PaCT

Partners for Community Transformation

Contributing to the development of sustainable water, hygiene, and sanitation in central Uganda using schools as a catalyst for transformation.

PaCT + Blood:Water Partnership

In partnership with Blood;Water, Partners for Community Transformation (PaCT) is improving access to sustainable clean water and improved hygiene and sanitation (“WASH”) practices in 6 schools and surrounding communities in the Kassanda district of Uganda. In order to address these issues, PaCT is using the Three-Star model approach developed by UNICEF and the Ugandan Ministry of Education and Sports. In this model, schools and their host communities will create the minimum conditions for healthy, hygiene-promoting schools using local resources. The approach is specifically designed to be affordable and participative, engaging all key stakeholders at the national and local level including the Ministry of Education and Sports, Local District, schools, community members and other partners.

The goal of the current project with Blood:Water is to improve the quality of hygiene behavior change programmes in 6 schools by June 2025.

PaCT will accomplish this by:

Contributing to the increased access to sustainable, safe, and clean water and sanitation facilities in the 6 schools
Building the capacity of learners and teachers on proper hygiene, sanitation and nutrition practices and menstrual hygiene management in the 6 schools

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Health Context

Of the 103 primary schools in the Kassanda District, only 46% of schools have the capacity to avail some drinking water within the school premises, and only 44% of the schools had hand washing facilities for pupils in the school compound. Overall, 85% of the schools in the district are far below the national standards of WASH in schools.

Hygiene education for learners is not consistently provided in most schools, and the lack of access to standard handwashing and sanitation facilities exacerbates the issue. Girls suffer when their schools lack private and clean sanitation facilities, as they have no place to manage their periods. As a result, many girls are forced to drop out of, or miss significant portions of school once they reach adolescence. Also, nutrition for children under 5 years of age is a major concern in the communities, as many children in the area are malnourished.

Partner History

Partners for Community Transformation (“PaCT”) was established in 1995 with the mission to “support and positively contribute to the lives of vulnerable Ugandans in order to help them attain full recognition in society through the provision of education support, poverty relief initiatives, health systems strengthening, human rights awareness and embracing Christian values.” In the WASH sector, PaCT focuses on public partnerships with communities and government stakeholders to intentionally bring grassroots structures and governments together for more sustainable practice.

PaCT was previously known as Mityana Uganda Charity until May 2018 when the Board of Directors in consultation with different stakeholders resolved to re-brand the name to “Partners for Community Transformation (PaCT)” to best represent the organization’s geographical coverage and activities. PaCT has largely been operating in the Mityana and Mubende district in central Uganda with some activities extending into four neighboring districts.

Learn more at pactug.org.

Partnership Timeline: Fourth grant cycle (partnership started in 2017)

Trained water management committee Uganda

Uganda Profile

Uganda developed from the nineteenth century kingdom of Buganda, based along the northern shore of Lake Victoria. The colonial boundaries created by Britain to delimit Uganda grouped together a wide range of ethnic groups with different political systems and cultures. These differences complicated the establishment of a working political community after independence was achieved in 1962. The dictatorial regime of Idi Amin (1971-79) was responsible for the deaths of some 300,000 opponents; guerrilla war and human rights abuses under Milton Obote (1980-85) claimed at least another 100,000 lives. The rule of Yoweri Museveni since 1986 has brought relative stability and economic growth to Uganda. A constitutional referendum in 2005 canceled a 19-year ban on multi-party politics. In December 2017, parliament approved the removal of presidential age limits.