Sikiliza Leo is a private, non-for-profit organization (NGO) with the focus on community- based activities operating in the District of Tororo in Eastern Uganda. The organization was established in 2001 with the long-term goal of developing the capacity of communities in Tororo District to protect and improve their health.
Sikiliza Leo is building on the power of people, to find solutions and make progress. “Sikiliza Leo” is a loose translation from Ki-Swahili, it means “listen today”.
The name illustrates the believe of the organization, that we can find solutions for tomorrow, by listening and working on solutions today. In the early days the focus was on home-based health care and on supporting people living with HIV and AIDS. Today the Medical Health Center of Mulanda and the local Village Health Teams have taken over this task, in close collaboration with Sikiliza Leo.
The water program was designed to improve water supplies in the Mulanda region. The availability of clean water is a factor that can significantly increase the quality of life. Poor water supplies and sanitation lead to spread of diseases which consequently impacts on the health of people living with AIDS and orphans. People living with AIDS are severely affected because of their reduced immunity. Further challenges of with waterborne diseases aggravate the situation. Moreover, families affected by HIV often lack the necessary human resources and physical strength to collect sufficient amounts of water.
Sikiliza Leo works together with HUMASOL, a Belgian based engineer students’ organization, the Tororo District Water Office and the local community leaders on a Water Program to improve the water supply for the Medical Health Centers and the local communities.
De Nursery schools in Mulanda and Lwala, built by Sikiliza Leo in 2006, are central to our activities. The Nursery School Children are the Stars of Sikiliza Leo. It is very important for their education and living conditions in the future, to get children, and more in particular the girls, started in the nursery school. At this moment we have 320 children attending the nursery schools in Mulanda en Lwala. In 2013 2 extra classrooms were built for the smallest children, and we keep on improving them year after year.
We are engaged in an education program to improve the education skills of our teachers. We have nursery school teachers from Belgium working together with teachers in Uganda to improve both their skills.
The two nursery schools are a key connection factor in our effort to support to Orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). The Family Support Initiative works with child monitors to support 200 orphans in the villages in Mulanda. Child monitors work with the children and their families to improve their living conditions, to follow up on school work, give access to medical care, and looking after their children’s rights.
All these programs get the support of the Belgian Sikiliza Leo Working Group NGO in financial support to and management collaboration with the Sikiliza Leo NGO in Uganda.
