5.3 Stakeholders of EDF
5.3.1 Senior management
The executive director, who is assisted by the programmes director, heads EDF. The executive director oversees all the day-to-day running of the organisation and in most cases follows up all the communication with development partners, government, communities and other stakeholders. He has been in charge since the official registration in 2000. The executive director
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is deputized by the programmes director, who doubles as the head of the agriculture programme.
The deputy director oversees all the fieldwork activities in the organization and is responsible for the logistical support to staff in their work. Other members of the senior management team include the head of the health programme and the finance manager. This team is responsible for translating policy decisions into action at organisational level. A brief account of two members of this senior management team is given below as a means of throwing more light on the functioning and work of EDF.
5.3.1.1
Kwaga as a key figure in EDF
The history, success, vision and philosophy of EDF cannot be separated from one man, that is, Kwaga (pseudonym). He is one of the founding members and the current executive director. He conceived the initial idea of EDF together with his wife before EDF transformed into the current organization. As one of the few university graduates from this remote and rather historically disadvantaged district (see Chapter 1), he felt that there was need for an intervention to change the lifestyles of the people. A graduate of social work and social administration, Kwaga had had prior experience working with another development organisation. He has since acquired a number of certificates, both national and international, in development work.
One of Kwaga’s strong points is the fact that he commands respect in Kibaale district, as one of their own, who shunned work for better pay in urban centres and preferred to work with them to forge a better future. He is also grounded in the culture of the people and serves as an advisor to their traditional king of Bunyoro kingdom (see Chapter 1). Kwaga has used his position and personality to blend EDF with the communities, the local cultural institution as well as the local and central governments. Through his personal efforts, EDF works well with other CSOs in the district. A case in point is the Kibaale Kagadi Community Radio (KKCR), which EDF often uses to reach its partner communities and yet is owned and managed by a sister NGO in the district.
In the current day-to-day running of EDF, Kwaga’s name comes up in everything.
Although he says he has no formal training in adult education, apart from skills acquired in workshops and seminars, more often you hear most staff confessing that they learnt adult education facilitation skills and approaches to community development work from Kwaga. In describing his expertise in adult education and mentorship of staff, Kwaga notes:
I most often tend to refer to myself as a self-made facilitator and why because … I have found myself motivated to get into these areas to … and until you try something and you may not really know that you could be one of the best. But I have been praised by so many people, people who have managed to attend my training sessions and all that I say about facilitation, adult learning skills and all this … but I think also through practice you get to know … (Kwaga, 2011).
As a result of this, Kwaga’s name is like a brand name for EDF in Kibaale. At just 42 years old, Kwaga is largely known by everyone in Kibaale district, which currently has a population of about 700,000 people including those not yet served by EDF. He boasts a number of accolades and recognition for development work from various individuals and institutions. As a personality, Kwaga blends a mixture of creativity and innovativeness, and plays the role of power broker, mentor, crisis manager and above all is a gifted community development worker. In addition, he is always up-to-date with local needs but also stands out as a good mobilizer. He has also managed to groom a team of dedicated staff who largely spread the development ‘gospel’ of EDF in Kibaale. He is equally well versed with national and global trends such as the national development plan and MDGs.
5.3.1.2
Sendi as a key figure in EDF
EDF boasts of yet another important personality and this is Sendi (pseudonym).
Sendi is the current head of the health programme. Sendi joined EDF in 2004 and has since been in charge of the health and sanitation programme. At 51 years old, he is a graduate of public health at diploma level and has a six-month certificate in adult
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education facilitation skills. Colleagues normally refer to him as a pan-African facilitator.
Sendi, who is commonly referred to as ‘doctor’ by the community development workers and community members, has a strong passion for his work and the community he serves.
He has reached virtually every home in the communities served by EDF. His other strength is that before joining EDF, he had worked for World Vision, a child development agency in the same area.
Sendi is both a respected and loved gentleman in Kibaale district because of the impact people say he has on their lives. When his motorcycle sounds near a home, it causes a mixture of fear and excitement for residents. Fear happens when they know something is not right with their health standards. The excitement is because their friend and health advisor has arrived and would answer any question they have. In a FGD with community members in Kidukuule, a number of comments about Sendi emerged, as follows:
They [EDF staff] used to treat us well, like ‘Doctor’ Sendi used to come to our homes and ask us why we had not constructed dry racks, why we had not renovated our houses, so as to prevent the mosquitoes from entering and this would reduce disease incidences in a family.
Another person added:
Sendi reached most of the households and he could monitor to see whether one has done what was asked of him or her.
Another member of a village development committee commented:
Another thing is that ‘Doctor’ Sendi is never a lazy man, when he finds you constructing cooking stoves, he also joins the group to work without any complaints. Even when you are constructing pit latrines he joins as well and that motivates the other people to do the same thing.
Although Sendi works and heads the health department, he usually gets consulted by other staff from agriculture on community intervention skills. When asked about his approach and relationship to the community, Sendi notes:
… let me say this, I always encourage the staff that when you are going to the community you have to ensure that you fit in that community; adopt to the way they are behaving, even the way they are dressed, participation in activities all that helps us to become nearer to the people. If you really expect to get results you have to try and get people on your side and you cannot do that if there is a gap of them fearing you, they won’t be free with you (Sendi, 2011).