Notre Dame in Uganda
The UPFORD program is a partnership between the University of Notre Dame and Uganda Martyr’s University. Notre Dame has historic ties to Uganda because the Holy Cross Order has done substantial missionary work in Uganda.
The UPFORD program works in Nnindye Parish, which is located in the central Ugandan district of Nkozi. The entire Mpigi district has favorable conditions for agriculture, and it is the dominant industry.
The district has over 414,757 people, 206,012 of whom are females and 208,745 are males. The main language is Luganda, which we took lessons in during our immersion,
Uganda Martyr’s University was established in 1993 and now has just over 2,000 students. Only 500 of these students are full-time, while the rest follow distance-learning programs and come for several weeks of the year. While I was in Uganda, distance-learning courses were taking place.
The UPFORD program works in Nnindye Parish, which is located in the central Ugandan district of Nkozi. The entire Mpigi district has favorable conditions for agriculture, and it is the dominant industry.
The district has over 414,757 people, 206,012 of whom are females and 208,745 are males. The main language is Luganda, which we took lessons in during our immersion,
Uganda Martyr’s University was established in 1993 and now has just over 2,000 students. Only 500 of these students are full-time, while the rest follow distance-learning programs and come for several weeks of the year. While I was in Uganda, distance-learning courses were taking place.
University Partnership for Outreach, Research, and Development (UPFORD)
Development projects in Nnindye involve three stakeholders -- Notre Dame, Uganda Martyr’s University, and most importantly, the residents of Nnindye. The program aims to help local villagers achieve their holistic development goals, in collaboration with the local government when possible. The program is based on participatory principles, and makes villagers active stakeholders in identifying their challenges and implementing solutions. UMU and Notre Dame are partners in learning and teaching the best practices to achieve these goals.
At the outset of the UPFORD program, Notre Dame conducted a baseline assessment in 2008. Information gathered was shared with the local community in Nnindye, and discussions were held about prioritizing the villages’ needs. From this long list of needs, the community identified priority sectors: agriculture, water and sanitation, health and education.
The community then designed specific projects with the help of advisers from the universities. Three representatives from each of the 11 villages in Nindye were elected to a planning team, which was responsible for planning the projects while doing outreach in the community to ensure that widespread concerns were heard. This planning process took one full year, and the first operational plan was established in late 2010.
To aid in implementation of the strategic plan, the community established management committees at village and parish levels. Leadership teams of volunteers have been elected from village to Parish levels, with the highest decision-making body being the Nnindye Parish Development Committee (PDC). The PDC consists of one respected villager from each constituent village, and is responsible for overseeing all smaller village committees and managing the UPFORD program in Nnindye. I had the opportunity to attend a number of PDC meetings while in Nindye. They are long and substantive.
(Background information on UPFORD taken from the Uganda Reference Guide Circulated by University of Notre Dame)
At the outset of the UPFORD program, Notre Dame conducted a baseline assessment in 2008. Information gathered was shared with the local community in Nnindye, and discussions were held about prioritizing the villages’ needs. From this long list of needs, the community identified priority sectors: agriculture, water and sanitation, health and education.
The community then designed specific projects with the help of advisers from the universities. Three representatives from each of the 11 villages in Nindye were elected to a planning team, which was responsible for planning the projects while doing outreach in the community to ensure that widespread concerns were heard. This planning process took one full year, and the first operational plan was established in late 2010.
To aid in implementation of the strategic plan, the community established management committees at village and parish levels. Leadership teams of volunteers have been elected from village to Parish levels, with the highest decision-making body being the Nnindye Parish Development Committee (PDC). The PDC consists of one respected villager from each constituent village, and is responsible for overseeing all smaller village committees and managing the UPFORD program in Nnindye. I had the opportunity to attend a number of PDC meetings while in Nindye. They are long and substantive.
(Background information on UPFORD taken from the Uganda Reference Guide Circulated by University of Notre Dame)