Karin Community Initiatives Uganda (KCIU) has operated in Gulu District, Uganda since 2001. We are a faith-based, registered local non-profit organization seeking to improve the socio-economic well-being of the community through Primary Health Care, Education, and Community Development Initiatives.
KCIU is best known for its establishment of the Karin Medical Centre (KMC) in the Unyama Parish and the Agonga Karin Community Health Centre (AKCHC) in the Agonga Parish, Gulu District, and Agape Christian School in Omoro District. These three centres form the basis of health care and community development services for approximately 21,000 people. Our Overall Goals are Better service delivery and improved livelihood at the household level. Our Mission is “Transforming lives, healing the community in a Christ-like way through providing quality services and income generation.”Our Vision is “Touching lives through Christ”
Though the organization’s initial engagement was on providing emergency support to the communities during conflict, it evolved to providing development support. This change was determined by the needs exhibited by the community: high poverty level leading to poor access to health and education services and dependence on seasonal crop farming.
One of the problems facing KCIU is the limited scope of the current existing strategic plan; the strategic plan is specifically looking at the health sector, and yet the organization has two other key sectors, namely, education and livelihood sector. The effect of this is the health sector is still under-resourced and therefore limits its capacity to build the capacity of the health workers or equip the facility with the necessary tools.
Secondly, there is a poor connection within the structures of the organization, i.e., Board, women/farmer groups, and the education structures, this has led to poor coordination of the work by the different structures within the program setup of the organization. The livelihood sector has farmer groups and VSLA groups that have separate management structures.
The third problem is the low and or no funding for the livelihood sector, and the livelihood program that is directly related to the conditions that are manifested in the health facility has no working plans.
Our services to the community have expanded exponentially over recent years. While we have always prioritized quality health care for children, we have now expanded our focus to the wider community. In particular, we provide the following:
1. General outpatient care services in the communities
2. Community Interventions
3. Community Education Program
Maternal and child health care services:
Extensive Immunization program for children and expectant mothers;
Basic health and nutrition services education;
Sexual and reproductive health interventions;
Promoting family planning methods across the community;
Antenatal, delivery, and postnatal services.
Communicable disease control:
Testing and Treatment for HIV/AIDS/STIs
Testing and Treatment for Malaria, Tuberculosis, and other communicable diseases
Health promotion, disease prevention, and community health initiatives:
Increasing health awareness and promoting community participation and utilization of health services through health promotion, working with Village Health Teams (VHT);
Delivering basic health nutrition services and education:
Community health insurance.
Prevention and control of non-communicable diseases
KCIU is engaged in:
Savings especially for women, 125 active groups are registered;
Small scale Modern farming for 44 farmers;
WASH and Energy saving programs; who are currently involved in social entrepreneurial activities.
Christian Discipleship programs and sponsorship of children with over 46 churches ;
Early Learning and Primary Education at Agape Christian School
These projects work together to form our multi-faceted approach to health and development issues within the community.
This expansion of services has required the dedication of our development partners through technical and financial support:
Our needs include:
Strengthening the capacity of health workers and health facilities to provide quality health service in Laliya and Unyama sub-counties
Provide child education that integrates innovative health and nutrition approaches for excluded children in the Acholi sub-region.
Transforming families residing within the catchment areas of the health facilities with improved agricultural and nutrition practices and increased incomes.
A developed institution with robust structures that can deliver quality services.
Upgrade the infrastructure to serve clients
Scaled-up health promotion and preventative health messaging;
Integrate Mental Health and Control of Substance Abuse Services, Malaria, Nutrition, TB & HIV/AIDS, and NCDs along the continuum of RMNCAH;
Environmental Health and Sanitation Services;
Strengthen Epidemics and Disaster Preparedness and Response
Increasing access to equitable, quality, integrated, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate early learning and stimulation opportunities and programs for all children in ;
Ensure that all targeted households are food secure and have proper nutrition for proper child growth and development;
Strengthen mechanisms for preventing and responding to abuse, exploitation, and violence against children and their caregivers;
Strengthen and provide adequate and holistic care for children.
Increasing farm yields and outputs;
Empowering model farmers with sustainable livelihoods through dairy production, vegetable growing, and energy stoves-making
To strengthen leadership and governance systems;
To strengthen partnerships and collaborations;
To strengthen information management and knowledge translation;
Strengthen program/project management
GCF #1164
Program Countries: Uganda
Focuses: Health Care, Education, Community Development
Website: https://karincommunity.org/
Team Lead: Hope Okeny
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