015
Synthesizing resilience dimensions and problem sets
The purpose of the fourth annual ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) Partners’ Forum was to discuss and establish the link between resilience dimensions, problem sets and innovation protocols/strategies. The 2015 Partners Forum brought together more than 50 participants from USAID Washington D.C, RAN Core Partners, Network and Network plus Partners and faculty in support of Solutions through Innovation. “We cannot move forward without reviewing where we have come from,” said Dr. Roy William Mayega, RAN Deputy Chief of Party. Read the full story here. |
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RAN’s 1st Girl Rising Barcamp
“Ladies seem to be sorted out, afraid, less motivated or shy away from leadership..
What is your say?”
The ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) hosted a #BarCamp panel discussion on April 30, 2015 to share a light moment with representatives from various girl groups not only to understand but also identify how they can work together with these initiatives to tackle emerging challenges and scale impact. The objective of the BarCamp was to understand the involvement and motivations of ladies/girls in girl led and focused activities. Results of the captivating discussion can be found here. |
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The community is at the core of RAN’s work
Makerere University School of Public Health Resilient Africa Network (RAN), Eastern Africa Resilience Innovation Lab (EA RILab) in an effort to further engage with the communities has continuously carried out field visits.
Ethnography (Needfinding) surveys series: Low Cost Solar Irrigation Project: New Improved Push and Pull Project; the Matibabu Project
The EARILab conducted Needfinding surveys in 3 target communities in Uganda with 3 innovator projects namely; New Improved Push and Pull technology that is solving the problem of striga weed; Low cost Solar Irrigation project which is trying to optimize the solar water pump for irrigation; and Matibabu which is developing the non-invasive malaria testing device. Read more here.
Peer to Peer Learning in Northern Uganda
The visit to Gulu University in Northern Uganda, 8th- 9th April 2015 for Peer to Peer Learning was conducted under the theme “Embracing community led innovations”. Peer education involves children, young people, or adults educating others of similar age, background, culture, or social status, including those from disadvantaged social groups. Read more here. |
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MKITS launch at RAN
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Opportunities
- The online application for the course “Global Health and Sustainable Development Post 2015 – A New Approach to Natural Resources Management” is now available. Details here.
- SEED's Transformation Program-Great Opportunity here.
- Do not miss the Innovation Garage at RAN on June 26, 2015.
For more, please visit the RAN website.
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