Summary
The Uganda national celebration of the International Day of Older Persons was held on October 1, 2022, in Nebbi Playground. The theme for 2022 was: 'Resilience of older people in a changing world'.
Despite RETE-UG being asked to support the day only shortly before 1 October, they managed to raise the impressive sum of UGX 1,654,000/=. The contributions in kind included printing and photocpopying questionnaires for baseline data collection, food for the staff supporting the function, transport allowance and lunch for the volunteers that assisted the elders during the day.
Tips and lessons learned
1. The first lesson learnt was the power of pitching & networking. This was achieved by relying on the recent local fundraising training by UNNGOF, which allowed us to add to our existing network. This activity exposed the organisation to partners like OXFAM, UNNGOF, Netherlands Embassy in Uganda, World Health Organisation, Ministry of Gender, Labour & Social Development, Arua Diocese Catholic Counselling Services, St. Joachim & Ann Elderly Association of Arua Diocese, LEELA Foundation Uganda, Smart Point Financial Solutions Ltd, Zombo District Local Government, and West Nile Regional Civil Society Network etc. who supported the project. All these networks still remain pertinent to RETE-UG efforts to achieve its objectives to date and this has been achieved as a result of this project implementation.
The support rendered by these partners ranges from technical, financial and in kind support.
2. Coordination of the activity. This was greatly important for strategic and technical reasons. Our field team in Zombo received the letter from CAO Zombo District Local Government on September 18th. In response, Restitute Team Uganda accepted to organise the celebration on behalf of the district, to lead the day with mobilisation of resources and support the elderly during the day. The challenge was related to mostly lack of data, airtime and slow response by some new members and other citizens. This was mitigated by continously pursuading them and emphasizing why it is relevant to give, stressing the need for supporting the elderly and promising that their non-cash donations and local support interventions would impact positively on the image of the organisation now and in future.
3. Team work throughout the entire process. The team work enables a hardly achievable target to be achieved with constant and honest communications. This helps the project promoters to minimise implementation challenges. This clear set goal and targets enabled the staff members to own the process and to particpate during the resource mobilisation and implementation including baseline data collection during the celebration. The major challenge was the limited time to network with other members. These members preferred tangible results, as opposed to visibility of the organisation, which plays a more central role in marketing and long term business engagements/visibility.
The tips to share with other organisations is related to telling the truth about teams, communicating deadlines and emphasiszing honesty in any undertaking.
Review by Wilde Ganzen Foundation
RETE-UG was requested to take the lead and support the international day of the older persons that was celebrated in Nebbi Playground on 1st October 2022 at the very last moment. Over the next 12 days, they managed to get great publicity, raise a significant amount of money and even organise a baseline survey among the elderly to gauge what they perceived to be their biggest challenges.
Fundraising deserves special attention in this example. To raise funds at such short notice, RETE-UG took advantage of the willingness to give of executives and fully paid members of their own organisation as well as friends and workers of similar organisations. They covered 57% and 38% of total contributions, respectively.
Details
Short description of the organisation the funds were raised for
Restitute Team Uganda (RETE-UG) is a local, not-for-profit, non-denominational, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that was started in 2017 by youthful professional sons and daughters of West Nile from Arua, Zombo, Maracha and Nebbi districts. It was registered as a Community Based Organisation (2018), as a Company Limited by Guarantee without share Capital (2020) and as an indigenous organisation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uganda (2020).
RETE-UG works with vulnerable children, girls, adolescents, youth, women, men, older persons, widows, PWDs (Persons With Disabilities) and other vulnerable persons in many parts across West Nile Region in the districts of Zombo, Arua, Madi Okollo, Pakwach and Arua City.
The areas in which we work include the following:
1. Health and Social Justice: We promote water and sanitation, hygiene, sexual and reproductive rights, girl empowerment, among others.
2. Livelihood, resilience and Empowerment Programs: We develop and implement life skills, vocational and technical skills to support youths and adolescents, promote sustainable farming, market farming products, create value addition.
3. Environment and natural resources management: We promote climate change adaptation programmes and best farming practices, raising of quality tree seedlings, clean energy.
4. Research and other studies: Needs and impact assessments, field studies, training manuals, etc.
Short description of the project or programme the funds were raised for
The Chief Administrative Officer Zombo requested RETE-UG in a letter that was received on 18th September 2022, to take the lead and support the international day of the older persons that was celebrated in Nebbi Playground on 1st October 2022 under the theme “Resilience of older persons to cope in a changing world”. Restitute Team Uganda (RETE-UG) welcomed the request and started the preparation activities to mobilise funds towards the celebration. As pointed out in the CAO’s letter, the purpose of the day was to recognise the contributions made by the older persons to global and national development, and to create awareness among the public on the rights and needs of the older persons. RETE-UG worked closely with Zombo District Local Government staff to support the day. The organisation handed over materials and cash contributions, and physically participated in the event. The money was locally fundraised in line with other community-initiated projects the organisation had done previously. The slogan “It is us, it is about us and it is us to do it” was adopted to create positive results for this initiative within a short time, since RETE-UG is in service together with the Government. The support provided were among others the production of the banners, T-shirts, transport, data, feeding & accommodation, staff time, valued at 1,654,000/= (one Million, six hundred fifty-four thousand shillings only). This contribution was submitted to the district on 30th September 2022, to be used the next day. Eight staff members joined in the celebration. They supported where there were manpower gaps. Also RETE-UG supported some of the elders during the function. They collected information on critical gaps the elders experienced that were not known to or recognised by the government before, such as lack of food and medical care. Restitute Team Uganda suggested creating an “Elders Resources Centre” where elders of all categories would be provided with low-cost accommodation/buildings, solar light, rainwater harvesting tanks, sanitary facilities, health care, a library, dining place, internet facilities, etc. Elders without attendants could receive care in an institutional setting. Others are still strong and willing and able to work. For them the organisation coined the concept of basket funds at minimal interest rates, which they can use to undertake some of their activities and stay involved as long as they wish.
Summary of fundraising action
RETE-UG had already conducted a baseline study on the major problems of the elderly in some selected villages of Awindiri, Ragem and Onzivu in Arua District, Zombo Town Council, Warr in Zombo District, before being asked to participate in this special day. The funds were raised through executive contributions, membership support and support by members of RETE-UG. They made cash and in-kind contributions. Other support was lobbied from Man Engineering Uganda Limited, SMART Point Financial Solutions and Biyo Engineering and Holdings Ltd, companies closely associated with RETE-UG. Staff members provided support to the elderly during the event and collected information to add to the previous data collected, which enabled RETE-UG to lobby with the Government for more support to the elderly. RETE-UG fundraised and lobbied with different stakeholders and the private sector to pool resources for an elder’s resource centre, medical centre and hospital to be established in Zombo, because they realised that lack of proper food and medical care is one of the major problems. The other organisations present at the celebrations pledged continuous support to the formation and organisation of the elders into manageable SACCOs to enhance their plans. We also agreed upon actions for some teenage mothers who depend on the elderly and provide them with education, health care, psychosocial support and counselling. Future actions related to upscaling these interventions were agreed upon and supported.
Objectives
1. To carry out a baseline study to identify critical interventions to design elders-initiated projects and programmes for an estimated 1,200,000 elders from all the districts in Uganda, in line with “Resilience of Older persons to cope in a changing world”, by 2042.
2. To increase Governement interventions to an estimated 1,200,000 older persons in Uganda through establishment and management of Savings and Credit Cooperatives for elders, to promote their productivity, by 2028.
3. To establish the concept of “Elders Resources Centre” in every district by 2027 for an estimated 150,000 elderly persons to preserve their precious experiences gained over time through ICT documentations for an international usage.
Targeted donors
For objective 1:
Exceutive members of Restitute Team Uganda (RETE-UG), Government of Uganda, farmer’s forums, Associations, Development Partners, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Northern Uganda Resilience Initiative (NURI), Development Response Impact Project ((DRIP), Change the Game Academy.
For objective 2:
Members of Restitute Team Uganda (RETE-UG), Government of Uganda, District Local Goverments, NGOs dealing in humanitarian activities, Community Empowerment for Rural Development (CEFORD), UNHCR, World Food Programme (WFP).
For objective 3:
Members of Restitute Team Uganda (RETE-UG), Government of Uganda (GoU), National Tourism Board, Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), executive support from members, members of the organisation, members of the public through elders run marathon.
Results
| Cost/benefit |
National currency (UGX |
Euro |
| Total amount raised |
370,000,000 |
97,998 |
| (-) Total amount invested |
0 |
0 |
| Net amount raised |
370,000,000 |
97,998 |
Accounting details
Income:
Cash contributions =1,654,000/=
Non-cash contributions = 251,000/=
Total contributions = 1,905,000/=
We received 185 donations, almost all of them by new donors.
Local Donors (the executives and fully paid members of Restitute Team Uganda) covered 57% of the total contributions and friends and workers of similar organisations contributed 38%. Arua Diocese Catholic Counseling services (ADCCS) contributed 3% and West Nile Regional Civil Society Network (WECISNET) of which we are a member contributed 2% of the overall funds that were used for the intervention.
Result comments
Our activities as an organisation were very visible.
These included:
- pitching and networking contacts;
- interviews through local radio and TV stations such as NTV, NBS, UBC;
- interaction with the high Government Dignitaries;
- meetings with the Irish ambassador to Uganda, the WHO Team Leader non-communicable diseases, diplomats, ministers, opinion leaders, interactions with technical staff of other local governments, recognitions by District Local Governments, exchange of contacts by members of Parliament;
- contacts with religious and cultural leaders and other NGOs among others.
Description of preparatory work
1. Identification of the problem/need.
2. Setting targets and goals.
3. Mapping out potential donors in the community.
4. Establishing the cost of the project.
5. Division of the targets among the staff of Restitute Team Uganda.
6. Writing letters and making phone calls for a fundraising drive to the members of the public.
7. Obtaining police clearance while detailing the purpose of the drive.
8. Consolidation of the amount of funds collected.
Description of implementation
1. We used our prequalified service providers who are all the time called under the framework contract to undertake such projects of emergency nature.
2. A selective bidding process was used to get quotations from three of our pre-qualified service providers to supply what was required.
3. The call of order was issued to enable the items to be procured that included T-shirts, banners, flyers, etc.
4. The successful bidder was awarded the tender within 2 days since this was treated as an emergency procurement and the funds were raised locally.
5. RETE-UG issued an LPO to a successful bidder based in Kampala, who procured the T-Shirts, organised the logos on the banners, flyers and printed the T-Shirts.
6. The supplier was paid his advance money and the rest was paid after delivery of the services which was done from 23rd-30th September.
Follow up: Donor appreciation and acknowledgement
The District Local Government appreciated the efforts and promised to appreciate this donation in writing. The acknowledgement of the donation has a proof of receipt from Zombo District Local Government Receipt and RETE-UG has called and written to all who contributed and supported to acknowledge that their giving is valued and has impacted greatly.
Plans to repeat the action
Yes, next year. We are going to call it UNNGOF-CHANGE THE GAME POST LFR TRAINING campaign. It has already been captured as an amendment in our work plan. We shall do fundraising to buy basic office equipment such as Laptops, printers, a motorcycle for activities coordination and internet router, all of which we are still lacking. We shall also lobby to participate in the same activity and shall pick three other international days in the field of health, environment and gender as special to RETE-UG, to facilitate and celebrate with much focus on awareness creating and advocacy. And this shall not stop us from joining the rest of the world in other celebrations and campaigns. We shall implement this through the same resource mobilisation strategy, with slight improvements, but commence the activity early. We hope to follow up with the elders who provided the baseline information that will help us design an intervention for them in their respective districts, starting with Nebbi and Zombo Districts and conduct fundraising to start supporting the most vulnerable group since we have their primary data already.
