WOMEN LAND, SECURITY OF TENURE AND HOUSING RIGHTS
SWID continues to sensitize women on their rights to access, own and control land as well as housing. We conduct local to local dialogues whereby women, men and other stakeholders amicably dialogue on matters concerning land and housing. We now see women’s names included on land titles not as witnesses but as owners. we also train community members in land laws and land rights. These are community paralegals equipped with basic knowledge in land laws and land rights. This helps them handle land related cases in their respective communities. The Paralegals also do refer community members with land disputes to rightful institutions to seek justice. 200 women members own land of which 75 have acquired land titles. The women apply for the land titles in organized groups which reduces the costs. This practice is affordable for poor vulnerable women. We now see women, girl’s names appearing on land titles as owners not as witnesses as it used to be.
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE
In Busoga Region, communities are vulnerable to climate change and disaster effects such as drought, hailstorms, strong winds, floods and famine as a secondary effect. Therefore, Slum Women’s Initiative for Development equips grassroots women with skills in climate change adaptation/mitigation strategies for example climate smart agriculture practices using available and affordable materials like mulching, Organic manure and fertilizer making, land management, pest and disease free seeds, forest gardens, agronomy, irrigation, water management and conservation, post-harvest skills and tools to ensure that communities are resilient.
Slum women’s initiative for development also equips grassroots women and girls with value addition skills like soil, food value addition; (cassava value addition, maize, fruit), interlocking break laying, briquette making for job opportunities, food security, reduce on food loss to improve on their living standards as well as restore soil fertility.
Slum women initiative for development empowers grassroots women with financial literacy skills, market analysis, trade and value chain skills to support grassroots women, girls and youths to be involved in local and international agribusiness.
Climate Change Adaptation Initiatives
- Food Security
To enhance food security in grassroots communities in this era of climate change, SWID equips women and girls with skills in Climate Smart Agriculture. Grassroots women and girls plant improved seeds which are resistant to harsh weather conditions. The organization avails silos and tapelines to women groups to enhance value addition. SWID Provides skills to grassroots women to have good crop production practices, kitchen gardens, grow fruit trees, plant drought resistant crops, water conservation and management, land management etc.
SWID equips grassroots women to understand food nutrition, plant nutritious crops around their homes for access, availability and affordability to keep their families healthy.
2. Tree planting
To mitigate climate change, grassroots women have embarked on tree planting. 15000 trees comprising of pine and eucalyptus have been planted. The trees are carbon sinks which sequestrate carbon from the atmosphere. To further mitigate climate change, grassroots women engage in fruit tree planting. The fruit trees too are carbon sinks. At the same time the women get fruits to eat and for sell to earn income hence improving on their livelihoods at household level. 6000 fruit trees have been planted by 210 grassroots in Buwenge and Budondo sub-counties. We look forward to scaling this initiative to other new communities.
- Efficient energy saving cook stoves
To reduce on the rate of carbon emissions, grassroots women have adopted the use of energy saving cook stoves. The stoves reduce carbon emissions by 34%. They also save the cost of fuel by 50%. “I feel very proud of the energy saving stove, it saves firewood, produces less smoke and it conserves the environment. I couldn’t afford it thanks to SWID.” Says Nabirye Isoba a resident of Buwenge, Kyelinda Village. Grassroots women receive energy saving stoves. 600 grassroots have adopted to using the stoves. However, there is need to scale up this initiative given the fact that most people depend on fuel wood to do their cooking and boiling activities. The stoves avoid 1758.447 tonnes of carbon equivalent per year.
4. Bio-gas is the way to go!
The use of Bio gas is one of the means the women are using to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere. This initiative is viewed by our organization as one of the easy ways to increase carbon stocks at grassroot level. The initiative has received deserved appreciation from the beneficiaries and the community at large.
HIV/AIDS and Home Based Care
We sensitize grassroots people on HIV/AIDS, how to live positively. To enhance this, we have trained a team of 100 Home Based care givers who provide care and support to the terminally ill people such as People Living With HIV/AIDS, diabetic people, people suffering from cancer, and the elderly, at their homes through counseling, provision of basic necessities to the vulnerable people for example food, provision of diagnostic and nursing care, physical care including provision of referrals to health units.
SWID is also Reaching out to the elderly people of our community providing home based care, basic needs ,fighting bed baggers and jiggers helping the affected members in the communities.
