Institutional Capacity Building of New Age Africa Chemica

 

The 20-year-old war in Northern Uganda has had its toll on Civic Society Institutions in the area in terms of Personnel, Office Premises, Office Equipment and materials. However, members continue to give selfless service, contribute membership fee and collectively advocate for the Right of the Private Citizen while delivering service.

 

The Civil Societies in Uganda is still Donor Dependant and may still continue for some time besides the Pros and the Cons. The Northern Uganda war has destroyed much of the social and economic infrastructures. The level of literacy has fallen, the Teacher: Student ratio is very low and very high school drop- out. There is acute Book shortage in almost every subject leading to a very poor reading culture. Though Uganda actually is a poor country, Northern Uganda is even more marginalized

 

New Age Africa Chemica ( NAAC) need capacity Building in form of: Training, Office Equipment and materials, Premise, Transport Means, Books and educational software . NAAC is engaged in Salvaging of Indigenous Skills and Knowledge by Practice,  Documentation and Transmission of the Traditional Methods of Healing the mind, Body and soul.

 

Donor Dependant for now , but really Sustainable nonetheless.  NAAC Cultivates, Extracts, Produces and Dispenses Herbal Medicine for a subsidized fee. Though it is quite expensive to establish a medicinal Garden, it is both an educational resource center as well as a medicinal genetic reservoir.

 

An area of interest is Human Resource transfer. This involves Soliciting for funds for a Volunteer Programme. Where interested person who can live and work in APAC, Uganda. Are recruited from the developed world for say 2 years with possibility of renewal. This Programme will enable transfer of knowledge.

 

 Partnership is another option for capacity Building where Interested Institutions Organizations and individuals invited to partner with NAAC  to compliment or supplement its activities.

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       New Age Africa Chemica

  Project Proposal:

 “The Promotion Of

Ethical And Sustainable Use

 Of Herbal Medicine Practice

 In Apac District”.

Aloe vera: commonly cutivated medicinal plants which is fast growing and easy to multiply

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.0     Project Title:

Promoting Ethical And Sustainable Use Of Herbal Medicine In Apac District.

 

Introduction

New Age Africa Chemica, is a Local Organization operating at Akokoro Road in Apac Town in Northern Uganda in the last 15 years.  It is engaged in Herbal Medicine Production, Tree Planting, recording the medicinal use of plants and other natural products.  They have periodically been submitting herbs for Laboratory Test at the Uganda Natural Chemotherapeutic Laboratory Wandegeya and Uganda National Drug Authority.

 

They are establishing Herbal Medicine Gardens within. They have developed Remedies for Malaria, Gastrointestinal Worms and Skin Diseases.  These are besides being Common diseases which affects people in Apac are also common opportunistic[1] diseases that affect Aids Patients.

 

New Age Africa Chemica is registered as a Local Non Governmental Organization at Apac RDC’s Office, NGO Link Forum Apac and National NGO Board Kampala.

 

1.1              Target Beneficiaries:

 

The Target Beneficiaries are people of Apac District and surrounding Districts. Aids Patients and their children, Double orphans, practicing Herbalist, Land Owners and Farmers who have medicinal plants in their gardens, fields and The Local Authority.  Direct beneficiaries are persons who seek Alternative Medicine And Herbalists.

Population:

 “Population of Apac District 415,578 with growth rate of 3.5 (highest in Uganda).” From Apac District 2002 Population and Housing Census Analytical Report.

 

 Main parties involved in the implementation of the project.

 

The implementers of the project are members of New Age Africa Chemica.  Other stakeholders such as Uganda National Drug Authority, Health Department Apac, Traditional Leaders, Forest Department and District Leaders will be involved.

 

1.2            Background in which the Project is to be implemented

 

Alternative Medicine

 

WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Ebrahim Samba said, “Governments should encourage and support research in Traditional Medicine with the view to exploring and further developing its potential and that of Traditional Health Practitioners in the prevention, care and management of HIV/AIDS”, he also said “Include Malaria, Hypertensions Diabetes, Sickle Cell Anemia, Tuberculosis and other infections diseases.

 

In Afrofeature-Traditional Medicine shows “encouraging results” in management. http: // www. Whoafro.org/press 2001/pr/2001 0507.html.

 

People go to seek medical help from Herbalist because of

 

              Efficacy,

-                     Where modern medicine is expensive

-                     Not available

-                     Counseling

 

Alternative Medicine

 

 

Medicinal gardens

 

 

 

In Uganda, there is “1 doctor for 30,000 people” while “every village has its Healers, and we estimate there is one for every 100 adults in a population of 22 million.”

 

Obstacles remain “Healers are Suspicious of the establishment, afraid of researchers will misappropriate their secrets, mindful too of how they have been harassed, arrested and imprisoned in the past for their practices.  Many doctors and health workers remain skeptical if there is a place for traditional Medicine.  But President, Yoweri Museveni has come out strongly in favour of inclusion as WHO.   These constitute National Policy and International Policies and background.

 

From Red Cross Red Crescent – Publications http.//www.ifrc.org/publicat/wdr2000/wdrch3b.asp

 

1995 Dr. Hans-Martin Hirt and Bindanda M’Pia, in their Book, “Natural Medicine in the Tropics,” States that, “In the tropics about 70% of the population do not have access (any more) to ‘Modern” medicine, introduced by the colonial masters.  But the knowledge of their own medicinal plants have got lost as well.”

 

Again they state, “Healers are slowly dying out, and with them, their knowledge.”

 

From; People and plants on line – Discussion papers – Ethics, Biodiversity and New Nature” http//:www.rbkew.org.uk/peopleplants/dp/dp2/issues,htm.

 

I Quote, “Native people have been stewards of 99% of the World’s Genetic Resources.”

 

Donna Kabatesi, Public Health Specialist, Uganda Ministry of Health, in Red Cross Red Crescent publication states, “Patients come to the Healers not only for the effectiveness of their herbs but for the comfort they are provided.  They had excellent Communication and counseling skills.”

Again quoting, People and plants on line-Discussion Papers –Ethics, Biodiversity

And New Natural………

            http//:www.rbgkew.org.uk/peopleplants/dp/dp2/issues.htm

“If neither indigenous knowledge nor Biodiversity can be conserved, the result is     a double tragedy in which every body loses”.

 

 Effect of the Northern Uganda War on

 (Natural Medicine Practitioners) Association

The 20-year war in Northern Uganda has had its toll on the social institutions of Apac District. Organizations of Herbalists of Apac District need some Institutional Capacity Building in order for them to operate effectively and efficiently. New Age Africa Chemica is one of the Herbalists Association in Apac Dedicated to Promoting Activities of Herbalists in Apac to compliment Conventional Approach to Health.

 

 2.0 Project Description

The overall Objective

To improve the quality of Herbal Medicine Practice while maintaining the Sustainability and also widen their reach to neighboring Districts

 2.1      Specific Objectives

1.                To improve the quality of Herbal Medicine Practice in Apac District.

2.                Widen the range of reach of Herbalists while maintaining sustainability

  2.2         Main Activities

To improve the quality of Herbal Medicine Practice in Apac District while maintaining the Sustainability and widening the reach to neighboring Districts

ACTIVITIES FOR OBJECTIVE 1

(i)                  Improving quality of packing herbs

(ii)                Use of Biodegradable packing materials for tablets.

(iii)                Labeling of package.

(iv)              Conducting seminars and training workshop.

Submit herbs for test in Government Laboratories.

To say that UGANDA is a corrupt country is more of an understatement than accurate . It is the the single greatest contributer to backwardnesss and insecurity and wars in Uganda and of course similar incidences or is it policies contribute to African Dilema; the Devils choice. These are the precursors of ignorance, poverty, illiteracy and diseases.

It is one thing to state that war has caused economic, social, and moral decay in Northern Uganda ,but state managed marginalisation of Northern Uganda coupled with neglect and ill will cosponsered by multinational organisations. This does not spare the Chief Architech of the Agony due to war in Northern UGANDA, Joseph Kony and his Lieutenants Who are seeking nothing sort of Amnesty from Every one or Amnesia is it? It is not so easy to forget or forgive. It is certain that there are genuine Welwishers of the Victims of theLong Northern Uganda War imprenated with Malicious intent , ill will and neglect. Genuine Welwishers are both within and outside Uganda.

Yet the link beteen the welwishers and the Victims of Kony War is not always scoring the mark. Endemic corruption make mockery of most well intended itervensions. Funds to for medicine,food ,clothes,blankets, tents, School fees, additional Emergency like floods rarely reaches the ground in full force. Onother bleak picture!

 

Books and reading culture is rather absent in this part of the world (Northen UGANDA in E.Africa). The factors contributing to this are many.War has been here too long and books has not been  the most immediate priority. Also for long it has not been priority of government and other development stakeholders. As a result literacy level is below 10% . The latest Census quote Word- of -mouth as major source of communication (95%of population) .

I however , propose an alternative innovative intervention; if  each individul or groups choose to send a book (new or old on any subject even when partly damaged; for children or adult) by post or otherwise. In our Herbal Medicine Clinic, we have  of books , only for reference purposes. Our addresses are:

1-New Age Africa Chemica,P.O. Box 186, APAC Uganda

2-New Age Africa Chemica, c/o Midanoyat, P.O. Box 392, LIRA Uganda. Each book will serve many people for a long time

Being Practicing Herbalists, We members of New Age Africa Chemica are Developing a Medicinal Botanical Gardens in APAC town in Northern Uganda. This is because Agriculture and Wild Fire is threatening our source of herb to prepare medicine. The commonest species are Neem, Moringa , Cissus, Marigold, Aristolichia, Lemons, Oranges, Jack Fruits, Mangoes, Basil, Alloe Vera ,Tithonia,Vernonia.....The commonest Diseases being: Malaria (highest mortality rate in Uganda and also in the world), Stomach worms, Skin Diseases;  most of the Herbs in our Gardens is for  their Remedies. We have also started to Doccument the indiginous skils os treating diseases by the LANGO people of Northern UGANDA. Some of these Herbs are are edible or ornamental or timber and firewood.