Country: Uganda

Organization: Kitojo Intergrated Development Association(KIDA)

Year the initiative began: 1999

Project Website: www.traveluganda.co.ug/kitojotouristhome

Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions:

• Main barrier addressed: Cross-cultural myopia
• Main insight addressed: Education through hands-on experience

What is the goal of your innovation?
Enabling vulnerable individuals and communities improve their quality of life through counseling, education, care for the HIV/AIDS infected, and supporting self help initiatives.

How does your approach support or embody geotourism?
To the effect that it is aimed at improving the quality of life of vulnerable individuals and communities through education which involves sharing and preservation of knowledge, and counseling which involves helping people to make decisions for their own good, care and support of local initiatives, promoting a healthy environment and sanitation, encouraging the use of their own culture in development, utilizing their natural resources responsibly, stretching beyond racial, tribal, religious and cultural boundaries, giving travelers opportunity to meet the locals and participate in their life situation, our approach embodies geotourism. Through the education strategy travelers have the opportunity to learn more about the affairs of the local community, its culture, problems, opportunities, as much as the locals themselves learn ways of improving their own lives.

Describe your approach in detial. How is it innovative?
It is innovative in that it is holistic It gives the travelers more than self satisfaction of their body , mind, and spirit by increasing opportunities for participating in local community, values, needs, aspirations and ultimately getting them empowered to appreciate what they learn, and the community to appreciate the travelers. The motivating factor is not financial or other materiel gains but the well being of a whole person. Our approach is unique in the sense that it goes beyond the conventional tour attractions of national parks and other nature attractions to meet with people, build relationships, learn from each other and share burdens causing social economic transformation.. It draws people from a self centered and individualistic orientation that is on the increase in many societies, to the concerns of other people.

What types of partnerships or professional developement would be most beneficial in spearding your innovation?
Ø Partners that would help in publicizing our programmes and marketing our products like crafts, honey and other bee products. Ø Partners to give financial support to community programmes Ø Those who can help in research Ø An inter cultural partnership that can teach basic international and local languages to reduce the language and communication barriers between locals and travelers. Ø A geotourism partnership which promotes exchange visits between people from all walks of life.

In one sentence describe what kind of impact, change, or reform your approach is intended to achieve.
Healthy, socially, mentally, and economically empowered individuals and communities.

Describe the degree of success of your approach to date. Clearly define how you measure quantitative and qualitative impact in terms of how your approach contributes to the sustainability or enhancement of local culture, environment, heritage, or aesthetics? How does your approach minimize negative impacts?
60,000 people have been reached with HIV/AIDS prevention message presented through music, cultural dance and drama. About 2million people have been reached through radio talks. In the last 3 years through t 3300 people have taken voluntary counseling and blood testing for HIV, and 700 found positive are receiving medications. The hopeless bed ridden persons are now empowered and are going on well with their normal activities. A cultural evening in which different cultural presentations, songs dances, riddles, and plays attended by several locals and outsiders is held at Kitojo Integrated Development Association (KIDA) counseling centre. 200 farmers have been taught bee keeping methods, and supported with hives, and other inputs. A nutrition and agriculture development program has been started targeting first HIV/AIDS clients. 200 clients are now engaged in growing vegetables on group and household levels, and a demonstration garden established at KIDA counseling centre to at which locals come to learn improved agricultural methods and travelers are welcome to visit the gardens. 48 women are engaged in raising their incomes through local handicrafts, some of which are bought locally and other by travelers. 21 water wells have been protected to improve the hygiene and sanitation in the community.100 AIDS orphans and vulnerable children are supported in school. A vocational training program has been started offering; tailoring, carpentry, bricklaying and concrete practice, and catering with tourism management.192 AIDS clients and care givers have formed a micro fiancé where they save money and take loans. Ø We measure quantitative impact by actually counting the number of people attending and responding to a particular programme Ø We measure qualitative impact through life stories from our clients, observing improved quality of life among our clients and increased savings in the micro finance programme. We minimize negative impact through; Ø Consisten

How does your program promote traveler enthusiasm, satisfaction, and engagement with the locale?
Ø Providing them with maximum quality services when they are here Ø Good accommodation and good food Ø Giving them opportunity to visit with local homes and institutions like schools, places of worship, cultural sites to meet individuals and groups Ø Participating in activities like drama, telling some stories about their home areas, involvement in games and sports Ø Encouraging moments of fun.

In what ways are local residents actively involved in your innovation, including participation and community input? How has the community responded to or benefited from your approach?
Ø Making plans and decisions through local boards and committees Ø Offering voluntary labor and materials in some activities Ø Seeking medication and counseling services Ø Learning skills in the vocational training program Ø Offering their time to compose, rehearse plays and songs and presenting them to the communities However foreigners are also welcome to serve as volunteers.

Describe how your innovation helps travelers and local residents better understand the value of the area's cultural and natural heritage, and educates them on local environmental issues. How do you motivate them to act responsibly in their future travel decisions?
Ø Allowing mutual interaction and involvement for example going out to homes, eating, playing and working with the locals. Ø Encouraging them to ask whenever they don’t understand anything. For example the Batooro tribe (western Uganda) in which I’m born and an area in which this project is founded, have in their culture petty names (different from first and second names) by which greetings are shared, and also a symbol of respect, mutual communication between spouses, parents and children, elders, and others. When visitors come we explain to them what these names are and their significance. Ø To reduce the language barrier especially where there is English, we bring in an interpreter. Ø To help them behave responsibly, encourage them to be aware of cultural diversities which implies that all the parties(travelers and locals) where they are need to be accommodative, appreciative, open to learn, and above all its a MUST TO LOVE others, for it transcends all boundaries

Is your initiative financially and organizationally sustainable? If not, what is required to make it so? What is the potential demand for your innovation?
Organizationally it is sustainable because it is built on local leadership and professionally managed by the locals who are willing to go an extra mile as volunteers since it is a community based organization. It is financially sustainable through local support in form of skilled and unskilled voluntary labor and revenues generated from travelers who visit and pay for accommodation, food and crafts and other services. However there are some aspects that require external support for example the medicines, equipment and infrastructure. The potential demand is to have an increased number of travelers whose hearts are beyond the self, with a focus on the community so that as people from different areas meet and interact, they overcome fears and prejudices and share challenges learn from each other a result of which will be development.

How is your initiative currently financed? If available, provide information on your finances and organization that could help others. Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff.
Local contributions in cash and in kind, use of local volunteers, revenues from travelers, and donations. Some of the travelers who have been here have organized themselves into an organization called friends of Rwenzori to bring on board other people to get interested in being with and supporting local initiatives here. This organization has given significant financial support. The total annual budget is 202 million Uganda shillings which is approximately 118,000 U.S dollars. We have 16 part time and 10 fulltime volunteers with different professional expertise.

What is your plan to expand your approach? Please indicate where/how you would like to grow or enhance your innovation, or have others do so.
We are currently operating in 3 sub counties with about 70000 people but wish to expand to cover the Rwenzori region that has about 1.5 million people. We intend to do that through working with the locals. We hope to expand the vocational training programme into a rural firm, technical skills and tourism management institute and mobilize more people to form micro finance groups so to help save, access loans for development. We also hope to elevate the clinic to a hospital, We are willing to share our experience and ideas with persons, locally or internationally who are willing to replicate our initiative.

What are the main barriers you encounter in managing, implementing, or replicating your innovation? What barriers keep your program from having greater impact?
Ø Language barrier especially when it comes to travelers communicating with locals. Ø People’s attitudes or stereo types, prejudices both locals and travelers that don’t allow change Ø Financial constraints Ø Inadequate marketing and publicity

What is the origin of your innovation? Tell your story.
I was born and raised in a poor family. At the age of three my parents separated leaving me and my one year old sister with my father The economic hardships and the gap my mother left have since kept my heart tuned to loving others and working hard to improve their quality of life. This inspired me to start community development programmes and in 1995, overwhelmed by the increasing deaths of people from HIV/AIDS, the stigma and ignorance about it, the widows and orphans, the poor health conditions and the poverty, I started an AIDS prevention programme at Iruhuura where I was serving as an Anglican Priest. My wife and I got training in HIV community counseling and later trained 20 community trainers who helped in counseling the sick, bereaved and teaching basics pertaining to community health. This resulted in many people responding by getting to know their HIV status through testing and changing their attitudes positively. In 1997 we started a vocational training programme in skills like building, tailoring and carpentry to help orphaned youths , vulnerable school drop outs and others. It started with 10 students and has since graduated 400 students who are now employed in different capacities supporting themselves and their families. In 1999 I got land in Kitojo where I relocated with my family on a sick leave. The same problems that I found in Iruhuura pertained in this area, prompting me to start a similar programme. With a humble beginning of 7 people trained as community counselors at our small family mud kitchen and store, we started sensitizing the neighbors about HIV/AIDS and other community health related matters through music, dance, drama, public talks, and one to one contact in homes. This resulted in many people individuals and groups flocking our home for counseling to the extent that we lacked enough space to accommodate them. This prompted us to acquire a separate piece of land where we built a counseling centre and AIDS clinic of just 4 rooms in 2003 which has now expanded to 9 rooms including a community hall. Meanwhile in 2002 as I sat at the balcony of my home over looking the Rwenzori Mountains enjoying the 360 degree starning views listening to the wonderful sound of the birds and watching the monkeys play around, an idea to open up my home for tourism came to me. This would give outsiders a chance to visit and interact with the local people in a setting that is community friendly, giving them chance to visit homes, meet groups and learn from their culture. Although we haven’t received as yet many guests due to inadequate marketing and publicity, most of the travelers who have stayed with us at our home that came to be known as Kitojo Tourist Home, have seen this as a special opportunity and have appreciated it, some have even given financial support like sponsoring AIDS orphans. In case you wish to visit our page its www.traveluganda.co.ug/kitojotouristhome Today there are daily counseling services, an orphan support programme, the AIDS clinic serves 700 clients, and the number is growing, community education through radio and drama, our clients have been mobilized to engage on nutritional agricultural activities at individual and group level, a vocational skills training school is in operation training the orphaned youth and vulnerable school dropouts in tailoring, catering and tourism management, carpentry and building. The catering and tourism course in particular was added to the vocational training programme in order to equip the locals with these skills so that they can best utilize their environment and culture for their own and outsiders benefit. I couldn’t have lived happily on my own while seeing many suffer and die around me helpless. I personally feel that my aspirations of living for others are being met in these programmes because people are being empowered to take care of their own lives. It further thrills my soul to see that similar programmes have been started in Kamwenge and Kyenjojo district by pastors who have been associated with me. Am greatly indebted to my family, for opening our home to community service and to guests who have not only stayed here but have also wished to share with me the community burden.

Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers' marketing material.
Am called Ezra Monday Musobozi, born on 11th January 1960 in a rural village called Mutiti close to the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda. Am a Mutooro by tribe one of the Bantu ethnic groups, my petty name is Amooti which culturally is associated with royalty. I trained as an Anglican priest and have served in different capacities as parish priest, principle and tutor in divinity school though I’ve now devoted my efforts and abilities to community service. I have also undergone training in community leadership, community counseling, project planning and management. Am married to Marjorie Adyeeri, (petty name culturally associated with Kaikara, the goddess of fertility among the Batooro). We are Blessed with 5 biological children (2 girls and 3 boys) and 2 adopted AIDS orphans. Am passionate about people’s wellbeing.

Please write an overview of your project. This text will appear when people scroll over the icon for your entry on the Google map located on teh competition homepage.
Vision Empowered people caring for their own lives Mission To enable vulnerable individuals and communities improve their quality of life through counseling, education, care and support of the HIV/AIDS infected and affected and promoting productive self help initiatives. Objectives Ø To eradicate poverty Ø To uplift the general welfare of the community Ø To promote health care services Ø To offer support to AIDS orphans and vulnerable children Ø Promote practical skills like carpentry, woodcarving, clay works, cookery, needle work etc Ø To create awareness of environmental conservation, bio diversity, rural hygiene and environmental sanitation Ø To help create employment opportunities to vulnerable youth and women Ø Establish and support micro finance programmes to promote saving and easy accessing of loans for development. We are currently serving predominantly the rural community which is less advantaged economically than urban areas. We have a board of directors and several subcommittees. We have the following core programmes: Ø Community education and sensitization Ø Vocational training with tourism component Ø Counseling and delivery of medical care to HIV/ AIDS clients Ø Micro finance Ø Nutrition and agriculture support. Ø Orphan support Ø Environment protection water and sanitation Contact Person: Ezra Musobozi- DIRECTOR: Email:kitojotouristhome@yahoo.com

Contact Information
Revrand Ezra Musobozi
Director
Kitojo Intergrated Development Association(KIDA)
KIDA, Kitojo Rwaihamba, Fortportal
kitojotouristhome@yahoo.com