Brick by Brick Uganda Seeking A Community Health Educator

Brick by Brick-Uganda is a growing and innovative bi-national organization that has been operating in Rakai District since 2003. Our main office is in Masaka Town. Our Mission is to create partnerships that improve education, health and economic opportunity in the communities we serve. We have been working with rural communities; rebuilding crumbling Universal Primary Education schools, identifying critical needs in water, sanitation and health delivery and developing a cooperative work plan addressing these problems. Brick by Brick recently received a two-year grant funded by the U.S. State Department to expand the My Pads Program to 16 secondary schools in the Rakai District, serving 2400 students. The My Pads Program aims at empowering young adolescents with reproductive health knowledge and life skills while addressing gaps in access to menstrual hygiene products. Job title: Community Health Educator

Reports to: My Pads Program Coordinator

Role Definition: To provide overall assessment, training and implementation of the My Pads Program. In collaboration with our M&E Officer, assist in monitoring and evaluation of the My Pads Program and most especially under the DREAMS Innovation Challenge Grant implemented by Brick by Brick Uganda.

Location: Masaka & Rakai Districts

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Contract Duration: Two-year contract reviewed annually.

Main Job Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Support the development and periodic review of the program plan and budget.
• Plan, assess and select schools to participate in the DREAMS Program.
• Conduct training of trainers activities for teachers and peer educators.
• Coordinate with local teachers and peer educators in the implementation of the My Pads educational program.
• Collect, compile data and make reports in regard to My DREAMS Program.
• Receive and orient program partners at the implementing sites.
• Attend weekly program and stakeholder meetings.
• Requisition and account for activity funds.
• Prepare and submit monthly, quarterly and annual program reports.

Technical Training/Health Education Skills and Qualifications

Diploma in Midwifery, Public Health or social work & administration, or equivalent. Bachelor’s Degree preferred. At least 5-10 years experience in Community Health, experience in Reproductive Health Education preferred. Must have very strong presentation, communication and interpersonal skills. Must be Youth-Friendly in your approach. Must be competent in MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Fluency in spoken and written Luganda and English required. Fluency in other Western local languages, a plus. Work experience in Uganda, especially working in up-country stations preferred.

Brick by Brick Uganda Seeking A Monitoring and Evaluation Manager

Brick by Brick -Uganda is a growing and innovative bi-national organization that has been operating in Rakai District since 2003. Our main office is in Masaka Town. Our Mission is to create partnerships that improve education, health and economic opportunity in the communities we serve. We have been working with rural communities; rebuilding crumbling Universal Primary Education schools, identifying critical needs in water, sanitation and health delivery and developing a cooperative work plan addressing these problems. Job title: Monitoring and Evaluation Manager

Reports to: Brick by Brick- Uganda Program Director

Role Definition: To develop a monitoring and evaluation Framework for Brick by Brick - Uganda programs and provide timely and relevant information to Brick by Brick - Uganda stakeholders in line with Brick by Brick - Uganda strategic objectives.

Location: Masaka & Rakai Districts

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Contract Duration: Two-year contract reviewed annually.

Main Job Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Work closely with key personnel and manage M&E staff and ensure the strategic and functional integration of all M&E activities as well as active collaboration with donors, other implementers, and local counterparts.
• Coordinate all M&E activities, provide technical direction and support and ensure staff work towards generating results for respective programs.
• Develop and implement M&E policy, tools, systems and procedures to improve ability to collect, interpret and aggregate data that demonstrate impact and program accountability
• Develop and support the design and implementation of baseline, midterm and end of project evaluations, surveys and other components of the M&E system.
• Develop high quality quantitative and qualitative methods and participatory methodologies to monitor program quality for performance and results.
• Provide strategic high level feedback, analysis and interpretation during and throughout proposal development process, support development and review of Results Frameworks, M&E Plans and other M&E documents and procedures.
• Develop program targets, ensure the consistency of tools and indicators across all programs as appropriate, maintain a database of key program indicators, support program staff to incorporate participatory methods into community level M&E systems and tools.
• Work with senior management to identify and pursue strategic opportunities for program development
• Identify capacity gaps and work with the Program Director to build the capacity of BbB - Uganda M&E program staff and partners to ensure smooth implementation program activities.
• Prepare documents for internal and external auditing of programs
• Participate and lead in the compilation and production of reports of respective programs in line with donor and partner reporting requirements.
• Establish mechanism, forum and standard procedures for communication and dissemination of compiled reports to respective stakeholders including staff of BbB - Uganda and partner organizations.
• Document and constantly update best practices, success stories, and lessons learned throughout programs life.

Learning and Sharing:

• Promote a learning culture within BbB - Uganda, lead the process of sharing lessons learned from M&E process with staff.
• Organize learning events and workshops for BbB - Uganda staff and partners to document lessons learned, good practices and areas of improvement;
• Support lessons learned, best practices, program data, evaluations, and other information to generate donor communication pieces, proposal annexes, success stories, case studies, and other high-quality, results-based documentation
• Support learning-to-action events and reflection sessions to systematically analyze data for programmatic use, and to document and incorporate lessons learned into program design and implementation
• Ensure that M&E and program teams regularly review and accordingly adjust M&E plans and tools in light of changes and needs in the field context based on monitoring data and reflection sessions

Skills and Qualifications:

Degree in Biostatistics or Statistics is a must, a Masters degree in Public Health or post graduate in Monitoring and Evaluation is an added advantage. At least 3-5 years working experience with M&E systems of PEPFAR, DFID and USAID funded health projects. Ability to produce high quality reports. Experience in qualitative research is a plus. Ability to design M&E tools, surveys and surveillance systems. Demonstrated ability to train and build capacity of others. Strong leadership and interpersonal, communication and presentation skills required. Must be fluent both in spoken and written Luganda and English. Work experience in Uganda, especially working in up-country stations preferred.

Brick by Brick-Uganda is an equal opportunities and corruption intolerant employer. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

BRICK BY BRICK NEWSLETTER JUNE 2016

For our first E-newsletter we are focusing on our most ambitious program to date, our:

Babies and Mothers Alive (BAMA) Program.

Every year 6,000 mothers and 34,000 newborns die needlessly in Uganda from complications that are easily treated in the U.S and elsewhere. Why are so many women and babies dying in Uganda and throughout the developing world? We know that the majority of these deaths can be prevented by addressing each of 3-Delays:

• Delay in seeking care
• Delay in reaching care
• Delay in receiving care

Women living in rural communities often lack the knowledge of when to begin to seek maternal health care services. Gender inequality robs many women of the power to make this life saving decision. Once a woman in labor chooses to seek care at a health facility she often faces tremendous challenges due to poor transportation systems, roads and lack of funds. The final insult is that once a woman reaches a hospital she often finds providers who lack the knowledge and skills needed to handle even the most common of obstetric complications, shortages of life saving medications, surgical equipment or the facility to provide blood transfusions.

Access to quality maternal and newborn care is a human right. After completing a needs assessment of the 24 health centers and hospitals in the Rakai District, in partnership with the Ugandan Ministry of Health, we have begun a training and mentoring program for doctors, nurses and midwives to dramatically reduce maternal and newborn mortality in our district. We go beyond improving the knowledge and skills of providers and work to strengthen the management of health facilities to ensure that improvements are sustainable over time.

In the coming months we will provide updates, photos and personal stories documenting both our successes and challenges. Please watch the deeply moving video below that tells the story of why our mothers, sisters and daughters are dying and what we can do to avert this on-going tragedy.

Thank you for all your support that makes our work possible. If you would like to find out more about our work, please e-mail me with any questions or feedback at marcsklar@brickbybrick.org

To help us expand our impact click here to help keep, Babies and Mothers Alive

Why Did Mrs X Die

[video width="640" height="360" mp4="http://www.brickbybrick.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Extract-from-Why-Did-Mrs-X-Die-Retold-SD-1.mp4"][/video]

Brick by Brick Uganda Seeking Program Director

Brick by Brick Uganda is a small but innovative bi-national organization which has been operating in Rakai District since 2003. Our main offices are located in Masaka Town. Our Mission is to create partnerships that improve education, health and economic opportunity for the communities we serve. We have been working with rural communities rebuilding crumbling Universal Primary Education schools, identifying critical needs in water, sanitation and health delivery and developing a cooperative work plan addressing these problems. Brick by Brick Uganda is looking for a very creative, proactive, talented, experienced, knowledgeable and enthusiastic Program Director to be part of its team.

How to apply: Send your application by email to Jacqueline Kalembe at: jkalembe@outlook.com, with your CV, cover letter, attach certified copies of academic certificates with their receipts and details of three contactable referees by 20th May 2016. Please include in the subject line: Program Director. Applicants from Uganda are strongly preferred.

Please see the Job Description below:

Job Title: Brick by Brick Uganda Program Director

Reports To: Brick by Brick Uganda Executive Director and Brick by Brick Partners (USA) Executive Director

Role Definition: To provide for the management and oversight of all programs and projects implemented by Brick by Brick Uganda. To oversee the monitoring and evaluation of all programs and projects implemented by Brick by Brick Uganda.

Responsibilities:

• In collaboration with the Program Directors/Coordinators of each program develop, update and monitor the progress of the respective program work plans.
• In collaboration with the Program Directors/Coordinators of each program develop and approve budgets for each of Brick by Brick Uganda’s programs.
• Develop agenda for weekly staff meeting to regularly monitor progress on program activities and coordinate staff schedules for the coming week.
• Chair weekly staff meeting
• In collaboration with Program Directors/Coordinators ensure implementation of program work plans and M&E plans
• Provide oversight and support for Program Directors and Coordinators in fulfilling their program objectives and deliverables.
• Review and provide feedback to Program Directors/Coordinators on quarterly program progress reports and ensure delivery of final report.
• Prepare and deliver Brick by Brick Uganda quarterly program progress report (encompassing all programs) to Brick by Brick Uganda and Brick by Brick Partners Executive Directors
• Attend weekly meeting with Brick by Brick Partners Executive Director to review status and progress of program activities and deliverables
• Prepare and deliver annual report on Brick by Brick Uganda’s programs
• Meet monthly with Brick by Brick Uganda Finance and Administration Manager to review program expenditures and budget.
• In collaboration with Brick by Brick Uganda Finance and Administration Manager, Brick by Brick Partners Treasurer and Brick by Brick Partners Executive Director prepare annual budget for the fiscal year (Jan-Dec).
• Lead interview committees for the hiring of new employees.
• Orient and train new staff hires.
• Prepare presentations and represent Brick by Brick Uganda at national, regional and international meetings as required.
• Provide logistic support for and host national and international visitors to our Masaka and/or Kalisizo offices as well as program sites.
• Provide logistic support for Brick by Brick Interns, both national and international as well as Peace Corp volunteers.
• Coordinate regular postings on Brick by Brick social media platforms and Brick by Brick website blog
• Attend Brick by Brick Uganda Board of Directors Annual Meeting and serve as recording secretary in order to maintain records
• Submit minutes of above meeting within ten working days to the Brick by Brick Uganda and Brick by Brick Partners Executive Directors

Other duties:

• Network with potential community and national stakeholders on as needed basis.
• Meet with potential organizational partners when delegated by the Executive Director.
• Assist in organizational fundraising duties and/or grant writing as delegated by the Executive Director.
• The Program Manager may be assigned to perform duties at any time for Brick by Brick Uganda not specified in this job description but relevant for the development of Brick by Brick Uganda and meeting its mission, vision and objectives. The position of program coordinator requires flexibility to assume required tasks as needed.
• As a representative of the organization, the Program Manager will be expected to conduct him/herself in an exemplary fashion. All duties must be in accord with the Brick by Brick Uganda Code of Conduct and performed in an ethical and forthright manner as expected of a Ugandan professional.

Key Qualifications and Work Experience:

• Bachelors Degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Social Work, Social Administration, Business Administration (Majoring in Management) or equivalent, Masters Degree preferred.
• At least 5 years’ experience in program management.
• At least 1 years’ experience in engaging with district stakeholders.
• Ability to manage a diverse, multicultural team, international team.
• Work experience in Uganda preferred.
• Must have strong decision making abilities especially in crisis under pressure.
• Strong communication skills and interpersonal skills.
• Must be fluent both in spoken and written in Luganda and English. Fluency in other Ugandan local languages is a plus.
• Must be proficient in the use of various project management computer applications , as well as Excel, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Skype.
• Must have strong speaking and presentation skills.
• Experience in working with upcountry stations.

Brick by Brick-Uganda is an equal opportunities and corruption intolerant employer. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Annual Brick by Brick Construction Company Meeting Held in Kalisizo

On October 21st Brick by Brick Construction Company held a luncheon meeting with our skilled masons. Chief Mason Sunday Kimera reported on our successes as well as what we need to grow as a company in the coming year. Brick by Brick Construction Company is a social enterprise where we take seriously the views of our skilled and dedicated staff. As Chief Mason Sunday Kimera said at the meeting, "If the masons share in the profits of Brick by Brick Construction Company, then we are all owners." Sunday reported on the need for additional and improved tools and equipment. We recently purchased an additional brick press and now we will begin to research the cost of the equipment recommended by our staff.

Brick by Brick Partners Board Members Visit Uganda

Brick by Brick Board of Directors Chair Adam Rabinovitch and Board member Eileen Mahoney visited our many projects during their recent trip to Uganda. After meeting with our program staff and discussing our plans for the coming year, Adam and Eileen visited several rural communities where we have programs. They spent a day observing a My Pads training and met with the ten masons who make up the dedicated staff of our social enterprise, Brick by Brick Construction Company. Eileen and Adam will now return to the U.S. even more prepared to serve as effective ambassadors for our work.

Brick by Brick Attends East African Water and Sanitation Conference

Program Coordinator Max Ssenyonga participated in a joint Water and Sanitation Conference between East African Nations Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania in Kisumu, Kenya. ‪#‎Water‬ ‪#‎Sanitation‬ ‪#‎InternationalDevelopment‬ ‪#‎BestPosterPresentation‬

Brick by Brick's Expanding Mission

[portfolio_slideshow id=1995] For the past five years Brick by Brick has widened the scope of its work with partnering communities in rural Uganda. Since our founding in 2003, our focus has been on improving the quality of education by building sound infrastructure for free Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools. With the success of our social enterprise, Brick by Brick Construction, which employs 12 skilled masons and has turned a profit in each of its four years, we began to realize the value of a more holistic approach to development. Brick by Brick has a unique opportunity to partner with local communities to promote sustainable development. Over the last three months, our Board of Directors has been developing a new 5-year Strategic Plan. After receiving valuable feedback from both Ugandan and US staff and stakeholders, we will now expand our work to partner with communities to address the following critical needs:

• Access to quality health care: Brick by Brick will now work to address critical gaps in health care delivery, focusing on improving the physical infrastructure of health centers and hospitals and the knowledge and skills of providers.
• Health Education: We will continue to expand on the success of our My Pads Program, which educates young women about reproductive health, while teaching them to fabricate their own reusable menstrual pads. In 2015, we plan to launch a new program, an HIV Peer Education Program    (HI PEP) for secondary school students.
• Water and sanitation: Brick by Brick has already built water and sanitation systems throughout Uganda and we will continue to implement community-based solutions in this critical sector.
• Economic Opportunity: We will continue to expand Brick by Brick Construction Company, which provides good paying jobs and training for our communities, while providing revenue to support our programs.

As our new Mission Statement affirms Brick by Brick will:

Create partnerships that improve education, health and economic opportunity in East Africa.

Together with our Ugandan partners, we have accomplished much in the last eleven years. We look forward to even greater change in the future!

Lessons Learned at Ndeija

We have finished our pilot tank project with British NGO: PEAS: Promoting Equality in African Schools. They contracted us to build one 30,000 L tank for the Ndeija School they funded near Rukungiri. We have learned a lot from this project due to some unforeseen difficulties. Due to poor quality, thicker soil during the construction process, our tanks had some small leakages for the first couple weeks after construction. This was the first time in our short but busy history that a tank suffered any problems similar to this upon completion. Our commitment to excellence ensured that we followed up consistently with our stakeholders in this project: the construction manager of PEAS as well as Comrade, the director of the Ndeija school. We sent a crew of masons to plug and repair the leaks and worked closely with Comrade to alleviate any concerns about the tank that still remained. The experience was invaluable in proving our positive partnerships with clients and consistent efforts to provide the quality of work that has grown to be expected of us throughout Uganda.

Students Excited Upon Successful Completion of the My Pads Program

The excited looks on these girls faces was incredible! They had just completed the fabrication of their own Re-usable Menstruation Pads. (RUMPS)  This was the final class of a 7-week program that educates girls in primary schools regarding reproductive health.  Throughout the program we addressed topics such as: Healthy Choices, Adolescent Pregnancy, Puberty, HIV/AIDS, and other STIs.  The girls have been incredibly responsive to this program thus far: providing thoughtful responses in class and picking up on the making of their RUMPS quickly.  

After the success of the My Pads pilot project last year, we have completed this second phase in two schools: St. Tereza Kajaguzo Primary School and Nakasoga UMEA Primary School.  The initial results of the post-course tests have been very promising with a solid improvement of scores from the pre-test.  We are very excited to continue and expand this program in the coming year.

Commitment to Excellence: Completion of PEAS Partnership Project

We have finished our pilot tank project with British NGO: PEAS: Promoting Equality in African Schools.  They contracted us to build one 30,000 L tank for the Ndeija School they funded near Rukungiri.  We have learned a lot from this project due to some unforeseen difficulties.  Due to poor quality, thicker soil during the construction process, our tanks had some small leakages for the first couple weeks after construction.  This was the first time in our short but busy history that a tank suffered any problems similar to this upon completion.  

Our commitment to excellence ensured that we followed up consistently with our stakeholders in this project: the construction manager of PEAS as well as Comrade, the director of the Ndeija school.  We sent a crew of masons to plug and repair the leaks and worked closely with Comrade to alleviate any concerns about the tank that still remained.  The experience was invaluable in proving our positive partnerships with clients and consistent efforts to provide the quality of work that has grown to be expected of us throughout Uganda.

Brick by Brick Partners with Link to Progress to Provide Water for Rural Communities

Link to Progress (LTP) is an organization that works with Ugandan communities to improve access to safe water and sanitation. In January, Brick by Brick successfully applied for a grant from LTP to build a number of rainwater harvesting tanks in the communities around Kalisizo. This grant funded the construction of three 30,000 litre rainwater harvesting tanks for local primary schools and ten 10,000 litre rainwater harvesting tanks for households, which will serve over 150 family members.

We began by conducting water, sanitation, and hygiene education sessions for the different school beneficiaries, teachers, school-management committees and members of participating households, who would now have access to safe, clean water. In these sessions, proper usage of water for sanitation and hygiene was emphasized.

The schools, as well as the surrounding participating communities, have made significant contributions in labor and materials to make this project a success. The project will be especially beneficial for children, who have been collecting water from sources that are far away and often contaminated. We expect the health of these communities to also improve, as the incidence of a number of water borne diseases should be reduced as a result of our work.

BRICK BY BRICK CONSTRUCTION PARTNERS WITH PEAS (PROMOTING EQUALITY IN AFRICAN SCHOOLS) TO PROVIDE CLEAN WATER FOR NDEIJA HIGH SCHOOL

Brick by Brick Construction Company is expanding its market in the water and sanitation sector. After being introduced to a British-funded Ugandan NGO known as Promoting Equality in African Schools (PEAS), which builds and works with schools throughout Uganda, Brick by Brick Construction was asked to build a 30,000 litre water tank, which would be used as a reservoir in the school’s piped system at Ndeija High School, located in a remote area of Ntungamo District called Kanyantura. Compared to other places where the company has worked, constructing this tank was a bit of a challenge. The construction site was on a very high hill, so no vehicle could reach to deliver materials. Therefore, all materials needed to be manually carried about 300 meters from the road to the construction site. Another challenge was that the ground on the site was rocky, so our masons struggled to level it. In the end, the tank was efficiently constructed in 14 days, instead of the 10 or 11 days that is usually needed for a tank of this size. This project has provided the company with a very valuable lesson: always thoroughly research site conditions prior to taking on any contract. In the end, we were successful in completing this important project and look forward to working with PEAS in the future.

A Story from Hoima

Thanks very much to Lori Cleveland for sending us this summary of a recently completed project in Hoima, along with some great pictures!  Lori is a US Peace Corps Volunteer working at the Hoima School of Nursing and Midwifery, and the project she describes was funded through a Peace Corps Grant that she applied for and received.  Here is Lori's summary: “Hoima School of Nursing and Midwifery was established in 2010 as an initiative of the Hoima Local Government to address the shortage of nurses in the Bunyoro region. In the last three years, it has grown from accommodating 60 students to 481 along with over 50 staff members. It is a public boarding school under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Heath/Education which runs five different levels (or sets) at one time. The nursing program is 2.5 years long with a new class starting every 6 months. During each school ceremony in the last three years, the Principal has requested expanding the accommodation for students, a school bus, and an increase in water reserves. At last one of these goals has been met and the school now celebrates the construction of two 30,000 liter water tanks; one for rainwater harvesting and the other as a reserve tank. ‘To me it is a big relief to staff and students. We don’t have to buy water. It is a big privilege to the institution,’ comments the Deputy Principal.

“The school collaborated with Brick by Brick Construction to build the tanks using an environmentally friendly process to create ‘Interlocking Stabilized Soil Bricks’. Working with local materials and resources the tanks were completed in approximately 5 weeks. One employee cites this project as a learning experience and plans to purchase a brick press for himself.

“The most significant benefit, of course, is to the students. Students who are unable to do laundry, clean their rooms, or bathe because there is no water. Students who are forced to wait for meals which are delayed or not coming because the ‘water is finished.’ Students who are sick and have poor infection control practices due to lack of water. These students are excited, saying, ‘It is one of the best achievements! Cleanliness and hygiene it is most vital... It has put the school a step ahead as in development... We won’t spend the nights without showering, won’t miss meals, won’t have to move long distances for water.’ The school recognizes a sustainable achievement in its perseverance towards success.”

And here are a few of the great pictures that Lori took during the project:

Thank you Griffin!

Two years ago after graduating from Marquette University, Chicago native Griffin Smith joined the Peace Corp to serve her country and the people of Uganda. Brick by Brick was fortunate to have Griffin as a volunteer member of our staff. Griffin was an incredibly hard worker, who brought intelligence, insight and a unique sense of humor to her duties every day. Griffin dedicated her time to training our Ugandan staff, building strong local leadership for both Brick by Brick Uganda and our for-profit company, Brick by Brick Construction. In addition, Griffin helped launch the My Pads Project, teaching young girls about their reproductive health, while fabricating their own reusable menstrual pads. When Griffin wasn't busy building the capacity of Brick by Brick, she found the time to direct a camp for Ugandan youth, which focused on creating a new generation of leaders for Uganda's future.

Griffin made friends for life in the Ugandan communities she served. Thank you Griffin for all you gave to us and for who your are. We will miss you.

Protect the Environment Through Sustainable Sanitation

Brick by Brick believes that sustainable development includes the environment. After years of providing environmentally friendly rain water harvesting systems, we are now beginning work in researching sustainable sanitation systems as well. We have built Eco-san composting toilets in two Universal Primary Education Schools, St Andrews Matale Hill and UMEA Primary Schools.  Students are being instructed in their use to support this pilot project’s success. Eco-san technology allows the recycling of human waste, while producing a valuable resource that can improve agricultural production and combat soil erosion.  Stay tuned, we will continue to update progress on the Brick by Brick blog.

New School Building Completed at UMEA Primary School

Brick by Brick Uganda has been partnering with the UMEA Primary School community since 2007. During these past six years we have built and stocked a library, renovated multiple classrooms, and addressed the water needs through the construction of rainwater harvesting systems. This month Brick by Brick Construction completed a new multi-purpose building. Now the students and teachers of UMEA Primary School will have a performance space, place to study, and space to meet and hold assemblies. In addition, this beautiful new building will provide much needed classrooms for the 420 students of UMEA. Our work has been made possible through the support of the students, parents and teachers of Kennedy-King Elementary School in Brooklyn, New York. Thanks to Kennedy-King and many matching fund donors we have made much progress at UMEA Primary School.Thank you to all who have made the dreams of UMEA's families a reality.

BRICK BY BRICK AT THE UWASNET 3RD NATIONAL CSO FORUM

As one of the prominent members of Uganda's Water and Sanitation NGO Network (UWASNET), Brick by Brick Uganda participated in the UWASNET 3rd national CSO forum at Hotel Africana on the 17th and 18th of October 2013. At the forum, one of the topics focused on how companies and Non-Government Organizations in the water sector can assist in financing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects in Uganda.

We were asked to give a presentation on the use of Interlocking Stabilized Soil Bricks and Brick by Brick Construction's contribution to our work in primary schools, which left many of the participants wanting to know even more. Participants were very interested in the technology and promised to contact the company for more interactions.

1st LIGHTNING ROD INSTALLED

One of Brick by Brick Uganda’s school policies is for students to have a protected, safe, and secure environment. In order to meet this requirement, Brick by Brick carries out various activities in the schools, one of which is the installation of lightning rods. The 1^st installation of a lightning rod has been done at Lwamaya Primary School where Brick by Brick previously constructed multiple classroom blocks and a rainwater tank. The aim of the lightning rod is to reduce the possibility that a lightning strike will harm students or damage property.  During the rainy season in this area, it is common to hear of one or more people being hurt by lightning at least once a week, and it is especially common in schools with no electricity. The staff and students of the school were very happy and grateful for the assistance offered to them, and Brick by Brick plans to install lightning protection systems in all of its partner schools.

RENOVATIONS HAVE STARTED IN THE NEW SCHOOLS

"Thank you a thousand times Brick by Brick for assisting this school to get a better look."That was the 1^st comment of parents of Nakasoga Primary school on seeing that their school building was being renovated. The joyful parents praised the Lord for having brought them such good people who can assist them in repairing some buildings which had taken ages without being put to standard.Like St. Tereza Kajaguzo (see previous post), Nakasoga Primary School also got assistance for renovation of its building that contains a main hall, staff rooms and one classroom from Brick by Brick Partners from the US. The masons are now roofing.  The remainder of the renovation is likely to take one  month.

The parents and the school administration are grateful for this assistance.

Sand collected by the school community