Joy for Children – Uganda (JFCU), a non-profit children’s rights organisation, has been introduced at the engagement meetings with leaders along the North Eastern Road Corridor Asset Management Project (NERAMP) corridor.
Officials from Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) officiated at the three-day event that commenced on Wednesday and ended of Friday. UNRA is currently working with JFCU to mitigate social risks associated with violence against children and gender-based violence due to NERAMP.
The consultant will enhance the capacity of the community to respond and be prepared to play a part in the project implementation without necessary being negatively affected.
JFCU team based at Lira field office will also work with local leaders, right from village level to the district and UNRA to make sure people are protected.
While introducing Joy for Children- Uganda to Kole District leadership on February 13, 2020, UNRA’s social development specialist, Mr Stephen Obore, said the organisation brings the needed expertise in managing social risks.
He explained that government intends to build a good road that does not leave the community with much negative consequences.
We want to uphold the integrity of the community because many times whenever a big infrastructure project comes, it comes with negative consequences especially associated with labour influx, Mr Obore said.
These can be social or environmental in nature and we are mindful about that and that is why we have hired consultants specifically to address those social concerns.
The executive director of JFCU, Mr Moses Ntenga, assured government that his organisation would avoid, reduce and mitigate incidences of violence against children and gender-based violence due to the project.
Our core mandate as an organisation is to ensure that children of Uganda grow up with dignity and they’re able to live or grow and maximize their full potential, he said.
We shall make sure children are taken care of, their rights are observed, their needs are met and then they are able to grow up and be responsible citizens in future.
Mr Isaac Ogwal, the team leader, NERAMP- Lango Cluster, said they will offer support to the survivors through enhanced mechanisms to mitigate social risks associated with the labour influx.
Dokolo town clerk, Mr David Odhiambo, noted that social risks due to major public works cannot be addressed by UNRA or partners alone but it is a collective responsibility.
Mr Stuart Oramire, child protection officer at Joy for Children-Uganda, said during the implementation of their activities, all the existing structures are going to be strengthened to address emerging issues.
Ms Rebecca Acen, Clerk to Council at Lira Municipal Council in Lira District, said:
I want to thank very much Joy for Children- Uganda for being present to create social risks management awareness to our community.
About the project
NERAMP is the country’s first longest road project that has been awarded to a Portuguese firm, Mota-Engil Africa. The 340km stretch covers Tororo-Mbale-Soroti-Dokolo-Lira-Kamdini road.
The project funded by the World Bank has very much enhanced environment and social safeguards requirement. It is a unique project of its kind which operates in the principle called output and performance-based road contracts (OPRC).
The contract, which commenced effectively around August 2018, has three components: engineering (works), project management and monitoring, and social risks management.
Each of these three components is unique and it is delivering a product that is unique in its own nature, according to UNRA – the client.
The overall construction is supposed to last 36 months. After the construction is done, Mota-Engil Africa (contractor) is supposed to maintain it for another five and half years before handing it over to government of Uganda.
Kole LC5 vice chairperson, Mr Alfonse Aracha, appealed to all stakeholders to talk to the community affected by the project and prepare them to handle the pressure that might come with it.
We have broken now the ground for actual campaigns as we wait for the actual road works,
he said.
I would want to pledge total support on behalf of the district leadership that our doors are very open……we are very ready to work diligently together with you so that this project succeeds and at the end of the day our community would also have benefited.
