Student Work at College of the Atlantic

Improving Social Service Delivery

An Evaluative Study of Two Islands (Rwabitoke & Kisima II) and Two Landing Sites (Marese & Busana) in Ugandan Lake Victoria

Sarah Haughn interviewing in Uganda, 2008

Working closely with the Uganda Fisheries Development Association (UFDA), Sarah worked in four communities in the Jinja and Mukono districts conducting an in-depth study of social service delivery. What she found was an “incontestable lack of social services.” The 2002 government census reported that 99% of households in these communities had access to potable water, but an independent study in 2006 found a graver situation of only 39.3%. An-in depth analysis revealed several discrepancies in social services provided. Sarah’s project sought to find out why these needs persisted.

Sarah Haughn, senior project, Uganda, 2008

By empowering community members to advocate for improved services, Sarah sought to address these discrepancies. Consciously aware of gender dynamics both male and female community members were trained to collect data on the availability and effectiveness of social services. This information was compiled into a final document designed to encourage all stakeholders: community members, government officials, and civil society organizations to take active ownership of their information. With this report the three groups were able to directly engage with each other in a meeting geared to address the realities of social services in these communities.

Sarah Haughn, senior project, Uganda, 2008

The report and subsequent meeting presented the views of each of these stakeholders. The inadequate social service delivery was addressed, as was the need to build communication networks between the groups. “In many ways the project both recognized the challenges and realized the potential for sustainable development…” in these communities—communities that have been traditionally neglected by government and civil society alike.

“It offered those involved a chance to realize that their voices could make a difference, that advocacy could result in tangible change. Sustainable development seldom occurs without sustainable relationships.

“In the end, the cliché holds true: it takes a village…”

Sarah Haughn, senior project, Uganda, 2008

Sarah Haughn, senior project, Uganda, 2008