Community Transformation Foundation Network (COTFONE)

Organizational Background;

COTFONE was established in 2003 with the aim to assist the voiceless vulnerable orphaned and underprivileged children whose parents had died from HIV/AIDS as well as those parents that had died in previous decades of political turmoil in Uganda. The organization also seeks to help the children whose parents are unable to provide for schooling due to poverty. Founded by Kayinga Muddu Yisito who an orphan himself, COTFONE has already made a large impact on the communities it serves due to the dedication and hard work of all its members.

Status:

COTFONE is a relief, advocacy and development not-for-profit, non-government organization in Uganda committed to supporting underprivileged community members cope with their situations and surroundings worldwide.

Why it was formed:

COTFONE was set up to respond to the needs of the underprivileged community members including Vulnerable /marginalized children, school dropouts and youth , underprivileged widows, mothers and women, needy older persons and other marginalized community members as target groups.

Mission Statement:

Goals:
• Promote appropriate education for vulnerable community members such as children, youths among others.
• Improve community based health for the wellbeing of underprivileged community members.
• Alleviate poverty through appropriate interventions and strategies for transformation of impoverished communities.
• Protect and promote the human rights and gender issues globally.
• Support and promote the environmental conservation and protection.

Organization Objectives;

COTFONE aims to support underprivileged children and community members to reach their full potential and live a better life. The organization uses a holistic approach by targeting the children, their households, and communities. Its objectives are to:
• Improve the quality of life of poor orphans and marginalized members in Kiwangala through the provision of free basic formal education and vocational training with literacy skills
• Improve food security by introducing new techniques of farming and other income-generating activities
• Provide health education and initiate healthcare services for general awareness among people about HIV/AIDS and related problems
• Recruit and train counselors and volunteers to take care of persons with HIV/AIDS as well as their children
• Establish Orphans Assistance Scheme, a children, youth, and older persons recreation center
• Support the elderly and community members through guidance and counseling, income generation by offloading the weight of their grandchildren and providing social services to them

Approach:

In supporting underprivileged community members, COTFONE uses collaborative approaches and strategies that introduce innovative technologies, services and methods for scale-up. COTFONE’s success so far is due to its visionary, innovativeness, and determination, which makes it easy to assess community needs and formulate effective solutions.

About COTFONE’s Clients

COTFONE’s mainly works with orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) whose parents have passed away or are unable to fully support them. COTFONE also supports grandparents who must provide for their grandchildren as well as the community at large. All are seen as stakeholders in the future of these children and are therefore incorporated into COTFONE’s activities.


OVER VIEW OF COTFONE PROJECTS;

COTFONE was set up to respond to the needs of the underprivileged community members including Vulnerable /marginalized children, school dropouts and youth , underprivileged widows, mothers and women, needy older persons and other marginalized community members as target groups.

The organization is mandated, to support vulnerable community members cope with their situations and surroundings worldwide. And the functions of COTFONE includes Supporting the COTFONE Children’ Centre ,including helping to fund the construction of a school building and Latrine ,and fund volunteers allowances; Increasing access to HIV and AIDS information and mobilization that increased confidence among the youths and the general public to go for HIV counseling and testing (HTC); Supporting over 200 Orphans and Vulnerable children with free formal basic education and vocational skills from COTFONE Children’s Centre ; and collaborating with the community in a campaign to alleviate poverty through Provision of literacy, community banking and microbusiness development such as Village savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) consisting of 20–30 members in each group; and sponsoring of students to attend secondary schools and other higher institutions; together with establishing a recognized entity in our communities with a dependable number of community groups undergoing positive economic transformation through the COTFONE programs and activities.

Scientifically COTFONE endeavored in the following fields of health and environmental management registering a positive change in home and environmental health and sanitation programs with control of diseases; by home visits and Community needs assessment programs over 80 families visited were supplied with home nutritional diets ; providing mosquito nets and anti malarial drugs (HOMAPAK) to children under 5 years in 9 villages located in Kiwangala parish , Kisekka sub-county , Masaka district; by providing HIV/AIDS counseling and Testing and support to HIV/AIDS infected and affected people; adopted a new and innovative chapter of Technology for sustainable energy production by introducing "The African Energy Saving Cook Stove, EKYOTO" a better substitute to the traditional method of cooking; through agro forestry, improved environmental management through green technology and organic farming.

PROGRAMS CARIED OUT;

1. COMMUNITY BASED HEALTH

This program aims at improving the health status and standard of living in underserved Communities, offering health education to Schools, communities and else where and guidance and Counseling services.

Therefore, through regular outreach activities, COTFONE sensitized and trained communities on hygiene and sanitation programs which involved training community members on the construction of sanitary components in their household like tippy-taps, compost pits, and bath shelters. In relation to health issues, the construction of mud brick ovens helped to reduce the amount of smoke inhaled by women, and therefore reduced the chance of respiratory disease. This led to the control of chronicle diseases and improved family savings as a result of reduced medical costs.

As a strategy for sustainable development, COTFONE, trained and sensitized community members on the benefits of Family Planning among others. An example is COTFONE Children Centre’s guardians who meet once every 3 months and are trained on family planning methods and its impacts for their sustained family support.

COTFONE spearheaded the campaign of preventing and controlling malaria in Masaka district , as well as in some parts of Rakai district. This was fulfilled by working jointly with community members where two people were trained from each village in first aid malaria treatment as malaria drug distributors who provide free malaria drugs to community children less than 5 years.

COTFONE Youth Development Initiative (CYDI) is a Youth Social support Network that has been supported by COTFONE to disseminate information on Youth behavioral change and development, HIV/AIDS prevention, care and awareness; sexual reproductive health; Family planning; Sanitation and Hygiene programs. All these programs are conducted through staging drama shows and facilitation sessions to communities for effective sensitization of community members. This youth group also provides skills to communities on how to make sanitary components such as drying racks, compost pits, tippy-taps and bath shelters. The same skills are instilled to students in various educational institutions around COTFONE’S area of operation. This has resulted in the increased health and behavioral change of students both at school and at home.

2. APPROPRIATE EDUCATION

As a community based non-profit NGO, It offers provision of free basic formal education and vocational skills training to
Vulnerable children, youth and community members, Student Sponsorship Program and Internship, volunteerism
and cultural exchange.

Free basic formal education and life sustaining skills has benefited over 200 Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) 3-12 years. These children have been rehabilitated at COTFONE Children’s Center, which has led to the promotion of children’s rights. Older OVC have been sponsored to secondary schools and tertiary institutions to attain formal basic education and skills for their future self-reliance.

COTFONE life sustaining skills programs pride it self on teaching the children practical skills and creativity through hands-on lessons in Agriculture, necklace, basket making to mention a few. These activities encourage children to think outside of the box, and provide them with possible future income generating activities.

3. POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION.

COTFONE believes that in transforming underprivileged communities, a holistic approach should be adhered to. Therefore, using its national and international professionals, COTFONE technically supports community groups for their sustainability to empower their entire communities through provision of literacy, community banking and microbusiness development, community/household training on agribusiness and market chains, feasibility studies, IGA development and business plan support and community environmental conservation and protection among others.

Community groups are empowered in the following fields:
(a) Income generating activities.
(b) Village savings and loan associations.
(c) Business Skills including financial planning and management and feasibility studies.

Groups such as Twezimbe , TWOSI , COGUNE to mention afew have been empowered in the field of Village savings and Loan Associations, Income Generating activities and business skills, which has resulted in the acquisition of knowledge like Product Value Addition. Savings within these associations have allowed members to access loans for productive investments as well as for personal investments such as the purchase of medication for opportunistic infections.

COTFONE has capitalized on the idea that in order to improve the livelihood of HIV /AIDS infected and affected children; we must target heads of house holds to provide these children with life basic necessities.

COTFONE sensitized communities through grass root community groups (Cluster CBOs) composed of youths and women, whose preventive measures on HIV/AIDS and its increased awareness has attributed to the reduction in HIV/AIDS cases. By gaining support from HIV/AIDS infected members themselves through community development activities such as Income generation, and Village and Savings Loan Associations, these members have increased their self reliance and are now able to financially support themselves and their families

All of these activities are a part of Uganda’s effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). COTFONE is adamant about maintaining the success in the education and HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness sectors, while simultaneously pursuing activities around MDG’S that have yet to be achieved, such as poverty eradication. By implementing strategies that have been successful, and applying them to the goals that have yet to be achieved, we hope to come up with innovative ways to contribute to the accomplishment of all goals.

Human Rights and Gender Issues:

By virtue of COTFONE status areas of youths, girl-child and women empowerment, human rights awareness creation and protection, gender equality campaign and advocacy, and social support and rehabilitation are considered most for a free and fair world. And COTFONE continue to support and spearhead programs like peer education training, Life Skills training, Dissemination of health information using drama & facilitation as cross cutting issues.

COTFONE Working days and hours;

Mon-Fri ( 07:30 - 17:00)