Mbale CAP

You’ve might have seen a few mentions of Mbale CAP along the way, this is Mbale Coalition Against Poverty, a Ugandan Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO). This is a development of the Partnership Overseas Network Trust (PONT), a Pontypridd based initiative that seeks to eradicate poverty through sustainable partnerships. Made up of District Leaders, Education and Health organisations and Private Sector partners, Mbale CAP creates a network throughout the region to share information, resources and essential support that helps local communities initiate activities to address the social and economic issues they face. The long term vision is enabling such activities now, will alleviate and ultimately eliminate poverty in the future.

It was through PONT involving local politicians in its work that PONT/Mbale CAP was introduced to the Welsh Government’s Wales for Africa Programme and the rest they say is history! As both agenda’s developed, opportunities emerged over the years to support and share with each other. For example, the development of this ILO Programme gave opportunity for Mbale CAP and its partners to host placements.

Pastor Apollo Mwenyi, of the First Baptist Church is the Executive Director here and also the Local Programme Manager for the ILO programme, so anything we need / are worried about he’s on the end of the phone (or across the street from our accommodation!).

So, day to day Mbale CAP coordinate several programmes of work seeking to make changes the communities want to see. These focus on:

Education

o   Linked 118 schools with partners in Wales

o   Set up 27 school libraries

o   Installed solar lighting in schools

o   Hosted visiting welsh teachers under British Council Exchange Programme

o   Opened a wildlife centre to host educational visits

Environment

o   Coordinated tree planting project

Health

o   Operates 32 motorbike ambulances in remote communities

o   Supported response to local cholera outbreak

o   Trained 1,500 local health workers

Livelihood – to help generate income they have

o   Given 2,500 goats to families

o   Set up 44 local savings groups

o   Created a Honey Cooperative for farmers to sell together

o   Opened ‘Honey Hub’, a shop in town to sell Mount Elgon Honey from the farmers

I’m also working two days a week here reviewing their reporting arrangements to PONT; collating and updating content for their new website and designing a summary brochure/leaflet explaining who Mbale CAP is and what they do.